Scottish Shortbread

Easy to make and ready in no time. This is a go-to cookie for busy days with many guests.

Makes enough batter to fill a large baking sheet (approximately12"x16")

5 cups white flour
3/4 cup cornstarch or potato starch
1 cup sugar
2 cups cold butter (4 sticks)
(1-2 cups ground almonds -optional)  If using 2 cups ground almonds decrease flour by about 1 cup.

Cut butter into pads.  Put half the ingredients in a food processor - blend until chunks of butter are no larger than the size of a pea. Pour on cookie tray.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Press mixture into pan firmly with hands or other flat object.  Lightly score with a fork.  Bake at 350º for 20 - 30 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar.  Cut into squares while still hot.  If you forget to cut while hot, put the pan back into a hot oven until warm.  Then cut into squares.

Cottage Cheese Noodles

An easy to prepare casserole that is a monastery standby during our Guest House Openings.  We prepare Cottage Cheese Noodles using all non gluten ingredients.  You can of course use white flour as a thickener for the sauce instead of rice flour and opt for wheat egg noodles.


6 oz noodles (Your choice - medium width flat noodles are best.  We use rice vermicelli noodles)
2 TBSP butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 TBSP white rice flour or other thickener
1/2 tsp dry mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/4 cup milk
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 TBSP gluten free tamari or gluten free soy sauce
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (We use white raw cheddar cheese)

Cook noodles as directed until just tender.  (If using rice vermicelli noodles make sure you do not over cook them.  They will cook more in the casserole.)

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Add onion and cook until tender but not browned.  Blend in flour, mustard, salt and pepper.  Cook until the flour bubbles but not brown.  Add the milk and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Beat in lemon juice and soy sauce.

Generously oil a 2 qt. casserole dish. (We use a long rectangular glass baking dish.) Put in the cooked noodles.  Pour the sauce over the top of the noodles.  Sprinkle grated cheese over the top.

Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes.  Brown cheese under broiler a little longer if necessary. 

Serves 6

Some notes:  I use olive oil for the casserole bottom.  You may need to add a little liquid depending how done the rice noodles are.

White Bean Soup with Butternut Squash

This is a variation of the the following recipe from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Br. Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourette, 1996,  Triumph Books, Liguori, Missouri, page 163.

1 pound dry white beans
12 cups water
2 onions
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut in small cubes.
2 leeks
1 celery stalk
a few leaves of garden greens (spinach, chard, etc)
4 garlic cloves
6 tablespoon olive oil
2 vegetable bouillon cubes (or to taste)
finely minced thyme leaves

Soak the dry beans in cold water for at least 10 hours.  Rinse them well and put them into a large soup pot with water.

Cut the onions, leeks, and celery into thin pieces.  Cut greens into wide strips.  Mince garlic.  Add to soup with chopped squash, along with oil and bouillon cubes.

Cook soup, covered, over medium heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Let the soup sit for about 10 minutes with the lid on. 

Add salt, pepper, and thyme.  Reheat for another 5 minutes and serve hot.

Butternut Squash Soup Portuguese Style

This recipe is from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Br. Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourette, 1996,  Triumph Books, Liguori, Missouri, page 51.

6 servings (we usually make this about 3-4 times.)

6 TBS olive oil
3 onions, chopped
5 garlic gloves, minced
2 butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut in chunks
1 potato, peeled and cubed
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
7 cups vegetable stock (we usually use 1 vegetable bouillon cube for a large pot of soup)
salt and peper to taste
1/3 cup freshly minced parsley
fresh thyme leaves as garnish

Pour the olive oil into a large soup pot and sauté onions and garlic over low heat for 3 -5 minutes. Turn off heat, covert the pot and let the onion-garlic mixture steam for 15 minutes.

Add squash, potato, and carrot and stir the mixtue well.  Pour the stock andbring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let simmer for 45 minutes.

Add the seasonings and parsley, stir well, cover the pot and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Blend soup with a hand blender or in a food processor or blender.  Serve garnished with fresh thyme leaves.

Macaroni and Cheese

Cook 2 cups of elbow macaroni in boiling salted water till tender; drain.  In saucepan, melt 3 TBS butter; blend in 2 TBS all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and dash pepper.

Add 2 cups milk; cook and still till thick and bubbly.  Add 1/4 cup finely chopped onion and 8 ounces cheddar cheese or mixed cheeses, cubed.  (This is the secret... we use only really good flavorful cheeses). Stir till melted.

Mix cheese sauce with macaroni. Turn into 1 1/2 quart casserole.  Sprinkle 1 sliced tomato with salt; arrange on top.  Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through.  Makes 4 servings.

We triple this recipe and put in a long baking dish.  You can spice this up if you wish with red pepper and more onions.)

Chard Rice Casserole

Adapted from "Spinach Rice Casserole" in Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook,  1977, published by Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA


This casserole takes about 1 1/4 hour to prepare and serves 6 +.

Prepare ahead of time:  2 cups raw brown rice cooked in 4 cups of water

2 pounds raw, chopped chard
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 or more cloves of garlic.  (We always use more)
3 TBS butter
4 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 TBS tamari
1/2 tsp salt (more to taste)
a few dashes each - nutmeg, cayenne
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (optional)
paprika

Sauté onions and garlic with salt in butter.  When onions are soft, add chard.  Cook 2 minutes.

Combine with all ingredients except sunflower seeds and paprika.  Spread into buttered casserole and sprinkle with sunflower seeds and paprika

Bake covered 35 minutes at 350°F.

(At the monastery we double or triple this recipe and cook in a long baking dish.  Our notes read "bake uncovered 55 minutes at 325°F.)

White Bean Soup

This recipe is from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Br. Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourette, 1996,  Triumph Books, Liguori, Missouri.

Served at Redwoods for Supper at Guest House Opening evening and several guests asked for the recipe.  Enjoy!

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients
1 pound dry white beans
12 cups water
2 onions
2 carrots
2 leeks
1 celery stalk
some garden greens (spinach, chard)
4 cloves garlic
6 TBS olive oil
2 bouillon cubes (we use vegetable bouillon)
salt and pepper to taste
finely chopped and minced thyme leaves

1.  Soak the dry beans in cold water for at least 10 hours.  Rinse then well and put them into a large soup pot with water.

2.  Cut the onions, carrots, leeks, celery, and garden greens into thin pieces.  Mince the garlic well.  Add then all to the soup, along with the oil and the bouillon cubes.

3.  Cook the soup, covered, over medium heat for about 60 minutes, stirring from time to time.

4.  Add salt, pepper, and thyme.  Reheat for another 5 minutes and serve hot.

Tofu Meat Loaf

Tofu meat loaf is a favorite with our guests. It is another of Sr Annette's culinary specialties. A great vegetarian recipe that satisfies a hungry crowd.

Preheat oven to 350º F

Mix together:
1 ½ lbs tofu, mashed
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
½ cup parsley, chopped
½ tsp black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped fine
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 cup whole grain bread crumbs, rolled oats, or corn flakes, crushed

Mix all ingredients together. Put ¼ cup oil in a loaf pan, then press the mixture into the pan. Bake for about 1 hour. Let cook 10-15 minutes before trying to remove from pan. Garnish with ketchup and parsley. Also good sliced and fried for sandwiches the next day.

Makes one loaf that serves 6-8.