Monday

2

March 2015

0

COMMENTS

Mac and Cheese with Veggies and Beans

Written by Rachel, Posted in Beans, Cheese, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Legumes, Main Dishes, Pasta, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Some nights I need something super simple for dinner. Mac and cheese is one of those meals that really hits the spot. It’s comforting, easy to make, and can be packed with veggies and protein.

Today I had a ton of broccoli on hand. I made “pasta” out of the stems yesterday, but the florets needed to be used up.

They’re tossed in the skillet, with some olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne for a hint of spice.

While the broccoli cooks, the sauce comes together (and the pasta boils away). My mission was gluten-free, so I used some ground up flax seeds soaked in milk, and blended chickpeas to thicken. The sauce wasn’t as smooth as I’ve ever had, but it tasted really good.

Added to the nicely thickened sauce is tons of grated gouda. This cheese is seriously good. I could have eaten that whole block on my own, if I had had crackers on hand. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t.

I had bow tie pasta on hand. I’m a use what’s in the house kinda cook. But, if I was making this a second time, I might consider using fusilli or penne pasta (there are some delicious rice pastas out there).

Everything gets combined then sprinkled with a touch more paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Just for fun. I like to let it stand for 5-10 minutes so everything can get good and set before serving. But, if you can’t wait, I understand.

This dish would work no matter what veggies are in season. In spring you could use asparagus or snap peas. In the summer you could try summer squash or bell peppers. When fall and winter come back around again, butternut squash, cauliflower, or kohlrabi would be nice. No matter what the veggies are, it’s great on its own. But, I also think that it would be great topped with a fried egg (isn’t everything?!) or with some cooked and chopped meat mixed in (ham, bacon, chicken, turkey, beef… pretty much anything would be tasty).

Happy Eating!

Mac and Cheese with Veggies and Beans

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Mac and Cheese with Veggies and Beans

Ingredients

1 T flax seeds, ground
2 C milk (divided 3 T, then 1 3/4 C plus 1 T)
1/2 C chickpeas (blended) or hummus
1 t dijon mustard
4 oz. pasta (any kind - rice pasta is great)
1 T olive oil
4 C broccoli (or cauliflower, carrots, kohlrabi, asparagus, snap peas, summer squash, bell peppers, or butternut squash)
to taste salt
to taste pepper
pinch cayenne
1/2 t paprika
1/4 C reserved pasta water
2 C gouda, grated
1/2 C parmesan cheese, grated
paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper for sprinkling
lemon slices for serving

Instructions

Mix ground flax seeds with milk. Let it stand for 15 minutes (it will get kinda gelatinous).
Heat remaining milk and milk-flax mixture in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add chickpeas/hummus and dijon, stir to combine, and cook for about 5 minutes more.
Cook pasta.
Heat skillet, add olive oil, broccoli salt, pepper, cayenne, and paprika. Cook over medium or medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
Add pasta water to sauce. Remove from heat. Whisk in cheeses. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Stir in pasta and broccoli. Top with a sprinkle of paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
Let stand for about 5-10 minutes. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Notes

Prep and cooking time includes active and inactive components.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/mac-and-cheese-with-veggies-and-beans/

Wednesday

25

February 2015

0

COMMENTS

Broccoli and Cauliflower Stem “Pasta”

Written by Rachel, Posted in Cheese, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Lunch, Main Dishes, Nuts, Pasta, Roasting, Vegetables, Vegetarian

You ever have one of those nights when you’re all ready to make dinner and then you realize that you’re missing one of the key ingredients? I know I have. Just today I realized that I don’t have enough beans to make the Enchilada Casserole and the Mac and Cheese with Pinto Beans that I have planned for tonight’s dinner and tomorrow’s lunch. So, I’ll improvise. The mac and cheese will likely end up with garbonzo beans. It may even end up as a better dish.

This happens to me with pasta sometimes. For all of the planning and organizing that I do, I still miss things. Or, something changes and I need an easy dish. Pasta’s a great one for that. But, when I’m out? Well, now that doesn’t matter so much. I have a solution.

Veggie scraps and stems don’t usually go to waste in our home, because I use them to make stock and then they’re composted. But, what if they could be used for eating?! I mean, there’s a ton of goodness that is being wasted, even if it is going towards the garden.

I sliced off the tough outer peel. Then, with a vegetable peeler (a mandolin would work here too), I sliced, or peeled them super thin.

Then they steamed for about 10 minutes. And, much to my delight, had the consistency and texture of fresh homemade cooked pasta.

Winner!

The stems cooked up while some brussels sprouts roasted. I know that some don’t think they like brussels. I didn’t until a few years ago either. I suspect because I’d never had them roasted. For me, pretty much any veggie roasted will be a hit.

I tossed them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Super simple.

I thought that, rather than getting a baking sheet dirty, I might as well use an oven proof skillet and roast them in there. They turned out just perfect!

And then it all came together. A bit of butter, some olive oil, dijon mustard, and some seasonings were added to the pan. They didn’t have long to cook.

I took it off the heat, added those cooked “pasta” stems, and a good squeeze of lemon.

A handful of fresh parsley from the garden completed things.

It would be great topped with a fried egg, alongside a freshly baked baguette, or, as I ate it, just on it’s own, topped with parmesan and crunchy almonds.

I ate my portion and then picked out the rest of the brussels sprouts and ate them. Sometimes I have a hard time sharing.

Happy Eating!

Broccoli and Cauliflower Stem “Pasta”

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 21 minutes

Total Time: 46 minutes

Yield: 2

Broccoli and Cauliflower Stem “Pasta”

Ingredients

1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, quartered
1 t olive oil
to taste salt
to taste pepper
2 1/2 - 3 C broccoli and cauliflower stems, thinly sliced or shaved (a veggie peeler works great)
3 T unsalted butter
1 T olive oil
1 t fresh rosemary (or 1/2 t dried), chopped
1/4 t dried thyme (or 1/2 t fresh)
pinch cayenne
to taste salt
to taste pepper
pinch ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t dijon mustard
1-2 T fresh parsley, chopped
2 T lemon juice
1-2 T parmesan, shaved
2-4 T almonds, chopped

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 425F. Toss brussels sprouts with 1 t olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place in an oven proof skillet cut side down. Roast for 10 minutes, flip carefully to the other cut side, and roast for 7-10 minutes more.
Bring 1" water to a boil in a pot with a steamer basket and lid. Place shaved stems in the steamer basket and cover. Steam for 5-10 minutes, or until tender.
Remove skillet with brussels sprouts from the oven. Place on the stove top (being careful of the handle which will be very hot). Add butter through dijon, and cook over medium-low heat for about a minute, stirring often. Remove from heat. Add parsley, lemon juice, and steamed stems. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve topped with parmesan and almonds.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/broccoli-and-cauliflower-stem-pasta/

Monday

23

February 2015

0

COMMENTS

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Beet and Carrot Soup

Written by Rachel, Posted in Dairy-Free, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Lunch, Main Dishes, Roasting, Soups, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

If you are into time travel and happen to meet up with my younger self, please don’t tell her that she will grow to love beets. She will surely not believe you and may even laugh in your face.

I am not a believer in time travel, if you were wondering. But, we just watched the Back to the Future trilogy, and being married to Tim, we discuss time travel way more than I ever thought I would. So it’s on my mind more often than I would have ever thought it would be… But then again, I never thought I’d like beets, sooooooo…

If I could time travel, I think I’d go to a point in history when Julia Child was alive, so I could meet her, preferably in Paris, at a dinner party at her house, after we’d become best friends during one of her L’école des trois gourmandes classes. Maybe we’d even enjoy beets together, since I would be taking my love of beets with me wherever I time traveled to.

Yes, beets. I love them. I am sad when they’re gone. It’s a pretty good life lesson, if I stop and think about it. There are so many things that I think I don’t like. Maybe I really and truly don’t like them. But, with the right additions, with the right complimentary flavors, after trying and failing a few times, maybe they will become not just not as bad as I’d thought, but a favorite.

For this soup, beets are most certainly the star. They bring a sweet, earthy depth to it that’s like nothing else. Combined with (also sweet) carrots, it’s just a fabulous combination. They stained my hands red when I was peeling them (making me wonder how they’d do as an Easter egg dye) (if that would bother you, you could wear gloves), but it washed off with a good scrubbing.

The cauliflower in this dish adds a bit of crunch and, well technically a lack of color, that looks kinda awesome with the red soup. I cooked it separately and added it at the end so that it wouldn’t turn pink. If you don’t care as much, you can add it to the soup with the beets and carrots.

The base of the soup is basically (ha, no pun intended) olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and vegetable stock. There’s a bit of salt and pepper, and some heat from cayenne. That’s it. It’s a simple one.

The carrots and beets take a while longer to roast than the cauliflower, so they get a head start.

Don’t worry, the cauliflower will catch up.

Roasted cauliflower and broccoli are one of my favorite sides. Probably ever. I can’t get enough of how crispy and nutty they get in the oven.

The beets and carrots are added to the boiling stock. They’ll all simmer away for a few minutes. Then it’s ladled into a bowl, topped with some cauliflower, lemon juice, and dill. I haven’t decided if I like it better with or without the dill. I mean, I like it both ways, so I’d say add it if you want to.

I made a very different beet soup a few weeks ago that was not yummy. I added a few too many bitter root veggies that threw off the taste. So, my expectations for this soup were admittedly not very high. This soup pleasantly surprised me with how flavorful it was. I liked it so much that I put my spoon down and slurped the last of the broth out of the bowl.

The real test will be if Tim likes it. He doesn’t yet know that he loves beets like I do. 😉

Happy Eating!

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Beet and Carrot Soup

Ingredients

1 large beet (about 2 C), peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
3 t olive oil, divided
to taste salt
to taste pepper
3 carrots (about 1 1/2 C), cut into 1/2" chunks
1/4 head of cauliflower (about 2 C), cut into bite sized pieces
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 T balsamic vinegar
4 C vegetable stock
2 C water
to taste salt
to taste pepper
good sprinkle cayenne
lemon slices, for serving
1/2 t dill (optional), finely chopped, for topping

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
Toss beets with 1 t olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake on the top rack for 15 minutes.
Toss carrots with 1 t olive oil, some salt and pepper. Stir beets and add carrots, cook for 15 minutes more.
Toss cauliflower with 1 t olive oil, place on a baking sheet. Stir beets and carrots and move to a rack in the lower portion of the oven. Place cauliflower on the upper rack. Roast for 10-15 minutes.
Remove beets and carrots from the oven. Flip cauliflower, and roast 10 minutes more.
Heat soup pot over medium-low. Add 1 T olive oil. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for 30 seconds more. Add stock through cayenne. Bring to a boil, add beets and carrots* and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Spoon into bowls, topping the soup with cauliflower, lemon, and a tiny bit of dill.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/sweet-and-spicy-roasted-beet-and-carrot-soup/

Monday

16

February 2015

0

COMMENTS

Vegetarian Lasagne

Written by Rachel, Posted in Cheese, Dinner, Eggs, Fruit, Herbs, Main Dishes, Pasta, Roasting, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I think that homemade pasta is one of the most rewarding things to eat. Maybe after baguettes… maybe tied. In any case, gosh it’s good. Every time I make it I swear that I’m never buying pasta again (and then I totally do). Since homemade lasagne is one of Tim’s favorite meals, I know that I’ve always got a winner on my hands when I combine the two.

If you’re not quite up to the homemade pasta challenge, that’s totally fine. But, if you are, I used a recipe from Alana Chernila’s cookbook, The Homemade Pantry. It turned out great. In the past, I’ve used another recipe that called for waaaaay more eggs. I thought that this one tasted just as good, and it only called for three eggs. Winner.

Making homemade pasta is a seriously time consuming task. It’s well worth it though. It was nice to be forced to do just one thing. To stand and wait for the pasta to roll through the attachment that I have for my KitchenAid. How often am I still, just listening to the food as it’s being shaped? Not often enough.

Maybe because I was already tuned in, I noticed the way the sage popped and crackled after I took it out of the pan of hot browned butter.

Things like this make my heart a little bit lighter.

Once the pasta was rolled out and drying, once the sage was cooked and set aside, fresh greens were chopped up for the tomatoey sauce. Tons of greens. I used chard, collards, and white choi. Any greens that you have on hand will do just fine.

Now, here’s where I need to make a small note. I used diced tomatoes in the greens. My preference would be tomato sauce. But, since I’d already spent like five hours on the dish at this point, I didn’t want to take an extra ten minutes to blend the tomatoes. Tim didn’t mind them diced though. So, just a note that you could do it either way, and I think it would be great. Ok? Ok.

I roasted some butternut squash. This recipe needs about the equivalent of one large squash. I had two on the counter, so I roasted them both at the same time. One for this dish, another to go in the freezer for another time. The squash is mixed with some salt and pepper. Easy.

I went simple when it came to the cheese in this dish. You could also add mozzarella or ricotta (or both!), if you want to. I’m not usually opposed to more cheese, ever. But, parmesan is what I had in the fridge, and I’m trying to be better at using what we have on hand.

I let the pasta dry while I cooked up the tomatoes and greens. Then, once everything else was ready, the pasta got a quick dunk in some boiling water. Just for a minute, if it’s fresh pasta (if you’re using store bought, follow the instructions on the package).

And finally, assembly time (which means closer to eating time). Greens in the bottom, noodle, squash, cheese, repeat. I made two individual ramekins for dinner, and then a loaf pan sized one to put into the freezer for another day. You could also make an 8x8ish pan and I think the amount of ingredients would come out about the same.

The lasagne is served topped with those crunchy sage leaves and a squeeze of lemon.

Happy Eating!

Vegetarian Lasagne

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Yield: 4

Vegetarian Lasagne

Ingredients

1 t olive oil
1 butternut squash, halved, seeds removed
10-12 lasagne noodles, fresh if you have them
2 T butter, divided
8 sage leaves
6-8 C greens (any greens will do: chard, collards, red or white choi, bok choy, kale, spinach, Tokyo bekana, mizuna...)
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 T balsamic vinegar
2-3 C diced tomatoes (or 3 C tomato sauce)
to taste salt
to taste pepper
pinch cayenne
1 1/2 C parmesan cheese, grated
lemon slices, for serving

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Drizzle squash with olive oil. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast for 60 minutes (or until flesh pierces easily with a fork). Scoop out flesh and mix with some salt and pepper.
While squash roasts, heat skillet over medium heat. Add 1 T butter. Fry sage, 1 minute per side. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add 1 T butter to the sage skillet and turn the heat down to medium-low. Add greens, salt, and pepper. Wilt down, turning often, for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomatoes through cayenne. Increase heat to medium and simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Par cook lasagne noodles in boiling salted water for about 1 minute (fresh) (or according to package directions for store bought). Remove with a slotted spoon and spread out on a plate.
In a greased 8x8 or 9x9 oven proof pan (or 2 individual ramekins and 1 loaf pan), spread a bit of the tomato mixture on the bottom, top with a noodle, a scoop of squash, and some cheese. Repeat 4 or 5 times, or until pan is full or ingredients are gone, ending with squash and cheese.
Bake for about 30 minutes.
Serve topped with crumbled sage leaves and a squeeze of lemon.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/vegetarian-lasagne/

Thursday

12

February 2015

2

COMMENTS

Cornmeal Pancakes with Almond Butter and Apples

Written by Rachel, Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Eggs, Fruit, Gluten Free, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Main Dishes, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

Breakfast food is good any time of the day. Take these pancakes for example. They’re simple enough to whip up in the morning when it’s a little earlier than you might like to be up. And, they’re filling enough to be eaten for lunch or dinner.

I’ve made cornmeal pancakes quite a few times before. I’ve written about different ways that I like to top them. Of course, they’re amazing just out of the skillet with nothing but maple syrup. But, I love to make a pancake breakfast (or lunch or dinner) into a hearty meal, so I like to add a bunch of toppings.

Today, I went with Burroughs Family Farms almond butter. If you haven’t tried it before, you are missing out… It’s seriously good stuff. (It would also be great on Stuffed French Toast, if you’re looking for another way to use it.) I thought that apples would be great with the almond butter (whatever fruit is in season will work: pears, persimmons, peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries… they’d all be amazing, or if you’ve got some homemade Peach Sauce, that would be delicious too). Then for a bit of brightness, I added some lemon zest. Do this. So tasty!

The pancake basics come together pretty quickly. The dry ingredients are whisked together separately from the wet ones. The wet ones include a Burroughs Family Farm egg. Love the color of that yolk!

Everyone gets whisked together to make a not too thin, not too thick batter.

These are smaller pancakes (which is why I can eat the whole batch on my own if I’m not careful). Just 2-3 tablespoons of batter is all that you’ll need for each one.

They cook a bit quicker than regular pancakes too. They just need about one minute on each side.

And then they’re ready to be topped with that almond butter.

Go for it!

You can top each one with apples and stack ’em, or just arrange them on the plate. Then add some lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon, and some maple syrup. If you wanted to make this meal even better, you could add a fried egg on the side… because a fried egg makes pretty much any meal just that much yummier. 😉

Happy Eating!

Print
Cornmeal Pancakes with Almond Butter and Apples

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2
Serving Size: 4-5 small pancakes

Ingredients
1 apple, chopped
1 t lemon juice
1/2 C cornmeal
1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
pinch salt
1 egg
1/2 T maple syrup
1 t coconut oil (plus more for cooking)
1/4 C buttermilk (or 1 T white vinegar and pour in milk to 1/4 C, stir with a fork and let sit 5 min)
almond butter, for serving
lemon zest, for serving
maple syrup, for serving
lemon juice, for serving
Instructions
Toss apples with lemon juice. Set aside.
Whisk together cornmeal through salt. In a separate bowl whisk egg through buttermilk. Add wet ingredients to dry. Stir to combine.
Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add a bit of coconut oil. When oil is hot add about 2-3 T of the batter. Cook for about 1 minute on first side (or until bubbles appear and do not pop), then another minute (or less) on the second side. Cook in batches until all batter has been used.
Serve topped with almond butter, apples, lemon zest, maple syrup, and lemon juice.
3.1
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/cornmeal-pancakes-with-almond-butter-and-apples/

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Mac and Cheese with Veggies and Beans

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Broccoli and Cauliflower Stem “Pasta”

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Sweet and Spicy Roasted Beet and Carrot Soup

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Vegetarian Lasagne

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