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Last modified on 2013-01-08 23:59:02 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Wednesday

5

December 2012

3

COMMENTS

Things Just Got Beety – Episode 48

Written by Rachel, Posted in A Cooking Show with Rachel O, Abundant Harvest Organics, This Week's Feast, Thoughts

I Skype with my family once a week. I think I may have mentioned this before… In any case, most Skype chats end up with mom and I discussing food. She asks what I’ve made for dinner, and we talk about the things she’s made for her various groups (she and my dad have a banquet hall where they host groups and cook them amazing dinners).

Last week Mom told me about this Beet Salad that she’d made. She made it sound so good that I asked her to send me the recipe. When I read the recipe, it sounded so good that I thought I should make it for my show, since I knew we were getting beets in our Abundant Harvest Organics box this week.

I don’t always know what to do with beets. I love them in Borscht, but to be honest, I have a hard time finding ways to make them that I like.

I don’t feel that way anymore.

This salad is not only beautiful to look at, but it’s delicious! Thanks, Mom, for this wonderful recipe!

The true test will come in a few minutes when I find out if Husband likes it. 😉

(Update: I wrote this post after I’d filmed on Tuesday. It’s now Wednesday, so we’ve already eaten the salad. The verdict from Husband: “I liked it more than I thought I would.” High praise coming from someone who only likes beets in Borscht and in general doesn’t really love them.)

This salad would be perfect for a holiday party! It looks super fancy and tastes great but, it’s pretty easy to make. We had it for dinner along with Roast Beef and some Garlic Bread. It could also go well with a Roast Beef Crostini, alongside the Poor Man’s Roosevelt Pizza, or Mindy’s Gorgonzola and Honey Crostini… And if you have leftovers, you could turn them into Wilt ‘Em Greens with Beets, Borscht, or Scalloped Root Veggies with Gorgonzola! Good idea? Good idea.

Happy Eating!

Mom’s Roasted Beet Salad

Mom’s Roasted Beet Salad

Recipe Type: Salad, Side, Dinner, Lunch

Author: Susan Pries (Adaptations by Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine)

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 70 mins

Total time: 1 hour 25 mins

Serves: 4-6

Beets are roasted, almonds are coated with honey, spinach and beet greens are torn, making up a delightful salad. Perfect for the holiday season, or any time of year.

Ingredients

2-3 medium beets (I halved them for roasting)
4 T olive oil
1 t lemon juice (I used orange juice)
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 T honey
1 T dijon mustard
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t garlic (I used 1/8 t garlic powder)
1/4 t salt (my addition)
bit of pepper (also me)
1 C almonds, coarsely chopped
1 T butter
2 T honey
4-8 C greens (I used beet greens and spinach)
1/4 C feta cheese (I didn’t have feta, so I used parmesan, Gorgonzola or Blue cheese would also be yummy)

Instructions

Wash and halve beets. Bake at 350F for 45-70 minutes, or until tender, but not mushy.
When cool enough to handle, peel and julienne (cut to look like matchsticks).
Whisk together lemon or orange juice, vinegar, 1 T honey, dijon, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stream in olive oil and whisk, creating an emulsion.
Combine beets with dressing. Let flavors meld for about 3 hours before serving (I tasted it right away and it was good too).
Heat almonds with butter and honey to coat and thicken slightly. Cool (if they get too solid, re-heat).
Top greens with beet mixture, cheese, and almonds.

This dish can be found on Tuesday of this week’s menu.

This episode is sponsored by

Last modified on 2013-09-05 17:44:08 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Wednesday

28

November 2012

0

COMMENTS

My Favorite Way to Eat Greens! Episode 47

Written by Rachel, Posted in A Cooking Show with Rachel O, Abundant Harvest Organics, This Week's Feast, Thoughts

When I was young, like the year I got my Cabbage Patch Kid for Christmas, I think I would have made a really weird face at you, had you promised that I would somday love things like spinach, kale, radicchio, and swiss chard. Or, I may have ignored you altogether and continued to play with my doll. But now, 26 or so years later. I do.

I love them as a salad, in scrambled eggs, with fried potatoes, and maybe best of all, wilted, wilted, wilted down, then topped with some crispy bacon and crunchy almonds… I might not want to share (yes, sometimes I am still a bit like my 5 year old self).

For this week’s episode, I was trying to think of something you might have wanted to try, but haven’t had the courage to. Something that’s simple, yet seems a bit intimidating. Perfect for episode 47, for a cold fall – almost winter’s dinner.

If you’ve looked at the recipe already, you will see that not only are there tons of weird greens (weird if they’re new to you maybe), but also a wacky Black Spanish Radish.

Don’t run away. Please.

Radishes add a spicy kick that (especially when grated) isn’t overpowering. They’re richÃ‚ in absorbic acid, folic acid, amd potassium. They’re a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, copper, and calcium.(1) In addition to grating radishes into salads (wilted or regular), I use them in soups, stews, salads, and stir fries… among many other things.

So now that we’ve got that settled, eat along friends! Let’s wilt some greens!

Happy Eating!

Wilt ‘Em Greens

Wilt ‘Em Greens

Recipe Type: Side, Greens, Stove Top, Wilting, Vegetables

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 2-4

I just love Wilted Greens! Beautiful kale, spinach, and radicchio are wilted down, some onions and Spanish black radishes are sautÃƒ©ed, then it’s all topped with crispy bacon and crunchy almonds. A perfect side dish!

Ingredients

2 slices bacon, chopped
1-2 T garlic infused (or regular) olive oil
1 onion, diced or chopped
1/2 C black spanish radish (or other kind of radish), peeled and grated
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 t maple syrup
1 t dijon mustard
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
pinch nutmeg
pinch cayenne
3 C spinach, roughly chopped or torn (could also use swiss chard, collard greens, beet greens, or any other greens you love)
3 C kale, roughly chopped or torn (any kind of kale)
1 1/2 C radicchio, chopped
1/4 C roasted almonds, roughly chopped (for topping)

Instructions

Place bacon in cold pan, cook until crispy. Remove with slotted spoon and set on a paper towel to drain.
Either discard bacon grease from pan and add 2 T olive oil, or leave about 1 T bacon grease and add 1 T olive oil. Heat and add onion and radish. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until softened, over medium heat.
Remove stems from greens, wash well, and dry.
Add vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, and seasonings to the onion pan. Stir, then add all the radicchio and some of the greens, wilting down and tossing, then adding more greens and repeating until they are all gone. Turn the heat down to medium-low.
Once all greens are wilted, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve topped with bacon and almonds.

This dish can be found on Tuesday of this week’s menu!

This episode is sponsored by:

Last modified on 2012-11-14 20:04:27 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

(1) Wikipedia

Wednesday

14

November 2012

11

COMMENTS

I Think I Just Ate 9 – Episode 46

Written by Rachel, Posted in A Cooking Show with Rachel O, Abundant Harvest Organics, This Week's Feast, Thoughts

This past week, the weather has finally turned fall-like. I’m very much enjoying cool mornings and cold nights. This morning, I can feel the sun streaming in through the window onto my back and I sit and type. The carpet beneath my feet is warm in the sunlit patches. It reminds me of the cold winters when I was growing up in Canada. Finding that patch of sun when I was cozy inside on a freezing day. I remember laying in those patches of sunlight. Now our dog likes to lay on the warm carpet when the weather is cool. I totally understand why.

With the colder weather comes the holidays. With the holidays comes family gatherings. Often those include memories shared, moments savored, sweet fellowship.

Would it be reaching terribly to say these pancakes with this sauce are a bit like that? They’re sweet, but not too. They have a hint of cinnamon and spice. There’s crunch in the cornmeal, and a soft creaminess in the persimmons. Kinda like family, like memories, like the holidays, like fall.

This really is my favorite time of year.

Happy Eating!

(I definitely ate 9 of these for lunch yesterday. They are pretty small…)

Warm Persimmon Sauce

Warm Persimmon Sauce

Recipe Type: Side, Sauce, Fruit, Sweet, Breakfast, Brunch

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 2-4

Cute persimmons are turned into a warm, fall tasting sauce when combined with cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey. Perfect to top some Cornmeal Pancakes.

Ingredients

6 persimmons, peeled and diced
1 t lemon juice
1/3 C water
1/4 t cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1 T honey
pinch salt

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Stirring often, cook for about 30 minutes, or until persimmons are soft. (Optional: At about the 20 minute mark, when persimmons are fairly soft, mash with a fork to desired consistency. A potato masher, hand blender, or food processor could also be used.)

Cornmeal Pancakes

Last modified on 2012-11-15 01:35:54 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Cornmeal Pancakes

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 3 mins

Total time: 13 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 t coconut oil (plus a little more for cooking)
2 egg
1 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
pinch salt
1/4 T maple syrup
1 C cornmeal
1/2 C buttermilk
roasted almonds, chopped (optional – for topping)

Instructions

Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients.
Whisk all ingredients together.
Let stand 5 minutes. (The batter should be pretty thin.)
Put a little bit of coconut oil on the hot griddle, over medium-low heat. Pour a small amount of batter in a circle (about 1/8 C or less). Cook about 2 minutes on the first side (until the bubbles that form stay, and don’t pop and disappear), flip, cook about 1 minute on the second side.
Top with Warm Persimmon Sauce, chopped almonds, and maple syrup.

This episode is sponsored by:

This dish can be found on Tuesday of this week’s menu.

Wednesday

7

November 2012

1

COMMENTS

Roasted Fennel Mac and My Little Cooking Show Turns 1- Episode 45

Written by Rachel, Posted in A Cooking Show with Rachel O, Abundant Harvest Organics, Cheese, Dinner, Fruit, Kid-Friendly, Main Dishes, Pasta, Quick and Easy, Roasting, Sides, This Week's Feast, Thoughts, Vegetables, Vegetarian

This week marks a year since A Cooking Show with Rachel O made its debut into the world of culinary entertainment (or whatever you want to call it). Armed with my Minestrone Soup recipe and a lot of excitement, I began. Now, a year later, I’ve learned a lot, eaten a lot… I’m not sure which I’ve done more of… I’ve also burned myself, pinched my hand, scared the dog with my horn thingey (that was today), dropped tons of food on the floor, eaten lots of veggies, laughed a lot, knocked the iPad/second camera off the counter‚ pronounced things incorrectly, learned how to cook new things, invented dishes I’ve loved, made a few things I wasn’t absolutely crazy about, learned some more, ate some more, chopped about a million veggies, and developed a new found respect for those who wash dishes and/or edit video for a living. Neither is my favorite part of the job (although one is definitely more favorite), but both are necessary.

My favorite part of the job… favorites actually: Chopping food, the smell of Bari‘s olive oil, the smell of garlic when it hits a hot pan, photographing food, editing my photos, the inspiration that comes when I open the box of Abundant Harvest Organics produce, planning a menu, writing furiously so I don’t forget the recipe idea that popped into my brain, hearing Husband exclaim “MMMMMMMMMmmmm” after taking his first bite (it happened with this meal!), watching the dog pretend not to watch us eat because he too would like a bite, laughing at myself, eating amazing organic produce, working with a company I respect, sharing my love for food with you… I could go on for hours. I feel truly blessed to do what I do.

Thank you for being a part of that. Thanks for watching, for reading, for commenting, for telling me that you liked a recipe. It means so much to me. I create these dishes, write about these foods, share my ideas because I think they taste good. But, I also share them because I want you to enjoy them just as much as I do. I hope this is happening.

I also hope you like Mac and Cheese as much as I do. We can still be friends if you don’t, but it is one of my favorite go-to/comfort/quick meals. I know it’s tempting on a tired night to grab a box of the really quick stuff. I’m not judging if you do. I’ve done it. Buuuut, I’ve also discovered that homemade Mac and Cheese is almost as fast. Really! You have to wait for the water to boil regardless. So while you’re standing in the kitchen, starving, staring at the water, willing it to boil, trying to keep from eating peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon, grab some milk, olive oil, salt, pepper, and flour, grate some cheese and make a simple sauce. If you have a few more minutes, roast some fennel and add it to some sautéed onion and garlic. It’s a good idea.

I didn’t think I liked fennel. Then I roasted it. Roasting is the key to making almost any vegetable a thousand times better (even though I usually like them just the way they are! Here’s how: Buy olive oil (personally, I like Bari‘s). Turn on oven. Combine olive oil with halved fennel. 350F. Done. Boom. Roasted. Good right?!

Now it’s your turn. Have fun!

Happy Eating!

Roasted Fennel Mac

Recipe Type: Main, Pasta, Dinner, Oven, Stove Top

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 38 mins

Total time: 48 mins

Serves: 2-4

When fennel is roasted it becomes sweet and slightly caramelized. It’s paired with pears and Gruyère and added to traditional Mac and Cheese to dress it up.

Ingredients

1/2 to 1 C onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, halved
3-4 T plus 1 t olive oil
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 carrot, grated
1/2 to 1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 t apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 C cheese (combination of Gruyère and Parmesan), grated (1/4 C reserved for topping)
2 T flour
1/4 C cream
1/2 to 1 C milk
1/2 to 1 C vegetable stock
1/4 C pasta water
2 C pasta
1 pear, thinly sliced (for topping)

Instructions

Drizzle fennel with 1 t olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place cut side down on baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes (or until fennel is tender).
Cook pasta.
Heat pan over medium heat. Add 2 T oil. When oil is hot, add onion, carrot, and a pinch of salt. Cook 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
When fennel is done, remove from oven and let cool slightly. Chop. Add to pan with veggies.
Move veggies to one side. Add 1-2 T more oil. When it’s hot, whisk in 2 T flour, cook 30-60 seconds. Slowly, a little bit at a time, whisk in milk, stock, cream, and pasta water. Let it thicken a little after each addition of more liquid. Add pasta water. Cook until just before it boils.
Remove from heat and whisk in cheese, apple cider vinegar, and pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Toss pasta with sauce. Top with thinly sliced pear, and top pear with cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and melted.

This episode is sponsored by: