Mushroom and Seitan Noodle Stroganoff

1 Tbsp Oil
1 Medium Onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
2 cups broth
2 Tbps Tahini
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup red wine
1 tomato, peeled seeded diced
2 Tbsp minced parsley
1/2 lb. dried shiitake mushrooms
12 oz. Seitan, cut into strips
8 oz fettucini or egg noodles

Saute onions, garlic and seitan until onions are soft. add mushrooms until they soften. Add lemon juice and spices and mix well. Mix broth and tahini and add to mushroom mixture and cook until it thickens adding a splash of red wine as the sauce thickens. Add tomato and remove from heat and season to taste with pepper. Spoon over mushrooms.

Mrs. Ralph Izard's 'Awendaw'

In this vintage recipe credited to "Miss Emma Gaillard Witsell," grits are called "hominy." Reprinted from Charleston Receipts: Collected by the Junior League of Charleston.

1-1/2 cups hominy, cooked
1 heaping tablespoon butter
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup corn meal
1/2 teaspoon salt

While hominy is still hot, add butter and eggs beaten very light. Then gradually add milk and when well mixed, add corn meal and salt. The batter should be like thick custard. Pour in deep greased pan, bake in moderate over (375 degrees).
Serves 6-8.

Basic Grits

Reprinted from Falls Mill Stone-Ground White Corn Grits Recipes.

1 cup grits
2 cups water
½ teaspoon salt

Place grits in a bowl, cover with water and stir. Skim off the chaff that rises to the top. Stir and skim again. Pour off water and light bran. Add water and salt to a heavy-bottom saucepan and bring to boil. Stir in grits. Reduce heat to low and cook covered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until grits are thick and creamy.

If too thick, add either water, milk or whipping cream. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, if desired, and serve.
Serves 6.

Nassau Grits

Reprinted via NPR from Side Orders, Small Helpings of Southern Cookery & Culture, by John Egerton (Peachtree Publishers).

4 strips of bacon
1 small bell pepper
1 medium onion
1 large clove of garlic
1 16oz can of tomatoes
½ to 1 cup cooked ham, chopped
1 cup grits
1 quart water

Fry the strips of bacon until crisp; drain, crumble and set aside. Leaving about 2 tablespoons of drippings in the skillet, sauté the pepper, onion, and garlic, all finely chopped, for about 5 minutes, or until somewhat softened. Then add the can of cut-up tomatoes, reserving the juice, and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes. Next, add the chopped ham and simmer for about 10 minutes more. If too dry, add some or all of the tomato juice.

While this mixture is cooking, boil the water and add the grits, cooking as directed on the package. When the grits are done, stir the vegetable mixture in with them and simmer for a few more minutes to let the flavors mingle. Ladle into a serving bowl, sprinkle the bacon on top, and rush to the table, there to join the biscuits, eggs, and coffee already prepared.
Serve 6 generously.

Garlic Cheese Grits Casserole

Reprinted via NPR from Miss Mary Bobo's Board House Cookbook, by Pat Mitchamore, recipes edited by Lynne Tolley (Rutledge Hill Press).

4 cups water
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 cup quick-cooking grits
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 ½ cups grated white cheddar or other processed cheese, divided
4 eggs, beaten
½ cup milk

In a large saucepan bring the water to a boil. Add the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in the grits. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and 1 cup of cheese until melted. In a small bowl mix the eggs with the milk. Stir the mixture into the grits. Pour the grits into a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.
Serves 6.

Sauteed Calamari Salad (Ming Sai-style)

1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
3 each Thai bird chiles, minced
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1/4 cup thinly sliced mint
1/4 cup thinly sliced Thai basil
2 pounds fresh calamari, cleaned and cut into 1/2 inch rings, slice head in half lengthwise
2 large, ripe tomatoes, medium dice
2 pounds washed arugula in a large salad bowl
Baguette croutons for garnish

In a bowl, mix together juice, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, chiles, mint and basil. Add the calamari and marinate for only 30 seconds.
Take the calamari out of the marinade and add to a very hot skillet, lightly oiled. Toss calamari quickly around and cook only 2-3 minutes until done. Cook in two batches.
Remove calamari and place on top of the arugula. In the same hot skillet, add the tomatoes and 1/3 cup of the marinade. Bring to a boil then add to salad and mix well. Check for seasoning and serve.

Roasted Tomatillo Guacamole (Bayless)

Ingredients

3 large ripe avocados, preferably the pebbly-skin Hass variety
1 cup roasted tomatillo salsa (see recipe below)
Salt
Cilantro sprigs for garnish



Remove the little nub of stem that is sometimes lodged at the top of each avocado. Cut each avocado in half by slicing straight down through the spot where the stem was attached, until you reach the pit, then rotating the knife all the way around the pit. Twist the two halves apart, then scoop out the pits. With a spoon, scoop out the soft flesh from the skin, collecting it in a large bowl as you go. Coarsely mash with the spoon (or you can use an old-fashioned potato masher or large fork).

Gently stir the salsa into the avocado. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until you're ready to serve. (Not only will the guacamole improve if made half an hour or so before serving, but it also will maintain its fresh look longer if served cold.) Scoop into a decorative bowl, garnish with cilantro sprigs and you're ready to set it out for your guests to enjoy.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients

4 medium (about 8 ounces total) tomatillos, husked, rinsed and halved
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
Hot green chilies to taste (I like 2 serranos or 1 jalapeno), stemmed and roughly chopped
About 1/3 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
Salt

NPR.org, October 4, 2008 · Makes 1 1/2 cups

Set a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lay in the garlic and tomatillos (cut side down). When the tomatillos are well browned, 3 or 4 minutes, turn everything and brown the other side. (The tomatillos should be completely soft.)

Scrape the tomatillos and garlic into a blender or food processor, and let cool to room temperature. Add the chili and cilantro, and blend to a coarse puree. Pour into a salsa dish.

Scoop the chopped onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water, shaking off the excess water. Stir into the salsa. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon. You'll need 1 cup of this salsa to flavor the guacamole. Refrigerate the leftover salsa for another use.