4 large egg whites
1¼ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark agave nectar or honey
2½ cups desiccated coconut
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon vanilla essence

(Some dark chocolate for dipping, if you like)

1. Mix all the ingredients except the vanilla (and the chocolate) in a saucepan over moderate heat. Keep stirring, and scraping the bottom of the pan. When it begins to scorch at the bottom - it might take a while to get to this point, be patient and keep stirring - remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Leave to cool to room temperature.

2. Blob mixture onto tray lined with baking parchment. I've tried doing petit-four sized little ones and much bigger and higher ones -- both work.

3. Put in 180C oven until golden brown on top (anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes depending on size, keep checking)

4. Leave to cool. If using chocolate, melt on stove or in microwave, and dip macaroons at will. Or drizzle chocolate over the top. Or roll 'em in chocolate. Either way. Refrigerate until chocolate has set.

Edited for Queso: 350F oven :)

Yet another pork recipe! This one is quick to make, and lovely and warming.

Ingredients:
An onion
Pork filets (whole filet, not in slices)
Ras el Hanout - a blend of pre-mixed spices that vary by brand. I use Bart, which includes coriander, ginger, cardamom, mace, nutmeg, paprika and rose petals, amongst others. Yum.
Tomato puree
Tin of black eyed peas, or borlotti beans
Stock or water

Optional extras: mushrooms, kale (or spinach or other leafy greenery)


1. Rub the pork filets with the Ras el Hanout
2. Cut onion into bits, not too small, and fry in butter or oil until translucent. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Clean pan, add a generous knob of butter, and allow to bubble but not brown.
4. Add the pork, and brown all round (a couple of minutes) on high heat
5. Turn the heat down a little and add enough stock or water to reach about half-way up the sides of the pork
6. Return the onions to the pan, add a generous squeeze of tomato puree and the peas/beans
7. Throw in the mushrooms and/or kale if using
8. Leave to cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes
9. Salt to taste (although you may well not need any)
10. Take the pork out of the pan and slice it. Serve either on a plate with the sauce poured on top, or return the pork to the pan and ladle it out like a casserole.

Serve on its own, as it is quite filling, or with rice or quinoa.

I'd forgotten about this, and I've always meant to post a recipe here, so here's one that a) you can make without lots of stupid measuring and stuff, and b) that I'm recalling off the top of my head. It's really flexible, so don't worry. All y'all need is some form of smoked fish (we use hoki or occasionally terakihi, but anything, honestly, would do) and some sweet potatoes, and you should have the rest on hand. If you don't, I don't know you any more.

So...

Ingredients
One or two smoked fish fillets, shredded (I pull the flesh off the skin with a fork)
Capers

Roux sauce:
butter or oil
flour
milk

Sweet potato of some form, depending where you reside (kumara here, yams would do, etc)
Parmesan cheese

Method
1. Peel and cut your sweet taties and put them on to boil. Mash with a little butter and milk and put aside.
2. Make a tasty roux: warm some oil or melt some butter in a saucepan, then stir in flour until you get a thick paste. Add milk, stirring until you have a smooth, thickish sauce.
3. Stir in some capers, as many as takes your fancy.
4. Add the shredded smoked fish, and stir into a big gloppy mess until the fish is heated in the sauce.
5. Transfer gloppy fish mixture to a casserole or lasagne dish. Spread mashed sweet potato over the top and sprinkle liberally with grated parmesan cheese. Grill until brown (or black if you get sidetracked).

Eat more than you should, and remind yourself next time to use trim milk in the roux because then you'll feel less guilty. Is good cold wintry comfort food.

This is from the Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens CSA Newsletter 18 Oct 2007.

Oven 325F (165C)

2 cups Brussels sprouts, washed and with "x" cuts in base of stem
2 T butter
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 T flour
1 slice bacon or vegi-bacon (I used healthy ham)
1 1/2 t. chopped garlic
1 1/2 t. chopped parsley
1 cup water (reserved from boiling sprouts, see recipe)
1/2 cup grated cheese, your choice (recipe says cheddar, I used mild tillamook)
2 1/2 T. bread crumbs (I used Panko)

To prep sprouts:
Place in boiling water, simmer 10 minutes, reserve 1 cup of water
Arrange in buttered casserole (base down)

To make sauce:
Sauté green onions in a bit of butter or olive oil.
Sprinkle in flour and stir until dissolved.
Add bacon, garlic, parsley, cook 3 more minutes
Pour in reserved water, stir constantly until smooth and thick as heavy cream.

Pour sauce over sprouts, top with cheese, then crumbs.
Bake 30 minutes or until top is nicely browned.

Sprouts will be nice and tender and tasty.
If I do this again I might make more sauce for this amount of sprouts -- also I might double the recipe as the sprouts were rapidly consumed by all parties except the youngest boy.

Our own alnedra sent me a small selection of Chinese medicinal herbs after seeing a recipe I'd come up with for some Chinese soup. After some thought, a couple nibbles to find out what everything tasted like, and far too much snacking thereafter on wolfberries, I came up with the following soup. It's not traditional Chinese. The soup is more of a fusion of elements from a couple cuisines, though the influence is mostly Chinese. I'm not positive that I actually used the Chinese herbs as I should have, but this is what seemed to work for my family. I have had so many requests to make it that I'm pretty much out of the red dates.

For the infused broth
3 large heads of garlic, rock-hard
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 small jalapeno or other green chile, tips removed and cut in half lengthwise
12 slices fresh ginger
12 cups chicken stock or broth
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

For the soup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 small handful ginseng whiskers
1 small handful woody angelica
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 large carrot, sliced diagonally into coins
2 large scallions, white and pale green parts minced, dark green parts sliced into rings
1 large handful lily buds, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes and then drained
juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons red miso
1 small handful dried Chinese red datees
1 small handful wolfberries
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 Napa cabbage, sliced into bands
2 tablespoons black sesame oil
9 potstickers, boiled until done

Making the infused broth

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and move a rack to the middle position in the oven.

Place the heads of garlic on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Don't worry if some black ooze bubbles from the top, as it will not affect flavor. When roasted, smash the heads of garlic to break up the cloves.

Put the oil into a non-aluminum, heavy stockpot with a 4-quart capacity and swirl to glaze the bottom. Heat the oil over very low heat until a slice of onion sizzles gently on contact. Add the onion, chile, garlic, and ginger. Stir to combine. Cover the pot, keeping the heat very low. Sweat the vegetables until the onion turns translucent and the vegetables and aromatics become soupy, 15 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the mixture from sticking. Sweating the vegetables this way is crucial to infusing the broth with their flavors, so don't rush this step.

Add the chicken stock or broth and raise the heat to moderate. Bring the mixture to a near boil, and then adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer for 1 hour. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper in the last 15 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat. Let stand, uncovered and undisturbed, for 1 hour to let the vegetables steep in the broth.

Line a fine-mesh sieve with several layers of dampened cheesecloth and strain the mixture through it. Spoon off excess oil from the surface of the resulting infused broth. Discard the vegetables and aromatics.

Making the soup

In a heavy, non-aluminum stockpot with a large capacity, heat the oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the sherry or rice wine all at once. This is called "exploding" the wine, and greatly intensifies the flavor. Boil the sherry or rice wine, stirring, until it is reduced by half.

Add the infused broth, soy sauce, ginseng, and angelica to the reduced wine. Cook over moderately high heat until the broth reaches a boil. Boil for two minutes, and then remove and discard the ginseng and angelica. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Add the carrot coins and cook for 2 minutes. Add the minced white and pale green scallion and the lily buds. Simmer for 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and red miso and simmer for 1 minute. Next, add the dried Chinese red dates and the wolfberries and simmer for 1 minute more.

Turn off the heat, add the shrimp, and stir, letting the residual heat of the broth cook the shrimp. This should not take long, about 1 to 4 minutes, depending on size, for shrimp that are just cooked through but not overcooked. When the shrimp are pink, add the Napa cabbage and scallion rings. Stir until the cabbage is wilted. Stir in the cooked potstickers and the sesame oil, and serve immediately.

Well, the solstice, Chanukah, Festivus, and Christmas have all passed. Enjoy your Boxing Day hangovers and here is a rather late recipe which you may still use for Gregorian New Year’s Eve if you are so inclined. Sorry for the odd mixture of weight and volume measurements (and wild-ass guesses at metric conversions): this was adapted from a recipe found in a 1939 copy of “The Joy of Cooking.” Easy enough for monkey pups to make, too. Enjoy!

Oven 375F (190C)
1 lb (454 g) sweet (i.e. unsalted) butter at room temperature
1 cup (ca. 235 ml) well-sifted powdered sugar
2 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) ground nutmeg (freshly ground is best)
4 cups (950 ml) all-purpose flour (unbleached white flour is fine)
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) salt

In a large bowl, beat the butter using a fork until soft (but not melted). Add the sifted sugar gradually and mix using fork until it is well combined. Add the vanilla extract and nutmeg and mix until homogenous. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter-sugar mixture, stir with the fork a bit, then work it all together with your hands. It will make a nice ball of dough.

Roll the dough out to 1/2" (1 cm) thickness on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Try to keep the thickness as even as possible, else the edges may burn. You may use some flour to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. Before baking, cut the cookies into 2” (5 cm) squares (or whatever shapes you like) using a thickish blunt tool (I use a flat wooden spatula handle). This will make the cookies easier to cut when cooled, even though they’ll grow back together while baking.

Bake on middle oven shelf about 20 minutes. Don’t overcook. They should be light golden-brown on top. Separate and cool on rack, decorate when cool if they survive long enough to be decorated (meaning my friend Jane is not in the room).

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin chops
flour seasoned with salt and pepper for dredging
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons minced yellow onion
1 cup seedless red or green grapes, halved
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 teaspoons brandy
1 1/2 cups canned chicken broth
1 teaspoon firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

Pat the pork dry and dredge it in the flour, shaking off the excess. In a large skillet heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it brown the pork. Transfer the pork with tongs to a plate, add the onion and the grapes to the skillet, and cook them over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the wine and the brandy and simmer the mixture until almost all of the liquid is evaporated. Add the broth and the brown sugar, whisking, and boil the mixture until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the pork and any juices that have accumulated on the plate, simmer the mixture for 2 minutes, or until the pork is just heated through, and transfer the pork with tongs back to the plate. Remove the skillet from the heat, whisk in the mustard and salt and pepper to taste, whisking until the sauce is combined well, and return to the heat. Put the pork chops and any juices that have accumulated on the plate back into the sauce and simmer for a minute, turning the pork once or twice to coat with the sauce. Serves 4.

2 packages frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
½ pound Ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 thin slices Italian dry salami, finely chopped
½ cup fine, dry bread crumbs
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into thin slices
butter for greasing casserole

In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, Parmesan, and salami. Butter an ovenproof casserole dish large enough to hold the artichoke hearts in one layer, then put in the artichoke hearts. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the top, and scatter the bread crumbs in an even layer over the ricotta mixture. Lay the slices of butter on top of the bread crumbs, and bake the casserole in a preheated 375 F degree oven until the butter melts, the artichoke hearts are hot, and the top is golden. Serve hot or cooled to room temperature. Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

(crossposted to monkeykitchen, cooking, and my journal)

Hello all. It's me, Pallas Athena.

I thought that I would share my Thanksgiving feast with all of you. I thought that maybe these recipes would be of interest to non-American monkeys, and it would be a way of having some monkey-style company in the kitchen.

This is my favourite stuffing recipe. It takes three days to make, but is so worth it!
It is, however, non-vegetarian. If anyone knows a good vegetarian stuffing recipe, I'd love to see it.

( stuff yourself silly here )

I keep saying to myself, "I should try to remember to post to Monkey Kitchen. There's so much good food to share." And here I've finally remembered. About time, I think.

This is my favorite way to treat a pork tenderloin, and it's become known as one of my signature dishes.

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons medium-dry Sherry
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh gingerroot
For the sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup bottled mango chutney, such as Cross and Blackwell Major Grey's
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Oriental (toasted) sesame oil

steamed rice as an accompaniment

In a small, deep dish just large enough to hold the pork, combine the soy sauce, the Sherry, the ketchup, the brown sugar, the lemon juice, the garlic, the gingerroot, and pepper to taste. Add the pork, turning to coat it thoroughly, and let it marinate, covered and chilled, three hours to overnight.

Make the sauce just before cooking the pork: In a small saucepan, combine the garlic, the soy sauce, and the vinegar, and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the chutney, the honey, the oil, and 1/4 cup water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring. Cover and set aside.

Arrange the pork on a rack in a roasting pan, reserving the marinade in a small bowl. Add 1/2 inch hot water to the pan, and roast the pork in a preheated 350 degree F. oven, basting it occasionally only during the first hour with the reserved marinade, for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 155 degrees F. for meat that is just cooked through but still juicy. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let it stand for 5 minutes.

Carve the pork diagonally into thin slices. Arrange the slices on a heated platter and spoon the sauce over. Serve with steamed rice. Serves about four to six. Or maybe two if they get addicted enough. I watched it happen once.

So, I went into the kitchen last night to make some popcorn, when suddenly I realized I wanted to make bread pudding instead. ... Yeah.

3 cups stale bread, cut into 3/4" cubes
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa to taste
1/3 cup each of chopped walnuts and chopped chocolate (or chips)
(note: this is my adaptation of a recipe that called for 1 Tablespoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 cup raisins, instead of what I used)
Preheat oven to 350^oF
Pour the milk onto the bread chunks, and squeeze them to get the bread fully saturated. In another bowl, whisk (or use an electric mixer) the eggs and sugar until the mixture is thickened somewhat. Add the butter, then the flavorings and stir well. Mix the nuts and chocolate in with the bread, and pour the egg mixture over. Stir, and let the egg mixture soak into the bread, about 10 minutes or so. Pour the pudding into a greased/buttered baking dish and bake for about 45-50 min, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or chocolate sauce =)

(This is a c&p from an old blog entry - pls excuse the somewhat florid style...)

Ingredients:

Butter
Olive oil
A couple of big handsful of mushrooms
3 garlic cloves
1 yellow onion
1 stick of celery
Black pepper
Ground nutmeg
Allspice
Parsley
Balsamic vinegar

Tagliatelle
Parmesan cheese

1.Take a big pan, put it on a low-to-middling heat. Add a generous lump of butter, and a good glug of olive oil. Let them warm and ooze and mingle together until just beginning to bubble.
2. Peel three garlic cloves (cloves, NOT bulbs - you'd be amazed how often people mistake the two...), squish them a bit by putting them under the flat side of a knife and bashing down, and then add to the pan.
3. Finely chop a girl-fist sized yellow onion, and add when a delicate scent of roasting garlic begins to gently and deliciously assail your nostrils.
4. Finely chop a stick of celery, and add when the onion is just on the verge of becoming transparent. Stir together, and spend a moment reflecting on the fact that there are few nicer smells in the world than that of frying onions.
5.Add a few generous grinds of black pepper.

Under no circumstances should you allow anything in the pan to colour - nice and translucent is what we're going for here.

6. Take some mushrooms - common-or-garden white champignon style ones do very well, but I'm sure you could probably choose something more exotic should you so wish. I generally reckon on 6 or so champignons, about the size of the gap between thumb and forefinger when making an OK sign, per person. Do whatever it is you usually do to clean the mushrooms - wash, brush, or in my case, peel. Or just enjoy the extra texture that clods of mushroom soil bring to the dish. Whatever. Break the mushrooms into appetising-looking bits (I remember once reading in a cookbook that one should never slice mushrooms - it lets too much of the yummy juice out apparently - but I have no idea whether breaking is actually better than chopping. Personally, I just find chunks more visually attractive than slices. Also mushroom flesh is stupendously, almost indulgently, tactile, and deserves more attention than can be lavished upon it by the blade of a knife. And mushrooms make a great sort of popping noise when you break them in half. Never underestimate the power of all five senses when cooking) and add to the pan when the mixture therein has reached the stage where it warrants being called 'goey'.
Note: mushrooms suck up an inordinate amount of grease while cooking - so it might be worth throwing in another lump of butter. More pepper might be good at this point too.
7. If you poke about in the pan, you'll see the cloves of garlic you put in at the start, lovely and soft and golden and gooey. Fish them out, chop them up, and return to the pan. This might seem a bit of a round-about, not to mention messy, way of getting chopped garlic into a dish, but I've found that if I just chop it up right at the start the little bits tend to fry too hard and get a bit bitter, and I much prefer the gentle, almost roasted flavour, of letting them cook whole. And anyway, cooking's no fun if it isn't messy. If you're not a big garlic fan, just fish 'em all out and discard - they'll have had enough time in the oil to give a subtle kiss of flavour.
8. Add a pinch of ground nutmeg.
9. Pestle and mortar ahoy. Grind up and add about 3 allspice corns. Allspice has a wonderful, pungent, warming flavour, but it can be a bit overpowering - best to add in increments.
10. Put the kettle on. Get a mug and a stockcube (pick a flavour, any flavour, although probably not fish) and stand it upright on its narrow end in the cup. Add boiling water to just cover. Add to the pan when the mushrooms are beginning to turn a tiny little bit golden. Stockcubes are generally salty enough to banish the need for extra salt. Up to you, though.
11. Parsley. There is no such thing as too much parsley. Either chop up the hugest bunch of fresh parsley you can find, or about half a packet of the pre-chopped frozen stuff works just as well. Chuck in pan.
12. At the point when the mushroom juice and melty butter and stock are making a shallow sea of wonderous liquid in the pan, add some cream - proper cooking cream if you're fortunate enough to be in a country which sells such finesses, ordinary single cream if you're not. How much is again up to you, a dash will add enough creamy flavour to warrant its presence if you prefer a lighter sauce, or just keep on pouring if you're in decadent mood.
13. Put the pasta on to boil in salted water. The 5 minutes or so of cooking time should be just right for the sauce to reduce down to a consistency you like the look of, and if it starts getting too thick, rest secure in the knowledge that you can always add a bit more stock or a bit more cream if the situation should so demand.

Considering the huge volume of ingredients you started out with, the amount of what have turned out to be the-incredible-shrinking-ingredients now left in the pan is probably begging the response, "Is that it?", but trust me, the sauce is impressively flavourful, and you don't actually need that much per plate of pasta.

14. At the last moment, stir in a couple of dashes of Balsamic vinegar. And now taste the sauce, if for some reason you've neglected to do so before. Add a bit of something or other if you think it necessary, then serve with an arty sprinkling of fresh parsley if you're into presentation, and the best Parmigiano cheese you can afford.

This is the bestest dessert recipe I've ever come across - I've made it countless times, and it never fails. It's been a closely guarded family secret up until now, so don't say I don't love youze guys! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

200g dark chocolate
200g butter
3 eggs
2dl white caster sugar

1. Melt the butter and chocolate over very low heat, stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick to the pan
2. In a food processor (for preference, can also be done by hand with a balloon whisk, but it takes forever) whip the eggs and the sugar to a fluffy foamy consistency
3. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, stir very gently to blend
4. Pour the mixture into portion-sized ovenproof bowls/cups/ramikins
5. Put on a cold tray

This far can be prepared in advance - they'll sit happily in the fridge for a couple of hours

6. Bake for about 12 minutes in a 225C oven
7. When they're done, they will be puffy, crispy on the top and gooey in the middle. Serve with either a scoop of vanilla icecream on top, or a jug of single cream on the side. It's also nice to throw some fresh raspberries or blueberries on the top before serving.

A variant on my username, from Suomynona in #mofirc led to the invention of this yummy cocktail! *clinks glasses*

1. Freeze a martini glass
2. Shake, very very briefly over minimal ice, lemon vodka (Absolut for preference), a dash of Angostura bitters and a dash of grenadine
3. Strain and pour
4. Garnish with either a lime twist, or if you're feeling adventurous, flame a twist of orange
5. Drink
6. Repeat ;)

Ingredients:

Some form of flat pasta - tagliatelle, bavette, linguini (the sauce stays on better on the flat varieties, but anything will taste good, obviously)
Feta
Red onion
Garlic
Black olives
Tomatoes, either fresh, tinned or sun-dried
Parsley
Butter
Olive oil
Black pepper
Salt


1. Put a large pot of well-salted water on to boil
2. Crush garlic, fry for a few seconds on medium heat
3. Chop the red onions, add to pan, fry until translucent
4. Add olives and tomatoes, allow to warm through on low heat
5. Cook the pasta according to instructions
6. Drain pasta, put back in pot. Add crumbled feta and the stuff from the frying pan, plus chopped parsley, a large knob of butter and freshly grated black pepper.

Sorry, the Monkey Kitchen has been much neglected of late. Normal yummy vitamin-filled service will resume shortly.

Or a party, or any other occasion when beans, cheese and tortilla chips sounds good. Crazy simple!

As my husband says, "step 1 through step 7: no fucking velveeta."

You need:
*a large bag of (unsalted) unbroken tortilla chips
*a can of refried beans (16 oz), or leftover refritos from another recipe. Try to get one that's already seasoned, or blend in your own (onion, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt--a pakaged fajita seasoning would work too).
*sliced black olives, about 8 tbsp (one of those little cans)
*shredded cheese: you want a blend of cheddar and Monterrey Jack (better if there's some Asadero in there too). about a pound.
*a baking sheet or large glass cake pan
*salsa and sour cream, optional

so, picking up from step 7...

8. Preheat oven to 500 F
9. With a knife, spread a generous lump (approx 1 tbsp) on each chip.
10. Lay the chips on the sheet/in the pan so that they are touching. If it's a pan, you can lay them out in layers.
11. Once you have a layer (or a filled sheet), liberally spread shredded cheese.
12. Sprinkle black olives on top.
13. Place sheet/pan in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Pull before the cheese burns!
14. Serve with salsa and sour cream!

variation: brown up some ground beef in a saucepan and mix the beans in the pan. mix together, and then spread the mixture on the chips. be careful not to burn yourself!

They reckon this feeds 8. All I'll say is -- this makes a LOT of beans.

6 Slices bacon -- cooked
1 1/2 Cups onion -- chopped
1 1/4 Cups BBQ sauce
3/4 Cup beer, dark
1/4 Cup molasses, light
3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
5 teaspoons chipotle pepper, mince
90 Oz Great northern beans, drained
1 Bunch parsley, chopped

Drain cooked bacon. Transfer 1/2 tbl bacon drippings to large bowl. Add onion and next 7 ingredients to bowl. Whisk to blend. Add peppers. Stir in beans.

Transfer to 13 x 9 x2 inch glass baking dish. Bake uncovered until liquid bubbles and thickens. Cool and serve warm. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Substitute marinated bell peppers for non spicy version.

This was one of those "let's use up whatever's in the kitchen" type affairs that actually turned out really tasty, even though it sounds a bit strange...

Ingredients:

Chicken breast, cut into strips
Garlic, crushed
Onion, cut into segments
Oranges, squeezed
Light soy sauce
Chili powder
Black pepper
Fresh coriander

1. Heat some oil in a high-sided pan or wok over high heat
2. Add the crushed garlic, let it sizzle for a few seconds
3. Add the chicken strips, closely followed by the onion.
4. Add chili and black pepper to taste. Let the chicken brown and the onion soften
4. Turn the heat down a bit, and add the orange juice and soy (I used the juice of four oranges, and I'm guessing about 3 tablespoons of soy, but YMMV)
5. Cover and simmer till the chicken is cooked through. Taste the sauce and add seasoning as necessary.
6. Just before serving, throw a couple of handfuls of the chopped coriander over the top.

Serve with rice.

OK - we're a little past the season for these delicious muffins, but since it's the only recipe I've got access to here at work, I figured I'd share it.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

4 eggs
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup applesauce (or use canola oil)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 12 oz package semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat eggs and sugar. Mix in rest of the ingredients.
Spray muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray. Fill each section 3/4 full.
Bake in pre-heated oven approximately 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Makes about 24 medium muffins.