De Ma Cuisine

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Monday

2

September 2013

4

COMMENTS

When Winter Veggies Arrive Early – Spaghetti Soup

Written by , Posted in Cheese, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Roasting, Soups, Vegetables, Vegetarian

SpaghettiSoupWhat to do with a winter squash… when it’s still summer?! Make it into a soup that has summery flavors.

SpaghetttiSoup3

It’s kinda the best of both worlds. I get to eat soup when it’s 95 degrees F out, but I also get to use the wintery veggies that we’ve started getting in our weekly box of produce.

This one is a bit like a soupy version of the Spaghetti Squash Rock that I made on the show last year. The squash is roasted, stock is made, veggies are sautéed. Then it all comes together pretty quickly.

SpaghetttiSoup2

SpaghetttiSoup6

SpaghetttiSoup4

SpaghetttiSoup5

I like to top this soup with a good amount of parmesan cheese. And some hearty, crusty bread, with some butter on it goes really well (perfect for dipping and then cleaning out the bowl).

Happy Eating!

Print
Spaghetti Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Yield: 4-6

Spaghetti Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 sweet peppers (or 1 bell pepper), chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1 t honey
  • salt, to taste (about 1 to 1 1/2 t)
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1-8 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 6-8 C stock (chicken or vegetable will work)
  • 2 spaghetti squash, cooked (about 4 C)
  • 2 T balsamic vinegar
  • 1 T butter
  • parmesan cheese, grated, for topping

Instructions

  1. Cook squash: Halve, remove seeds, brush with olive oil, and bake cut side down at 350F for 45-60 minutes (or until flesh pierces easily with a fork). Scrape flesh from skin and set aside.
  2. Heat a soup pot, add oil. When oil is hot, add peppers, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and honey and cook for about 1 minute.
  3. Add tomato sauce, squash, balsamic vinegar, and stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and add butter. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  5. Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Notes

Most of the cooking time is inactive.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/when-winter-veggies-arrive-early-spaghetti-soup/

Wednesday

28

August 2013

0

COMMENTS

Bring on the Fall – Labor Day Barbecue Ideas

Written by , Posted in Holiday, Menu Planning, Thoughts

LeavesFeet copyRT-reg

It’s almost fall! It’s almost fall! It’s almost fall!

Right?! I sure hope so. It’s been super hot this week. It’s like this every year, I guess (for the 3 that we’ve been here anyways). August and September are the worst, unless you love 95 degrees F.

I do not.

What I do love is fall. The weather, baseball postseason, soups, leaves falling from the trees, crisp days… I think it’s the best time of the year.

So let’s celebrate the end(ish) of one season and the ushering in of another.

For our labor day weekend, let’s barbecue. Let’s have potato salad and watermelon. Let’s eat the last of the peaches and finish off the corn.

We’ll start with Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta, that highlights some of my favorite parts of summer: basil and tomatoes.

Bruschetta

Then, for the main course, let’s have Uncle Jake’s Amazing Ribs, some Spicy Potato Salad, a Tomato Corn and Quinoa Salad, and a Panzanella Salad. Oh and don’t forget the watermelon!

SpicyRoastedPotatoSalad3

TomatoCornQuinoaSalad2

PanzanellaSalad4

 To drink, I’d like Lemonade, Mint Iced Tea, or Sangria.

For dessert, let’s make a Peach and Blueberry Cobbler and top it with vanilla bean ice cream (or you can have it on the side, that’s how I like it best).

PeachCobbler

My boots are itching to be worn, my scarves are waiting, my soup pots are yearning to be filled. Fall, I’m ready for you.

Happy Eating!

Spicy Roasted Potato Salad
Recipe Type: Side, Salad, Potato, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8-12
Take your average potato salad and spice it up!
Ingredients
  • 6-10 large potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 1 t salt
  • 3 C green beans, cut into 1-2″ pieces
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 jalapeño, halved (seeds and ribs removed if desired – use gloves or scrape out with a knife)
  • Dressing: 1 T fresh chives, chopped
  • pinch cayenne
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 smoked paprika
  • 1/2 t sweet paprika
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 1/2 T dijon mustard
  • 1/4 C mayo
  • 3/4 C Greek yogurt
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 6 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
Instructions
  1. Cut the top off a head of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap with tinfoil. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Let cool. Squeeze pulp from skin. Mash.
  2. Toss potatoes with 3/4 t salt and 1 1/2 T olive oil. On two baking sheets, roast at 350F for 45-60 minutes, or until potatoes are crispy outside and tender inside (different types of potatoes may vary the amount of cooking time needed). Rotate the baking sheets halfway through to ensure that both pans are ready around the same time.
  3. Place jalapeño cut side down on a baking sheet. Toss beans with remaining olive oil and 1/4 t salt and sprinkle around jalapeño. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
  4. Let beans, potatoes, and jalapeños cool completely in the fridge. Chop jalapeño into small pieces.
  5. Whisk dressing ingredients together.
  6. Toss potatoes, beans, jalapeño, and dressing together.

 

Thursday

22

August 2013

6

COMMENTS

Hang on, Summer – Spaghetti Squash Rock

Written by , Posted in Beef, Cheese, Dinner, Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Meat, Roasting, Thoughts, Vegetables

Spaghetti-Squash-Rock4Our box of produce this week contained no stone fruit or summer squash. But it did contain grapes, Asian pears, and spaghetti squash. Wait, what?! Isn’t it still August? Don’t we still have some lazy summer left? I’m not ready to trade in tomatoes and basil for rutabagas and rosemary. I’m not in the mood for soups and stews, I’m still enjoying salads and barbecues.

I’m not sure what’s happened to me this year. I’m normally ready to be done with summer as soon as we have our first hot day in May. Seriously. Not a fan. My main concern is that I will be missing the summer fruits and vegetables that I’m so very fond of.

In an effort to make some more fall and wintery foods seem summery, I’m gonna compromise. I’ll roast spaghetti squash, sure, but it will be with things like summer squash, tomatoes, and basil. I’ll keep potatoes away from the masher and roast them with a spritz of lemon and some bright herbs like basil and parsley. And I will pop some of the grapes into the freezer, for a hot afternoon’s snack.

Summer can stay for a while… but not too long. I’d like it cool by September, please.

Happy Eating!

Spaghetti Squash Rock
Recipe Type: Main
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 65 mins
Total time: 1 hour 20 mins
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 1 spaghetti squash, halved, seeds removed
  • 1/2 lb. ground meat (I used beef), or tempeh
  • olive oil
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small summer squash, diced
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1/2 t pepper
  • 1 t dried oregano
  • 1/4 t dried thyme
  • 2 T red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 C parmesan cheese, for topping
  • 1/4 C basil, for topping
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Drizzle squash with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake on a rack set in the middle or upper position of the oven, for 55-65 minutes, or until flesh of squash is tender (jab it with a fork to find out if it is).
  3. Heat pan, add ground meat. Drain fat and return meat to pan. Add veggies, herbs, salt and pepper. (Add some olive oil if the pan gets dry.) Cook until reduced and saucy, about 13 minutes.
  4. Add red wine vinegar, cook 2 min more.
  5. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  6. Remove squash from the oven. Scrape with a fork to get the spaghetti-ness from the side. Fill with meat and veggie mixture.
  7. Top with parmesan cheese, basil, and a drizzle of good quality olive oil (like Bari’s).
  8. Serve with garlic twists or garlic flats.
Notes

To serve more than two as a main dish, add another spaghetti squash. There should be enough filling for 4 people.


(The Spaghetti Squash Rock episode originally aired on Aug 22, 2012.)

Monday

19

August 2013

7

COMMENTS

Food and Family

Written by , Posted in Thoughts

WholeFamily

Sometimes things like chicken and potatoes can move me. Because they remind me of a trip to visit my family. We’ve only been back for 4 weeks. That seems like an eternity. When we get to see my family just 2 or 3 times a year, the space between visits can stretch into much too long.

We Skype each week. We connect, we laugh, we share about what’s going on in our lives. We talk about what they had for dinner and what we’re about to have. We make funny faces and take screenshots of ourselves. We sing silly birthday songs, we congratulate each other on new opportunities, we make ninjas dance in the message section and laugh with glee when Mom and Dad finally notice. We don’t often talk about how much we miss each other. It doesn’t really need to be said. It’s just there. Always there.

RachAnja2

Sometimes when it’s not Skype night and I want to feel closer to my family, I’ll make a meal that reminds me of them. Like this one. On our trip we spent some time with Jake, Jen, and Anja at their home. We had an amazing dinner with their community. I was inspired to make a dinner for us that had similar themes.

ChickenAndPotatoes

ChickenAndPotatoes3

I roasted a chicken in the Crock Pot. Simple, just olive oil, salt, pepper, and savory. Halfway through I added some whole mushrooms. I roasted some whole potatoes, small ones. Then I smashed them with the bottom of a glass and roasted them for a little while longer. I made gravy with the pan drippings and added the mushrooms and a bit more savory. The gravy went over the chicken and potatoes. It was comforting, delicious, and made me think of happy memories, of time spent with family.

Happy Eating

Crock Pot Chicken with Mushroom and Savory Gravy

Last modified on 2013-08-19 20:18:30 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

 

Crock Pot Chicken with Mushroom and Savory Gravy
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 C water
  • 1 whole chicken, giblets removed
  • 1 T fresh savory
  • salt
  • pepper
  • olive oil
  • 1 lb. small mushrooms
  • Mushroom Gravy (recipe follows)
  • Squashed Twice Baked Potatoes (recipe follows)
Instructions
  1. Pour water into a large Crock Pot. Add chicken. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, and savory. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.
  2. Add mushrooms and cook an additional 1-2 hours (or until chicken reaches 180F).
  3. Let chicken rest 15 minutes while you prepare gravy.
  4. Serve topped with Mushroom Gravy alongside Squashed Twice Baked Potatoes.

 

 

Mushroom and Savory Gravy

Last modified on 2013-08-19 20:18:25 GMT. 7 comments. Top.

 

Mushroom and Savory Gravy
Recipe Type: Condiment, Sauce, Gravy, Crock Pot, Stove Top
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 2 T all purpose flour
  • 2 T olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 1/2 C pan drippings from Crock Pot Chicken (recipe above)
  • 1/2 to 1 t fresh savory
Instructions
  1. Pour pan drippings from Crock Pot through a sieve. Heat a pan, add oil. When hot, whisk in flour. Add savory, salt, and pepper.
  2. Add pan drippings, a little bit at a time, whisking until smooth between additions. Keep whisking and over medium heat until thickened.
  3. Add mushrooms.
  4. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

 

Squashed Twice Baked Potatoes

Last modified on 2013-08-19 20:18:19 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

 

Squashed Twice Baked Potatoes
Recipe Type: Side, Potato, Vegetable, Dinner
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 8 small potatoes
  • 3/4 T olive oil, divided
  • salt
  • pepper
Instructions
  1. Toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
  2. Remove from oven and gently smush with the bottom of a glass. Drizzle with a tiny bit more olive oil. Return to oven and bake for 15-30 minutes more.
  3. Serve with Crock Pot Chicken and Mushroom and Savory Gravy.

 

Monday

19

August 2013

1

COMMENTS

Crock Pot Chicken with Mushroom and Savory Gravy

Written by , Posted in Crock Pot, Dinner, Main Dishes, Meat, Poultry, Roasting, Vegetables

 

Crock Pot Chicken with Mushroom and Savory Gravy
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 C water
  • 1 whole chicken, giblets removed
  • 1 T fresh savory
  • salt
  • pepper
  • olive oil
  • 1 lb. small mushrooms
  • Mushroom Gravy (recipe follows)
  • Squashed Twice Baked Potatoes (recipe follows)
Instructions
  1. Pour water into a large Crock Pot. Add chicken. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, and savory. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.
  2. Add mushrooms and cook an additional 1-2 hours (or until chicken reaches 180F).
  3. Let chicken rest 15 minutes while you prepare gravy.
  4. Serve topped with Mushroom Gravy alongside Squashed Twice Baked Potatoes.

 

 

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