this is how i write recipes on mpt.

That man I live with and engaged in a commitment ceremony with is sick. So, with this perpetual bone broth going on, I decided Primal Pho was in order. This is how I write my recipes to share on Modern Primal Tribe, so you're getting a real inside look here. Join the fun... if you can decipher it.

Kinda "Pho"

8 cups bone broth (I used bones/skin/cartilage from 2 chickens, veggie scraps from peppers and parsnips, 1 onion, 1 head garlic, rosemary/sage/bay leaves, some carrots, celery scraps/leaves/extra ribs, apple, water to cover)

fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic

cinnamon stick

whole cloves

1T fish sauce

spicy shit of choice

lime

thai basil

scallions

bok choy

carrots

broccoli

shrooms (magic ones)

onion

meat of some sort

Have some broth going. Put 8 or so cups in a sauce pan (or however much you want to make, just tone down the rest of the ingredients accordingly...duh).

Use a microplane to grate garlic over the saucepan. Grate some of your ginger. Cut the rest of your ginger in half, tie it up in cheesecloth with a cinnamon stick, some cloves, some star anise if you have it, and toss it in the broth. Add some fish sauce. Also good: rice vin, apple cider vin, mirin, any asiany sauces you've got floating around... 

Let that shit simmer and get all happy with one another. Slice your onion realllll thin like and throw it in. Slice your meat real thin like and drop it in. The longer you can let it hang out in there the softer it'll be. Although, if you're in a rush, just use some tender loving beef, or chicken, sliced suuuuuuper thin, and no one will get hurt. 

You're gonna want to add your vegetables according to how long they need to cook (not long! You want them softies). I threw them all in at the same time, because they all needed the same amount ish: carrot, broccoli, baby bok choy, mushrooms. Throw a lid on for some green steaming action. Pop your top off.

Later on, when you aren't so challenged, you can serve this over spaghetti squash as a rice thread noodle sub. [For you non-Primals, don't worry about this and get yourself some rice noods]

Pour shit in bowl. Lotsobroth. Pile high with bean sprouts, torn thai basil, lotsoscallions/greenonion/whatevsyoucallit, fresh lime juice, extra fish sauce, srirachaaaaaaaaaaaa:/, deliciousness. Oh, yeah, fish out that packet of spicy stuff. Grab your favorite chopsticks and asian soup spoon. Slurp.

Cures all ailments from the common cold to male pattern baldness.

Matzo Ball Soup

Besides those two days of 70 degree plus weather we had this week, it's been cold, windy, and bleak. To fight off some of the gray, tonight I'm making Matzo Ball Soup. :)

The first time I had matzo ball soup, my boss made it for me. I was sick, but she really needed me to nanny for a few hours. When I got to work, she had made me yummy matzo ball soup. I had some, it was amazing, I took it home, and ate it for the next 2 days. I felt better; it's true--it cures everything ;)

Matzo Ball Soup with Chicken and Vegetables
Serves 2 as main course, or 4 with a salad on the side

1 tablespoon butter
1 carrot, 1/2 inch dice
Half an onion, 1/2 inch dice
1 hearty stalk of celery (2 if it's thin), 1/2 inch dice
1/4 cup white wine
4 cups Chicken Stock
1/2 cup shredded chicken
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup matzo meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat, saute the onions, carrots, and celery in the butter until soft and just starting to brown -- about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine; let the wine cook off completely -- about 2 minutes. Add the stock and the chicken. Bring to a boil and let simmer.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the eggs, oil, water, matzo meal, salt, and pepper. Mix well, then stick in the fridge for about 20 minutes while your soup base simmers.

With wet hands, pinch of ping pong size globs of matzo ball mix, form into a ball, and drop into the soup base. Continue until all matzo ball mix has been used. Cover and let simmer for about 25 minutes, or until matzo balls have almost doubled in size, and are all poking out of the top of the soup.

Serve :)

Root Vegetable Chowder and Pumpkin Pie

Sunday, we had a dinner date with some friends. I got to do the coordinating, planning, menu choosing, and job delegating, of course, which was lots of fun. I chose a seasonal Root Vegetable Chowder, alongside salad and bread. Wine and sparkling water to drink, with my Pumpkin Pie and my Pumpkin Zucchini Loaf (recipe coming soon) for dessert rounded the meal off nicely.

Root Vegetable Chowder
with adaptations for slow cooker

2-4 chopped slices of bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 medium leeks, trimmed, white and green thinly sliced
1 lb (about 2) parsnips, peeled, 1/3 inch dice
3 medium carrots, peeled, 1/3 inch dice
4 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 lb (about 2 large) russet potatoes, 1/2 inch dice (peeled or not)2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

For stovetop:
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 cups milk
3 cups broth (or more, depending)

For slow cooker:
4 cups broth (or enough to cover)
1 cup half and half or light cream

Stove top directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon. Take out of the pan and reserve. Add olive oil to the pan and heat until rippling. Add the leeks and saute until tender, but not browned--about seven minutes.

Add the parsnips, carrots, garlic, and thyme. Saute for 5 minutes and then add the potatoes and flour. Stir to coat all--about one minute.

Gradually add in the milk and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occassionally for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the soup is thickened.

Optional: Take about 2 cups of vegetables out of pot, mash, and return to pot, mixing until combined.

Add the bacon back into the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve; sprinkle with parsley.

Slow cooker directions:In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon. Take out of the pan and reserve. Add olive oil to the pan and heat until rippling. Add the leeks and saute until crisp tender--about 4 minutes.

Pile the leeks and bacon mixture into the slow cooker along with the parsnips, carrots, garlic, thyme, potatoes, and broth. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until vegetables are very tender.
Optional: Take about 2 cups of vegetables out of pot, mash, and return to pot, mixing until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in half and half, test temperature, and either serve with parsley, or heat through on high setting to warm sufficiently.


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Pumpkin Pie
For the filling:
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
3 cups pumpkin puree (from scratch this is the yield from an 8 inch pumpkin)
18 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1 tablespoon superfine sugar

Put the flour in a bowl with the salt and butter. Cut in the butter. I prefer to rub with my fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs (easiest way is to use the food processor).

Stir in the sugar and then add about 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix to a soft dough. Then knead the dough lightly on a floured surface. Flatten it out into a round, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour.

Roll out the pastry thinly and line a 9-inch deep pie pan. Trim the excess dough from the sides and reserve. Prick the base of the pastry shell with a fork. Cut as many leaf shapes as you can from remaining pastry and make vein markings (I use the back of a knife). Brush the edge of the pie pastry with water, and stick the leaves all around the edge. Overlap slightly. Chill while you prep the rest. If you have enough remaining pastry, cut out some large leaves (I like three) or if you have extra leaves left over, set those aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees with a baking sheet inside.
Mix all of the filling together well in a stand mixer. Pour the filling into the pie pan and smooth the top. The filling will be quite runny, but don't worry :)

Place on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes then arrange remaining pastry leaves on the top in a decorative manner. Bake for another 15 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set (a tester comes out clean from the middle), and the pastry is golden.

Serve with a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream.

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