Dinner Archives - Page 18 of 63 - De Ma CuisineDe Ma Cuisine

Monday

11

August 2014

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Written by Rachel, Posted in Beans, Cheese, Dinner, Eggs, Gluten Free, Grains, Herbs, Kid-Friendly, Leftovers, Legumes, Low Carb, Lunch, Main Dishes, Potlucks, Quick and Easy, Quinoa, Salads, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian

We took a sick day a while back. But, we still needed to eat. I was going to make this quick salad and head back to bed. I felt a cold coming on and had done something to my back. So I was enjoying many many episodes of Gilmore Girls.

The tough thing about working from home and working as a food blogger is that every meal that is deemed good enough for the blog has to have photographs. It takes a lot of effort to stop working. It takes a lot of self control to force myself to just focus on dinner and not wonder whether or not I’m making a mistake by not photographing or writing it down.

Sometimes I’m glad when the sauce breaks.

One of my go-to easy meals to make for a sick day, or to take to a potluck (that hopefully doesn’t fall on the same day), is a quinoa salad. This one is full of veggies and protein. Just what we needed to give us a little lift when we weren’t feeling our best.

A veggie that will add both flavor and color is corn. Corn season is in full swing, so I’m using it in just about everything I can think of. Cutting corn off the cob when it’s not going to be used right away is a good idea, since the sugars turn into starch after a few days, making it less sweet. Corn that you’re not going to use can be frozen raw, for another time.

Collard greens, kale, or chard are cut chiffonade-style (thin ribbons). They add extra nutrients to this already healthy dish.

My in-laws went to Nazareth last year and brought me back some saffron. I’d never used it before and it was fun to experiment with in this dish. If you don’t want to use saffron, feel free to leave it out. If you want to use it, just a pinch will do.

The dressing is made up of some of my favorite things: lemon, honey, olive oil, and garlic.

I like a bit of feta in a salad like this. If you wanted to make this a vegan salad, omit the feta and honey and use your favorite vegan cheese and some maple syrup instead. For added protein (quinoa has lots too) I added garbanzo beans (chick peas).

There are plenty of fresh herbs, lots of cucumber and squash, and kalamata olives (for those of us that like them – Tim does not, but I love them).

I served this simple meal with some nectarines and plums, and a slice of lemon to squeeze over top.

There were leftovers, so a day or two later we had the same thing for lunch, topped with a fried egg.

My favorite way to fry eggs is covered over pretty low heat. Cracking the eggs into a bowl before adding them to the pan will allow any shells to be removed without scorching your finger on the bottom of the hot skillet.

Serve the salad cold, topped with a hot egg.

Perfection.

If you’re good at poaching eggs, those would be great on top too. One of my summer goals is to learn how to make Eggs Benedict, so hopefully my poaching skills will improve slightly. However, I’ve been distracted by our lovely front yard and the beautiful weather and haven’t done much learning.

I think we have about three more months of summer here in L.A., so I’ve got time.

Happy Eating!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Recipe Type: Main, Salad, Side, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Eggs

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1-2 C cooked quinoa
1-15 oz. can garbonzo beans
1/2 C summer squash, chopped
1/2 C cucumber, chopped
2 T basil, chopped
1 T oregano, chopped
1 stalk green onion, chopped
1 cob corn, cut off the cob
1/4 C feta (optional)
dressing: juice from 1/2 lemon
small pinch saffron
1/8 to 1/4 t smoked paprika
good pinch pepper
to taste salt
3 T apple cider vinegar
1 t honey
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch ground ginger
1/4 C olive oil
olives (optional), for topping
lemon slices, for serving

Instructions

Combine the quinoa with the beans, veggies, herbs, and feta.
Whisk together lemon juice through ginger. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking it in, creating an emulsion.
Mix dressing with salad.
Serve topped with olives and a squeeze of lemon.

Monday

4

August 2014

1

COMMENTS

Summer Pizza

Written by Rachel, Posted in Baking, Cheese, Dinner, Fruit, Herbs, Lunch, Main Dishes, Pizza, Quick and Easy, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Eeets thyme fur peeeetsa.

Sorry. Kinda. It’s been one of those days. Sometimes stress is released in the form of weirdness.

And managed by eating pizza.

Cutting veggies is therapeutic too. I have lots of cutting boards, and two are designated for onions and garlic. My beautiful new cutting board is not one of them. I never want anything sweet to accidentally taste like raw onions. Nope. Yuck. So I have two cutting boards with an X on the back that are special and a little bit stinky.

We had a similar pizza to this the other week. Ahem, I did. Tim doesn’t agree that squash belongs on a pizza. He will eat it in pretty much anything else though, so it’s cool. He made his own personal pizza and I made mine. Mine had lots of veggies. His didn’t. They both tasted good.

I used Alana’s recipe for the pizza crust (from her cookbook). You can use hers, or whatever you would normally use. I like my crust thin and crispy. If you like it thicker and chewier, adjust the recipe accordingly.

Because of my taste for crispness, I like to par-bake the crust a bit before topping it.

Par-bake means to partially bake it (as par-cook means to partially cook).

I topped it with a bit of olive oil and some herbs, because I wanted two layers of herby flavor. (Helpful tip: If you need some bread to go accompany a dish and you don’t have a baguette on hand, you could just all the way bake the crust and eat it like a sort of focaccia bread.)

Then it’s topped with some tomato sauce (it’s also great with olive oil if you don’t like sauce), and more herbs.

Lots of different veggies, like kale, zucchini, corn, and tomato (tomato is a fruit, but in this case let’s pretend it’s a veggie since it’s acting like one), but not so many that it weighs down the pizza. It’s still a light summer meal.

I opted for some parmesan and an aged cheddar. Because it’s what I have in the fridge.

I’d planned to use feta, but it’s smelled baaaaad. There’s stinky cheese and then there’s steeeeenky cheese.

It’s topped with a bit of basil (from my garden – all the basil that I got as an add-on from AHO last week is gone gone gone). And as soon as the last photo was taken I ate as much as I could, as quickly as possible because I was starving! And then I ate it again today before I typed up this post.

Happy Eating!

Summer Pizza

Recipe Type: Main, Dinner, Pizza

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 12 mins

Total time: 22 mins

Serves: 4

Summer squash, corn, and tomatoes all top this light summer pizza.

Ingredients

2 t olive oil, divided
1 pizza crust
2 t dried Italian herbs (mixture of basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and parsley), divided
to taste salt
to taste pepper
1/4 C tomato sauce (optional – could also just use olive oil)
12-15 slices zucchini/summer squash
8-10 tomato slices
2 T raw corn (frozen is fine)
1/4 C kale (spinach, chard, collard greens), cut in a chiffonade (small ribbons)
2 T green onions, chopped
1/2 C cheese (parmesan and cheddar), grated
to taste salt
to taste pepper
fresh basil, for topping

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 450F.
Grease pizza pan with 1 t olive oil. Press out crust onto pan so it’s fairly thin. Top crust with remaining olive oil, and sprinkle with 1 t Italian herbs, salt, and pepper. Bake for about 5 minutes (optional – you can bake it all at once too).
Top par-baked crust with sauce, remaining Italian herbs, veggies, cheese, salt, and pepper. Bake an additional 7 minutes (or until crust is to desired crispness and cheese is melted – it will be longer for thicker crusts).
Serve topped with fresh basil.

Monday

28

July 2014

0

COMMENTS

Parsnip Fries with Dip

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Cheese, Condiments, Dinner, Gluten Free, Herbs, Kid-Friendly, Leftovers, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Roasting, Sides, Snacks, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I have something to confess. Other than roasting parsnips, or using them in soups, I don’t have many other ways that I use them.

Maybe because I know how good they are roasted. Think fried plantains meets roasted carrots.

I figured that it was time to try something a little bit different. I mean, I’m still roasting them, but this time there’s dip.

As with most of the veggies that I roast, they are tossed with Bari’s Organic Olive Oil, salt, and pepper. Simple.

Then they go onto a baking sheet with a bit of room around each one. They’ll roast a bit better that way. I used two baking sheets for the seven parsnips, flipping the parsnips and rotating the sheets in the oven partway through.

And then there is dip.

A creamy, herby, garlicky dip.

You could dip so many things in this. Roasted veggies, obviously. Fresh veggies, yum. Or you could thin it out a little with some buttermilk and make it into a salad dressing.

The taste is a bit like caesar dressing meets ranch dressing.

Or, goodness in a bowl.

Confession number two: I couldn’t stop dipping.

I can’t get enough of roasted veggies. They get all crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside.

I made these to eat while we watched the All-Star Game the other week.

They’re best hot out of the oven, but room temperature is perfectly acceptable too.

If you don’t eat them all in one sitting (it was difficult for me to not eat them all before Tim even got home from work) and there are leftovers here are some yummy ways you could use them:

Re-heated in some tinfoil (closed to start with, then once they’re warm, open to let them crisp up).
Chopped up and sautéed with some greens.
Re-heated and pulsed a couple times in the food processor (regular blender/hand blender) with some of the dip to serve alongside a roasted chicken.
Chopped and added to soup (near the end of the cooking time).

If you do eat them all in one sitting, I understand.

Happy Eating!

Parsnip Fries with Dip

Recipe Type: Side, Snack, Appetizer

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 4

Sweet and crispy roasted parsnips are dipped in a creamy garlicky herb dip, making a delicious appetizer or snack.

Ingredients

7-8 parsnips, cut into 3/8″ x 3/8″ x 3″ sticks (or French fry shape)
1-2 T olive oil
to taste salt
to taste pepper
dip: 3/4 C yogurt
1/4 C parmesan cheese, grated
1-2 cloves garlic
pinch ginger
1/2 T honey
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 t dried thyme
1/4 to 1/2 t dried parsley
1/4 C fresh basil
to taste salt
to taste pepper
1/4 C olive oil

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
Toss parsnips with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on two baking sheets, without overcrowding. Bake for 10-15 minutes, flip, rotate position in the oven, and bake for about 10 minutes more (or until parsnips are crispy outside, tender inside).
Blend dressing ingredients together (in food processor or blender). Adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve immediately.

Notes

This makes a lot of dip, so you could probably halve the recipe and be just fine… probably. 😉

Monday

7

July 2014

0

COMMENTS

Fresh Fruit and Basil Stuffed French Toast

Written by Rachel, Posted in Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Eggs, Fruit, Herbs, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Sandwiches, Vegetarian

So far, summer has found me kinda obsessed with lemon zest and basil with summer fruit. I love summer produce! (Ahem, lemons are one of the few fruits/veggies that I will buy out of season – I need lemons all the time!)

I just can’t get enough.

I made two different meals today that included them and have more planned for later in the week.

Since it’s summer and all, (even though it’s felt like summer for two months now!) we’re eating all things warm weather inspired. Drinks are summery… salads are, well, in and of themselves summery, so they don’t really need any help there… and French toast is a perfect summer lunch (or breakfast or dinner… you choose).

I made this for one, feel free to double or quadruple the recipe, and share with friends and family. Since it was for one, I just needed a single egg. You can kinda play with the egg mixture depending on how soggy you want the bread to be when it goes into the pan. For my taste, this was just perfect. (Any extra eggs when you’re done: scramble and serve alongside the French toast).

If you don’t like peanut butter, any nut butter will do.

If you don’t like nut butters, can’t eat them, don’t feel like it, you can totally omit this step.

For those that do (me me me!), it’s going on the inside of the stuffed toast… It’s gon’ be good!

The PB is topped with whatever seasonal fruit you have on hand. I used blueberries and peaches. You could use plums, apricots, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries… or in the winter, mix it up and do apples, pears, persimmons… this is a flexible dish.

Lemon zest and basil are sprinkled over the peanut buttery fruited bread that’s still soaking up the egg. Be careful when you flip it over to let the other side soak too, if you left it for too long it may be pretty soggy (cough cough, I did that).

I stood by the window and cooked this up in some coconut oil while I watched the tree branches sway in the summer breeze.

This picture, with the light from the window streaming in, makes me happy.

If you like maple syrup, glug it on. Mmmm syrup.

I squeezed a lemon slice over top. I wanted a bit more citrus. With the basil, berries, peaches, and zest, this French Toast is so bright, light, and cheerful. I just love it!

I didn’t save you any. I’m sorry. You’ll have to make your own. 😉

Happy Eating!

Fresh Fruit and Basil Stuffed French Toast

Recipe Type: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Main Dish, Quick and Easy, Fruit, Eggs, Vegetarian, Herbs

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Serves: 1

Ingredients

1 egg
1 T milk
pinch salt
1 T peanut butter
2 slices bread
1/4 C peach, thinly sliced, divided
1/4 C blueberries, divided
1/4 t lemon zest, divided
1/2 t fresh basil, chopped, divided
1 T coconut oil
maple syrup, for topping
lemon slice, for topping

Instructions

In a shallow bowl, whisk egg with milk and salt.
Spread peanut butter onto one piece of bread. Place un-peanut buttered side down into the egg mixture and top with some of the peach, blueberry, lemon zest, and basil. Top with the second slice of bread. Squish down and flip, so second slice absorbs remaining egg.
Heat skillet. Add coconut oil. When oil is hot, add eggy bread. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook for 3-5 minutes more, or until it’s done.
Serve topped with remaining peaches, blueberries, zest, basil, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

3.2.1303

Monday

30

June 2014

4

COMMENTS

Half Birthday Fun – Beef Chili

Written by Rachel, Posted in Beef, Cheese, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Main Dishes, Meat, Potlucks, Sides, Soups, Thoughts, Vegetables

Tim’s birthday is on Christmas Eve. We always try to make it special. But, the day is usually a mixture of birthday and Christmas Eve celebrations.

He is always a good sport about it.

But, this year, I thought that a half birthday celebration would be nice. An entire day devoted to celebrating him.

The day was filled with things that he loves.

We started with doughnuts. We’ve discovered a place that’s close enough to walk to. Often on Saturday mornings we will take the dog for a walk and get ourselves a treat.

TimHalfBirthday-1

Then he went to a movie with a couple friends while I set up for later.

We invited a few friends to continue the celebration of things that Tim loves.

Things like candy, caramel corn, and Blue Moon.

Dinner was more of his favorites: hot dogs, beef chili, store bought potato salad, fruit salad, and chips.

He loves the things that I cook. He’s fine with our healthy lifestyle. So it’s fun to surprise him with things that aren’t so healthy once in a while (although I used organic hot dogs and organic grass fed beef for the chili, so I still felt good about eating it).

It was a fun treat. (I maaaay have felt a little bit sick afterwards, but it was worth it. ;))

There was laughter. Lots of laughter.

Another favorite is ice cream. It’s pretty much an entire food group for Tim.

A serving size for him is a third of a carton.

We’ve discovered a little ice cream shop called Quenelle (pronounced kuh-nell). They make all of their ice cream. It’s insanely good. An ice cream cake from Quenelle seemed like the perfect way to end our little dinner.

It was.

I don’t know that I’ve heard as many exclamations about how good a dessert was as I did that night.

The cake was a layer of nutella, a layer of cookies and crème fraiche, with a devil’s food cake layer at the bottom.

That expression “we all scream for ice cream” – yeah, we did.

I accidentally put trick candles on the cake. I didn’t know that we had them. It was a trick on everyone.

As the light faded, we lit candles and sat for hours around the table.

The evening was one of those times when, as I went inside to get something and looked out the window, I just kinda stopped, and almost got a little bit choked up, looking at some of our dear friends gathered around our table. We’re so thankful for the little community of loved ones we have here in L.A.

I figured I should feed people chili. It’s easy and most people like it. It’s perfect in a bowl, or to top hot dogs. I made it the day before, then re-heated it the day of and kept it hot in the crock pot. Finding as many things to do beforehand made half birthday day so much more relaxed. I don’t think I stressed out at all. We had fun the whole day long.

Tim loves chili with beans. He’s happy eating it when I add tons of veggies. But, since it was his day, I though I’d try something new, and just do it with beef.

It’s pretty simple. The beef is cooked for a little bit with some seasonings. Onions are added partway through.

Since bell peppers are one of his favorite veggies I added two. Plus one hot pepper for just a bit of heat.

I have a hard time cooking without loads of garlic. Whatev.

And then piles of canned diced tomatoes are added in to make it saucy. I cooked it for two hours the first day, then probably a good 4-5 on half birthday day. It doesn’t need the extra day of cooking, but it sure didn’t hurt.

What a fun way to celebrate. It was a good day.

Happy 31 and a Halfth Birthday, Tim!

Beef Chili

Recipe Type: Main, Side, Beef, Meat, Dinner, Soup, Chili, Bell Peppers, Easy, Potlucks

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 120 mins

Total time: 2 hours 10 mins

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

2 lb. ground beef
2 white onions, chopped
1 T chili powder
1/2 T sweet paprika
1 T smoked paprika
pinch cumin
pepper
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 hot pepper, leave seeds and ribs (optional), chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 T balsamic vinegar
2-28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 T lemon juice
1 t sriracha hot sauce
2-3 t salt
cheese, grated, for topping
onions, chopped, for topping

Instructions

Heat a large soup pot. When hot, add beef and seasonings through pepper. Break apart (or mash using a potato masher) and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.
Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add peppers and cook for about 5 minutes more.
Add garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add balsamic vinegar through salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 2 hours, stirring every once in a while.
Served topped with cheese and onions.

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Dinner Archive

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6

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Happy Eating!

4

1

Summer Pizza

Happy Eating!

28

0

Parsnip Fries with Dip

Happy Eating!

7

0

Fresh Fruit and Basil Stuffed French Toast

Happy Eating!

30

4

Half Birthday Fun – Beef Chili

Happy 31 and a Halfth Birthday, Tim!

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