Bohemian Easter Eggs

Designs Fishbone Crown of Thorns Crown of Thorns Crown of Thorns Crown of Thorns Cross Palm Branch Pussy Willow Robe Star Sun Wheat and Grapes (Bread and Wine) World Without End       This method of making Czech Easter Eggs (Kraslice) was passed down from my Grandmother, Bozena (Bessie) Kuchynka Koktavy, a 2nd generation Bohemian immigrant to the U.S. The designs are much less delicate than the Czech eggs that I've seen. Bessie would decorate hundreds of eggs with a kitchen match and then hard-cook the eggs in a brown dye made from onion skins.                                                                                      Ingredients / Supplies A bag full of yellow (Spanish) onion skins - One or two days take of skins from the local grocery store will be enough. Most stores will stock the onions once a day at a particular time. Whenever stocking them, they always end up with a lot of loose skins that they throw away. Just ask the produce manager what time they stock onions so you can drop by and pick them up or if they can save them for you. It might take a couple of trips to coordinate, so plan early. Bee's wax - Bee's was from the market. Paraffin will work just fine. shallow metal container - My grandmother used an aluminum margarine container. Try a tuna can or soda can cut in half. Large kitchen matchsticks - Light the match and extinguish immediately. The larger black end is used for application of the wax. For more delicate decorating you can use a pencil with a flat head dressmaker sewing pin stuck into the eraser. A goose feather pen could also be used. Even more elaborate designs are done by adhering straw to the eggs.                 Eggs - white eggs are a good idea so there is a contrast. Prepare the dye - In a large (6-8 quart) pot bring water and onion skins to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, continuing to reduce the liquid and adding more water as needed for 3 hours or so. You will want enough liquid to cover all of your eggs completely. Strain removing the onion skins, saving the reddish-brown liquid. Be careful to remove all onion skin residue from the liquid. Allow the liquid to cool to room temperature. Clean the eggs - Wipe them with vinegar. Remove any spots noting that fingerprints will easily mark the eggs, preventing the dye from penetrating the egg. Decorate the eggs - Place the wax in a small metal container on very low heat. The wax should be liquid, but should be prevented from boiling. Decorate the raw eggs by dipping the burnt end of the kitchen match into the liquid wax and quickly dragging the end of the match across the egg. There's only one way to learn the timing and strokes necessary to leave the right amount of wax on the egg. Practice makes perfect. Boil the eggs - Follow standard recipe for hard-boiled eggs.

Bessie (Bozena Kuchynka) Koktavy

Veggie Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked brown rice (heated frozen organic brown rice
from TJ’s works great)
• 2 TBS coconut oil
• 2 TBS coconut aminos
• 1 cup snow peas
• 1 can drained and chopped water chestnuts
• 1⁄2 cup onions, diced
• 1 cup chopped bok choy
• 1 ½ cups organic broccoli [sic]florettes
• 1⁄2 cup carrots, diced or shredded
• 1 ½ teaspoons sesame seeds, optional
• Salt/pepper/garlic powder to taste
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Toss in cashews or chickpeas for added protein, optional
• Garnish – Chopped green onions and red pepper flakes

Instructions
Heat skillet to medium heat and add 2 TBS coconut oil. Sauté onions,
broccoli, snow peas & carrots, bok choy and any other desired veggies
under tender. Add water chestnuts and cook for 2 mins. Add cooked
brown rice. Add coconut amines (resembles soy sauce), sesame oil, and
sesame seeds (optional). If mixture is getting dry, add a splash of veggie
broth. Stir in chick peas or cashews before serving. Garnish with
chopped green onions and dried red pepper flakes.

Source: Arbonne - Week 4 Vegan Menu

Garbanzo Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1t dried) 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ground black pepper to taste

• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 large zucchini, halved and sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tomato, chopped

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet (Dutch oven) over medium heat. Stir in oregano, basil, garlic, and pepper. Add the garbanzo beans and zucchini, stirring well to coat with oil and herbs. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in mushrooms and cilantro, and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Place the chopped tomato on top of the mixture. Cover, and let the tomatoes steam for a few minutes, but don't let them get mushy. Serve immediately.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/24379/garbanzo-stir-fry/
Also received via Arbonne group.

Pasta with Slow-Cooker Pork Ragù

After frequently making Bolognese sauce and enjoying making and refining its cousins like Ragout,

Borgognone, & Chili, I came across this recipe.

It's a good shortcut using the Croc-Pot, and duh, a pork butt (shoulder) is perfect for this.

I doubled the recipe for the size of our slow cooker and the cut of meat I had.

I also added cinnamon and celery.

It still needs some more spice though. Maybe bay leaf and a tiny bit of cayenne?

Ingredients

•2 large carrots, chopped

•2 medium onions, chopped

•4 cloves garlic, chopped

•2 celery sticks, chopped

•4 tablespoons tomato paste

•1 tablespoon dried thyme

•1 tablespoon dried oregano

•1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

•kosher salt and black pepper

•2 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

•3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt, trimmed and cut in quarters

•3/4 pound fettuccine

 •1 Box of Rigatoni

•grated Parmesan, for serving

Try:

•Bay leaf (remove after cooking)

•½ teaspoon ground cayenne

http://realsimple.chtah.net/a/hBWDYjPBAuBI6B9F-$lB0lfzL.BAuBI6ky/nldr3-0

Panko Crusted Talapia or Chicken

This is an easy baked go-to. I won’t get into specifics right now, mainly because you can’t mess it up.

Play with it.

 

 

 

The preparation is “dry-wet-dry” – flour-egg-Panko. Get a pan of flour, get a bowl of beaten eggs, get a pan of Panko.

 

Prepare fish (like frozen tilapia) – pat dry, salt and pepper. I like to separate the filet in half so there are small strips and larger strips. Doing so makes them cook more evenly.

…or chicken breast, cut lengthwise similarly to what you would do with tilapia. You end up with a larger filet and a smaller filet.

1)      Dredge - Dry: flour – put salt and pepper (or any other seasoning you want.)

2)      Dredge – Wet: eggs beaten

3)      Dredge – Dry – Panko (mixed with grated parmesan cheese and whatever spice you like.) Press the Panko into the protein to form a solid 'bark'.
 

 Spray a cooking pan with oil. I usually use canola – anything that won’t smoke at high heat.

 Arrange on the sheet. Spray the cutlets again.

Bake at 400F for about 20-30 minutes watching the color. Flip half way through. When they are slightly golden brown the cutlets will be fine. It’s very forgiving.

Amanda's Chai Latte

• 7c water
• 4 tea bags
• 1t fennel
• 10 peppercorns
• 1/2c brown sugar
• 8-10 crushed cardamom pods
• 1t ground ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick

Boil then simmer for 20 min

Strain
 

Add 1c milk

Brandy Milk Punch (Paunch)

Brandy Milk Punch (or Paunch as we call it), has become a holiday favorite. It's simple and easy. It came from Brennan's in New Orleans by way of our friend Suzanna.

Here's my translation for a batch.

Ingredients (about 8 servings)

• 12oz Brandy
• 1c simple syrup (1:1 - 1c white sugar to 1c water heated and cooled makes a little more than you need.)
• 1qt half and half
• 2T vanilla extract
• 8 grinds (or dashes) of nutmeg

Serve on ice (if you like that.)