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Recipes from the Editor

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BriarPatch is a neighborly kind of grocery store, serving up high-quality healthy foods and natural products to the people who live, work and play in the watersheds of the Yuba, Bear, American and Sacramento Rivers. Since 1976, we’ve promoted a resilient and sustainable local economy by supporting businesses, organizations and brands that are committed to a healthy, equitable world. As a co-op, we take things like food, social and environmental justice seriously. But we also know how to have fun! By modeling community-mindedness and our cooperative principles, we hope to inspire you and your friends to do the same.

Recipes from theEditor

By Paula O'Brien, Editor Make 2023 your year to cook quick, tasty and like a pro. These recipes come together easily without much hands-on time and don’t have a lot of ingredients.

Filipino Chicken Adobo

Makes 4 servings Adobo is the national dish of the Philippines. You might also see it prepared with other proteins like tofu, pork or beef; the sauce is what makes it special. The combo of tamari, vinegar, sugar and pepper creates a sticky glaze with a delicious depth of flavor. 1 ½lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs 6 garlic cloves, minced 1/3 cup tamari 1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp white vinegar 3 bay leaves 2 Tbsp canola oil 1 small yellow onion, diced ½ cup water 2 Tbsp brown sugar 1 Tbsp black peppercorns 2 scallions, sliced

Optional: cooked rice, cauliflower rice, or 4 other grain for serving Combine chicken, ½ of minced garlic, tamari, vinegar and bay leaves in a bowl. Marinate covered/in fridge for 20 minutes — overnight. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in skillet over high heat. Remove chicken from marinade (reserving marinade) and place in pan. Sear both sides until browned – about 1 minute each. Remove from skillet, set aside.

Heat remaining oil in skillet. Add onion and remaining minced garlic, cook 1 ½ minutes. Add reserved marinade, water, sugar and peppercorns. Bring to simmer, reduce heat to medium-high. Simmer 5 minutes.

Add chicken, smooth side down. Simmer uncovered 20 – 25 minutes, turning after about 15 minutes, until sauce reduces down to a thick, jam-like syrup. If sauce isn’t thick enough, remove chicken and let sauce simmer by itself – it’ll thicken much quicker – then return chicken to skillet. Coat chicken in glaze. Serve over rice, cauliflower rice or other grain of choice with sliced scallions on top.

Mercimek Koftesi

Makes 8-10 appetizer servings Simple to make and packed with flavor, you’ll find these lentil/bulghur “meatballs” at just about any special family occasion in Turkey. They’re hardly, if ever, found on restaurant menus…truly good ol’ “home cooking” to enjoy anytime. Serve cold or at room temperature. They’ll keep in the fridge for days, ready when you are.

2 cups red lentils

Salt 1 cup fine bulghur ½ cup olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped ½ small red onion, finely chopped 1 Tbsp tomato paste 2 Tbsp Biber Salcasi, Turkish red pepper paste (see note below) 1 tsp cumin ½ tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

Pepper ½ cup scallions, finely chopped 1 cup parsley, finely chopped

Romaine, butter or iceberg lettuce, for serving

Lemon wedges, for serving

Optional: sliced tomatoes and onions In small saucepan, combine lentils, ½ tsp salt and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered over low heat, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft and have absorbed most of the water, about 10 minutes. Stir in bulghur, remove from heat. Cover/set aside until bulghur is very soft, 15-20 minutes. In small skillet over low heat, heat oil and add yellow onion, sautéeing until soft, about 3 minutes. Add tomato and pepper pastes, mix well. Remove from heat and let cool. Add cumin, crushed red pepper and a little black pepper/salt to taste.

Add onion mixture to lentil mixture, toss to mix. Gently mix in red onion, scallions and parsley. Line a platter/ serving plates with lettuce leaves. With moistened hands, form mixture into oval, walnut-sized balls and place them atop lettuce along with tomato/onion slices. If the mixture is a bit dry and not coming together in balls, add a little more olive oil and gently mix again. Serve immediately, or cover lightly and refrigerate. Best fresh, but they’re also great to make ahead. NOTE: A substitute for Biber Salcasi is puréed roasted red bell peppers with a pinch of cayenne.

Crêpes

Makes 8-10 crêpes Once you make crêpes, you’ll see they’re a quick, versatile way to bring a little “fancy” to any meal. This is a recipe for savory crêpes and filling; if you want sweet ones, add 1 Tbsp sugar to the batter and omit fresh herbs.

Filling

1 lb mixed mushrooms (such as cremini, shiitake, oyster and/or maitake), torn into 1" pieces 1 bunch chard ½ tsp dried thyme 6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

Kosher salt freshly ground pepper ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil Preheat oven to 350º. Combine mushrooms, thyme and garlic on a large rimmed baking sheet. Season generously with salt and pepper; drizzle with oil. Toss to coat mushrooms, then spread out in an even layer. Roast 20-25 minutes, shaking or stirring mushrooms occasionally. Scatter chard stem pieces over mushrooms, cook 10 minutes more. Add chard ribbons, stirring everything so oil on tray coats them. Cook until chard is wilted and mushrooms are crisp around the edges, about 5-10 minutes longer. Remove from oven and place in bowl to cool slightly.

Batter

2 large eggs 1 ¼cups whole milk 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted), or vegetable oil, plus more for cooking

Pinch of salt

Optional: 1 Tbsp minced fresh herbs (chives, parsley, chervil, tarragon) In a blender, combine eggs, milk, flour, 1 Tbsp melted butter and salt. Starting on low speed and going up to high, blend until smooth — about 10 seconds. Add herbs, if using, and pulse to combine. You can also mix the ingredients in a bowl, whisking vigorously. Heat a 10-inch nonstick, well-seasoned cast iron or carbon steel skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Lightly grease with oil/ butter, removing excess with paper towel.

Hold pan handle in one hand and pour 3-4 Tbsp batter, swirling/tilting pan immediately to spread batter in a thin, even layer. Let cook until top looks dry, about 20 seconds. Using spatula, lift one edge of crêpe. Grab edge of crêpe with fingers of both hands and flip it. Cook on second side for 10 seconds, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter. Divide filling into equal portions to fill each crêpe. Lay a crêpe flat on work surface, spoon filling into the center. Roll up like a flauta, mini-burrito, or fold in half and then in half again so it’s a quarter-sized pocket holding the filling. Repeat ‘til all are filled. Crêpes can be made ahead and stored, unfilled/in the fridge, up to 3 days.

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