Superfoods - August 2012

Diva: Tiffany

Drinks: Tiffany
Muay Thai (superfoods: coconut and ginger)

2 thin jalapeno slices
2 basil sprigs
2 oz Bombay Sapphire gin
¾ oz fresh lime juice
½ oz cream of coconut
½ oz ginger syrup* ( ¼ c chopped ginger, 1 pt. water, 2 c sugar) + sparkling water

Muddle 1 jalapeno slice and 1 basil sprig in a mixing glass.  Add remaining ingredients, fill with ice, and shake vigorously.  Strain into an ice-filled glass.  Garnish with the remaining jalapeno slice and basil sprig. Add sparkling water as needed to cut down on sweetness from drink.
 
ginger syrup: Add chopped ginger to water and boil.  Add sugar and bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Strain and refrigerate.
From Southwest Airlines Spirit magazine

sparkling water, coconut water, and wine


Appetizer:

Soup:

Salad:

Side: Colleen
Quinoa Salad

2 c quinoa - cooked per package directions
1 english cucumber, peeled and diced
1 5 oz jar kalamata olives, sliced
1 orange, yellow or red bell pepper, diced
8 oz feta, cubed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
¾ c lemon juice
½ c olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Cook quinoa and let cool.  Mix in cucumber, olives, peppers, feta and tomatoes.  Mix lemon juice, oil and salt and pepper in small bowl.  Add to salad and toss.  Serve chilled.

Entree:
Cedar plank Salmon with a Soy Star Anise Reduction Sauce; Served over Tamari-Almond Crusted Edamame Cakes

Soy Star-Anise Reduction Sauce
½ c soy sauce
½ c dry sherry
¼ c mirin
1 T fresh grated ginger
2 T fresh squeezed lime juice
2 T honey
2 star anise pods

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes on medium heat until reduced.

Tamarind Almond Crusted Edamame Cakes

2 packages frozen shelled edamame
3 eggs
2 T bread crumbs
1 T chopped tarragon
¾ c tamarind almonds
1 T fresh squeezed lemon
salt and pepper

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook edamame for 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to food prcoessor. Pulse until coarsely chopped.

Dessert:

Green Tea - April 2012

Diva: Mary Ellen

Drinks: Lovina
Pomegranate-Lemongrass Green Tea Spritzer

3-4 oz (about ½ c)  green tea concentrate (recipe below)
1½  oz pomegranate flavored vodka
5-6 oz (about ⅔ c) pomegranate spritzer (I used soda water flavored with Mio Berry Pomegranate water enhancer)

Pour ingredients over ice in large tumbler. Mix and enjoy!

To make green tea concentrate:
Place 15 bags Lemongrass Green Tea in large heat proof bowl. Pour in 2 quarts boiling water and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags. Stir in ½ cup honey.

Jasmine Green Tea and Lavender Cooler

3-4 oz (about ½ c) green tea concentrate (recipe below)
2-3 oz (about ⅓ c) lavender water (recipe below)
5-6 oz (about ⅔ c) soda water
Pour ingredients over ice in large tumbler. Mix and enjoy!

To make green tea concentrate:
Place 8 bags Jasmine Green Tea in large heat proof bowl. Pour in 1 quart boiling water and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags. Stir in ¼ cup honey.

To make lavender water:
Put 1 Tbsp lavender flowers in tea ball and place in heat proof bowl. Pour in 1 quart boiling water and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea ball. Stir in ½ cup sugar and 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice.


Appetizer: Colleen
Jasmine Green Tea Bread

3 c all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ tsp instant yeast
1¼ tsp salt
jasmine green tea
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups tea, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Adapted from New York Times No-Knead Bread Recipe, Published: November 8, 2006
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

I was scared that the bread was going all wrong so I made these just in case:
Green tea soft pretzel rolls
1½  c jasmine green tea
¼  c olive oil
3½  c flour
1 T sugar
1½   t salt
2 tsp yeast
Put ingredients in bread machine on dough cycle.  When cycle is finished, cut dough into portion sizes and let rise for 30 minutes. Roll into snakes and shape like pretzels.  Bake at 450 for 10-14 minutes.

Roasted Garlic Edamame Dip

4½  c cooked, shelled edamame
2 oz goat cheese
4-5 oz cream cheese
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 2 lemons
1-2 heads roasted garlic (based on how strong you want the dip)
½  tsp salt
dash of red pepper

Put all ingredients into food processor and blend until smooth.


Soup:

Salad:

Entree: Hallie
Green Tea Teriyaki Chicken

Sei Mee Tea
Bit of water to dissolve the tea
4 green onions, chopped, divided
2 T honey
rice wine vinegar to taste (you want to balance the honey and decide if you want the dish
to be sweet or savory)
soy sauce to taste- just a bit, though unless you’re really going for savory—it overpowers
the tea flavor easily, though, so be careful
4 garlic cloves, minced
minced fresh gingerroot to taste-don’t be shy- I add enough to thicken the sauce
small splash of sesame oil- very small splash
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)

Place the water with tea into a large skillet. Add half of the onions. Stir in the honey,
vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and sesame oil. Bring to a boil.
Add chicken and another scoop of tea; cover and cook over medium-high heat for about
10 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Cut chicken into thin
slices; serve with sauce. Garnish with remaining onions.

Adapted from TasteofHome.com

Ginger and Green Tea Tofu

Marinate the whole cube of extra firm tofu overnight in a mixture of:
Rice wine vinegar
A lot of grated ginger
1 scoop of Sei Mee Tea
A dash of soy sauce
A dash of sesame oil
To cook:
Coat the bottom of a skillet with about ¼ inch of olive oil. Heat the oil for a minute or two
and throw in ¼ to ½ inch thick slices of marinated tofu. Brown each side.
Heat the marinade to boiling in a separate pan for a minute, or so. Serve sliced tofu drizzled
with hot marinade.

Side Dish: Erin
Pineapple Fried Rice

1 c Jasmine or Basmati Rice
1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits, drained (or fresh)
3 green onion, chopped
1 large red chili, finely chopped
3 sprigs cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 c fresh shrimp, cleaned and deveined
3 T oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T fish sauce
1 ½ T soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
cilantro for garnish

Prepare rice according to package directions and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine pineapple, onions, chile and cilantro; mix and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet, sauté shrimp until done. Remove shrimp from skillet. In same skillet, over medium heat, add remaining oil. Sauté garlic until golden brown. Add cooked rice and stir. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir and heat thoroughly.
Fold in pineapple mixture and shrimp. Heat through. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Dessert:

Lottery:

Breast Cancer Awareness - October 2009

Diva: Ashley

Drinks: Lovina
Boob Grabbers (modified from recipe on drinkmixer.com)

Johnny Walker Red Label Whiskey
Bailey's Irish Cream

Mix 1 part Johnny Walker Red Label Whiskey to 2/3 part Bailey's Irish Cream.
Pour over ice and serve.

Pinkies (non-alcoholic)

Pink Lemonade
Acai Berry Sparkling Water

Mix together equal parts of pink lemonade and flavored sparkling water.
Serve over ice in a tumbler.

Appetizer: Bonnie
Cranberry Chipotle Chutney

1 chipotle in adobo sauce

2 10 pkg frozen cranberries

1 ½ c sugar

5 T lemon juice and zest

3 cloves garlic, crushed

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp cardamom


Put 1st 4 ingredients in a pot and cook over med-low heat until cranberries pop, stiring occasionally. Add last 4 ingredients and simmer until sauce thickens stirring often.

Use submersion blender lightly just to break up chipotle and few cranberries.

Room temp goat cheese with truffle oil to taste.
Mix and spread on cracker. Top with chutney

(Modified from Bon appetit Nov 09)

Soup: Mary Ellen (sub for Erin)
North African Chickpea And Kale Soup

1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced or diced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika
1/8-1/4 tsp chilli powder or cayenne
1/4 tsp allspice
½ tsp ground ginger
generous pinch saffron, lightly crushed
2 bay leaves
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
3 c cooked chickpeas (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
8 c vegetable broth (or water plus bouillon)
1 large bunch kale, thick center ribs removed and chopped (at least 8 cups)
about 2 c water
salt to taste

Spray a large saucepan with olive oil spray and heat it. Add the onion and carrot and cook over medium-high heat until the onion begins to brown (about 5 minutes).

Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the spices, including bay leaves and cinnamon stick, and cook, stirring, for another minute.
Add the chickpeas and stir to coat them with the spices. Pour in the 8 cups of vegetable stock, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the chopped kale and stir. If necessary add water to cover the kale and cook until it is tender, about 10-25 minutes, depending on how cooked you like your kale. Check frequently to see if it is becoming dry and add water as needed. Add salt to taste and serve.

(From Susan Voisin at FatFreeVegan)


Salad: Brenda (sub for Mariah)
Edamame Salad

1 lb frozen shelled edamame (soy beans)
3 c frozen petite corn kernels
1 chopped red bell pepper
¾ c sliced green onion
½ c chopped red onion
¼ c chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 T chopped fresh oregano or marjoram or basil
***I used 1 tsp of dried oregano and it turned out fine

Dressing:
1/3 c lemon juice
2 T Dijon mustard
2 T olive oil
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp black pepper

Prepare Edamame according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside to drain thoroughly.

Combine Edamame, corn, red pepper, green onion, red onion, parsley and oregano.
In a large bowl whisk lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add veggies to bowl and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

(from recipezaar.com)

Side Dish: Tamara (absent)

Entree: Aven
Pink Maple Ginger Pressed Chicken & Tofu

Press tofu, cut into 1/2" slabs, pour 2-3 Tbsp of pomegranate juice over tofu and let soak for 10 minutes

Fillet chicken breasts and cover in pomegranate juice

1/4 c maple syrup
1 T soy sauce
1 T pomegranate juice
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

combine ingredients and use as marinade for chicken
add 1 Tbsp soy sauce and use as marinade for tofu

Pound chicken between two pieces of wax paper.

Add a little oil to skillet on med-high and cook tofu/chicken until brown (~4 min), then flip and cook a few more minutes until done. Remove from skillet and add marinade to pan. Cook glaze until slightly thickened. Add meat back to pan and coat with glaze.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds

Turns out the pomemgranate juice did not make anything pink so feel free to leave it out.

(Modified from a recipe from America's Test Kitchen)

Dessert: Sara
Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes with Raspberry Chambord Buttercream Frosting

Vegetable oil cooking spray
3 c all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp coarse salt
15 ounces (3 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
12 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 c sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 T pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Coat an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray, line bottom with parchment, then spray parchment.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until chocolate melts.

Attach bowl to mixer, add sugar, and whisk on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture.

Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Spread remaining batter in square pan. Bake until set but still soft, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins and pan on wire racks.

Frost cupcakes with buttercream. Cut out 24 hearts from brownie in pan using a 1 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter. Top each cupcake with a heart.

Frosting:

12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
½ tsp Raspberry Extract
1 tsp Chambord
3-4 Drops Red Food Coloring

Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high). Add Raspberry extract, red food coloring and Chambord, and beat until buttercream is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)

(From foodbuzz.com adapted from Martha Stewart)

Think Pink Cupcakes

2 ¼ c all purpose flour

1 1/3 c sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ c shortening

2 large eggs
1 c milk

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pans with your choice of paper wrappers or liners

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Next, add shortening, milk, and vanilla. Beat the mixture for one minute on medium speed and scrape side of bowl with a spatula often.

Next, add eggs to the cupcake mixture. Beat for one minute on medium speed and scrape the bowl again. Beat on high speed for 1 minute 30 seconds until the cupcake batter is well mixed.
Spoon cupcake batter or put into pastry bag and pipe into your paper liners until about 2/3 full. Try to keep all the liners filled evenly.

Bake the cupcakes for 20 to 25 minutes until the tops are golden brown, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean without crumbs attached.

(From Weddingcupcakes.org)

Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting

1 container of fresh Mascarpone Cheese
1 stick salted butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice
1 ¼ cup powdered sugar

Combine Mascarpone Cheese and butter in a mixing bowl. Beat cheese and butter until light and creamy. Add vanilla and then lemon juice. Add powdered sugar and continue beating until smooth. Once frosting is prepared, pipe onto completely cooled cupcakes.

(From the-cupcakery-blog.blogspotcom)

Raspberry Chambord Buttercream Frosting

12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
½ tsp Raspberry Extract
1 tsp Chambord
3-4 Drops Red Food Coloring

Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high). Add Raspberry extract, red food coloring and Chambord, and beat until buttercream is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)

(From foodbuzz.com adapted from Martha Stewart)

Wild Card: Colleen
Berry Muffins



As wild card in the past I have typically contributed something that was non-food related. Knowing that we always have plenty of food at divas, I thought it would be fun to send everyone home with a breakfast item for the next day. Berries, flax, and citrus zest are said to be helpful in preventing cancer. I thought a mixture of berries would be fun so instead of using all blue, I added the raspberries.

1 ¾ c of all-purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
¼ c ground flax seed
1 T baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
10 T salted butter (1 1/4 stick), softened
1 c sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ c plain yogurt
1 ¼ tsp orange zest
1 c blueberries
½ c raspberries

Adjust the oven rack to the middle-lower part of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together, beating until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each one. Beat in the grated lemon peel.



Beat in one half of the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Beat in one third of the yogurt. Beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients. Beat in a second third of the yogurt. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients and then the remaining yogurt. Again be careful to beat until just incorporated. Do not over beat.

Fold in the berries. The berries I used were still mostly frozen but were separated. 

Use a standard 12-muffin muffin pan. Put in muffin cups. Distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups.

Bake until muffins are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick (we use a thin bamboo skewer) to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin and serve slightly warm.



This recipe made about 18 muffins and I filled the cups almost up to the top. The mix was much thicker than I thought it would be, but they turned out relatively well.



(Modified from elise.com)

Lottery: Stacey

Yin and Yang - June 2009

Diva: Mariah

Drinks: Erin
Salty Dog

2 oz vodka
5 oz grapefruit juice
salt rimming
Garnish: lime wedge

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a salt rimmed martini glass and garnish with lime wedge.


Fuzzy Navel

1 ½ oz peach schnapps
orange juice to fill

Pour the peach schnapps into an highball glass filled with ice cubes.
Top with orange juice. Stir well.

Screwdriver

2 oz vodka
5 oz orange juice

Build the ingredients in a glass with ice.
Stir well.

Woo Woo

1 ½ oz peach schnapps
1 ½ oz vodka
3 ½ oz cranberry juice

Build the ingredients in a glass with ice.
Stir well.

Appetizer: Sara
Chipotle Edamame Dip

Dip

1 ½ pounds shelled edamame
¼ c cultured sour cream
¾ c non-fat plain yogurt
4 ozs fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 oz hard cheese (Asiago, Parm, etc.)
3 chipotles in adobo, chopped, plus 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce from the can
¼ c fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, chopped
2 tsp kosher salt
1 T chopped oregano
2 T or more nutritional yeast

Pepitas

½ c raw pumpkin seeds
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp chopped oregano

Make the dip: In a medium pot of boiling salted water, simmer the edamame until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a food processor. Add the sour cream, goat cheese, chipotles, adobo sauce, lemon juice, garlic and salt and puree until smooth, scraping down the side of the bowl. Stir in the oregano and transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Make the pepitas: Preheat the oven to 375°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the pumpkin seeds with the olive oil, salt, coriander and crushed red pepper. Bake for 7 minutes, until the seeds begin to brown. Transfer the pepitas to a bowl and toss with the lemon zest and oregano.

Serve the dip at room temperature, topped with the spiced pepitas.

Salad: Ashley
Asian Slaw

Dressing
2 c vegetable stock
2 T cornstarch
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic
½ shallot, chopped
½ c chopped fresh cilantro
¼ c Thai chile sauce
¼ c apple cider (or rice wine) vinegar
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Slaw
¼ c pecan pieces
½ tsp dark chili powder
¼ tsp cayenne
1 T olive oil
¼ c halved macadamia nuts, not toasted
¼ pound red cabbage, shredded
¼ pound green cabbage, shredded
1 small green bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
1 small yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced

Stir ½ cup vegetable stock with cornstarch in a measuring cup until blended. Bring remaining 28 ounces stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and slowly whisk in stock-cornstarch mixture. Stir rapidly until stock is the consistency of olive oil. (It should cling to the back of a spoon.) Cool to room temperature, skim off and discard any film on top. Place cumin seeds in a dry sauté pan over medium-high heat. Stir until aroma of seeds is released, about 1 minute.

Blend ¼ cup stock in a blender with cumin seeds and remaining dressing ingredients until smooth. (Refrigerate or freeze leftover stock.) Heat oven to 350°F. Combine pecans, chili powder, cayenne and oil in a mixing bowl; toss to coat pecans. Place nuts on a cookie sheet and roast until the aroma of the chili powder is released, 3 to 4 minutes. Combine dressing and slaw ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Soup: Aven
Beet and Fennel Soup

6-8 med beets
1 fennel bulb
1 med onion
1-2 med carrots
3 T fennel seeds
1 32oz box veggie broth
~2 quarts water
sour cream

boil beets, carrots and 2 Tbsp fennel seeds in water until soft, mash with fork or potato masher, reserve water
dice and saute onion and fennel until soft
combine veggies with broth and the water used to boil the beets
add salt to taste
simmer for 20-30 minutes
toast remaining fennel seeds in dry skillet or oven
garnish soup in bowls with sour cream and toasted seeds


Side Dish: Lovina
Black Bean and Espresso Chili

Serve this over the Baked White Polenta with Two Cheeses, and season with any — or all — of the suggested toppings (chocolate adds mole flavor).

½ c olive oil
5 large onions, chopped
¼ c instant espresso powder
¼ c chili powder
¼ c ground cumin
¼ c dried oregano leaves
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/3 c honey
6 large garlic cloves, minced
7 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
2 c water
1 T salt
¼ tsp chipotle chili powder or chili powder
Large pinch of ground cinnamon

Assorted toppings: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, shredded cheese, sliced jalapeños, and shaved bittersweet chocolate
preparation

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Mix in espresso powder, 1/4 cup chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook 1 minute. Mix in tomatoes, honey, and garlic. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Add beans, 2 cups water, salt, chipotle chili powder, and cinnamon. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until mixture thickens slightly, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Season with salt. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving.)

Place toppings in individual condiment bowls. Ladle chili into bowl and serve toppings alongside.
(from Bon Appetit)

Entree: Colleen
Lettuce/Cabbage Wraps

Spicy Sauce

1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp chinese mustard
1 T water
1 tsp Chinese chili sauce

Filling

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger), grated
1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced (omit altogether if you prefer very mild wraps) - I used a serrano chili

2 shallots, sliced finely
½ c firm tofu, (I cubed some baked tofu)
1 carrot, grated or cut into thin strips
4-5 mushrooms, thinly sliced
water chesnuts
3 spring onions, sliced lengthwise into matchstick-like pieces
approx. 2 c bean sprouts
2 T lime juice
oil for stir frying
cilantro to top

Saute filling ingredients. garnish with cilantro. fill lettuce or napa cabbage leaves with stir-fried mixture and top will sauce. Yum!
(from recipezaar)

Dessert: Stacey
Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
½ tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/3 c sugar, plus 3 T. sugar for sprinkling on top of cake batter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 c well-shaken buttermilk
2 c fresh raspberries (about 12 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter and flour a 9X13 cake pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda and salt then set aside. Beat butter and 1 1/3 cups sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs and beat well. At a low speed mix in flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating half the flour mixture, then half the buttermilk, then the rest of the flour, then the rest of the buttermilk. Mix until just combined. Spoon batter in cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter fresh raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 3T. sugar. Bake until cake is golden and a toothepick in center comes out clean, 25-30 mins. Serve with whipped cream. Enjoy!!

Lottery: Sara