Mill Brook House Recipes

Afghan Lasagna

This recipe is modified from one that appeared in the New York Times in 1973.  For most Americans at the time, Afghanistan held next to no significance whatsoever, but someone at the Times was moved to share a recipe that may have been loosely connected to Afghanistan.  It seemed exotic.  An officemate urged me to try it, which I did, and it has travelled around in my recipe box ever since, a go-to favorite for special occasions.

Drain 1 quart plain yogurt in cheesecloth (or a dishtowel) overnight.*

Mix the resulting curds with 3 cloves chopped garlic and ½ t salt.  Set aside.

Boil ½ lb. lasagna noodles.  Drain and line the bottom of a 9x14 baking dish with the noodles.

Slice 3-4 large leeks and sauté in 2 T olive oil along with ½ t red pepper flakes.

Sauté 1 lb. ground lamb until most of the pink is gone.

Chop 1 onion and sauté it in 1 T olive oil.  Lift the cooked lamb from the frying pan, leaving most of the grease behind, using a slotted spoon and add it to the onion mixture.  Add 12-14 oz. tomato sauce, ½ t ground black pepper, and ½ t salt.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the mixture thickens.  Add 2 T fresh mint.

Spread the sautéed leeks over the lasagna noodles.  Spread the yogurt mixture over the leeks and the lamb sauce over the yogurt.  Sprinkle another 1 T mint over the top and bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes.  Serves 4.

*Place the fabric in a colander, add the yogurt, and suspend it over a bowl.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

 

These make a fancy breakfast or a light supper.

  Pancakes 

  1.5 cups flour

  ½ t BP

  ½ t baking soda

  ¼ t nutmeg

  ½ t salt

  2 T sugar

  1 cup ricotta cheese

  2 eggs

  juice and grated rind from 1 lemon

  1.5 cups milk

  Beat the wet ingredients by hand in a large bowl.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until just moist. Fry on both sides in a lightly greased frying pan.

   Lemon sauce 

  Juice and rind from one lemon

  2 T cornstarch dissolved in

  1 cup water

  sugar to taste (3-4 t) 

  Heat the lemon rind and juice, add the sugar, pour in the water and cornstarch and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

  Divide the pancakes onto three or four plates and top with powdered sugar.  Dribble the lemon sauce over them and top with fresh berries. (For a richer dish, brush each pancake with melted butter before serving.)

 

 

Rhubarb Pie

Many cooks and most restaurants add strawberries to their rhubarb pie, but I prefer mine straight.

Mix up a double pie crust, roll out half of it and line the bottom of a pie pan.  Roll out the top crust.

Cut up 6 cups worth of fresh rhubarb and mix with: 1/3 cup of flour, 1 beaten egg, and 1 cup of sugar.*  A dash of cinnamon is optional.

Pour this mixture into the pie pan and cover with the top crust, crimp the edges, pierce with a fork multiple times, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for an additional hour.

*This is a minimal amount of sugar and makes a somewhat tart pie.  (My mom used 1¼ cups of sugar for two cups of rhubarb!)  Vary the amount of sugar and the amount of rhubarb according to your taste and the amount of rhubarb you have on hand.

 

 

Baked Pancakes

Mix this batter the night before and bake for breakfast the next morning.  This batter uses yeast, not unlike blini or other raised pancakes.

1 T dry yeast + ½ t sugar dissolved in warm water.  Let it foam.  

****

Mix together the following and add the dissolved yeast:

1 egg

½ T cooking oil

1 cup buttermilk

½ cup milk

1 t vanilla

1 T sugar

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Sift and add to the liquid mixture:

1 cup white flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

½ t salt

½ t cinnamon, opt.

Cover your mixing bowl and refrigerate the batter for 7-8 hours or overnight.  Place batter in a greased, oblong pan.  Bake at 400° for 7 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle 1 pint of blueberries, raspberries, or sliced strawberries over the partially cooked batter.  Return to the oven and cook for an additional 15 minutes.  Cut into squares and serve with maple syrup and/or whipped cream.  (If you choose to omit the maple syrup, sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.)

Unlike fried pancakes or waffles, leftover squares of baked pancakes stored in the refrigerator and warmed for ½ -1 minute in a microwave maintain their flavor, texture, and freshness.

 

  

Pumpkin Spice Crumble

A delicious variation on pumpkin pie...

Mix the following ingredients together:

1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree or 2-3 cups puree from a sugar pumpkin

1 12oz. can evaporated milk

½ cup cream

½ cup light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 t cinnamon

½ t nutmeg

½ t ginger

¼ t cloves

½ t salt

Bake in a 9x13 greased baking dish for 25 minutes.

Run the following through a food processor:

1 cup gingersnaps

1 cup walnuts or pecans

Remove the pumpkin mixture from the oven and sprinkle the gingersnap/nut mixture over the partially cooked pumpkin.  Put the baking dish back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes more.  Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Cranberry Chutney

A cranberry sauce you can keep all year...

1 lb. fresh cranberries, washed and sorted

1 cup raisins

1/3 cup sugar

1T cinnamon

1.5t ginger

¼ t cloves

1 cup water

Combine all of the above ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes.

Then add:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 apple, peeled and chopped

Similar the mixture for 15 more minutes

Remove from the stove and add ½ cup slivered almonds.

Refrigerate and serve as needed.  It will keep in your refrigerator for up to a year.

The Ultimate Molasses Cookies

Chewy, spicy, not too sweet, the perfect molasses cookie!

 

1.75  cups all-purpose flour

1.2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1.5 tsp ginger

1.5 tsp cloves

1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick), softened to room temperature

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 T white sugar (plus extra for rolling)

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg, lightly beaten

 

Combine dry ingredients (flour through cloves) in a bowl. Whisk, and set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugars together. Stir in the molasses. Then stir in the egg. Gradually stir in the dry mixture until combined. Refrigerate overnight.

Pinch off small pieces of dough, form into balls about ¾ to 1 inch in diameter, and roll in sugar to coat.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

 

 

Chocolate Muffins with Peppermint Glaze

 

Perfect for the holidays!

 

6 T butter

¾ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 & ½ cups flour

½ cups cocoa powder

1t baking soda

½ t salt

2/3 cups mashed potatoes

2/3 cup buttermilk

Cream the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs.  Sift the dry ingredients together, and mix the mashed potatoes into the milk.  Mixing on low, alternate the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until the mixture is smooth and uniform.  Don’t overmix.  Scoop the dough into muffin tins (makes 12) and bake at 350 for c. 20 minutes.  Cool and frost with:

1½ cups powdered sugar

3-4T milk or water

½ t peppermint flavor

Crush candy canes in a food processor or nut chopper and sprinkle the crushed candy over the frosted cupcakes.

 

 

Quiche with Lox and Onions

My husband grew up loving Lox, Eggs and Onions, a deli specialty.  This recipe combines two culinary traditions.

Make or buy your favorite piecrust.  If you don’t have one, use the recipe below:

5 T butter

1 cup flour

¼ t salt

2.5 T water

Add the salt to the flour; cut in the butter; sprinkle the water and mix lightly.  Roll out the dough with a rolling pin and line a pie pan with it.

Mix:

4 large eggs

1.5 cups milk or cream

1.5 T flour

¼ t salt

1 T sherry

pepper, cayenne, nutmeg to taste

Grate:

6-8 oz. cheese (gruyere or cheddar)

Sauté 1 medium to large onion.  Spread it in the bottom of the pie pan.  Tear 3 oz. of smoked salmon (lox) into bite-sized pieces and spread them on top of the onion.  Scatter the grated cheese on top, and pour the egg mixture over everything.

Bake for 45-55 minutes at 375°.

 

 

Almond Bread

Prepare a yeast dough, using:

1 pkg. or 1 tablespoon baker’s yeast

1&1/4 cup luke warm milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2t salt

1 egg

4 cups unbleached flour

Warm the milk only slightly and dissolve the yeast in it.  Combine the yeast mixture with the sugar, ricotta, salt, egg, and 2 cups of flour.  Stir briskly to combine.  Add the rest of the flour and knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is reasonably smooth.  Leave the dough in a warm place or in an 80° oven until it doubles in size.  If you stick your finger in it, it should not bounce back.

Meanwhile mix up the filling:

200g. almond paste

2 egg whites, slightly beaten

1T sugar

150g. ground almonds

When the dough has doubled, punch it down and knead once more.  Roll it into a rectangle approximately (50x40cm) and spread the almond paste mixture over the rectangle.  Roll it up starting on the long side, then cut the roll lengthwise and twist the two halves together into a braid.  Lay the braid on a lightly greased cookie sheet and allow it to rise for about 30 minutes.  Bake at 410° for 25 minutes.  Allow the bread to cool on a rack.

Mix up:

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

2T water

1/2 t almond extract

Spread the mixture over the bread while it is still slightly warm.