fresh kale with pancetta and garlic

Source: Cooks.com

1 lb kale, washed well
2-4 oz pancetta
6-8 cloves fresh garlic
olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon better than bouillon ham flavor
1/2 teaspoon better than bouillon mushroom flavor
freshly-ground black pepper.

Wash the kale thoroughly to remove any grit. Drain well. Trim off tough stems. Chop coarsely or tear into strips.

Lay the pancetta round on a cutting board and cut into thick slices. (Cutting thicker will help with removal if you don't care for so much of it in the final dish.)

Slice the garlic thinly or chop. I prefer fairly thick slices as I like a variety of flavor in each forkful.

In a deep pot with a tight-fitting lid, put just enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Place the pot on a medium-hot range and heat until oil is hot (a drop of water will sizzle). Add the pancetta slices, cook and stir enough to make sure all sides have been on the hot surface for at least a few minutes but are not browned. Add the garlic and stir to coat with oil. Cook just until the garlic is translucent. Add the water and simmer for about 5 minutes to diffuse the flavors. Add the Better Than Bouillon, stirring well into the liquid to dissolve. The liquid should be slightly thick.

Add the kale, stir from the bottom to coat the kale in the cooking liquid. Cover and allow to cook, removing the lid and stirring every few minutes to distribute the flavors. Cooking time will depend on the age and toughness (and variety) of the kale, but generally 8-12 minutes is enough. Watch the heat and turn it down or add a little more water if it seems to be getting dry before the leaves are tender. Near the end of cooking, add 2-3 turns of freshly-ground black pepper to the kale and stir in well.

Cover and continue cooking until tender enough for your palate. Before serving, give it all a final tossing to cover the leaves with the seasonings.

Variations: I sometimes cut the BTB back a bit and add a little Cajun seasoning - Chef Paul Prudhomme's Vegetable Magic is excellent for this. I have also enjoyed adding a little fresh hot Serrano pepper from my garden (finely chopped and added just before the garlic) if I want a little more zing.

Submitted to Cooks.com by Richard Ogden

fava bean/tomato salad

source: gluten-free girl

20 grape tomatoes
1 pound fresh fava beans
1/4 pound finest prosciutto
1/4 pound gruyere
3 tablespoons fruity olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
pinch sea salt

Set a pot of water, with a pinch of salt, to boil. Put a bowl of ice water in the sink. As the water is coming to a boil, shuck the fava beans. How to do this? Snap and extract. There should be three or four beans per pod. (Be sure to feel the inside of the pod, which is as soft as dryer lint.) When the water has come to a boil, plop all the shucked fava beans into the pan and let them bob there in the boiling water for thirty seconds. After that, immediately drain them and plunge the fava beans in the ice water. After a moment, take them out and let them chill in the refrigerator for a few moments.

Meanwhile, slice the grape tomatoes in halves, lengthwise. Cut the gruyere into small squares, about the same size as the fava beans. Make up a simple vinaigrette, by combining the olive oil, white vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss everything together, with the fava beans, then thread small slivers of the prosciutto in among the beans, tomatoes, and cheese. Eat with the small sigh of spring.

granola bars

source: gluten-free girl

ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats, certified gluten-free

1 cup hazelnuts
1 cup agave nectar syrup
1 cup muscovado brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter/Earth Balance
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup brown rice cereal
2 cups mixed dried fruit (here I used mangoes, raisins, and cranberries)

directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°. Line a small casserole dish with parchment paper. (If you want thick granola bars, use a small casserole dish. For thin ones, choose a larger casserole dish.)
Slide the oats and hazelnuts onto a baking sheet and into the oven. Let them toast, turning them once in a while, for about ten minutes.

While those are toasting, put the agave nectar syrup, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and sea salt into a saucepan. On medium heat, bring the syrup to a slow boil. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the toasted oats and hazelnuts, the sunflower seeds, brown rice cereal, and dried fruit. Pour the syrup over this concoction and stir it all up, making sure everything is evenly coated.

Pat the mixture into the casserole dish, on top of the parchment paper. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Put the dish into the oven to bake.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how crunchy you want the bars to be. Allow them to cool for at least an hour before cutting them up into bars. (You’ll probably have to hack at them a bit. These aren’t soft granola bars.)

Feeds 20.

honey coconut granola (my mom's recipe)

Yield: ~12 cups

Ingredients:
5 C. rolled oats (I use gluten free rolled oats)
3 C. shredded coconut
1 C. coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds
1 C. wheat germ (I sub in flax seed)
1/2 C. sesame seeds
1/2 C. sunflower seeds
3/4 C honey
1/2 C. vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C. craisins or raisins. Fresh berries work, too.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• In large bowl, combine dry ingredients. 
• Heat honey, oil, and vanilla in microwave or small saucepan. 
• Pour over dry ingredients, stirring to coat well. 
• Spread mixture no more than 1/2 inch deep in shallow baking pan(s). 
• Bake until lightly browned, about 25 - 30 minutes. 
• Stir every 10 minutes to avoid overbrowning. 
• Cool and store in tightly covered container. 

easy poached eggs for four

Source: Cook's Country
Serves 4

Before you add the eggs to the water, make sure you have a lid to cover the skillet. The recipe can be easily cut in half--just reduce the poaching time to 4 minutes. The vinegar in this recipe adds more than flavor--it lowers the pH in the water, ensuring that the egg whites stay intact during cooking.

2 T. white vinegar
Table salt
8 large eggs
Ground black pepper

Fill a 12-inch skillet nearly to the rim with water.
Add the vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, crack the eggs into four teacups (2 eggs in each).
Reduce the water to a simmer.
Lower the rims of the teacups into the water and gently tip the eggs into the skillet simultaneously.
Remove the skillet from the heat, cover, and poach the eggs for 5 minutes (add 30 seconds for firm yolks). With a slotted spoon, gently lift the eggs from the water and let drain. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.