Meal #1: Recipes

Roasted Vegetable-Chicken Curry (Jenny Michael—improvisation)
Ingredients:

Italian eggplant, peeled and sliced into thick rounds
zucchini, cut into 1/2-in dice
onion(s), finely chopped
canned diced & peeled tomatoes
garlic, peeled and finely chopped or pressed
ginger, peeled and grated
Indian-style curry powder
cumin
cinnamon
mustard seed
boneless, skinless chicken meat (mixture or light and dark), cut into 2" chunks

Preparation:

1. Salt the eggplant slices and set in a strainer to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse off the salt and pat dry, then chop the eggplant into 1/2-inch dice.
2. Sauté the onions in oil until they become translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for another minute. Then stir in the spices and continue to cook until they are fragrant; be careful not to burn them!
3. Place the onion mixture with the eggplant and other vegetables in a large roasting pan. Cover tightly with foil, and roast at 450 degrees for about an hour. 
4. In the meantime, brown the chicken in oil, in batches. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
5. After an hour of roasting, remove the foil from the vegetables, and mix in the chicken. Return the pan to the oven and continue to cook, uncovered, until the vegetables have "melted" into a thick sauce. 
6. Taste the curry and adjust seasoning, as needed.
7. Serve with rice and top with yogurt, if desired.

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Jeweled Rice (Jenny Michael—improvisation)
Ingredients:

long-grain rice (use your favorite: I like Trader Joe's brown rice medley), cooked
scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
carrots, shredded and then chopped
golden raisins
cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
salt & pepper

Preparation:

1. Sauté the carrots until they soften slightly.
2. Combine the rice with sautéed carrots, scallions, raisins, and cilantro (if using). Mix thoroughly.
3. Season lightly with salt and pepper, to taste.

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Cucumber Salad with Yogurt Dressing (Jenny Michael—improvisation)
Ingredients:

English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
red onion, thinly sliced
yogurt
olive oil
cumin
salt & pepper
hot sauce (optional)

 Preparation:

1. Combine the vegetables in a bowl.
2. Mix together the other ingredients in a separate bowl; adjust seasoning, as needed.
3. Toss vegetables with dressing and serve.

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Cracked-Wheat Rolls (Sara Miller—from the Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates cookbook)
Ingredients:

1 cup bulghur
1 1/4 cup boiling water
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
3 tbsp. brown sugar, packed
4-5 cups unbleached white bread flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1-2 tbsp. melted butter

Preparation:

1. Place bulghur in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Add 2 tbsp. butter, stir, and set aside to cool to room temperature
2. Make sponge: in a small bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. When bulghur has cooled for about 15 minutes, add the yeast mixture, brown sugar, and 1 cup of flour. Beat for 100 strokes.
3. Cover bowl with a damp towel and set aside to rise in a warm place until the mixture bubbles, about 45 minutes.
4. Uncover the sponge and stir in the beaten egg, salt, and 2 to 2 1/2 cups of flour to make a dough stiff enough to knead. 
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Oil the bowl, return kneaded dough to it and turn over to coat both sides with the oil. Cover bowl with damp towel and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
6. Lightly oil a large baking sheet.
7. Punch down the dough and turn it onto a cutting board. Divide the dough into 16 to 18 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place the balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a damp towel and let rise again for 20 minutes.
8. Preheat the over to 400 degrees. When the rolls have risen, bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped. Remove from oven and immediately brush with the melted butter.

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Persimmon Pudding Cake (Sandy Cate)
Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsps. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup persimmon pulp
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp. butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raisins, soaked in wine.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan. 
2. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix until well blended.
3. Bake for 1 hour.
4. Serve with whipped cream.