Author: madesimplybyjane

I have had a passion for cooking and eating healthy food for most of my life. My professional training includes a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Culinary Arts from Bastyr University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Home Economics and Secondary Education from Western Washington University. As a lifelong teacher of all ages, my focus is teaching people how to cook simple meals for their families. My belief is anyone, even children, can learn to prepare healthy, inexpensive, delicious meals for themselves and those they care for. I absolutely love to help unravel the mystery of bread making, combine whatever produce is on hand to prepare a delicious soup or stew, or create something new with whomever is interested in participating. As a former preschool teacher, I still enjoy playing in the kitchen with children. I am also an ovarian cancer survivor, and a team leader and fund raiser for a local organization funding ovarian cancer research. My home is in Lake Forest Park, Wa. where I live with my husband, Mark, and our cat, Gilbert. When not teaching, I like to garden, hike, kayak, and cook for friends and family.

Real Peppermint Ice Cream

Fresh peppermint can transform this simple ice cream recipe to amazing!

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh Peppermint leaves
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot starch
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup half-and half

Heat the milk in a saucepan until almost simmering (about 200 degrees F). Remove from the heat, add the mint leaves, cover and let steep for 2 hours.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, starch, and salt. Stir until well combined.

Strain the milk to remove the mint leaves.

Whisk in the mint steeped milk and eggs until well blended.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (nappé).

Cover the pan, or transfer to another covered dish and refrigerate until cooled (about 2 hours).

When cooled, mix in the half-and-half, and transfer to an ice-cream freezer. Process until thick.

Transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe container and let it harden in the freezer for at least 2 hours.

Note: this recipe is the perfect quantity for the frozen canister style of ice cream freezers. There are hand crank and electric varieties.

Recipe adapted by Jane Blaisdell. Original recipe from The Good Housekeeping Cookbook, 1973.

Whole Grain Sourdough English Muffins

English muffins, fresh from your griddle! These are a simple bread, with a slight sourdough tang. Keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze them for several months.

  • 1 tablespoon dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water or whey (if you have been making cheese)
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 cup sourdough starter
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unbleached bread flour
  • cornmeal or extra flour
  • butter or oil

Place the yeast and the water (whey) into a large bowl. Stir to dissolve.

In a small pan, mix together the yogurt and honey. Warm them over low heat, just until lukewarm. Add this to the yeast mixture, along with the sourdough starter. Add the whole wheat flour and mix well. Allow this to sit for 20 to 30 minutes, to allow the whole grains to hydrate.

Add the salt and the bread flour, mix well. More flour can be added if it feels too sticky. Plop the dough onto a well floured surface and knead it until it is smooth.

Place the dough into an oiled bowl, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. It should double in size.

Punch down the dough and divide it into muffin sizes. I use a kitchen scale and make each muffin about 2.5 ounces. Or you can divide it into 9 to 12 somewhat equal muffins. Form each piece into a ball and flatten against a surface coated with cornmeal or flour. The pieces should be about 1/2 inch thick and well covered with meal or flour. Set the muffins on a tray and cover with a cloth. Let rise for about 45 minutes.

Heat a griddle to about 250 degrees F. Grease the griddle with butter. Bake each muffin round on the griddle for 10 minutes on each side.

Cool on a rack. Split and toast to enjoy their homemade goodness.

Prep time: about 3 hours

Makes: 9 – 12 muffins

Recipe adapted by Jane Blaisdell, 2019. Original recipe by Cynthia Lair, 2012.

Paneer

This is a simple cheese to make, and is used in many Indian dishes. Be creative, and find other uses for it; toss it into salads, add it to a cracker appetizer, or use it where you might use tofu. The recipe can be easily cut in half, if you don’t want to make as much cheese.

  • 1 gallon whole milk, cow’s milk or goat’s milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
  • ½ cup lemon or lime juice, or white vinegar – additional juice may be required, depending on the acid level of the fruit.
  • 1 teaspoon salt

In a large pot, over medium heat, directly heat the milk to 200oF, or nearly boiling. Stir often to prevent scorching. Reduce heat to low and stir in lemon or lime juice, or vinegar, cooking for 10 to 15 seconds. The curds should form quickly.

Remove curds from the heat and add the salt. Let it set for about 20 minutes.

* If the whey is still milky (instead of clear), return the milk to the heat and add a few more teaspoons of juice/vinegar while gently increasing the heat. Once you obtain a clear separation of curds and whey, remove from the heat and allow it to rest.

When the curds have settled below the whey, gently ladle the curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander. Set the colander in another pot or bowl if you wish to reserve the whey. Gently twist the top of the cheesecloth to squeeze out additional whey.

The bag of curds can be hung to drain for 2 to 3 hours or you can return the curd mass to the colander and place a weight (bowl of water, or brick) on top; press until the curd is firm.

Store the cheese in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

*Do not use an aluminum pan – it will leach into the cheese causing a bad taste.

Yield: 1 ¾ to 2 pounds

Total prep time, from start to draining in cheesecloth: about 1 hour. Additional time needed for draining.

Uses for whey: cooking liquid for hot cereal, or vegetables, Use in place of part of the stock in a soup, water your plants with it, use it for the liquid when making bread.

Recipe adapted by Jane Blaisdell. Original recipes by Jackie Freeman, PCC Cooks Workshops, 2016 and opalcab, Tasty Kitchen.

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Kadai Paneer

This delicious recipe is made with paneer cheese, cooked in a slightly spicy sauce made of onions, tomatoes, peppers and traditional Indian spices. It is a popular Indian curry and cooked throughout the world.

  • 1 tablespoon whole coriander  seeds
  • 1 dried red chili pepper – add more for a spicier sauce
  • ½ teaspoon whole, dried Fenugreek
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
  • 2 tablespoons Ghee, butter, or oil (or more, if needed)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • ~1 inch fresh ginger, finely minced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 1 Pablano pepper, diced
  • 4-5 large tomatoes, pureed, or 1 pint canned tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
  • 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • salt, to taste
  • ¼ cup cream or milk substitute
  • Paneer cheese, ½ pound, cubed
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro

Grind the coriander, red chili pepper, and fenugreek in a spice grinder or mortar & pestle. Add the turmeric and Garam Masala to the spices.

Heat the ghee, butter or oil in a large fry pan, over medium heat. Add onions to the pan, and gently cook them for 4-5 minutes, or until they become soft.

Add ginger, garlic and green chilies to the pan and cook for a minute.

Add pureed tomatoes to the pan. Cook the mixture for 5-6 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.

Add the green bell pepper to the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add salt, according to taste, and then add the cream to the sauce.

Toss in the Paneer Cubes, and cook for 2-3 minutes, allowing the cheese to heat through.

Garnish with the cilantro, and serve with Roti, Naan, or rice

Serves: 4

Prep time: 45 minutes

Recipe modified by Jane Blaisdell. Original recipe from vegecravings.com

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Whole Grain Bread

0209191615It’s snowy today in the Seattle area, where I live, and the perfect weather to do some baking. This is a basic dough that you can play around with and make your own variations. Different flours can be used, and nuts and seeds can be added. You can also use it for cinnamon rolls, or even roll some berries into it.

  • 1 package, or 1 tablespoon, active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
  • 1 ½ cups warm water or warm milk (about 110° F)
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 ½ cups unbleached bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • oil

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Allow it to sit and bubble a bit, to make sure the yeast is active.

Mix in the whole wheat flour and let it sit for about 30 minutes. This allows the whole grain to absorb some of the water.

Mix in the bread flour and the salt. If you have a mixer with a dough hook, it makes this part easier. if not, get a sturdy spoon and mix until the flour is completely mixed in.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes. When the dough feels smooth and springy, you are done kneading.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Set the dough into the bowl, and then flip it over, coating the dough with the oil. Cover with plastic or a damp cloth and wrap in a towel, or set in a warm place. Allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour.

Oil a 9″ x 5″ bread loaf pan. Punch the dough down and form into a loaf shape. The easiest way is to flatten the dough, and then roll it up tight. Place it in the loaf pan, seam side down. Cover again with the plastic or damp cloth, and let it rise for about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Bake the loaf for 30 to 35 minutes. It will be golden brown when it it done. I stick a thermometer into the side of the loaf. When it reaches an internal temperature of 190° F, it’s done.

Allow your loaf to cool a bit before you slice into it.

Enjoy!

Notes:

  • A cheap shower cap is a great plastic cover for the dough bowl (don’t throw it away after one use – give it a quick wash with soap and water and hang to dry)
  • other optional flours: white whole wheat flour, einkorn flour, rye (no more than 1/2 cup), cornmeal (no more than 1/4 cup)
  • nuts and seeds: (no more than 1/4 cup total) sunflower, pepitas, chia, flax, chopped walnuts or pecans – add these in when you add the bread flour
  • You can use all-purpose white flour instead of bread flour, but it won’t have the same quality.

Recipe by Jane Blaisdell

 

 

Pickled Melon and Rhubarb with Mixed Greens

I created this recipe for my Son’s Pre-Wedding party, in August. It is a perfect summer salad and can easily be doubled, or more, to serve a crowd. The salad combines the tartness of rhubarb and the spice of pickled melons to create a delightful dish.

Dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon brine from the pickled melon or rhubarb
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • Pinch of salt

Salad:

  • 4 – 6 cups mixed greens: spinach, arugula, beet greens, baby kale… (any or all)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped or chiffonade
  • ½ cup pickled melon*, sliced thin
  • ½ cup pickled rhubarb (recipe below), sliced thin
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

For the dressing, combine the dressing ingredients in a small jar, and shake well to combine.  This can be made in advance and refrigerated until needed.

For the salad, wash the spin dry the greens. Place the greens in a medium sized bowl, and add the mint. Toss to mix.

Add half of the rhubarb and half of the melon and the dressing. Toss these together.

Sprinkle the salad with the remaining pickled fruit and the sesame seeds.

Serve immediately.

 

Prep time: 20 minutes

Serves 4 to 6

Recipe by Jane Blaisdell, 2018

 

*Recipe for Sweet, Sour, and Spicy Pickled Melon found at www.finecooking.com, by Domenica Marchetti.

 

Quick Pickled Spiced Rhubarb

  • ½ pound rhubarb stalks
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
  • ¼ teaspoon whole cloves
  • 1 whole arbol chile
  • 1 star anise

Have ready a hot, sterilized wide mount pint sized jar and a lid and ring

Wash and trim the rhubarb stalks, cutting them to size to fit the height of the jar, slicing any stalks lengthwise if they are too wide.

In a small pan combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt and bring the brine to a boil.

Place the mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, arbol chile and star anise in the sterilized jar. Pack the rhubarb pieces tightly into the jars above the spices.

When the brine has boiled and the sugar and salt are dissolved, pour the liquid into the prepared jar, over the rhubarb. Place the lid and ring on the jar, and refrigerate for at least 48 hours, to cure.

Use within one month. The brine can be used for vinaigrettes or beverages.

 

Prep time: 15 minutes, plus 48 hours to pickle

Makes one pint jar

Adapted by Patrice Savery from Serious Eats at http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/04/pickled-rhubarb-stalk-recipe.html, author Marisa McClellan, April 2012.

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Blackberry Lavender Scones

In late summer when blackberries are ripe, these scones are a delicious morning tea or breakfast treat. If you save some berries in the freezer, they can be enjoyed any time.

  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 scant teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
  • Optional additional flavors (choose no more than one): zest of one lemon, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
  • 1 cup blackberries (preferably frozen)
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup milk

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and lavender, any other chosen flavors.

Add the butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, until it resembles large crumbs.

Add the blackberries and gently toss the mixture together.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.

Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and gently fold the ingredients together. Be careful to not break up the blackberries (This is where it helps to have frozen berries).

Form the dough into a ball, and then flatten into a disk, six to eight inches in diameter.

Wrap the dough disk in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 450oF.

Set the scone disk on a parchment lined baking sheet, and cut as a pie into 8 pieces.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned, and cooked through.

Enjoy!

 

Recipe by Jane Blaisdell, 2018.

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Apricot Walnut Scones

Fresh summer apricots are available for such a short time. You can capture their sweet tartness in these breakfast scones.

  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup butter, cold, cut into pieces
  • 1 cup fresh apricots, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • ¼ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • ½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 450o F.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the butter pieces are no larger than a pea.

Gently mix in the apricots and walnuts.

Mix together the egg and milk, then add to the flour mixture. Gently fold everything together just until mixed.

Form the dough into a disc, about ten to twelve inches across. Cut this as a pie, into eight pieces, and set on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.

 

Recipe by Jane Blaisdell, 2018.

P1000577

Spring Kale Salad

So easy, delicious and beautiful! These ingredients are at their peak in the spring, and were meant to be made into a wonderful salad. Feta or blue cheese could be added to make it even better.

  • 1 bunch of Kale, well rinsed and dried
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 scallions, sliced, the white and green parts
  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 1 kiwi, peeled, quartered and sliced
  • ½ mango (medium – large) or 1 small mango, cut into small pieces
  • Fresh basil, 6 – 8 large leaves, thinly sliced

Roughly chop the kale and place it in a large bowl.

Sprinkle the salt over the kale and massage the kale until it is a darker green.

Mix in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, scallions, and walnuts.

Add the kiwi, mango and basil and lightly toss.

Add more salt if needed.

 

Prep time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Original recipe by Jane Blaisdell, 2018

 

Spring Kale Salad

Whole Grain Bagels

No more store bought bagels for me. These are full of flavor and wonderfully chewy, as bagels are meant to be.

Makes 12 to 18 bagels, depending on size

You need a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment

Total prep and cook time: about 2 hours

  • 3 cups organic hard red wheat flour (Bluebird Grains is my choice)
  • 2 tablespoons malt syrup
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 packet active dry yeast (about 2 ½ teaspoons)
  • 1 ½ cup warm water (105o to 110o F)
  • 2 or more cups unbleached white bread flour
  • 1 egg
  • Optional toppings: poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse salt, dried garlic flakes

Combine the wheat flour, malt syrup, salt, honey, yeast, and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Allow this to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, or until bubbles form.

Add 1 cup of the white bread flour, attach the dough hook and mix on low speed. Add ½ cup of flour at a time, until the dough is somewhat stiff. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough is smooth and elastic, 8 to 9 minutes more.

Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Turn the dough to coat with the oil, and cover it with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rise for 20 to 30 minutes in a warm place. (I like to set the bowl in the oven, turn the oven on for just one minute, and then turn it off.  –I set a timer so I don’t forget to turn it off)  This dough will not double in size.

Preheat the oven to 425o F (or 400o F for a convection oven)

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer.

Lightly oil a tray or baking sheet.

Place a metal rack over a second baking sheet.

Turn the puffy dough onto a dry work surface. Divide the dough into equal sized pieces. Standard bagels are about 3 ounces. For smaller bagels I like to cut them into 2 or 2 ½ ounce pieces. Keep the damp towel over the dough you are not working with, to keep it from drying out.

Roll each dough piece into a rope, about the thickness of a roll of nickels. Lightly moisten the ends with water, overlap the ends about one inch and press to join so you’ve created a bagel. As necessary, widen the hole in the middle so it is approximately the size of a quarter, and lay them on the oiled tray. Cover the shaped bagels with the damp cloth and let them rest for 10 minutes.

In the simmering water, boil the bagels 3 or 4 at a time for about 30 seconds on each side. Remove them to the rack sitting over the baking sheet, to allow them to drip dry.

Move the boiled bagels to an oiled or parchment lined baking sheet, about one inch apart. Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush each bagel with the mixture. If you want toppings on the bagels, sprinkle them on now.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bagels are a deep caramel color.

Let them cool for at least 30 minutes so the interiors finish cooking and the crusts form a chewy exterior.

When cooled, store them in an air tight container. Eat them within a couple of days, or store in the freezer for several months.

 

Recipe modified by Jane Blaisdell. Original recipe from PCC Cooks.

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