Naan -Indian flat bread

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling, see Cook's Note*
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kalonji (nigella seeds), optional, see Cook's Note**
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, optional, see Cook's Note**
• Melted butter for slathering on the finished naans
• Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Directions

In a large glass, dissolve the dry yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar with 3/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees F). Let it sit on your counter until it's frothy, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar and baking powder into a large, deep bowl.

Once the yeast is frothy, add the yogurt and the olive oil into the glass, and stir to combine. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and add the kalonji and fennel seeds, if using, and gently mix the ingredients together with a fork. When the dough is about to come together, use your hands to mix. It will feel like there isn't enough flour at first, but keep going until it transforms into a soft, slightly sticky and pliable dough. As soon as it comes together, stop kneading. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it sit in a warm, draft-free place for 2 to 4 hours.

When you're ready to roll, make sure you have two bowls on your counter: one with extra flour in it, and one with water. The dough will be extremely soft and sticky-this is good! Separate the dough into 6 equal portions and lightly roll each one in the bowl of extra flour to keep them from sticking to each other.

Shape the naan. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a teardrop shape, narrower at the top than at the bottom. It should be 8 to 9-inches long, 4-inches wide at its widest point and about 1/4-inch thick. Once you've formed the general shape, you can also pick it up by one end and wiggle it; the dough's own weight will stretch it out a little. Repeat this method with the rest of the dough. (If you're making the gluten-free version, you'll have better luck pressing the dough out with your fingertips, than rolling.)

Warm a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it's nearly smoking. Make sure you have a lid large enough to fit the skillet and have a bowl of melted butter at the ready.

Dampen your hands in the bowl of water and pick up one of your naans, flip-flopping it from one hand to the other to lightly dampen it. Gently lay it in the skillet and set your timer for 1 minute. The dough should start to bubble.

After about 1 minute, flip the naan. It should be blistered and somewhat blackened, don't worry - that's typical of traditional naan! Cover the skillet with the lid and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more.

Remove the naan from the skillet, brush with a bit of butter and sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt. Place the naan in a tea towel-lined dish. Repeat with the rest of the naans and serve.

Cook's Notes:

* If you would like to make this gluten-free, you can substitute in 2 1/4 cups of a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix for the regular flour, plus 1 1/4 teaspoons of xanthum gum.

**The kalonji and fennel seeds are not traditional, but I love the burst of onion and mild licorice flavor they add. You can find them pretty cheaply at your local Indian market.

Marinara Sauce

Simple & Sweet Marinara Sauce

1 lb hamburger meat (optional)

1 large yellow onion, finely diced
5 gloves of fresh garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup decent red wine (Try using a cabernet Sauvignon, merlot or shiraz for slight variations in flavor.)
28 oz can (or fresh) crushed tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
1-2 Tablespoons brown sugar (use less for less sweet)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup (at least) fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup (at least) fresh oregano, finely chopped
3 Tablespoons (at least) fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon dried Italian herb blend
1 bay leaf while simmering

 Directions

1. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 3 Tbs of olive oil - OR- Brown meat of choice (lean ground beef, ground turkey or chicken, lean pork, or meatballs) and set aside. Drain out 70% of remaining fat but keep about 2-3 tablespoons in the pot.
2. Add onions and sauté  for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. 
3. Pour in red wine and deglaze the pan, carefully scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Allow the wine to reduce in volume by half by cooking for about 2-4 minutes. 
4. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, salt, pepper, fresh herbs, and dried herbs. Stir to combine. 
5. Reduce temperature to low or simmer. Add meat back into sauce if using. Cook for a minimum of 1 1/2 hours and as long as 8 hours. 

Makes about 4 cups of sauce. Freeze any extra sauce after it has cooled.

White Bean and Bacon

The White Bean and Bacon recipe was inspired by this one here, but we tweaked a few things.

Slow Cooker Ham & White Beans
1 lb package dried northern beans (ended up using canned so it would go quicker)
3/4 lb bacon (fried up to a crisp and chopped up before adding to crock pot)
2/3 cup diced yellow onion (or 2 tsp onion powder)
6 cups water (didn't need this much since we were using canned)
salt & pepper to taste (don't need too much salt due to the bacon)

1. Throw it all in a crock pot
2. Set on low for 8 hours
3. Serve up with your favorite cornbread

yum yum yum

Acorn Squash Soup

Please note: the original recipe can be found HERE on the Food Network site, by Guy Fieri.

Ingredients

3 whole acorn squash, approximately 8 cups when cooked
6 shallots, 1 cup diced, 3 left whole and peeled
6 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper, freshly cracked, plus more for seasoning
1 stick unsalted butter, in all
4 cups chicken stock, low-sodium (or veggie broth for vegetarian)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon white pepper (a little less)
1 teaspoon sage, dry
1 teaspoon savory
1 cup heavy cream (if freezing for later, omit this and add after thawing)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the squash in half on the equator and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut a flat spot on each end so the squash will sit flat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the squash, cut side up. To 3 of the squash halves, add a peeled shallot and to the other 3 add 2 garlic cloves on each. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with 1 tablespoon each of the salt and freshly cracked pepper. Roast in the hot oven until very tender and starting to caramelize and collapse, approximately 1 hour. Remove from oven and when cool enough to handle, remove the squash from the skin. Reserve the roasted shallots and garlic with the squash. Can be done ahead.

In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat and when the butter is starting to foam, add the raw diced shallots and saute until they are starting to caramelize, about 5 to 6 minutes. Deglaze with 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and stir to remove any fond. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the reserved squash, roasted shallots and garlic and then the remaining chicken stock. Stir to combine, then puree with a stick blender. The mixture will be very thick. Add in the cayenne, white pepper and the herbs. Stir in the cream and Worcestershire sauce and heat slowly over medium-low heat. When the mixture comes to a slow simmer, mix again with the stick blender and stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and turn heat to low. Serve with a fresh crack of black pepper, a nice drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a light sprinkle of remaining Parmesan. Ladle into soup bowls and serve.

Quinoa Black Bean Salad

1Tbs olive oil

1/3 cup red onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup quinoa

2 cups vegetable broth or water

1 (12oz) can black beans

1 (12oz) can corn kernels

2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 limes

Sea salt to taste

In large skillet, sauté garlic in olive oil for 2min, add onion and heat for 1min. Add quinoa and vegetable broth. Cover, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15min. Until quinoa is cooked and fluffy. Add corn, beans and chili. Stir. Remove from heat, squeeze lime juice and salt to taste. Top with cilantro.

Roast Duck - Lexie's

simple rub

2 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
melted butter
5 lb. duck

Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Clean duck. Stuff with onion, lemon wedges and garlic cloves. Combine spices. Rub spices on skin and place in roasting pan. Cook covered for 1 hour. Pour melted butter over the top. Cook 45 more min. Pour more melted butter over the top then 15 more minutes in oven until golden brown.

Macaroni Salad, Classic - Lexie's

4 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2/3 cup white sugar
2 1/2 Tbls prepared yellow mustard
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 stalks celery, chopped finely
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. 
Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. 
Rinse under cold water and drain.

In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper and macaroni. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferably overnight.