Falafel

(adapted from an allrecipes.com recipe)

(makes about 20 falafel patties)

1 pound dry garbanzo beans
1 onion, quartered
1 potato, peeled and quartered
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch cilantro leaves
2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda


Rinse the garbanzo beans under cold water and discard any bad ones. Place in a large pot, and cover with water. Let soak 24 hours, and rinse again.

Place the garbanzo beans, onion, and potato in the bowl of a food processor. Cover, and process until finely chopped. Leaving about 1 cup of the garbanzo bean mixture in the food processor bowl, pour the rest into a mixing bowl.

Add the garlic, cilantro, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to the garbanzo bean mixture in the food processor bowl; process on low to blend thoroughly.

Return the reserved garbanzo bean mixture to the food processor bowl, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and flour; process on low into a coarse meal.

Cover, and refrigerate 2 hours.

Stir the baking soda into the garbanzo bean mixture until evenly blended. Using damp hands, form the mixture into 1 1/2 inch diameter balls.

Cook in vegetable or olive oil, or bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.

I served in a wrap with chopped veggies and a cilantro-garlic dressing (1/2 cup vegan sour cream, 3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro, and 2 cloves minced garlic).



© 2015 Karin Shirey Henn, all rights reserved. 
Copyright notice: All content, including writings, artwork, photographs, or videos, posted on this blog is original to Karin Shirey Henn and the HennHouse unless otherwise stated and may not be reproduced without permission.

52 pies 52 weeks (4/52): Lemon Chess Pie

Until a few years ago, I had never made a chess pie, but this has become a staple here at the HennHouse. Tim is game to try anything with corn meal in it, and even though this pie only has one tsp, he was SURE it would be fabulous. And it is. This is another recipe from "Farm Journal's Best Ever Pies." It is the pie that Tim asks for at least once a week. And it is the pie that he gets at least once a month.

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp corn meal
1 tsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
Unbaked pie shell

Using an electric mixer on high speed, mix eggs until well blended. Turn mixer down to medium and gradually add sugar. Add lemon juice, butter, corn meal, flour, and salt. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.


© 2015 Karin Shirey Henn, all rights reserved. 
Copyright notice: All content, including writings, artwork, photographs, or videos, posted on this blog is original to Karin Shirey Henn and the HennHouse unless otherwise stated and may not be reproduced without permission.

52 pies 52 weeks (3/52): Amish Vanilla Pie

I have probably made this pie more than 100 times, and my mom dozens of times while I was growing up. It is a simple pie with simple ingredients, and very big taste. It is by far one of Esther-Faith's favorite pies. It is from a cookbook I got from my mom the Christmas before I got married. Originally published in 1981, the cookbook is "Farm Journal's Best Ever Pies." In addition to our love of all things pie, this cookbook serves as an inspiration for the "52 pies 52 weeks" resolution that Isaac and have for 2015.

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tbsp flour
1/4 cup dark corn syrup (I don't keep dark on hand, so I use light corn syrup and it tastes fine)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla (I don't measure)
1 egg
1 cup water

Mix brown sugar and flour in small saucepan. Whisk together corn syrup, vanilla, and egg. Add to the sugar/flour mixture. Gradually stir in water. Heat over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and let cool.

Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter

Cut together all ingredients until mixture resemble course crumbs.

Pour vanilla filling into unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle topping over the filling. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.




© 2015 Karin Shirey Henn, all rights reserved. 
Copyright notice: All content, including writings, artwork, photographs, or videos, posted on this blog is original to Karin Shirey Henn and the HennHouse unless otherwise stated and may not be reproduced without permission.

52 Pies 52 weeks (2/52): Crumb top apple pie with caramel sauce

Pie
12 goldrush apples
lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
sugar
spices (I used cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, coriander, ginger, cloves, and cardamom)
1/2 cup butter, melted

Peel, core and slice the apples.
Toss the apples with the lemon juice, flour, sugar, spices, and butter
Press into an unbaked pie shell (1 cup flour, 1/3 cup shortening, 1/8 tsp salt, 2 tbsp cold water)

Crumb topping
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp each of nutmeg and cinnamon
1/2 cup butter

Put all ingredients in a cuisinart. Pulse until small crumbs form.
Pour topping over apples.

Bake at 350 for one hour.

Caramel sauce
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter

Mix sugar, lemon juice, and water in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium to medium-low heat. Cook without stirring until the syrup is an amber color. (Once the syrup starts to turn, it will deepen in color very fast. If it gets too dark, it will taste burnt.) Once the syrup has reached the right color, remove from heat and and gradually stir in the heavy cream. Stir in butter.

Serve pie warm with vanilla ice cream and warm caramel sauce.



© 2015 Karin Shirey Henn, all rights reserved. Copyright notice: All content, including writings, artwork, photographs, or videos, posted on this blog is original to Karin Shirey Henn and the HennHouse unless otherwise stated and may not be reproduced without permission.

52 pies 52 weeks (1/52): National Champion Cheesecake

Crust
1 cup butter
1/2 cup confectioner sugar
2 cups of flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar.
Add flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix until it come together.
Press into a pie plate.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

While the crust is baking, make the filling.

Filling
2 bricks of cream cheese (16 oz)
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz sour cream
1/2 tsp salt

Cream together the sugar and the cream cheese.
Add the eggs one at a time, blending well.
Add the vanilla, sour cream, and salt.
Mix well.

When the crust is done, turn the oven down to 325. Pour filling into the warm crust. Bake at 325 for 60 to 70 minutes (don't overcook; you want the filling to jiggle a little bit when you take it out of the oven). Chill. Top with caramel or pie filling or fruit (or nothing).

Super easy. Super delicious.

Perfect to celebrate a Buckeye victory in the National Championship game.


© 2015 Karin Shirey Henn, all rights reserved. 
Copyright notice: All content, including writings, artwork, photographs, or videos, posted on this blog is original to Karin Shirey Henn and the HennHouse unless otherwise stated and may not be reproduced without permission.

Birthday dinner

For his birthday dinner Isaac requested baby back ribs, corn bread, steamed broccoli, and buttered noodles. Because I was short for time, I made the ribs differently than I ever have. And I needed to come up with a bbq sauce to go on them.

This is what I came up with:

1 pint homemade bbq sauce
1/2 pint apple butter
1/2 pint pure Ohio maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 beer (I used Newcastle Founder's Ale)

Mix together on the stove. Simmer until thick. Serve on the ribs.

What didn't get eaten on the ribs, Tim drank like a beverage when he got off work.



© 2013 Karin Shirey Henn, all rights reserved. 
Copyright notice: All content, including writings, artwork, photographs, or videos, posted on this blog is original to Karin Shirey Henn and the HennHouse unless otherwise stated and may not be reproduced without permission.

Juicing

We've been juicing. A lot. At least two meals a day. At first, we were very strict to follow recipes. Not so much anymore. Every evening after dinner, we make our breakfast and lunch juices for the following day.

Each of the following combinations makes roughly two eight-ounce glasses of juice. (Plus a little more for tasting, and sometimes Isaiah wants some, too.)

Breakfast today:
1 pomegranate
1 grapefruit
4 kale leaves
4 stalks celery
2 carrots
1 mango

Lunch today:
(this was awful... don't ever try it)
1/2 head red cabbage
4 cups baby spinach
4 stalks celery
1/2 bunch collard greens
(Really, this was pretty awful. I bet it would have tasted better with some carrots or an apple or lemon or something. But as it was, I had to water it down with about 10 ounces of water to get it all down.)


Breakfast yesterday:
1 pomegranate
1 grapefruit
4 kale leaves
1 stalk celery
1 carrot
1 apple
1/2 bunch purple grapes

Lunch yesterday:
(Oh my, this one was GREAT)
4 cups spinach
1 clove garlic
1 tomato
1 pear
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
2 kale leaves


Breakfast tomorrow:
1 pineapple
1 pomegranate (they were on sale this week!)
4 kale leaves
1 carrot
1 stalk celery

Lunch tomorrow:
1 jalapeno
1 garlic clove
1/2 head romaine lettuce
2 apples
3 carrots
3 stalks celery
2 cucumbers


Things I've learned:

1. Having kale (a high in protein leafy green) in the morning REALLY fills me up. Today I was seriously not hungry until after noon, and I drank my morning juice around 6 a.m. and I had some herbal tea around 10 a.m.

2. I love fresh juice. LOVE it. I look forward to breakfast and lunch each day. I look forward to creating more fresh juice. (Tomorrow we're making cranberry-grape juice!)

3. When we're taking care of our bodies with fresh fruits and veggies in the morning and afternoon, we're WAY more likely to eat a healthy dinner as well. Last night we created quinoa-black bean burgers, and everyone liked them.

4. Our grocery bill has gone up. But our waistlines have not.

5. Next winter we'll be looking to grow a lot of hardy winter greens in our gardens.

6. Tim HATES beet juice. OMG, it was hysterical. He likes beets, but not juice.

7. Fresh juice is beautiful. The colors are pretty amazing.

8. My compost bins are LOVING that we're juicing so much.

9. The number one question I am asked is "What do you do about protein?" I have been eating an increasingly vegan diet over the last couple of years and I can tell you, I never lack for protein. I think it's a big misconception that you have to eat meat, dairy, or eggs to get protein. (See this and this and this.) I feel full and I still exercise every single day without feeling like I'm too tired. Actually, just the opposite. As 2013 dawned and we decided to give juicing a try, we also cut coffee out of our diets. As in, cold turkey, one day I drank a pot and the next day (and every day since) I have had no coffee. I love coffee. I plan to start drinking it again at some point. But for now, I find that I get enough energy for my (very) long days from juice, healthy snacks, and a healthy family dinner.

10. I also get asked a lot, "How do you have time for that? Juicing takes up so much time." Well, it does, but so does preparing any other meal. It is a mindset. We decided we wanted to do it. Together. So we make time. And really, it's been a lot of fun to be in the kitchen with Tim acting like mad scientists creating juice concoctions. We're having fun. We're together. Sometimes, those moments are the only moments we have together in a day because of the kids and the activities and the fact that we work different shifts.

11. Wear an apron when you cut the fruits and veggies. Especially pomegranates.

12. Juicing is not for everyone. I'm 100% certain Esther-Faith will NEVER drink kale juice. And Isaac will never drink ANYTHING green. But Isaiah will try anything. So far, he's liked most of it as well.

I'm sure we'll learn more on this juicing journey. I'm sure we'll take a break. I'm sure we'll make some hideously awful juices. And some absolutely delicious juices. I'll share what I can.



© 2013 Karin Shirey Henn, all rights reserved. 
Copyright notice: All content, including writings, artwork, photographs, or videos, posted on this blog is original to Karin Shirey Henn and the HennHouse unless otherwise stated and may not be reproduced without permission.

Apples for baking

Cuzin' Carol

Tim and I stood at the counter, meticulously layering brandied apples into hot jars, and almost simultaneously said that our all-day canning fest--especially these apples--reminded us of Tim's cousin Carol.

We talked about her for a few minutes, and Tim said, "This really makes me think of Carol."

Then we were quiet. Lost in our thoughts of Carol. 

Isaiah piped up from his spot at the table where he was failing miserably at pretending to do his homework. "Isn't she the one with that corvette?"

"It's not a corvette," Tim said. "But yeah. She has a really cool car."

We layered and ladled and burned our fingertips on hot lids and rings. 

Tim got to see Carol a couple of months ago at his dad's retirement party. The rest of us stayed home because of soccer and football and more soccer.

Carol is a person who I want to be like when I grow up. Adventurous. Sincere. Fun-loving. Eclectic. Creative. Resourceful. Kind. And a whole lot like home.

Filling those jars with brandied apple goodness makes me anxious for Christmas--when I'm sure we'll get to catch up with Carol. And we can share some of our kitchen creations with her. 

Especially the brandied apples. 

I think she'll love those.

Tim's Dad and Cousin Carol
August 2012

Brandied Apples
November 2012

The making of apple butter