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Monday

9

March 2015

Almond Butter Stir Fry

Written by Rachel, Posted in Dairy-Free, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Lunch, Main Dishes, Nuts, One Dish Dinners, Pasta, Quick and Easy, Quinoa, Rice, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Stir Fry is one of those dishes that’s packed with flavor, nutrients, and is ready in a flash. Perfect for those tired nights when you don’t know what to make for dinner.

There’s just something about the colorful veggies. Purple cauliflower, bright orange carrots, green broccoli… they’re such happy and friendly colors. You could totally switch up the veggies depending on what you’ve got on hand and what’s in season. Sugar snap peas, bell peppers, onions, and green beans would all be fabulous.

I like to add nut butters to bump up the protein in a dish, especially if I’m opting to keep it vegetarian (which I did for this dish, but you could definitely add meat, or keep it vegetarian and add some pan fried tofu). Also, I just like the taste. Today I used almond butter. It’s not quite as in your face as peanut butter is, yet it still brings the same nutty yumminess.

The sauce is whisked together before the veggies go in to the wok. Since they are cooked over fairly high heat, stirred almost constantly, and cook quickly, I don’t want to take chances with anyone burning while I whisk up the sauce.

They cook so fast that the veggies still retain their bright, beautiful colors.

Sauce is added and will just cook for a minute or two.

I like to toss the noodles (or rice or quinoa) with the veggies and sauce. That way I can make sure that they all get nice and coated.

And then it’s ready to be topped with almonds and some lemon juice. You could absolutely add chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and cilantro too.

I like using rice noodles with Stir Fry. Some don’t even require any cooking – they just warm up in a bowl of hot water. They stand up great to re-heating the next day too. Rice or quinoa – also great. Or how about fried rice? Yum! Or, how about rice noodles with a fried egg on top?! Now we’re talking… Of course it was great just the way I made it – topped with almonds and a good squeeze of lemon.

Happy Eating!

Almond Butter Stir Fry

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 4

Almond Butter Stir Fry

Ingredients

1/4 C almond butter
1 t honey
3 T to 1/4 C water
2 T lemon juice
1/2 to 1 T liquid aminos (or GF soy sauce)
1/8 t ground ginger
1/8 t ground coriander
pinch cayenne
2 T olive oil
1-2 C broccoli, bite sized pieces
1-2 C cauliflower, bite sized pieces
1 C carrots (or celery), sliced on a bias
(sugar snap peas, bell peppers, onions, green beans would also be great)
to taste salt
to taste pepper
1-2 C greens (or cabbage), chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
lemon slices, for serving
almonds, chopped, for serving
rice noodles, rice, or quinoa, for serving
fresh herbs (chives, cilantro) (optional), chopped, for serving

Instructions

(Optional: Cook rice or quinoa, if serving one of those with the dish. Cook a protein, if desired.)
Whisk together almond butter through cayenne. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
(If using rice noodles, follow instructions on package and cook/warm now.) Heat a wok or large skillet over medium or medium-high heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add broccoli through pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly. Add greens and garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes more. Stir in the sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes more. (Optional) Toss with rice/quinoa/rice noodles if desired and cook for 1 minute more.
Serve topped with a squeeze of lemon and almonds, and fresh herbs, if desired.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/almond-butter-stir-fry/

Wednesday

4

March 2015

1

COMMENTS

Roasted Carrots with Honey and Almonds

Written by Rachel, Posted in Cheese, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Lunch, Nuts, One Dish Dinners, Quick and Easy, Roasting, Salads, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian

If these carrots had a story, I’d imagine that it would go something like this, “My grandmother used to tell us about life in the old country. Her father was a carrot farmer. They had good years, but there were the lean years too.

Her mother made the best ricotta. It was a favorite in their town. During those harder times they would trade their carrots and that ricotta for the almonds grown on the farm right next to theirs.

At the end of the summer, they would shake the trees and there was always so much dust in the air. But, it was worth it. When they tasted those almonds, combined with the sweet carrots, grown by her father’s hand, topped with the cool, silky ricotta, it felt like everything would be alright. There was a promise of better times in those simple ingredients.

As she tossed the carrots with some olive oil, salt and pepper, a far away look would come over her.

As she took her first bite, I knew that the taste was taking her back to a different time. Memories long forgotten were brought back with the sweet roasted flavor. It tasted like home.”

Yes, I think that’s the kind of story these carrots would tell.

Happy Eating!

Roasted Carrots with Honey and Almonds

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 17 minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes

Yield: 2-4 as a side dish, 2 as a light main dish

Roasted Carrots with Honey and Almonds

Ingredients

3 carrots, sliced into rounds (1/4" thick)
1 T olive oil
to taste salt
to taste pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T honey
1/4 C (heaping) almonds, diced
1/4 C ricotta cheese
lemon slices, for serving

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 425F.
Toss the carrots with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes.
Toss partially roasted carrots with garlic, honey, and almonds. Spread out on the baking sheet and return to the oven and roast for 5-7 minutes more.
Serve topped with a scoop of ricotta and a squeeze of lemon.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/roasted-carrots-with-honey-and-almonds/

Thursday

15

January 2015

0

COMMENTS

Hearty Winter Salad with Dill Dressing

Written by Rachel, Posted in Beans, Eggs, Gluten Free, Herbs, Legumes, Lunch, Main Dishes, Potatoes, Quick and Easy, Salads, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Very rarely do I want a break from soup when the weather is cold. But, every once in a while it’s ok to take a breather from a steaming bowl of goodness. And I really do love the crunch of raw veggies. I also like how different a salad looks in the winter, compared to summer.

This simple meal starts with some hardboiled eggs. If you’re not in the mood for eggs, you could use tuna as an alternative.

When I was cooking these eggs, I thought I’d try to do them a different way from the way that I always do it, the way that works every time. I’d seen it done differently on TV, or read about it on a blog, or someone said something at some point in life about a different way to hard boil an egg.

Always a sure sign that something will turn out splendidly.

I ended up with soft boiled (aka goopy not fully cooked) eggs. Not at all what I was hoping for. So I returned them to the pot and re-boiled them the way I’d always done it. The way my mom taught me.

They turned out perfectly.

Lesson learned.

Veggies that I had on hand to go with the eggs: broccoli and radish. You could also use beets, crispy potatoes, peas, carrots, cauliflower, or cabbage.

Since I’m still obsessed with dill, I made a creamy dill dressing. It’s mostly Greek yogurt, because I was almost out of mayo. But, I’m happy with how it turned out, so I wouldn’t change the recipe. But, if you like a little less tang, switch up the proportions to suit your tastes.

This salad was seriously filling, with chickpeas and eggs on there. I made it to go along with the Spaghetti Squash au Gratin that I’d made for lunch the same day, but didn’t end up eating it until dinner, since the Gratin was more filling than I’d expected. As a light dinner, it was perfect (for me anyways). (I keep hitting the caps lock key so it looks like I’m screaming half of each word at you. I must have a rogue pinky finger.) A small portion of each would go nicely together.

So that’s that. Now I can go back to eating soup. 😉

Happy Eating!

Winter Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 2-4

Winter Salad

Ingredients

4 eggs, hard boiled and chopped (or you could use tuna)
1/2 C Greek yogurt
2 T mayo
to taste salt
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T fresh dill, chopped
1/4 C olive oil
greens (lettuce, kale, spinach, chard), torn
1/2 C broccoli, chopped into small pieces
1/4 C radish, very thinly sliced
(could also add: grated carrots, chopped cauliflower, shredded cabbage, peas, crispy potatoes, beet chips)
1/4 C chick peas

Instructions

Cook eggs.
Whisk yogurt through dill. Whisk in olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Top greens with veggies, chick peas, hard boiled eggs, and dressing.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/hearty-winter-salad-with-dill-dressing/

Monday

5

January 2015

0

COMMENTS

Spaghetti Squash au Gratin

Written by Rachel, Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Cheese, Dinner, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Main Dishes, Meat, Pork, Potlucks, Roasting, Sauces, Sides, Vegetables

Haaaaappy New Year!

We’re right smack in the middle of winter squash season. I find that in the middle of a season, I have to get a bit more creative with how to use things. As much as I love Spaghetti Soup or Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, we don’t want to eat it every week. Someone posted on social media that they were enjoying some Spaghetti Squash au Gratin. I knew I needed to come up with a recipe for that. It sounded amazing.

It ended up tasting a little bit like what I think it would taste like if you took grated hash browns and smothered them with cheese sauce.

It all starts with some squash roasting in the oven for about an hour. I had three squash sitting on my kitchen island. Since I knew we’d be getting another in this week’s Abundant Harvest Organics box, I figured that I should just roast them. That way, even if I didn’t use it all in this dish, I could just freeze what was leftover. Then I remembered that some friends of ours, who just had a baby, might enjoy this too. So all the squash was perfect.

While the squash roasts, a quick roux is made up. I used butter and olive oil and then added the same amount of all purpose flour (if you’re making a gluten-free version, skip the flour, and whisk 1 T cornstarch with 1/4 C cold water, and whisk it in later on when the milk mixture is really hot).

To the roux I whisked in some whole milk. A little bit at a time.

Once the milk mixture thickens, add ons go in. I chose chopped ham (but you could use chicken, beef, turkey… or omit the meat all-together), some dijon mustard, Greek yogurt, and cheese. If you had some leftover cooked veggies (like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower etc…) you could add those now too.

I added the cheese a little bit at a time, whisking until smooth-ish between additions. Then everything else hops in.

You know, if you wanted to double the recipe, you could use half for mac and cheese, pour some over roasted broccoli or cauliflower, or dip some crusty bread in it (it’s practically fondue).

The squash is scraped out of it’s skin and placed in an oven-proof baking dish. The ham and cheese sauce is stirred in.

Then it’s all topped with a bit more cheeeeeeese!

It will bake for a little while (which is really optional – you could just top your squash and go!), then stand for a few minutes, if you can handle waiting to dig in!

Happy Eating!

Spaghetti Squash au Gratin

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes

Yield: Serves 6-8 as a side, 4-5 as a main dish.

Spaghetti Squash au Gratin

Ingredients

2 medium-sized spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
1 medium-sized butternut squash, halved and seeds removed
1 t olive oil
1 T olive oil
1 T unsalted butter
2 T all purpose flour
2 C whole milk
1 t dijon mustard
1 C greek yogurt
to taste salt
6 oz. chopped ham (or chicken, beef, or turkey… or omit the meat all-together)
2 C cheese (combo of any of these: cheddar, gruyere, monterey jack, or mozzarella), grated, 1/2 C reserved
pinch cayenne
1 t paprika

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Drizzle squash with 1 t olive oil and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast for about 1 hour, or until flesh is tender.
Heat a pan and add 1 T olive oil and butter. When it's hot, whisk in the flour. Cook for about 30 seconds. Whisk in milk, a little bit at a time, whisking until mostly smooth between additions. Bring to a simmer (but do not boil). Reduce heat to low and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat, stir in dijon, yogurt, and salt. Back on low heat, slowly add cheese, a bit at at time, whisking between additions until fairly smooth. Stir in ham. Continue to stir over low heat for about 2 minutes. Stir in cayenne and 3/4 t paprika. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Scrape squash from skin. Mash together in a greased 9x13 oven-proof baking dish. Stir in sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Sprinkle with reserved cheese and 1/4 t paprika.
Place baking dish on a baking sheet (in case it bubbles over). Bake on a rack in the upper portion of the oven for 15 minutes. Increase heat to 375F and bake for 15 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/spaghetti-squash-au-gratin/

Friday

19

December 2014

0

COMMENTS

Lentils on Crispy Sweet Potatoes

Written by Rachel, Posted in Dinner, Gluten Free, Herbs, Legumes, Lentils, Lunch, Main Dishes, Potatoes, Quick and Easy, Roasting, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I wonder if you may have some sweet potatoes left over from Thanksgiving. Hiding in the dark pantry, waiting to be used. Purchased with the best of intentions… Sound familiar? I was out of town for Thanksgiving, so I didn’t get to use any of my sweet potatoes. I had quite a collection. They needed to be cooked.

I thought that red lentils, with their slightly mushier texture, might be nice over top of some crispy sweet potatoes. I’ve done something similar with leftover chili served over crispy potatoes. Why not with lentils and sweet potatoes?!

I like crispy potatoes (sweet or regular) with lots of seasoning. This time I went with salt, cayenne, coriander, ginger, and pepper. I also really like potatoes with paprika and chili powder. Uhh luuuk it uhh laaat.

Sorrynotsorry.

Tossed with a bit of olive oil, onto a baking sheet, and into the oven.

I’d never tried red lentils before. I think I usually use green. Use whatever you have on hand. Just vary the cooking time depending on your lentil. (Red lentils cook a bit faster, like closer to 10 minutes, green lentils take a bit longer.) Okay? Okay.

Every once in a while it’s like the perfect storm and I have no garlic or onions in the house. Disaster!! Tim brought me some garlic yesterday. Relief! (Also, we aren’t completely out of onions, but are running low… if you were worried.)

The garlic cooks for just a minute, then some dijon, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of coriander, ginger, and salt is added.

They’d been added to the lentil pan, after the lentils were drained and set aside. Then added back in to mix it up with the other flavors.

Sweet potatoes pop out of the oven. Crispy outside, tender inside.

Sometimes I like to have cilantro with sweet potatoes. Like today. And like this time a few weeks ago.

It’s chopped up and plomped on top of the Greek yogurt, on top of the lentils, on top of the sweet potatoes.

Food tower.

This dish is best with a bit of each component in every bite.

I’ll show you what to do with any leftover lentils in January!

Happy Eating!

Lentils on Crispy Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 2

Lentils on Crispy Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

1 sweet potato, cubed
2 T olive oil
to taste salt
1/8 t cayenne
3/4 t coriander
1/4 t ginger
1/4 t pepper
1 C red lentils
2 C water
1 t olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T balsamic vinegar
1-2 t dijon mustard
to taste salt
pinch coriander
pinch ginger
Greek yogurt, for topping
cilantro, for topping

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
Toss sweet potatoes through pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes (or until they're done on the inside), flipping once halfway through.
Add lentils and water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes, or until lentils are cooked to desired tenderness. Drain lentils and rinse. Set aside.
Add 1 t olive oil to the lentil pan. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute over medium-low. Add vinegar, mustard, salt, coriander, and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds. Add lentils and cook for 3-5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Serve sweet potatoes topped with a scoop of lentils, a dollop of yogurt, and a sprinkle of cilantro.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/lentils-crispy-sweet-potatoes/

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Sides Archive

9

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Almond Butter Stir Fry

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4

1

Roasted Carrots with Honey and Almonds

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15

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Hearty Winter Salad with Dill Dressing

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5

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Spaghetti Squash au Gratin

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19

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Lentils on Crispy Sweet Potatoes

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