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Monday

26

October 2015

Pumpkin Pasta

Written by Rachel, Posted in Cheese, Dinner, Eggs, Gluten Free, Herbs, Kid-Friendly, Main Dishes, Meat, Nuts, Pasta, Pork, Roasting, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I’m eating this pasta as I type. I refrained from eating more than a bite or two while I was photographing so I could save it for dinner. It’s creamy, has a hint of spice, and it tastes like fall. It feels like the kind of food that should be enjoyed on a cold night with loved ones at your table… Lost in thought, I was envisioning my next dinner party when an errant noodle flung pasta sauce on to the floor. Distraction over.

It’s pumpkin season and I’m so glad. I love all that there is to do with pumpkins (like I talked about in my Ten Ways to Use Pumpkins post from the other day). They’re versatile and yummy.

For this recipe I roasted the pumpkin almost whole so that I could serve the pasta in it. It’s as simple as a little olive oil on the inside, flip it upside down, and roast for about an hour. I wanted to save some of the roasted pumpkin for a few other dishes, but if you wanted to use it all, you could totally do that.

Pumpkin isn’t the only option. If you’ve got other varieties of winter squash they’d be great too. I might avoid the spaghetti squashes (and those like them), but other than that, whatever you’ve got on hand should be great.

Pumpkin (or winter squash) and browned butter are good friends. As they should be. You can use butter or not, olive oil is a great option as well. Equal parts butter/olive oil and all purpose flour work together to make a nice roux. Or, if you want to skip it all together (and for a gluten-free option), milk and cornstarch will thicken up nicely.

The pumpkin, milk, and thickener heat slowly on the stove until they’re nice and thick. Then cheese and some seasonings are added and everyone gets blended together until you’ve got a nice smooth sauce.

Whatever pasta you prefer will work perfectly. I made some fresh pasta today, cut in a fettuccine (ish) width, so that’s what I wanted to use. But, elbows, spaghetti, or fusilli would be great too. I opted for a creamy sauce without any add ins or toppings. Sometimes I just don’t want anything extra. But, next time I think I’m gonna try it with some mushrooms, greens, and sage… or maybe corn, crispy shallots, and bacon.

Happy Eating!

Pumpkin Pasta

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 11 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 26 minutes

Yield: 6

Pumpkin Pasta

Ingredients

1 small pumpkin or small to medium winter squash (any except spaghetti squash) (about 2-3 C cooked) (could also use roasted or steamed carrots or cauliflower)
1 t olive oil
1/4 C butter or olive oil (optional)
1/4 C all purpose flour or 1 T cornstarch
2 C milk (any kind)
1/2 C plain yogurt
pinch cayenne
to taste salt
good pinch coriander
good pinch ginger
1 C cheese (Parmesan, cheddar, or Gruyère), grated
(could also mix in: 2-4 cloves roasted garlic, sautéed mushrooms, greens, sage, onion, leek, shallot, corn, lemon zest)
6 servings pasta
toppings optional: fresh herbs, chopped; poached eggs, bacon, or nuts

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Cut the lid off the pumpkin (if you're going to serve in it, if not you could just slice in half), scrape out seeds. Rub the inside with 1 t olive oil. Roast for about 1 hour.
Heat a medium sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Add butter, if using. When it starts to brown, whisk in flour. Cook for 30-60 seconds. If doing gluten-free, skip the butter and flour and whisk milk with cornstarch. Pour in milk (with or without the cornstarch), whisking as you do. Add pumpkin. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until thickened (it should coat a spoon without all running off), stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Season with cayenne through ginger. Stir in cheese. Blend with a hand blender (or in batches in a regular blender with the center plug removed and the hole covered with a clean tea towel) until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Stir in any additional mix ins.
Cook pasta. Drain and toss with sauce. Serve topped with desired toppings, or just serve as it is.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/pumpkin-pasta/

Thursday

22

October 2015

0

COMMENTS

Winter Squash Dip

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Beans, Cheese, Dairy-Free, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Legumes, Nuts, Potlucks, Roasting, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I’m a big supporter of fall. I love it when the leaves change color, the chill that creeps into the air, and the winter squash that start to appear in our Abundant Harvest Organics boxes. This fall is no different. I’m in the mood for soups and stews, cozy sweaters, and all the winter squash I can get my hands on.

I have a few go to recipes for winter squash. Things like Spaghetti Squash au Gratin (which uses both spaghetti and butternut squash), Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, and Spaghetti Soup. I’ll make them over and over again for sure. But, it’s fun to get creative with food, so I came up with a fun winter squash dip that will be perfect to snack on while watching post season baseball, for a dinner party appetizer, or as a simple supper.

I used acorn squash this time. But, seriously, any winter squash will do. I’d planned to use pumpkin, but I didn’t have one on hand. If you have pumpkin, and the skin doesn’t get too soft when roasting, it’d make a lovely serving dish. I tried to do that with the acorn squash, but the skin isn’t as tough as say spaghetti squash, so I opted for an oven-safe dish.

This dip is full of options for what to add to it. Not only can you use whatever winter squash you have on hand, there are plenty of possibilities for what to mix in. I used garbanzo beans, basil, cheddar, and parmesan. But, you could substitute white, kidney, or black beans for the garbanzos. Then you could choose between blue cheese, feta, Fontina, Gorgonzola, Gruyère, mozzarella, pecorino, ricotta, ricotta salata, Romano, or Roncal if you don’t have cheddar or Parmesan, or tofu if you want to go vegan. And for the fresh herbs, I’d go with either parsley or thyme if you don’t have basil (or along with it). Just pick things that you think will go well with the other flavors you’ve got going on.

I topped the dip with some halved cherry tomatoes and some nuts. And again, here the possibilities are pretty limitless: hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, or pumpkin seeds would all be great in place of almonds. I love the crunch that the nuts bring to the dip.

I’d used half of the cheese in the dip, the rest went on top to get bubbly and browned, along with the tomatoes. One of my favorite things.

You can serve this dip hot, room temperature, or eat it right out of the fridge. If you opt for the latter, you might get the entire previously melted cheese slice in one bite. Not the worst problem you could have. I liked it best cooled slightly, but still warm, with lots of dipping utensils: corn chips and raw veggies were my favorite.

Happy Eating!

Winter Squash Dip

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Yield: 8-10

Winter Squash Dip

Ingredients

4 C combination of any: (squash) acorn, butternut, spaghetti, buttercup, delicata, hubbard, kabocha, pumpkin; halved or top sliced off and seeds removed,carrots, ends trimmed
1 head garlic, top sliced off
a good sprinkle of cayenne or 1 hot pepper, halved, ribs and seeds removed
2 t olive oil
2 C combination of any: garbanzo, white, kidney, or black beans; cooked
1 C greens (optional), chopped
1/4 C combination of any: fresh basil, parsley, or thyme
2 C combination of any: blue, cheddar, feta, Fontina, Gorgonzola, Gruyère, mozzarella, Parmesan, pecorino, ricotta, ricotta salata, Romano, Roncal; grated (if needed), or may use tofu (silken or firm and crumbled)
1 C combination of any: corn, tomatoes (fresh or dried)
to taste salt
1/4 C combination of any: almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, pecans, pinenuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds; chopped
raw veggies (carrots, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, green beans, celery), roasted veggies (sweet potatoes, summer squash, eggplant, fennel), chips, crackers, or bread; for serving

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
Brush squash/pumpkin with oil inside and out. Place cut side down on a baking sheet (the lid too, if you didn't halve it - if you halved it and are planning to serve the dip in it, you could slice a bit off the bottom so it sits flat). Drizzle the garlic with olive oil and wrap with foil. Brush carrots and hot pepper with olive oil and wrap with foil. Roast for 45-60 minutes, or until tender (pepper may take closer to 20-30 minutes). If using greens, sauté in 1 T olive oil over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes.
Scrape squash from shell (reserve shell to serve in if desired) then either mash or purée in food processor with garlic (squeeze cloves from skin) through cheese (reserving half cheese for topping). Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Return to squash shell or to a greased oven safe dish, top with remaining cheese and tomatoes/corn/nuts. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or broil for a few minutes, or until cheese is melted and browned.
Serve with raw or roasted veggies, chips, crackers, or bread, for dipping.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/winter-squash-dip/

Monday

21

September 2015

0

COMMENTS

Whole Wheat Pear Muffins

Written by Rachel, Posted in Baking, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Eggs, Fruit, Gluten Free, Grains, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Nuts, Quick and Easy, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I’ve never been the best baker. I like to think that it’s because of my lack of skill when it comes to all things science. I got a D in chemistry in high school. Sometimes I wonder, if they’d told me how much I would care about science when I grew up, or if someone had shown me science in action, in the form of different baked goods, if it would have clicked. Maybe not, but I wonder.

So I’m slowly learning about baking. I’m a kinesthetic learner – I learn by doing, so it’s taking some trial and error to figure things out. What comes the most naturally to me when cooking is figuring things out as I go; recipes used for inspiration more than direction. That doesn’t really work with baking. But, I guess I’m learning, because these muffins did.

It helps that I know what the batter should look and feel like. The more I bake the more I know about doughs and batters and the like.

The stars of this recipe are Asian pears and figs, but any seasonal fruit will do: apples, berries, cherries, persimmons… Use what you love and what you have on hand.

There are also carrots, but you could use parsnips or summer squash in their place.

I used whole wheat flour and butter. But, of course, adapt it to suit your family’s needs. You could try a gluten-free flour blend if you’d like, or to make it vegan, use cold coconut oil and substitute flax seeds and water for the egg.

I love Burroughs Family Farms’ eggs, so that’s what I used today. The yolks are always the most brilliant golden yellow. I just can’t get enough!

I’m pretty picky about what I eat when it comes to sugar. I’m ok with the occasional treat, but in general, I avoid refined white sugar like the plague. Instead I like to use honey and maple syrup. Combine that with the oats, whole wheat flour, vegetable, and fruit that these muffins contain, and I feel great about them for breakfast, lunch, or a satisfying snack.

I was totally going to add chocolate chips. I even had them out on the counter. Then I forgot. Add ’em if you’d like. You could also add nuts. I’m not crazy about them in baked goods. But, to bump up the protein, or just because you like them, you could add some almonds or walnuts either to the batter, or gently press them into the top before baking.

I enjoyed these with some homemade butter. They’d been cooling for a little while when I finally got a taste, but were still warm enough to melt the butter just slightly. But even without butter (which is how I ate my second one), they’re absolutely delicious.

Happy Eating!

Whole Wheat Pear Muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes

Total Time: 37 minutes

Yield: 1 dozen

Whole Wheat Pear Muffins

Ingredients

1 C whole wheat flour
1/4 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger
1/2 C cold butter (or coconut oil), cut into small chunks
1 C oats
3/4 C any of the following: Asian pears, pears, apples, parsnips, carrots, squash, persimmons, (grated)
1/2 C any of the following: figs, berries, cherries (pits removed), chopped
1/4 C honey (or maple syrup)
1/4 C maple syrup
1 egg (or use ground up flaxseeds and water)
1 t apple cider vinegar
1 t vanilla extract
(optional: almonds or walnuts, chopped, for topping)

Instructions

Position the rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat to 350F.
Whisk flour through ginger. Mix in butter with a pastry blender or hands until coarse meal or small (pea sized) chunks remain. Stir in oats through fruit. Set in the freezer while you assemble the wet ingredients.
In a separate bowl whisk honey through vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Scoop about 3T of batter into each compartment of a greased muffin pan (should yield 1 dozen). Top with nuts if desired, pressing them gently into the batter. Bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the center of the muffin springs back when touched.
Remove from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes in the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/whole-wheat-pear-muffins/

Monday

17

August 2015

2

COMMENTS

Bread Pudding with Seasonal Fruit

Written by Rachel, Posted in Baking, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Eggs, Fruit, Gluten Free, Lunch, Main Dishes, Nuts, Vegetarian

Today I’ve come up with a treat for the sweet tooth that’s both dessert and main dish. It’s a variation on a bread pudding, but we ate it for lunch.

It’s sweet, but not too, thanks to the maple syrup. It’s filling enough to be the star, thanks to the eggs and bread. It’s a great way to get some fruit into a dish, thanks to whatever fruit is in season. We’ve got figs and peaches on hand, so that’s what I used.

During the spring and summer the figs and peaches could be swapped out for blueberries, strawberries, or plums. In the cooler months, pears, apples, and persimmons would be perfect. Perfect for any time of the year. If you don’t have fresh fruit, frozen works (just drain it a bit first). You could even add some jam. I used softer figs and frozen peaches, that way they kinda became one with the eggy-bread mixture.

I was thinking that this would be yummy if it was chocolatey. You could add cocoa powder to the egg mixture (hello chocolate and cinnamon!). You could add chocolate chips too. I think figs or berries would be fabulous with chocolate.

Whatever bread you have on hand will be great. Gluten-free, whole wheat, croissants, baguettes… I like to use stale bread, but mostly because I feel bad using fresh bread for something like this.

I filled two 6″ ramekins to make two main dish sized portions. But, you could use smaller ramekins or one larger dish. Adjust the baking time accordingly.

To serve, I topped with some Greek yogurt and chopped almonds. You could also add some fresh fruit, walnuts, pecans, cream or crème fraîche, or if you’ve got an extra sweet sweet tooth, a drizzle of maple syrup.

Happy Eating!

Bread Pudding with Seasonal Fruit

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 2-4

Bread Pudding with Seasonal Fruit

Ingredients

1 t coconut oil (or canola)
2 C stale bread (any kind), torn in small(ish) pieces
3 eggs
1 T white vinegar
1 C whole milk (any kind)
1/4 t cinnamon
pinch ginger
pinch salt
1/4 C maple syrup
1 t vanilla
2 C fairly ripe seasonal fruit (berries, figs, stone fruit, apples, persimmons, pears), most chopped, a few sliced for topping
toppings (optional): chopped nuts, fresh fruit, plain yogurt, crème fraîche, maple syrup, cream

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
Pour vinegar into a measuring cup. Add milk to the 1 C line. Stir and let stand for about 5 minutes (it will thicken slightly and become buttermilk).
Grease two 6" ramekins with coconut oil. Add bread and fruit. Toss.
Whisk together eggs through vanilla. Pour over bread and fruit. Top with sliced fruit. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until eggs are mostly set and have come to at least 160F. Remove from the oven and let them stand on a cooling rack for 10-20 minutes.
Top with desired toppings.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/bread-pudding-with-seasonal-fruit/

Thursday

2

July 2015

1

COMMENTS

Potato Salad

Written by Rachel, Posted in Dinner, Eggs, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Nuts, Potatoes, Potlucks, Salads, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Nothing says summer and comfort food all in one bite like potato salad. My mom makes great potato salad. We ate it a lot growing up (and still do, when we go home to visit). I never get tired of it. There are so many things you can do with potato salad. This one is a classic that’s been tweaked a bit… In a good way.

For me, classic means hard boiled eggs, potatoes, and a creamy sauce. There might be something crunchy in there too – celery, pickles, red onions, bacon…

I didn’t vary on the eggs. Hard boiled goodness. I know there are many schools of thought on the perfect way to boil an egg. I do it one of two ways: I bring some water to a boil, add about 1 t white vinegar (so the whites seize up if the shell cracks), then either boil for 15 minutes, or turn the heat off and cover and let them stand for 15 minutes. Recently we watched an episode of Good Eats and Alton Brown did the turn off the heat method, so I tried it. It worked. The other way does too (the way my mom taught me).

I strayed a bit with the potatoes. Only a bit though. I added some parsnips. I almost added turnips… Maybe next time. But, parsnips, try them if you want to be a little bit creative, but not too. They look like the potatoes (you know, in case anyone is picky about color), and they only taste a tiny bit different. I mean, I know they’re in there and I hardly notice them.

The creamy dressing for my potato salad is usually a combination of yogurt and mayo. This time, I had some homemade mayo on hand (made with Burroughs Family Farm eggs). Since you’re not really supposed to keep homemade mayo around for too long, this was the perfect way to use it up. I also added some plain yogurt, and olive oil (just because I love the taste). There’s some garlic, herbs, and paprika. Salt, pepper, and dijon mustard. I don’t know if I’ve ever followed a potato salad recipe other than my mom’s, so I don’t know how far from normal I’ve gone. I also don’t care all that much. Because Tim thought it tasted great and so did I.

It’s really a four-step dish. Steam potatoes (then cool). Cook eggs so that the perfectly golden yolks are firm. Whisk dressing. Assemble. And then, usually I stand there “making sure it tastes ok”, which means eating about half of it before it goes into the fridge. It’s one of my favorite things to eat. I take after my mom.

This was great on its own. It was fabulous topped with some chopped walnuts and tomatoes. But, I really couldn’t pick a way that I preferred it. So, if you want it to be more classic, leave the toppings off. If you want to spice things up, add them. If you add them you’re also adding more protein (walnuts), and a healthy fruit (tomato – yes, it’s technically a fruit).

It’s best eaten outdoors, while barbecuing, surrounded by loved ones. But, can also be enjoyed for breakfast (ask my mom), lunch, or dinner, with sandwiches, other salads, burgers, grilled meats and veggies, or just on its own.

Happy Eating!

Potato Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 6-8

Potato Salad

Ingredients

2 1/4 lbs (about 8 medium) potatoes, cubed
1/2 lb. (about 2 medium) parsnips (optional, can use all potatoes), cubed
1/2 to 3/4 C mayo (homemade if you have it)
3/4 to 1 C plain yogurt
1-2 T dijon mustard
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh basil, finely chopped
1/2 to 1 hot pepper (optional), ribs and seeds removed, minced
1 t paprika
1 t fresh thyme (or 1/2 t dried)
2 T white vinegar
to taste salt
to taste pepper
2-4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 C tomatoes, chopped, for topping
1/2 C walnuts, chopped, for topping
2 T combo of any or all: chives, parsley, or basil, chopped, for topping

Instructions

Heat a large pot with about 1 1/2" water at the bottom. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes and parsnips to a steamer basket and add to the pot. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, or until they're tender. Cool completely.
Whisk together mayo through pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Toss vegges with dressing. Fold in eggs. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Refrigerate for an hour or serve immediately.
Serve topped with tomatoes, walnuts, and herbs, or just on its own.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/potato-salad/

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Nuts Archive

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Pumpkin Pasta

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Winter Squash Dip

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Whole Wheat Pear Muffins

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Bread Pudding with Seasonal Fruit

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Potato Salad

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