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.
Thanksgiving is tomorrow. You know this. I know this. Are you prepared? We’re having Thanksgiving dinner with a mixture of Husband’s family, my family, and good friends. I’m excited. I think my excitement is a tie between the company and the food. Good thing there will be both.
My job, my dish, my instructions were: Rachel, can you bring the yams? Perfect, because I have yams. As I write this early on Monday (so that I can have a mini vacation for the rest of the week), I’m trying to think of what I want to do with them. I have lots of ideas. Scalloped Yams could be fun, Roasted Garlic Yam are great (I made them two years ago and we loved them), traditional Yams with Marshmallows are fine, Winter Veggie Salad is delicious… but I want to be creative, which usually means making something up. This is one of my favorite things to do.
Thanksgiving is the one meal, however, where I kinda like the traditional classics. Turkey, Stuffing, Green Beans, Cranberry Sauce, Yams, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, and Rolls. Mmmmmm, I can’t wait to eat!! So I have some thinking to do regarding these yams… I’m thinking… I’m thinking… I think I’m going to use my recipe for Roasted Garlic Yams. They were good. They have bacon. They have garlic. They have parmesan cheese. Winner.
Thinking about the day after, if you need some ideas for what to do with your leftovers, here are some from this year and last.
Hearty and warm, this Borscht is a family favorite of ours.
Ingredients
2 T olive oil
1 lb. chuck roast, cut into smallish cubes
4 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 small beets, peeled and chopped
4-6 celery stalks, chopped
1 daikon radish, chopped
3 potatoes, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 T fresh lemon juice
10-12 C chicken or vegetable stock (or mixture of both) (use more or less depending on how thick you want the soup)
2 t salt (or to taste)
pepper (to taste)
Greek yogurt or sour cream (for topping)
Instructions
Pat each piece of beef dry with a paper towel (this helps it to brown better – this step can be skipped if you’re short on time). Heat large soup pot. Add olive oil. When oil is hot, add beef, being sure not to over-crowd the pan. Cook, over medium heat, until beef is browned, about 10 minutes or so. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add veggies and salt and pepper to soup pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are getting tender.
Add beef and stock and bring up to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce to a low boil or a simmer, and cook 1-2 hours (until veggies are tender), adding more stock or water if it gets too thick.
Add lemon juice. Taste and add more salt if desired.
Serve topped with a dolup of yogurt.
Notes
I serve this with warm rolls or bread, with butter. Perfect for dipping into the soup.
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.)
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.
