Ingredients
1 3/4 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees F is fine)
3 Tablespoons honey
1/2 cup canola oil
4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Method
Combine water, honey, and oil in the bottom of the zojirushi pan. Add the flour, gluten and salt on top, making a small well at the top. Add the yeast into the well, then fit the pan into the machine.

You can use the Basic Wheat setting with the desired crust configuration, but I find that even with a light crust, the pre-configured cycle leaves me with a very dry loaf. Below are the cycles and times I use:

Preheat for 18 minutes
Knead for 22 minutes
Rise for 75 minutes
Rise for another 60 minutes after punch-down
Bake for 45 minutes

I always time my loaves to ensure I’m at home and awake when the cycle completes. I find that if I leave it in the pan on the warming cycle, it dries out quickly. Or, if I leave it in the pan to cool, the bottom gets soggy. Thus, I find it very important to immediately turn the loaf out onto a clean, dry towel to rest. Let the loaf cool entirely before slicing and bagging.

Low-Elevation Variation
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
3 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup canola oil
4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Method
Combine water, sugar, and oil in the bottom of the Zojirushi pan. On top, add the flours and salt, leaving a small well at the top for the yeast. Fit the pan into your machine and set for a basic wheat cycle with the desired crust. I find I must remove the pan and turn out the loaf as soon as the baking cycle completes, else the warming setting will leave me with a dry and crumbly result.

I find that the secret is having some key spices on-hand so you can prepare something without a lot of planning and extra trips to the market. I tend to keep turmeric, whole cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, and red chili powders around all the time. I also have Garam Masala, which is a spice blend. Though there are other spices common to Indian cooking, these are the ones most called upon by the recipes I like.

I love the fragrant spices in the Indian Aloo Gobi Masala dish. Potatoes give me hives in my mouth, though, so I just make this recipe with extra cauliflower and enjoy it as a simplified version. During the great zucchini flood of 2008 (aka zucchini, every night of the week) I tried something different by using zucchini from my garden as the base of this dish. I like it better than the original.

Though you may find it convenient to use prepared curry pastes from the supermarket or Indian specialty stores, this really is better if you use the traditional bhuna technique of mixing the individual spices and then pan-roasting them in oil. Yes, it will make your house smell a bit and takes an extra five minutes, but the flavor pay-off is well worth it!

Ingredients
4 cups zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes.
1 cup fresh tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced (I like to use cherry tomatoes cut in half)
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (ground will work, but whole seeds give the dish a better texture)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon sambal sauce (or sambal powder)
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Method
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté cumin seeds for about one minute. Add the remaining dry spices and roast in the oil while mixing gently for about two minutes. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for about one minute more. Add the turmeric and gently mix. Next add the tomatoes, mix well, and cook for about five minutes, or until tomatoes become tender. Now add the sambal sauce and zucchini. Mix to coat and cook over high heat for two minutes while stirring occasionally. Turn heat down to medium-low and sauté for 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender, stirring every few minutes. When zucchini is cooked, remove from heat and serve, garnishing with a sprinkle of cilantro.

Ingredients
1 loaf of fresh bread
5-6 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and trimmed
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Method
Preheat oven on broil setting
Slice the bread to about 3/4 -inch thickness.
In a blender or food processor, combine garlic, salt, lime juice, pepper, and olive oil. Blend on high speed until garlic is thoroughly liquefied and entire mixture is slightly emulsified and opaque.

Brush the mixture over one side of each slice of bread and lay the bread on a baking sheet. Heat under broiler for 3-6 minutes or until bread is slightly browned and crunchy at the crust. Serve immediately.

This dish can be served cold or warm, as a side dish or as an appetizer. I like it warm over barley, but it’s also lovely spread over pita bread with hummus.

Ingredients
2 medium aubergine (egg plant), about 1lb each
12oz Fresh cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped into 3/4 inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, split and sliced
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar

Method
Cut stems off of aubergine. Split in half lengthwise. Brush the flesh with olive oil and then bake, face-down, on a foil-lined sheet for 60 minutes at 400 degrees F. When cooled, scoop the flesh from the skin and puree to achieve a smooth paste.

Drop oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium flame. Saute onions with salt until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, aubergine, lemon juice, and sugar. Saute until tomatoes and peppers begin to soften, about 7 minutes.

Cover with lid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are all soft.

Yields approximately 4 cups.