Yellow Pea and Coconut Milk Soup with Spinach, Rice, and Spiced Yogurt

2 to 4 tablepoons butter, oil, or a mixture

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Pinch of hot red pepper 
2 cups yellow split peas, rinsed and soaked for at least 1 hour, then drained (or cook in pressure cooker or use red lentils - no need to soak)

One 15-ounce can of coconut milk

Juice of 1 large lime, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/2 cup rice

1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground paprika

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Large bunch of spinach, stems removed, well washed

Melt the butter in a soup pot or pressure cooker over medium heat, then add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion starts to color and soften, about 10 minutes.  Add the bay leaf and spices and 1/2 cup water and cook until the water has cooked away.  Add the split peas and 1 to 2 quarts water and cook until very soft, about an hour in a soup pot or about 25 minutes in the pressure cooker. Remove the bay leaves, then puree.  Return the soup to the stove and stir in the coconut milk.  Add the lime juice, then season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in the chopped cilantro.  

To finish, bring 1 cup water to a boil, then add 1/4 teaspoon salt and the rice.  Give it a stir, lower the heat, and cover the pan.  Cook until the rice has absorbed the water and is done, about 15 minutes.  

Combine the spices with the yogurt and set aside.  

In a separate skillet, wilt the spinach in the water clinging to its leaves, then chop it coarsely. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, divide the spinach leaves among them, add the cooked rice to each bowl, and serve with a spoonful of the spiced yogurt.

From Vegetable Soups by Deborah Madison, with minor changes

Cream of Barley Soup

1/3 cup barley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large or 2 medium onions, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 large leek (about 1/4 pound), white part only, diced and rinsed
1 large carrot, grated
1 large garlic clove, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup sour cream (can be reduced-fat)

1/3 cup barley
1 leek, white part only, halved, then slivered lengthwise into pieces about 3 inches long
2 tablespoon butter
6 shiitake or other favorite mushrooms, thinly sliced

Cover 1/3 cup barley with hot water and set it aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a soup pot over medium heat until foaming.  Add the onion and oregano, give a stir, and cook for 5 minutes.  Then add the leek, carrot, and garlic.  Cook for 10 minutes more, by which time a glaze will have formed on the bottom of the pan.  Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.

Drain the 1/3 cup barley and add it to the pot along with the 6 cups water.  Cook until the barley is soft, about 30 minutes, then puree the soup with the sour cream until smooth.  Return the soup to the pot, taste for salt, and season with pepper.  If it is too thick for your taste, add extra water or stock.

Rinse the remaining 1/3 cup barley, put it in a saucepan, and cover generously with water.  Add a little salt and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.  Drain and keep warm.  Simmer the leek in salted water until tender; after 5 minutes or so, drain, and toss in a little butter.  Melt the remaining butter in a small skillet, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt, and saute over medium-high heat until golden, about 5 minutes.  If the pan looks really dry, as it can with shiitake mushrooms, and 1/2 cup water and cook until the liquid is absorbed  and the mushrooms have browned.

Serve the soup with a spoonful or two of the cooked barley in each bowl, the leeks and mushrooms piled on top, and a final twist of the peppermill.


From Vegetable Soups by Deborah Madison

Bohemian Black Bread

(FOR 1 1/2 POUND LOAF)
1 1/8 cups water
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons molasses

1 3/4 cups bread flour
1 cup medium or dark rye flour
1/4 cup wheat bran
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
1 tablespoon gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

(FOR 2 POUND LOAF)
1 1/2 cups water
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons molasses

2 1/3 cups bread flour
1 1/3 cup medium or dark rye flour
1/3 cup wheat bran
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 1 tablespoon bread machine yeast

Place all ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order listed.  Set crust to Medium and program for Basic or Whole Wheat cycle; press Start.  This recipe MAY be made using the Delay Timer.

When baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before serving.  


From The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger

White Whole Wheat Bread

(FOR 1 1/2 POUND LOAF)
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons nut oil or olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup

3 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

(FOR 2 POUND LOAF)
1 5/8 cups water
3 tablespoons nut oil or olive oil
1/3 cup maple syrup

4 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons gluten
2 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 1 tablespoon bread machine yeast

Place all ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order listed.  Set crust to Dark and program for Basic or Whole Wheat cycle; press Start.  This recipe MAY be made using the Delay Timer.

When baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before serving.  


From The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger

Maple Buttermilk Bread

(FOR 1 1/2 POUND LOAF)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons maple syrup

3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup dry buttermilk powder or milk powder
1 tablespoon gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast

(FOR 2 POUND LOAF)
1 3/8 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup

4 cups bread flour
1/2 cup dry buttermilk powder or milk powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2 3/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Place all ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order listed.  Set crust to Medium and program for Basic cycle; press Start.  This recipe MAY be made using the Delay Timer.

When baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before serving.  


From The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger

Cornmeal Honey Bread

(FOR 1 1/2 POUND LOAF)
1 1/8 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons honey

2 2/3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup dry buttermilk powder or milk powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast

(FOR 2 POUND LOAF)
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup honey

3 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup dry buttermilk powder or milk powder
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 1 tablespoon bread machine yeast

Place all ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order listed.  Set crust to Dark and program for Basic cycle; press Start.  This recipe MAY be made using the Delay Timer.

When baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before serving.  


From The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Honey Bread

2 cups boiling water

1 cup rolled oats, traditional or quick (not instant)

1/2 cup maple sugar or brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter

1 tablespoon kosher salt or 2 1/2 teaspoons table salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, oats, maple or brown sugar, honey, butter, salt, and cinnamon. Let cool to lukewarm, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the yeast and flours, stirring to form a rough dough. Knead (about 10 minutes by hand, 5 to 7 minutes by machine) until the dough is smooth and satiny.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour. Since the dough is warm to begin with (from the boiling water), it should become quite puffy.

Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a loaf. Place the loaves in two greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" bread pans.

Cover the pans with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow the loaves to rise until they've crowned about 1" over the rim of the pan, about 60 to 90 minutes.

Bake the loaves in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting them lightly with aluminum foil after 25 minutes, to prevent over-browning. Remove them from the oven when they're golden brown, and the interior registers 190°F on a digital thermometer.

Turn the loaves out onto a rack to cool. Store at room temperature, well-wrapped, for several days; freeze for longer storage. Makes 2 loaves. From King Arthur Flour