Lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces (for topping)
Greek yogurt or sour cream (for topping)
Hot sauce (opt.) or more salsa (for topping)
Instructions
Sprinkle baking sheet with a bit of flour and roll out pizza crust (or do it however you normally do). Bake at 450F for 6-7 minutes.
Cook ground beef in a dry pan. When fully cooked, remove from pan with a slotted spoon.
Mix tomato paste with salsa.
Remove par baked crust from oven. Top with salsa mixture, then ground beef, a bit of cheese, veggies, and a bit more cheese. Bake an additional 5-8 minutes (or until crust is to desired crispness).
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:
Cook time:
Total time:
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.
Butternut Squash is roasted and added to browned butter to make a creamy and delicious soup. This dish is perfect for fall!
Ingredients
3 butternut squash
4 cloves garlic
2-3 T olive oil
6 T unsalted butter*
1 T balsamic vinegar
5-7 C vegetable stock
1 1/2 to 2 t salt (*if you use salted butter, reduce the amount of salt)
1/4 t pepper
dash cayenne
pinch nutmeg
heavy cream (for topping)
chopped almonds or bacon, cooked and crumbled (for topping) (optional)**
Gruyère cheese, grated (for topping)
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Halve squash. Brush cut side with olive oil. Place oiled side down on a baking sheet. Cut tips off garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in foil and place on baking sheet. Cook squash and garlic 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until squash is tender. Remove and cool slightly. Squeeze garlic and scrape squash from skin.
Cook bacon or chop almonds.
Heat a soup pot. When it’s hot, add butter. Cook over med heat until it’s browned. Add squash, garlic, seasonings, balsamic vinegar, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil.
Turn off heat and blend with a hand blender (using the “S” blade) on 5th speed (high), or in batches in a regular blender (be sure to remove the middle plug in the lid and cover with a towel). Blend until smooth. Return to heat and simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings. If it’s too thick, add more stock.
To serve, top with a drizzle of cream, some chopped almonds or bacon, and some Gruyère.
Notes
**This soup is vegetarian unless you include the bacon.
A hearty fall or winter stew that’s earthy, healthy, and delicious.
Ingredients
2 T olive oil
2 carrots (about 1 1/2 C), diced or chopped
2 celery ribs (about 1 C), diced or chopped
1 daikon radish (about 1 1/2 C), diced or chopped
1 potato, (about 1 1/2 C) diced or chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 radishes, (about 1/4 C) diced or chopped
3 C spinach, roughly chopped
4 collard green leaves (about 1 C), roughly chopped
2 T tomato paste
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
pinch ginger
pinch cayenne (or more if you want it spicier)
1 T sweet paprika
1 T smoked paprika
1/2 T chili powder
pinch nutmeg
1 C lentils, uncooked
4 C vegetable stock (plus 1/2 to 1 C water, if necessary)
parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
Heat soup pot. Add oil. Add veggies and 1 t salt. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until veggies are getting tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, stir, and cook 2 minutes more.
Add tomato paste and 1 T balsamic vinegar, stir around and cook 2 minutes.
Add remaining seasonings, including another t of salt (if desired) and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until lentils are soft, about 30-40 minutes. Add another 1/2 to 1 C water if it’s getting too thick. Stir occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
Remove from heat. Add in spinach, collard greens, and 1 T balsamic vinegar. Stir until wilted down. Taste and add more seasoning if desired.
Serve topped with parmesan cheese.
Notes
It would be fun to serve this stew in a hollowed out pumpkin or squash!
