NOCCS family cookbook

✺2 0 0 4 volume 1

✳ ✳ ✳ ✳ introduction ✳ ✳ ✳ ✳

NOCCS family cookbook

2004 volume 1

by: Aidan

Table of Contents

5-10 Breakfast/Starters

11-16 Breads

17-20 Appetizers

21-26 Soups

27-34 Salads of all sorts

35-52 Mains: fish, meat, veggies

53-64 Desserts/Sweets/Drinks

65-70 Kids’ Favorite Recipes

71 Index

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Introduction

As a vibrant community of parents, teachers, staff, students, siblings, and friends we spendlots of time together, not only at school, but in each other’s homes, on long walks, at thegym, at family dinners, on vacations, and of course at NOCCS meetings, picnics, auctions,and parties.

In the extraordinarily fine fabric that so uniquely defines NOCCS, one of many enduringthreads is the food we prepare and share together. Here is a sampling of some of our bestrecipes.

This is the first of many NOCCS cookbooks. Over the next few years, as we grow, so willthis slim volume, started by us, but continued by families to come.

Three cheers for NOCCS. Here’s to a rich future of working, thinking, solving problems, andalways, celebrating together.

Thanks so much for entrusting me with your incredible recipes. Special thanks to MichelleMajoros, Wendy Barry-Owen, and Allison Pugh-Sellers for your inspiring ideas, enthusiasmand support, and for your invaluable heavy lifting—scanning images, proofing recipes, andfinally, laboring over every entry to create an inclusive, easy-to-use index. This work gob-bled up hours and weeks this spring, but provided the crucial finishing touches that madeit possible to bring this simple idea to life.

N.B.

✼ ✼ ✼ ✼ breakfast / starters ✼ ✼ ✼ ✼

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1 Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place rackin middle. Butter 10 x 5 x 3 - inchloaf pan, the larger size loaf pan.If you have a smaller one, justpour the extra batter into muffintins. Use muffin liners.

2 Sift together all dry ingredients,except sugar. Set aside. Wash andgrate zucchini with large holes ofcheese grater or food processor.(Do not purée, though.) Useenough to get about 2 packedcups, with juices.

3 In large bowl, beat eggs to mix.Stir in sugar, oil and vanilla. Addsifted ingredients and stir to mix.Add zucchini and any zucchinijuices and mix thoroughly (woodenspoon is best).

Raissa’s Zucchini Bread (no nut, kid-friendly version)

3 cups flour (can be all-purpose white, or half whole wheat pastry and half white;all whole wheatmight make thebread a bit heavier,but you could try it)

1 scant t. salt

1 t. baking soda1/2 t. double acting

baking powder

3 t. cinnamon

About 1 lb. zucchini(enough to make 2packed cups whenshredded with thelarge-hole side of acheese grater). Youcan use any kind ofzucchini, includingthe really big kindthat grows in homegardens.

4 Pour into prepared pan and bakefor 1 hour and 25-30 minutes, oruntil a cake tester comes outclean. If you use a smaller breadpan, it takes less time, perhapsaround 1 hour and 10-20 minutes;muffins will take much less time;so check on them.

5 Cool in pan for 10-15 minutes,then turn over gently to remove.

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups (packed)brown sugar

1/2 cup oil1/2 cup plain low fat

yogurt (can be vanilla;that will just make ita bit sweeter)

1 t. vanilla extract

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3/4 cup sugar1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

2 eggs, beaten

3 large or 4 small ripebananas, well-mashed (fun byhand!)

1 3/4 cups all purposeflour

1 t. baking soda

dash of salt

8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 - inchloaf pan, greased

Jen’s Heavenly Banana Bread

This recipe came from a now unidentifiable cookbook that my grandmother gave me. I’ve been using it since I was 11. It is a lovely, densebread that can be sliced thin and spread with butter, or eaten in large chunks. Easy to make with kids—just simply the best.

1 In a good-sized mixing bowl, creamthe butter and sugar until they aresmooth and pale. Add the beateneggs and the mashed bananas andmix thoroughly with a fork.

2 Preheat oven to 350ºF. Sift the flour,soda, and salt together and stir intothe liquid mixture. Do not over-stir!

3 With a rubber spatula, put the bat-ter in a greased loaf pan, pushing itout evenly into the corners.

4 Bake for about 50 minutes, or untilthe top splits slightly and a caketester or broomstraw stuck into thecenter comes out dry.

5 Let the bread cool for five minutes inthe pan, then turn out on a metalcooling rack.

P.S. Don’t ask me what a broomstraw is!

Yields one loaf

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1 small (3 pounds)chicken quartered,skins removed

1 T. olive oil

1 T. tomato paste

2 tomatoes, chopped,or 1 cup chopped,canned plum toma-toes

1 onion, chopped

1 t. cumin

1 t. paprika1/2 t. turmeric1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Salt and freshly groundpepper

8 cups water or chick-en stock, or combina-tion

1/2 cup couscous3 T. each chopped fresh

mint, parsley, andcilantro

1 to 2 t. lemon juice

1 In a soup pot, place the chickenpieces, olive oil, tomato paste,tomatoes, onion, spices, 1/2 tea-spoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshlyground pepper, and 2 cups water.

2 Simmer gently, covered, until thechicken is cooked, for 45 minutes.Remove the chicken from thebroth and let cool.

3 Remove all the bones and tear thechicken into 1- inch pieces. Returnchicken to the soup.

4 Add the remaining 6 cups water or broth and bring the soup to asimmer for 20 minutes. Using aspoon, stir the broth constantly as you add the couscous slowly.

5 Add the mint, parsley, and cilantroand simmer, uncovered, stirringoccasionally, 10 minutes.

6 Season with salt, pepper andlemon juice and serve.

Melissa’s Couscous Soup with Chicken, Tomatoes, and Mint

Serves about 12

1/4 c. olive oil

1 lg. onion, 1/2" dicedpieces

1 med. celery rib, thinlysliced

1/3 cup finely choppedparsley

1 lg. garlic clove,minced

1 cup canned Italianplum tomatoes,drained

2 cans (15.5 oz) can-nelini beans, rinsedand drained

8 cups chicken broth

1 cup Arborio rice

Salt and pepper totaste

3/4 cup freshly gratedParmesan

1 Heat oil over medium heat. Addonion, celery, parsley, and sautéuntil onion is golden (about 5 min-utes). Add garlic, sauté 1 minutelonger.

2 Stir in tomatoes and cook stirring2-3 times for about 5 minutes. Addbean broth and bring to a boil.

3 Add rice, reduce heat to a slowbut steady simmer. Cover andcook about 15 minutes.

4 Season with salt and pepper.

5 Serve with grated cheese.

(If I have kale I’ll throw it in at theend and cook for a few minutes.)

Michelle Majoros’ Rice and Cannelini Bean Soup

This is a quick and easy soup.

1 qt. chicken stock (Iusually use a goodpackaged organic chick-en stock)

2 limes; (just thejuice)

1 t. dried Mexicanoregano

1 t. dried basil

1 t. puréed chipoltechile (optional)

1 bay leaf

Salt & white pepper,to taste

2 chicken breasthalves*

1 cup Julienne-cut tomatoes

1/2 cup Julienne-cut redonion

1 T. minced cilantro

4 oz. Jalapeno Jackcheese, cubed

2 corn tortillas, cut in strips; or tortilla chips

1 avocado*

4 lime slices

4 cilantro sprigs

*Note: Chicken breasts should becooked and shredded. Avocado, peeled,pitted and sliced. Combine stock, limejuice, oregano, basil, puréed chipotleand bay leaf in stockpot. Season totaste with salt and white pepper.Bring to boil. Simmer 15 minutes.Add shredded chicken, tomatoes, red onion and cilantro. Bring to boil.Simmer 5 minutes. Adjust seasoningsto taste. Ladle very hot soup intowarm soup bowls. Drop in cheesecubes. Garnish each serving with afew tortilla strips, avocado slices,lime slice and cilantro sprig.

Debbie Crandall’s El Torito Chicken and Lime Soup

Here’s a recipe that’s easy and yummy (and stolen from the Web)

Serves 4

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6 1/2 cups water1/2 cup canned chicken

broth (chicken/veg-gie bouillon broth)

2 1/2 cups wild rice

1 cup dried cranberries(craisins)

1 cup golden raisins(optional)

1 cup chopped greenonions

1/4 cup pine nuts,toasted

1/2 cup mixed sproutedbeans

1/2 cup chopped freshparsley

2 T. grated orange peel1/2 cup fresh orange

juice1/4 cup cider vinegar1/2 cup olive oil

1 Bring water and broth to boil inlarge saucepan. Add rice and bringto boil.

2 Reduce heat to medium and sim-mer until tender but still slightlyfirm to bite, stirring occasionally,about 40 minutes.

3 Drain rice, transfer to large bowlto cool.

4 Mix cranberries, raisins, greenonions, pine nuts, sproutedbeans, parsley, and orange peelinto rice. Whisk orange juice andvinegar in small bowl.

5 Gradually whisk in oil. Add enoughdressing to rice salad to coat.

6 Season to taste with salt and pep-per. Can be prepared one dayahead.

7 Cover and refrigerate. Bring toroom temperature before serving.

Regina’s Wild Rice and Cranberry Salad

The parentheses are my “spin” ingredients

I use the proportions given veryroughly based on what I have. I’venever added golden raisins becausethe craisins are sweet enough, and Idon’t toast the pine nuts. I add ingenerous portions of parsley andsprouted beans, but these don’t keepas well. This delicious salad should beeaten within two days.

Serves 12

1 Cook the pasta. Let cool.

2 Then add spinach, olives, toma-toes, pine nuts.

3 To dress the salad, use fresh lemonjuice. I use 8-9 Meyer lemons fora fragrantly sour taste, but adjustthe amount to your taste.

4 Toss it all together with a mixtureof light olive oil and walnut oralmond oil, not too much; justenough to coat the orzo andspinach.

5 Add salt and pepper to taste.

Make the salad the night before (justleave out the Feta cheese, which canbe added on the day of...). This allowsit to marinate.

Nancy’s Orzo Salad

This is my stand-by, all purpose, everywhere-I-go-potluck dish, including at lots of NOCCS events. Ingredients are “by feel,” as it’s a recipeI’ve never written down…. Adapted from an orzo salad that Whole Foods sells.

Serves 10+

2 cups of uncookedorzo, (cook likepasta), drain

Raw spinach—a fairlylarge bunch (I preferbaby spinach)

Kalamato olives (pitted is easier;taste dictates howmany)

Pine nuts (amount by taste)

12-15 sun dried tomatoes

Feta cheese (I like the milder variety, theIsraeli sheep Feta);amount varies withtaste.

8-9 Meyer lemons

Olive oil, walnut oil, or almond oil

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2 cups dried blackbeans

1 sprig fresh Epazote*

1 large onion

Salt, to taste

*Epazote is available at theBerkeley Bowl and Latinomarkets. Its smell is strange,but this fades with cooking,and it imparts an appeal-ing background flavor tobeans. It’s also thought toaid with their digestion.

1 Soak beans overnightin water to cover byseveral inches. Or do aquick soak: Bring toboil enough water tocover beans by severalinches. Add beans andremove from heat andlet sit covered, about2 hours.

2 Drain off half the water and addenough new water to cover byseveral inches. Add the remainingingredients, except the salt.

3 Bring to a simmer, then cook untilthe beans are still slightly crunchybut starting to yield in the middle,about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

4 Add about 2-3 teaspoons salt tobeans. Not all of it will soak intothe beans, and they won’t getseasoned properly at this pointunless you make the water quitesalty. (Adding salt at the begin-ning of the cooking process cancause the beans to becomemushy.)

5 Cook until the beans are tender,another 30 to 45 minutes. Checksalt. Drain slightly or serve as is.

Melissa’s Picante Style Black Beans with Epazote

1 bone-in pork shoulder4-5 lbs.

1 T. oregano

1 t. cumin seeds

1 t. paprika

1 yellow onion, quartered

3 cups chicken broth

Corn or flour tortillas

Spanish rice

Salsa

1 Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2 Place pork shoulder ina large, heavy Dutchoven and add oregano,cumin, paprika, onion,and broth.

3 Place over high heat, cover andbring to a boil; spoon some liquidover top of meat, then cover andtransfer to oven.

4 Cook until meat is literally comingoff the bone about 4 hours,spooning the liquid over the topof the meat once or twice duringcooking.

5 Remove pot from oven and placeon stovetop. Discard as much fatas possible. Push the meat offbone in chunks. Discard bone.

6 Cook meat in pan juices, stirringand breaking up until it sizzles,about 3 minutes.

Carnitas a la Michelle Majoros

This is a recipe I clipped out of the S.F. Chronicle years ago. It’sgreat for a Mexican fiesta. Add some guacamole, hot sauce, andmargaritas and you have a party!

Vegetable oil1/2 large onion,

chopped

3 cloves garlic,chopped

3 bell peppers,chopped (green, red,or yellow)

2 cups chopped bakingsquash (any variety)

30 oz. can choppedtomatoes (do notdrain liquid)

3-16 oz. cans beans(pinto, kidney, orblack beans. Do notdrain liquid)

1 packet of chili season-ing (yes, I cheat)

Salt and pepper totaste

1 Over medium heat, heat enoughoil to cover the bottom of thepan.

2 Add onions and cook just enoughto soften (about 3 minutes). Addgarlic, peppers, squash, and stir.

3 Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stir once or twice.

4 Stir in remaining ingredients andadd enough water to cover ingre-dients.

5 Bring to boil, stir, set heat to low.Cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

Variation: Non-vegetarian, start bybrowning 1 lb. of ground beef or turkey.Drain the fat before proceeding. Do notuse oil.

Crock Pot Cooking: This recipe worksgreat in a crock pot. Add all ingredientsin the crock pot and set on low for 4-5hours (high, for 2 hours). It’s that easy.

Serve smothered with grated cheddarcheese, cornbread on the side.

Serves 6

Nory’s Quick Vegetarian Chili

I have received a very high approval rating on this recipe. NOCCS kids and adults love it. When I serve it for hot lunch, I return home with an empty pot.

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1 Preheat the oven to 350ºF.Butter pan.

2 Put butter and sugar in the bowlof an electric mixer. With the pad-dle attachment, cream on mediumhigh speed for about 3 minutesuntil light and fluffy. Continuingto mix, add the eggs 1 at a time.

3 In a small bowl, mix together themilk, lemon juice, orange zest,and ginger.

4 Sift together the flour, cinnamon,cardamon, baking soda, bakingpowder, and salt. Add these dryingredients alternately with themilk mixture to the creamed butter.

5 Bake the pound cake for about 40minutes, until a skewer inserted inthe middle comes out clean.

6 Let cake cool for 15 minutes thenunmold it.

Melissa’s Orange Spice Pound Cake

1 1/2 +2 t. sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

2 eggs1/2 t. almond extract

(add more if desired.I usually use 1 t.)

1 1/2 t. vanilla1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 cups all-purposeflour

3 T. slivered almonds

1 Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2 Grease 9 - inch roundcake or springformpan.

3 Combine 1 1/2 cupssugar and the butterin a large mixing bowl.

4 Stir until well-blended.

5 Add eggs one at a time, stirringwell after each addition.

6 Stir in almond extract and vanilla.Add salt and flour; mix untilsmooth.

7 Spread batter in pan. Sprinkleremaining sugar over batter, thensprinkle almonds on top.

8 Bake for 30-40 minutes; beginchecking for doneness after 25minutes. With this cake, moist-ness is key, so err on the side ofundercooked-ness.

9 Transfer pan to a rack and let cool10 minutes. Turn cake out ontorack and cool completely. Sliceinto thin wedges to serve.

Ilene’s Almond Butter Cake

This recipe is so simple and so impressive! This dense, buttery,moist single layer cake is similar to pound cake. Great for brunchor tea.

2 oz. (2 squares) unsweetened choco-late

6 oz. (6 squares) semi-sweet chocolate

8 oz. walnuts (option-al)

1/4 t. baking powder

2 eggs

2 t. brewed coffee

6 oz. semi-sweetmorsels

2 T. butter1/4 cup sifted flour1/8 t. salt3/4 cup sugar1/2 t. vanilla

1 Preheat oven to 350ºF; cut alu-minum foil for cookie sheet.

2 In double boiler and over hotwater, melt chocolate squares andbutter. Stir until smooth. Set asideto cool.

3 Sift together flour, baking powder,salt. Set aside.

4 Beat in mixing bowl with electricmixer, eggs, sugar, coffee, andvanilla at high speed for 1-2 min-utes. On low speed, add cooledchocolate and finely sifted dryingredients, scraping bowl withspatula, as necessary. Beat onlyuntil blended.

Nancy’s Ultimate Chocolate Cookies

My cousin sent me this recipe a long time ago. She and her husband ran a catering business specializing in desserts for a few years. These are incredibly sweet and just as rich, as you’ll see from the extremely scant amount of flour that’s used to make them. They’re nearly entirely chocolate …a treat for the chocoholics among us.

Yields about 10-12 cookies depending on size

5 Mix in chocolate morsels and nuts.

6 Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls, 1 inch apart onto foil.

7 Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool.

2 sticks soft sweet butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

2 T. freshly squeezedlemon juice

Grated rind of twooranges

3/4 t. grated fresh ginger root

3 cups flour3/4 t. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 t. ground cardamon3/4 t. baking soda3/4 t. baking powder3/4 t. salt

A 10 -inch Bundt pan

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1 Put everything in a blender.

2 Blend on high. You may need a bit more liquid if it’s too thick.

Jonah’s “Raging Rhinoceros” Smoothie

1 Mix together in a bowl.

2 Then take small bite-sizedamounts and roll it between yourfingers into a ball and voila! youhave a dough ball.

Variations: mix in chocolate chips or raisins or dried fruit. Or so theballs don’t stick together, roll them in the powdered milk (instead of mixing it in) or mix in shreddedcoconut or powdered chocolate.

BB’s Dough Balls

Brendan loves these for lunch and snacks. He named them him-self after hearing “peanut butter play doh”! They pack a punchfor a healthy snack. The measurements are not exact and thereare variations of all kind.

2 large spoonfulspeanut butter (weuse Adam’s Crunchy)

1 large handful or 2 ofRice Crispy-type cereal(or any cereal brokenup into small enoughpieces)

A good long squeeze of honey

Option: as much powderedmilk as seems fitting(makes them a bit lesssticky)

1 slice of bread

peanut butter

bananas, sliced in circles

chocolate chips orraisins

apples, peeled, cored,and thinly sliced, C-shaped

1 Put the bread on a plate.

2 Spread peanut butter on it; place 2 bananas on the bread for eyes.

3 Line up the chocolate chips orraisins above the bananas to cre-ate the eyebrows.

4 Use a slice of apple to form themouth

Diana’s Happy Face Snack

You can try making this snack using different ingredients.Discovering different ways to make it is half the fun and theother half is eating it. This happy face snack is sure to put a smileon your face. Diana made this snack at our house and everyoneenjoyed it, says Nory.

What you need is…

1 pt. raspberries

1 pt. blackberries

1 pt. blueberries

1 pt. strawberries

1 Wash all your berries.

2 Cut strawberries in half andremove the stems.

3 Mix all the fruit in a bowl.

Please put ice cream on first, beforeeating.

1 banana

1 kiwi

3 frozen or fresh strawberries

3 slices frozen or freshpeaches

1/4 cup or so frozen blueberries

6 small ice cubes, or afew more if you likeit frosty, or you usedmore fresh fruit thanfrozen

1/3 cup vanilla yogurt1/3 rice or regular milk

or apple or orangejuice

A bit of honey (if youlike things particularlysweet), but usuallythe fruit and vanillayogurt make it sweet enough

Caitlin’s Very Berry Dessert

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Brea’s salad

✼breakfast/starters Buttermilk Pancakes 7Cortes Family’s Favorite Pancakes 8Oatmeal 10Raised Waffles 9Yogurt Pancakes 7

❉breadsBanana Bread 16Banana Chocolate Chip Bread 15Cranberry Bread 14Zucchini Bread 13

❊appetizersAsparagus Torta 20Bean Dip 19Roasted Garlic Spread 19

✴soupsChicken and Lime Soup 25Clam Chowder 23

Couscous with Chicken Tomatoes and Mint 24

Rice and Cannelini Bean Soup 25Rosemary White Bean Soup 26Sausage and White Bean Soup 23

❃saladsBeet Salad 29Broccoli Salad 34Chicken Salad with Farro

and Olives 30Chinese Chicken Salad 31Orzo Salad 33Super Slaw 29Wild Rice and Cranberry Salad 32

✺main dishes

fishBarbequed Salmon 52Grilled Salmon with Black Rice 50Salmon with Ginger Lime Sauce 49Scallops, Mushrooms, and Rice in

Cream Sauce 48

meat Carnitas 44Corn Meal Crust Pizza 46Pan Roasted Leg of Lamb 47Red Beans and Rice 43Swedish Meatballs 37Tibetan Chicken Curry 37

VegetarianCrunchy Lemon Rice 42Golden Polenta 38Grilled Corn with Lime

and Chili Butter 39Mini-Spinach Quiches 42Nory’s Vegetarian Chili 45Picante Style Black Beans

with Epazote 44Rice with Lentils 41Spanish Rice 41Spinach Pesto 40Wendy’s Vegetarian Chili 38

❋desserts & drinksAlmond Butter Cake 62Applesauce 55“Classic” Chocolate Chip Cookies 58

Cranberry Mold 61Egyptian Lemonade 64English Toffee 60Magic Cookie Bars 59Meringue Surprises 56Orange Spice Pound Cake 62Rocky Mountain Chip Cookies 58Rocky Road 57Snappy Snaps 55Sweet Kugel, 61Ultimate Chocolate Cookies 63

✲kids’ favorite recipes Aidan’s Taco Conclusions 67BB’s Dough Balls 68Brea’s Salad 70Caitlin’s Very Berry Dessert 69Diana’s Happy Face Snack 69Jonah’s Raging Rhinoceros

Smoothie 68Seiji’s Nachos 67

Index