The Communal Cookbook

The Communal Cookbook is a place to share your favourite recipes. Please post any recipe that you love or think others will enjoy by clicking the 'Submit a Recipe' link. Use the Search tool to find a recipe with a specific ingredient. As our community grows, so will the number of recipes. So, don't be afraid to post!

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Letscho

for 3 jars you'll need

3 different colored bell peppers

1 can of peeled canned tomatoes in their proper tomato juice; alternative: 5 fresh peeled roma tomatoes + 1 cup tomato juice

1 medium onion

sea salt

chili flakes or one fresh chili pepper

Cut the onion in small cubes and the bell peppers in larger cubes.

In a large saucepan, roast the onion in olive oil until tender and slightly brown.

Add the bell peppers and stir the mix.

Additionally, you can add half a cup of water so the peppers get soft faster.

Add the tomatoes that you cut roughly and stir the mix.

Add salt and chili flakes and let it boil for 10 min. on medium heat until the bell peppers

are cooked but still crispy.

Additionally, you can add 2 tablespoons of a good old aceto balsamico.

You can keep the letscho in sterilized jars (vacuumized) in the fridge for about 1 week.

Use it with rice, as a bbq sauce or eaten right from the jar...

Enjoy!

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Buttercup Soup

Made this recently (see full story here). Buttercup Soup Serves 4 and costs about $6 1 buttercup squash, peeled (don’t slice off your fingers) and chopped 2 medium sweet potatoes, washed and chopped (do not peel) 3-4 cups of stock 3-4 leeks chopped 2-3 cloves of garlic Salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, ginger to taste Olive oil Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to a soup kettle and saute onions for a few minutes. Add garlic for a few minutes more. Add squash, sweet potatoes, and seasonings and cook over medium high heat for about 5-10 minutes, until the squash seems heated through. Add 3-4 cups of stock (more if you’d like). Bring soup to boil.

Give the soup a few spins with a ladle and boil for a just a few minutes. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer, about 2-3 cups at a time, to a blender. Puree until just mixed and add to a bowl. When completed, return soup to kettle and cook for a few more minutes.

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Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie

Submitted by Rachael Hosein

Dough:

3 1/2 cup sited flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup sour cream

Filling:

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 block cream cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup

2 cups cheddar cheese

4 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey

2 cups chopped cauliflower

1 cup chopped broccoli

1 cup any other type of vegetable (peas, asparagus, etc.)

Dough Preparation:

In a large bowl, shift together flour and baking power.

Cut in butter .

Stir in eggs and sour cream.

Mix to form dough.

Knead lightly and form into a smooth ball.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 to 4 hours.

Once dough has rested, roll into rounds until 1/8 inch in thickness.

Line a pie tin with dough and roll out a round for the top.

This is the most delicious dough ever.  Use it for perogies, pies, or pizza!

Filling Preparation:

Heat oven to 400ºF

In a large non-stick skillet or saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onion and celery until soft and clear.

Reduce heat and add cream cheese; stir until melted. Add soup, Cheddar and Parmesan cheese and continue to cook and stir until well combined and melted.

Add meat and vegetables.  

Cook until vegetables are almost done.

Cool mixture until room temperature.

Put it all together!

Fill the lined pie tin with the cooled mixture.

Cover the pie with a round of dough. Pierce holes in the top and brush with a bit of beaten egg.

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 400ºF.

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Sweet and Sour Sauce

Submitted by Rachael Hosein

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tsp dark soy sauce

In a sauce pan, bring water and vinegar to a boil.  Add sugar and mix until dissolved. Add ketchup and soy sauce.  Boil for 5 - 15 minutes, depending on the consistency you want.

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*click the photo to enlarge

Paneer will harden as it loses moisture.  Wrap the fresh paneer in the muslin and press it into  a pan or flat bottomed tupperware.  You can harden the paneer in the fridge for a day or so, or put something heavy on it for a few hours to squeeze out the moisture. Once the paneer has hardened, you can cut it into squares.  

If you want to season the paneer, do it while it’s fresh.  It will have the consistency of goat cheese, so you can mix in any type of herb or spice.  Just make sure that the seasoning is spread evenly through out the paneer.

There are so many different ways to use paneer.  You can use it in salads or as a substitute for goat cheese (when fresh).  You can add it to soups or chili. You can also cook it by itself or with vegetables in different sauces like a creamy curry sauce, korma, or tomato based. 

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Easy Meatballs

Submitted by Rachael Hosein

1 onion (minced)

1/2 cup matzo meal

1 egg

1 tsp garlic (minced)

1/2 tsp salt

1 lb ground beef

1 tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix all ingredients together and form into balls that are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Pan fry on medium heat until cooked, around 15 or 20 minutes. These meatballs work great with a sweet and sour or tomato sauce.

[thecommunalcookbook]

Veggie Pizza

Submitted by Liz Stowick

1 can prepared pizza dough or use your favorite recipe

1 red bell pepper, cut how you like (diced or kept in rings)

1 small head of broccoli, chopped

Handful of your favorite mushrooms, sliced

1/2 pkg cream cheese (4 oz)

1/4 cup real mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

1/2 pkg. ranch seasoning (2 teaspoons approx. or to taste)

1/2 cup shredded cheese (Muenster, mild cheddar, Monterrey Jack, etc.) 

*Substitute any vegetables for those you like

1) Preheat oven according to the type of dough you are using.  Press dough into a pizza pan or jelly roll pan.  Pre bake dough for 3-4 minutes. 2)  Mix cream cheese, mayo, sour cream and ranch seasoning in a medium bowl until smooth.  Remove dough from oven, cool slightly.  Spread cream cheese mix over dough.  Sprinkle with chopped vegetables.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese.   3) Bake 14-17 minutes, or until shredded cheese is melted and edges are golden brown.

*To make as an appetizer, replace pizza dough with crescent rolls, but use in the same manner.  Bake completely (about 12 minutes) until golden brown.  Spread cream cheese mixture over completely cooled rolls, sprinkle with vegetables.  Cut into small squares and serve cold.

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Peanut Butter Brownies

Submitted by Liz Stowick

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

2 large eggs

1/3 cup peanut butter (NO oil-on-top natural kinds) 

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Melt butter and chocolate together in a small/medium microwave safe bowl, stirring often.  Cool slightly. 2) Whisk together eggs, vanilla, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Whisk in chocolate-butter mixture.  Stir in flour JUST until streaks disappear. 3) Pour batter in a greased 8-inch square pan.  Drop 9-10 blobs of peanut butter across the top of the batter.  Using a butter knife, swirl the peanut butter.

4) Bake for 22-27 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours before cutting. 

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Ginger Pork and Shrimp Dumplings

Submitted by Rachael Hosein

Ingredients:

Dumplings

1 lb of ground pork

1 1/2 tbs minced ginger

1 egg (beaten)

2 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs xiao xing wine

1 tbs fish sauce

1/2 cup matzo meal

1 tbs sesame oil

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup  shrimp (minced)

1 tbs green onion (minced)

1 package of wonton wrappers

4-6 leaves of lettuce

Dipping Sauce

1 part soy sauce

1 part sweet bbq sauce or marinade

3 parts hoisin sauce

1) Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.

2) In a large bowl, mix all ingredients for dumplings together (except for the wrappers and lettuce).

3) Place a wonton wrapper in a cupped hand.  Spoon one heaping tsp of the pork mixture into the wrapper.  Pinch the wrapper around the sides so that it's secure around the pork.  It should look like a wonton cup 3/4 filled with pork.

4) Line the trays of a bamboo steamer with the lettuce.  Place the dumplings on the trays and place the steamer over the boiling water.

5) Steam dumplings for 15 - 20 minutes

6) Mix ingredients for the sauce together, serve with dumplings.

[thecommunalcookbook]

Veggie Kabobs with Spicy Pineapple Curry Sauce

Submitted by John Luxford

Ingredients:

Shish kabob skewers

Variety of vegetables (mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, onion, chinese eggplant)

Mayo

Curry powder

Cayenne pepper

Crushed pineapple

Sour cream (optional)

Olive oil

Steps:

Soak the skewers in water for a while before cooking so they don't burn

Cut all veggies to kabob-friendly size

In a bowl, mix mayo and sour cream in 2:1 ratio (sour cream just cuts down on the mayo since it can be fattening :)

Mix in curry powder to taste

Carefully mix in cayenne to taste (spicy!)

Mix in pineapples a tablespoon at a time until it's sweet but not overpowering

Add the veggies to the skewers and brush with olive oil

Throw the veggie kabobs on the barbecue, not too high heat so they have time to cook and not just burn (or you'll have raw onions and black peppers...)

About a minute before they're ready to come off, brush the sauce on them and leave the rest to dip as you're eating

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Blackened Spicy Broiled Salmon

Submitted by Rachael Hosein

Ingredients

Salmon filet (fresh/skin on)

2 tbs sweet chilli sauce (or plum sauce)

2 tsp Vietnamese chilli garlic sauce (or any other hot sauce)

3/4 cup real/whole egg mayonnaise 

1 tsp minced garlic

1. Set oven to broil on high.

2. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on a cookie sheet and place salmon skin side down.

3. In a bowl, mix together the sweet chilli sauce, hot sauce, mayo, and garlic.

4. Top the salmon with half of  the mayo mixture.

5. Broil the salmon for 6 minutes (about half the cooking time).  The mayo topping will blacken, so don't be alarmed.

6. Cover the salmon with the remaining mayo mixture.

7. Broil until the salmon is cooked.  Be careful not to over cook.

[thecommunalcookbook]

Pesto Spaghetti Squash

Submitted by John Luxford

Ingredients:

Jar of pesto

Parmesan or romano cheese

Spaghetti squash

Mozzarella (optional)

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 325-350

Cut the squash in half, spoon out the seeds

Put the squash in a glass dish in a bit of water

Put a handful of holes in the skin of the squash with a fork

Bake until soft

Use a fork to remove the squash meat so it's stringy like spaghetti

Mix in pesto and parmesan

Add lots of parmesan or a parm + mozza mix on top

Bake until the top cheese melts just a little

Serve!

For added fun, add some other veggies (peppers, mushrooms, onions, garlic, asparagus, zucchini...) or chicken to the mix!

[thecommunalcookbook]

Spinach and Artichoke Heart Attack Dip

Submitted by Rachael Hosein

Ingredients

3-4 cups fresh spinach (or 1 package of frozen)

1 cup marinated artichokes hearts (chopped)

1 package cream cheese 

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)

1 cup monterey jack cheese (shredded)

1/2 onion (finely chopped)

1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 cup olives (chopped) 

1) Set oven to broil

2) In a medium size pan, sauté onions in butter until translucent.

3) Add ingredients as follows, mixing well after each addition:

Spinach

Cream cheese

Sour cream

Parmesan cheese

Artichoke hearts

cumin

4) Place in a pie dish and sprinkle monterey jack cheese on top.

5) Place in oven and broil until cheese has melted.

6) Serve with tortilla chips or bread.

[thecommunalcookbook]

Liz's Awesome Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies

Submitted by Alicia Lapple

(This recipe makes about 2 million cookies)

Ingredients

2 sticks of softened, unsalted butter

1 C. packed brown sugar 1/2 C. white sugar

3 C. oatmeal (you can you old-fashioned or quick cook oats)

1 1/2 C. flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 C. raisins approx.

1 C. chocolate chips (milk chocolate is my favorite)  

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 deg F

2) Mix dry ingredients in a medium-small bowl

3) Mix butter and sugar until smooth/creamy.  Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add vanilla

4) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, in thirds (Alton Brown says this is the best way to make cookies: adding 1/3 the flour mixture at a time, to the butter mixture.  Over mixing causes them to be too tough?  I dunno, but this is how I do it and they turn out extra nice!).

5) Mix in raisins and chocolate chips.

6) Bake for 10 - 12 minutes on ungreased cookie sheets, cool completely before storing.   (You can't really tell when they are "done" but they do get a LITTLE brown on the edges.  While they cool, they harden a little too.)

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Tomato Choka

Submitted by Rachael Hosein

Use as a dip for roti or tortilla chips, or as a side dish to a meal with rice.

Ingredients

1lb ripe tomatoes or 1 can of whole tomatoes

1/2 small onion (minced)

salt to taste

1 hot pepper (chopped)

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 tsp oil

1. If using ripe tomatoes, roast until soft and charred.

2. Crush tomatoes in a pot on medium heat.

3. Stir in onions, salt, and pepper.

4. In a pan, heat oil then add garlic.

5. Fry until garlic is golden brown.

6. Add garlic to tomato mixture.

7. Boil off some of the liquid (aprox. 5 minutes)

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Phulourie

Submitted by Rachael Hosein

Ingredients

2 cups split pea flour

1 cup self-rising flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp tumeric

1/2 cumin

1-2 tsp salt 

2/3 cup water

1/2 small onion (minced)

1 green onion (minced)

1/4 tsp hot pepper (minced)

2 cups vegetable oil (for deep frying)

1. Sift flours and baking powder into a mixing bowl.

2. Stir in tumeric, cumin, and salt.

3. Add enough water to form a very thick batter.

4. Mix in onion, garlic, green onion, and hot peper.

5. Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep saucepan until very hot (375 F).

6. Drop in tablespoons of the mixture.

7. Fry until holder brown.

8. Drain on paper towels and serve alone or with any type of dip.

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Chicken Adobo

Submitted by Rachael Hosein

Ingredients

4 tsp vinegar

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 tbs soya sauce

salt to taste

chicken

1 tsp butter 

1/2 onion (chopped)

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp cloves (optional)

water

1. Melt butter in a  pot or deep sauce pan on medium heat.

2. Add onions and sautee until translucent.

3. Add chicken and sautee until pieces are seared.

4. Add vinegar, galic, pepper, salt, bay leaf, cloves and soya sauce.

5. Add enough water to cover the chicken.

6. Boil on medium to high heat for approximately 30 minutes or until most of the water has boiled off.