Hobo Cobbler

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon corn starch
2 cups FRESH fruit* (rinsed, sliced, peeled and anything else you may need to do to it)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup of milk

Destructions:

These instructions are written for Hobo cobbler, which means this is a one-pan dish. You need to ensure your pans are oven-safe. I take absolutely no responsibility for melted pans and chemical fumes. We use and love our IKEA 365+ pans which are all-metal and oven safe. If you aren’t sure or have doubts, don’t risk it – transfer your cobbler into an oven-safe dish. It’s heart will still be hobo. If you are making a larger quantity of cobbler, you may want to use a casserole dish instead once the stove top part is complete.

1. Preheat oven to 400°F

2. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan (you want at least a 2-quart). Stir in fruit and lemon juice. Cook, stirring CONSTANTLY until mixture thickens and boils. This is hobo cobbler, people, don’t fuck around. Boil and stir for ONE MINUTE.

3. If you need to switch to an oven-safe dish, now’s the time. You can keep your mixture warm in the oven, or if you’re making it hobo style, just cover your saucepan for the time being. It’s going NOWHERE.

4. In a separate bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter, crisscrossing two knives to blend, until mixture has a crumbly consistency. Stir in milk. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto the hot fruit mixture.

5. Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

*We went with blueberries when they were in season this summer. You could adapt this to use apples this autumn. Just make sure you get a crisp, tart apple – no grainy, super sweet, or mushy fruit. Consider adding some cinnamon to give the dish that nice spiciness that apples benefit from. 

Destructions:

This is a great stew for using up leftovers. Add leftover meat, veggies or additional spices. This stew is a bit bland if you use just water, so I encourage you to use stock or bouillon to add extra flavor.

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat and saute garlic, onions and leeks until translucent (about 5 minutes).
2. Add cabbage, barley, carrots, tomatoes and any other vegetables you wish to use. Stir, and add the water/stock – you can even use more if you think the soup is getting a bit thick. The barely will soak up a ton of it, so use your best judgement.
3. Stir and increase heat to bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, until barley is tender.

*A small note about leeks

Remember to always wash leeks thoroughly. The green leaves hold the most grit, so before you even put them under the water, slice off the leaves and discard (or set aside if you want to use them later). Keeping the root intact, slice the leek in half and rinse upside down under cool water, using your fingers to gently press the leaves apart. This is a fast and easy way to ensure they are free of sand and dirt. If you try rinsing the leaves before removing them, you’ll force grit further down into the root, making it very difficult to clean them. Once done, slice off the root and slice into thin coins. You should now have perfectly halved leeks for this recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb macaroni (8oz)
1 box Fantastic Foods Vegetarian Sloppy Joe Mix*
- 1 WHOLE (6 oz) can tomato paste (box of sloppy joe mix calls for only 3oz)
- 2 tbs oil
- 1 1/3 c water
1 carton of cottage cheese (16 oz)
grated or slices of cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
2. Boil macaroni according to directions on package. Cook al dente as pasta will continue to cook in oven.
3. Prepare Sloppy Joe mix according to package directions. Instructions call for 3oz of tomato paste. I typically use 6oz for a number of reasons. For this particular recipe it adds a necessary amount of liquid to the casserole, ensuring the mix doesn’t get too dry in the oven.
4. Mix cottage cheese and sloppy joe mix together in a large bowl and set aside.
5. Once macaroni has finished cooking, drain and layer half of it into a lightly greased 2 1/2 quart casserole. Layer half the mixture on top, then a layer of macaroni. Top with remaining mix, and sprinkle grated cheese or cheese slices on top.
6. Bake, uncovered for 30-40 minutes until bubbling on top.

*The link provided for the mix is just for the actual company online store. Bulk packages can be purchased on Amazon and other large retailers. Many grocery stores including Whole Foods and Giant carry this brand.

1. Take a tortilla, sprinkle a layer of cheese in the center.
2. Spread a tablespoon or two of the Taco Mix on top (this makes the cheese a little melty)
3. Spoon some salsa on top to taste
4. Add a heaping spoonful of guacamole
5. Arrange a few leaves of the butterleaf lettuce

Fold the tortilla and enjoy. So. Good.

Ingredients:
2 lbs teeny tiny potatoes, or fingerling potatoes
2 tbs creme fraiche (substitute sour cream if you can’t find creme fraiche)
1 tbs dijon mustard
4 tbs red wine vinegar (use more or less to taste – I used 3 tbs – you can also substitute lemon juice)
4 tbs+ Olive oil

Salt
Pepper

Optional:
Bacon
Green Onions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash and drain the potatoes. Slice each potato in half, long-ways if applicable, then place in a bowl of cold water. Once all the potatoes are cut in half, drain again and return to the bowl. Coat in olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange in a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 40 minutes to an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. For the final 15 minutes, remove the aluminum foil.

In a bowl, mix the creme fraiche and mustard together until blended. Slowly whisk in vinegar, then 4 tbs of olive oil, stirring briskly and pouring slowly until fully blended. Add salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.

Remember to keep whisking!

Potatoes are done when they are soft on the outside and crispy on the outside. Drain off excess oil and spoon into a dish. Add the sauce and stir. Serve warm, or refrigerate and serve chilled. Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from the one posted on VideoJug.

Fingerling Potatoes:

Lightly drizzle in olive oil with salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes. Turn midway through for an even roast.

Asparagus:

Trim stems and drop into boiling water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Plate and let two thin pats of butter melt over them.

Serve with poached eggs, crusty french bread, and green salad.

Roasted Potatoes
Mom sent me this recipe. It’s delicious by itself, but I chose to spice it up with a little ground black pepper and dried rosemary (I imagine fresh rosemary would be even more delicious).

• New potatoes (as many or as few as you like) cut into eighths (bite size)
• Light olive oil
• Black pepper
• Rosemary

Sorry for the lack of precision, but I eyeballed everything. Here’s what to do:

1. Boil salted water in a large pot about 2/3rds full
2. Add potatoes to rapidly boiling water (and be careful, there’s no easy way to add them without splashing yourself with scalding hot water – so try to limit the damage as much as you can)
3. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
4. Boil potatoes about 10-15 minutes until tender
5. Remove from heat, drain and rinse under cool water
6. Prepare a baking dish by dolloping some olive oil on the bottom
7. Spread the potatoes in the pan
8. Sprinkle with ground black pepper and rosemary, then and move them around to coat them in oil – you’ll also need to oil the top, so don’t go overboard on the first application. My mom likes to oil each potato by hand – I find this time consuming, so I didn’t do it. You can also use a large ziplock and shake the suckers up. I just did my best to get them well coated with gentle shaking of the pan
9. Pop them in the oven and turn every 10 minutes. It’ll take about forty-five minutes for them to get a nice crust without getting too-cooked
10. Enjoy!

The recipe came out perfectly, and it tasted exactly as I remembered, which is to say, it tasted not good. We sat biting it in silence until we both unanimously decided that it was dreadful.

“But what are we going to do with it?”
“We could give it away.”
“That would be cruel.”

Instead, we opted for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and pasta. As such, I will not be posting the recipe for this travesty. From the subtle mushroom flavor to the revoltingly chewy bits of mushroom interspersed with the far too fragrant tuna and the brownish green peas, it’s painfully bland. Painfully not good.

Fresh Pasta Salad

• 1 package of tricolor pasta salad
• 1 large fresh tomato (or two or three smaller ones) diced
• Italian vinaigrette
• Fresh mozzarella cut into small cubes

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
2. Combine pasta with tomatoes and mozzarella. Chill for fifteen minutes (or longer if you have other things to do)
3. Toss salad with dressing. Serve and enjoy!

We’ve been doing really well so far. Last night, I made pan fried pre-marinated salmon fillets from Trader Joe’s with the most delicious baby carrots. I’m two for two with delicious dinners and I’m very pleased with myself. The boyfriend said it was one of the best dinners he’s had in a while. Sweet!

I’ve never been able to cook salmon correctly. Because I’m always terrified of under cooking it, I routinely overcook it. While salmon is still pretty good and edible when it’s been overcooked, it’s rubbery and not half as good as when it’s properly cooked.

How to properly cook salmon fillets:

1. If your fillets have been frozen, make sure they’re thoroughly defrosted (I usually keep them in the fridge for two days before cooking)
2. If you’ve marinated your fillets (or they came marinated, in my case), use the marinade to grease the pan, provided it has some fat in it.
3. Cook your fillets for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Gently knife the middle of one fillet and make sure it is opaque pink, not translucent pink. If it is opaque, your fillets are cooked through.

I’m perpetually at a loss for how to cook fillets in the oven. I suppose I’ll tackle that in the weeks to come.

Here’s the recipe for the carrots, courtesy of mom:

Glazed Carrots with Herbs

From Gourmet Magazine, October 1983

This recipe Serves two. Increase quantities to serve more. I use a pound of carrots, and doubled the recipe, except for the dill. Because I used dried dill, I only added ½ teaspoon. I also omitted the parsley, because I’m a jerk.

Ingredients:

• ½ lb carrots, trimmed and sliced 1/3 inch thick on a diagonal
• 2 tbs butter
• ¼ C canned vegetable broth
• ½ tsp sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp minced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp snipped fresh dill

Directions:

1. Cook carrots 5 minutes in boiling, salted water until just tender. Drain and refresh under cold running water.
2. In skillet, toss carrots with butter over medium heat until coated well.
3. Add broth, sugar, salt and pepper.
4. Cook over medium high heat, tossing until liquid reduces to a glaze.
5. Stir in parsley and dill