Moroccan Couscous

Another one from my teacher. so good! t’s cooked plain or in a wonderful salad type dish and usually eaten with meat stews that are slow cooked.  This dish goes wonderfully with the Tajine style Moroccan Chicken or just by itself as a refreshing salad or side dish.


Start boiling 2 cups chicken stock (because it gives it such a depth of flavor but if you’re trying to make it a completely vegetarian dish then use vegetable stock or plain water) and ½ tsp kosher salt together.

Start by boiling

Add  1 1/4 cup of couscous and  take off the heat.  Cover and let sit for 5-6 minutes.  Fluff with fork.

In a large skillet heat  ¼ cup olive oil and add 1 small chopped onion and 2 cloves of garlic minced into small pieces.

Saute  for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are translucent and the garlic is very fragrant then add the couscous and toast for 8 minutes or so, couscous should get slightly brown.

Take it off the heat and pour into a large bowl and while still warm:

Add to couscous:

½ cup feta cheese

Chopped bell peppers

Chopped avocado

½ cup flat leafed parsley

Cucumber

Toasted almonds

Dressing:

¼ cup oil

1 large lemon, zested

¼ tsp salt

Pepper (fresh cracked if you can)

Juice from lemon

Whisk to make dressing.  It will become a delicious opaque golden colored dressing. Pour over couscous and toss together.  Enjoy right away as a side dish or with any Moroccan style stew!

Spanakopita ~ Greek Spinach Triangles

Spanakopita ~ Greek Spinach Triangles

1 box Fillo Dough

2 pounds frozen chopped Spinach (you can use fresh but in this recipe there is very little difference)

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp oregano

2 tsp basil (I like to use fresh basil)

1 tsp dill

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (you can use dry thyme)

1 tsp kosher salt

5 stalks of Scallions

7 oz crumbled Feta

1/2 cup Ricotta

1/2 cup Cottage cheese

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

3/4 lb (3 sticks) of unsalted butter

4 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Defrost Spinach and squeeze out all excess water and set aside.  In a large skillet heat olive oil and saute onions, scallions, garlic, salt and herbs.  After onions are tender, add Spinach to the mixture and stir fry for a few minutes.  Take off heat and pour it into a large bowl.  Add eggs, cheeses and lemon juice  to the Spinach mixture.  Stir to mix well.

Take out Fillo dough from package and put them on a cookie sheet and cover with a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out.  Melt 3 sticks of butter in a microwave safe bowl  and get a pastry brush.  Place a piece of Fillo dough on a large cutting board and brush it with melted butter, working quickly so the fillo doesn’t dry out, place another sheet on top and brush that with butter as well.  Repeat with three sheets of Fillo.  Using a pizza cutter, cut three equal long strips on the Fillo.  Place a large 1 1/2 tablespoon of spinach filling on the top of one of the strips and fold it at an angle so it forms a triangle.  Keep folding the triangle onto itself until all the filling is enclosed in a triangular shape.  Place it on a cookie sheet and brush the completed triangle with melted butter.  Repeat the procedure withe the other two strips.  Continue making triangles with three sheets of buttered Fillo at a time.  Should yield about 42-46 individual Spanakopitas.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.  Serve warm.

Baklava

We ate a couple Greek foods this week in my food class. :) Baklava was so good!

1 pound box of Fillo Dough

1 pound of Walnuts

1 pound of Almonds

3/4 pound (3 sticks) of unsalted butter, melted

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Cloves

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp orange zest

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Whole cloves

ground Pistachios for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

Take out Fillo dough and place it on a cookie sheet and cover with a damp towel, this is very important so the dough does not dry out. In a food processor coarsely chop the nuts.  Place the ground nuts in a large mixing bowl and add all the spices (except whole cloves), vanilla extract, sugar and orange zest.  Mix well.  Melt butter in a glass bowl and brush 17 x 2 x 2 (or an approximate sized) dish with melted butter.  Make sure to brush the sides as well.  Place a sheet of Fillo on the bottom of the pan and brush it with butter then layer another piece and repeat with 10 layers of Fillo.  Layer one-third of the nut mixture on the Fillo then layer with 3-4 pieces of dough, buttering each layer.  Layer the next third of the nut mixture and repeat with another 3-4 pieces of Fillo.  On the very last layer add about 7-9 sheets of Fillo dough (butter each one well).  Brush top of the last Fillo dough with butter and cut into diamond shapes.  Place a clove bud into the center of each piece.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour, until golden brown.  While the Baklava is baking prepare syrup so it has time to cool by the time the Baklava comes out of the oven.

Syrup

2 3/4 cup water

2 cups Sugar

Boil slowly for 15 – 25 minutes then add 1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice (this helps it NOT to form crystals) and 2 tablespoons of honey and let simmer an additional 10-15 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Pour over hot Baklava and cover for 30 minutes with wax paper.  Uncover and let the Baklava set for 7 hours at room temperature before serving.  This ensures that all the syrup has soaked in without making the pastry soggy.  Serve at room temperature.  Try not to refrigerate this dish because it affects the texture and taste.  Makes about 36 diamond-shaped Baklavas.

Cinnamon Rolls

Make Lion house dinner rolls dough. (see recipe that I posted before this one) You can divide dough up evenly to make the cinnamon rolls.

Roll out dough with rolling pin into rectangle shape.

Then melt butter (1/4 cup) and add brown sugar (1/3 cup). Mix together. spread on dough. Next roll the dough up, and cut with dental floss or thread. Put on greased pan and bake at 400 degrees for like 10 t0 15 minutes until golden brown.

Cool and frost with frosting or you can have them plain.

You can use the frosting recipes I posted with the banana sour cream bars (if you like add a little cream cheese to frosting.

Enjoy.

I like these because they are so yummy, easy to make and I remember mom making them for us, around Christmas and sometimes during the year.

Taught to me by mother- Rosie Johnson.

Lion House Dinner Rolls

2 tablespoons yeast

2 cups warm water

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup margarine or butter

2 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup nonfat dry milk

1 egg

5 to 6 cups all purpose flour

butter or margarine melted

In large bowl, mix yeast and water and let stand 5 minutes. Add sugar, shortening, salt, dry milk, egg, and 2 cups of the flour. Beat together until smooth. Gradually add remaining flour until soft dough is formed.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until dough doubles in bulk. Punch down, divide into thirds. Roll out one third of dough into a circle, cut 12 pie shape pieces. Starting at the wide end roll up each piece into a crescent. Place on greased baking sheet with point on bottom. Repeat with remainder dough.

Then brush the tops of rolls with melted butter. Let it rise until double in size. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve warm with honey, jam- we like homemade raspberry jam, butter. Enjoy!

Makes 3 dozen rolls.

Taught to me by mother- Rosie Johnson.

I remember having these rolls at Thanksgiving, and through out the year, they are so yummy.

Lion House Entertaining cookbook.

Bread and Milk Sandwiches

This may be my only recipe contribution to the Johnson Cuisine blog. It is simple enough that even I can make it well. There are only two ingredients – milk and homemade bread. (Store-bought bread just doesn't work well). Virtually any homemade bread works well, but Swiss braided bread makes a delectable treat.

Directions: In a good-sized container break large chunks of homemade bread. Pour cold milk over the bread and eat with a soup spoon. Some may prefer a bit of cream mixed in with the milk.

Growing up, my siblings and I often had bread and milk at any time of the day. Rosie has always made wonderful bread and throughout our marriage I have regularly sat down to a great meal of bread and milk. This was also one of my dad's favorite meals. For him a dinner of cold milk and homemade bread was as good as any meal he could buy at expensive restaurants. He would eat it for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner and never tire of it. Often he would call it “bread and milk sandwiches”.

Grant Gill Smith was one of Dad’s classmates at Bear River High School. In 1943 he was in Minneapolis going to school. Dad was serving a mission in Minneapolis at the same time. On June 26, 1943 Grant wrote a letter to his mother and father in which he gives a priceless description of dinner with dad. He writes:

Grant Gill Smith, Vere Johnson, Don Johnson in Minneapolis -- 1943

"When I got there Vere and Elder Lund from Arizona happened to be there by the car line to meet me. They had just dropped downtown for some bread and milk. It happened that Vere and his companion were having four others over for supper. (If I can call it that) they bought 4 quarts of milk and three or four loaves of bread for five of them. (They ate it all) Elder Johnson calls it "bread and milk sandwiches". The idea of bread and milk wasn't so bad but wait till you hear about their equipment. One had a glass, there were two old dippers with long handles and the enamel beat off in spots, another a pan and still they lacked one "so-called" bowl. Vere, who seem to be the "Cook" – his companion was reading the Bible – took a quick look around him and spied a peanut butter bottle – he sniffed the closed up odor and passed it over to another Elder. The bread was broken two and three slices at a time – yet they all ate and laughed, enjoying their feast and reunion immensely."

Dad had a deep love and admiration for his paternal grandfather, Race Alphalus Johnson. Grandpa Johnson had a profound impact on him and he talked often of the lessons he learned in the countless hours they spent together in those formative years. Race loved home-baked bread and milk. He was often heard to say to his wife after a hard day’s work, “Bread my bowl, Lottie, and a little cream.” (When my, Aunt Jan, wrote Race’s history in 1976 she titled it “Bread My Bowl”) I suspect Dad’s love for this simple dish was first planted by his beloved Grandfather Johnson.

I hope “Bread and Milk Sandwiches” becomes one of your favorite meals in the years to come.

Big Fat Chewy Cookies

2 or 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1.2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups desired chips

Preheat oven to 325. Grease cookie sheet. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside. In medium bowl, cream butter and sugars until well blended. Beat in vanilla, egg, egg yolk, till light and cfreamy. Mix in shiftedingreadents until just blended and stir in chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop dough 1/4 cup at a time on cookie sheets three inchs apart. Bake 15-17 minutes or edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks. Adjust flour amount as your desire of thickness. Enjoy.

The first time I had these yummy cookies was From Lori Stafford. She surprised me and made them for my birthday one year. I like them because they are soft and chewy, they are the way I like cookies.