Thursday

20

September 2012

Tempeh and Lentil Stew

Written by Rachel, Posted in Dinner, Gluten Free, Legumes, Lentils, Main Dishes, Soups, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Tempeh and Lentil Stew

Recipe Type: Stew, Main, Dinner, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Vegan

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 60 mins

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 4

A hearty fall dish.

Ingredients

2 T olive oil
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3 small turnips, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 t salt (or to taste)
2 t smoked paprika
pinch ground ginger
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t red pepper flakes
pinch all spice
6-8 C vegetable stock
1 C lentils
4-8 oz. tempeh
1 C purÃƒ©ed pumpkin (I roasted fresh pumpkin, then purÃƒ©ed it)
1 C finely diced fresh (or canned) tomatoes
1 C rotini rice pasta
1 T apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Heat soup pot. Add olive oil. Add carrot, turnip, onion and seasonings, cook 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and tempeh, cook 2 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except pasta and vinegar.
Bring to a boil, cook 30-60 minutes (or until lentils are soft).
Add pasta. Cook until al dente.
Add vinegar.
Taste and add more seasonings if desired.

Notes

Lentils are high in iron and are a good source of protein.
Additional veggies that could be included: spinach, chard, kale, cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli.

Wednesday

19

September 2012

Surprise Me – Episode 40

Written by Rachel, Posted in A Cooking Show with Rachel O, Abundant Harvest Organics, This Week's Feast, Thoughts

Every Tuesday after I pick up my Abundant Harvest Organics box I’m always so inspired by its contents. My brain floods with ideas. But, my menu and show are already planned.

This is my 40th episode. So, I thought I’d do something a little different. This is often what dinner preparation looks like at our house, or how menu planning happens. I stand at the cupboard or the fridge and see ingredients and all-of-a-sudden have a vision for dinner.

I’m not planning to make this a permanent change (unless I love it and it works really well, I suppose), but it’s something that’s fun for me. It’s how I cook best – not following a recipe. We’ll see how it goes…

Oh and there are bloopers too, because I wanted there to be.

The above was written before filming, now it’s after I’ve filmed, and I want to write a few things down before I clean up. This was a really yummy dish. Normally, I’m an add or subtract to a dish kinda person. You may do this here too. BUT, know that if you do, you won’t get the full effect of the deliciousness. You see, every ingredient was carefully chosen to go along with the broccoli (the star). I had a bite with just pasta and while it was good, it was nothing compared to a bite with broccoli, carrot, cheese, almond, bacon, egg, and sauce. I don’t normally eat the whole bowl of food after I film. But, I’ll admit that there was almost nothing left today. And for once it wasn’t just because I’d forgotten to eat lunch and was starving.

OK, enough about the dish. Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

Happy Eating!

Broccoli Penne

Last modified on 2012-09-19 19:26:03 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Broccoli Penne

Recipe Type: Main, Pasta

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 3-4

Roasted broccoli and carrots are paired with a fried egg, bacon, almonds, and a delicious sauce… oh and don’t forget the pasta!

Ingredients

2 heads broccoli, cut into large pieces (use the stem too – cut/peel the tough outside and use the tender inside)
1 carrot, grated
pinch cayenne
1/2 t garlic powder
salt
pepper
1 t or half a sprig fresh tarragon
1/2 t fresh oregano
1/2 sprig fresh thyme
1 T dijon mustard
1/2 C balsamic vinegar (reduced to about 2-3 T)
2-4 T olive oil
3/4 – 1 C pasta water
1 slice bacon/serving (for topping)
1/4 C parmesan cheese (for topping)
1/4 C almonds (for topping)
1 egg/serving (for topping)
penne pasta

Instructions

Toss broccoli with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast broccoli at 400F for 20 minutes. Halfway through add grated carrots (also tossed with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper).
Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta, reduce balsamic vinegar (watch carefully so it doesn’t burn), and cook bacon.
Whisk together the mustard, reduced balsamic vinegar, herbs, cayenne, garlic powder, salt, pepper. Stream in 2-3 T olive oil as you whisk. Add the pasta water.
Right before serving, fry the egg(s) (I cooked mine covered so the top would set quicker).
Combine pasta, sauce, and veggies. Top with an egg, 1 halved piece of bacon, almonds, and parmesan cheese.

This dish can be found on Tuesday of this week’s menu!

This episode is sponsored by

Abundant Harvest Organics

Bari Olive Oil Company

Llano Seco Organic Pork

Molly Jenson

Waterfall Creative

Wednesday

19

September 2012

2

COMMENTS

Broccoli Penne

Written by Rachel, Posted in Baking, Cheese, Dinner, Eggs, Inspired By, Main Dishes, Meat, Pasta, Pork, Roasting, Sauces, Vegetables

Broccoli Penne

Recipe Type: Main, Pasta

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 3-4

Roasted broccoli and carrots are paired with a fried egg, bacon, almonds, and a delicious sauce… oh and don’t forget the pasta!

Ingredients

2 heads broccoli, cut into large pieces (use the stem too – cut/peel the tough outside and use the tender inside)
1 carrot, grated
pinch cayenne
1/2 t garlic powder
salt
pepper
1 t or half a sprig fresh tarragon
1/2 t fresh oregano
1/2 sprig fresh thyme
1 T dijon mustard
1/2 C balsamic vinegar (reduced to about 2-3 T)
2-4 T olive oil
3/4 – 1 C pasta water
1 slice bacon/serving (for topping)
1/4 C parmesan cheese (for topping)
1/4 C almonds (for topping)
1 egg/serving (for topping)
penne pasta

Instructions

Toss broccoli with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast broccoli at 400F for 20 minutes. Halfway through add grated carrots (also tossed with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper).
Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta, reduce balsamic vinegar (watch carefully so it doesn’t burn), and cook bacon.
Whisk together the mustard, reduced balsamic vinegar, herbs, cayenne, garlic powder, salt, pepper. Stream in 2-3 T olive oil as you whisk. Add the pasta water.
Right before serving, fry the egg(s) (I cooked mine covered so the top would set quicker).
Combine pasta, sauce, and veggies. Top with an egg, 1 halved piece of bacon, almonds, and parmesan cheese.

Monday

17

September 2012

0

COMMENTS

Socially Awkward?

Written by Rachel, Posted in Thoughts

I don’t know why I chose that title. This isn’t a post about awkwardness at all. But it is a post about social media. Which, can get awkward… so let’s just go with it.

I’ve been blogging for a good while now. By that, I mean a year. It’s not really a long time. But, in terms of social media, it is kinda. I can remember a time when there was no Facebook (gasp). I didn’t use Twitter until a few months ago (and I’ll admit that I’m still not as fond of it as some might be). I can also remember a time when we didn’t have internet at home (faint from shock). It’s not that I’m thaaaat old, it’s that social media as a whole is pretty young.

So I’m trying to stay with the trends, be hip like the young kids (OK, maybe I am old)… whatev… I’m on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+ (reluctantly, I’m not a huge fan, but have 2 friends who like it best)… is that all of them? I may still have a Xanga profile too, somewhere out there in the internet void.

Why might you care? Well, I post on here, of course. But, I also, and often, post in other places. I have loved taking photos for as long as I can remember. I dragged my feet when digital cameras came along. I wanted to do it the real way, with film. I’m over that now. I still have my film cameras, but I don’t use them (sad, but true). And now that I have a smartphone (ahem, that I have only had for a few months… welcome to the 21st century, Rachel O!), well, I just ran out of room for photos yesterday… did I mention that I’ve only had the phone since June? So I like to post photos on Instagram (AKA addicted). I also often post random thoughts on Facebook and Twitter. So I’m telling you because you might care to follow me, so you don’t miss out.

You can find me on Instagram at de_ma_cuisineÃ‚

on Twitter

and of course here I am on Facebook.

Friday

14

September 2012

2

COMMENTS

It’s All About the KitchenAid Hand Blender

Written by Rachel, Posted in Reviews, Thoughts

I love kitchen gadgets. At Christmas, fill my stocking with whisks and spatulas, for my birthday wrap up a French Press and some prep bowls and I’m a happy girl. Seriously. I tell Husband (and he agrees) that I’m really easy to shop for.

A few years ago for Christmas, Husband bought me a KitchenAid Immersion Blender. I loved it! I used it all the time. I still love it. A little more recently, KitchenAid sent me a really nice Hand Blender to reviewÃ‚ (Insert excitedÃ‚ shriek)! I’ve used it and now I want to tell you about it.

Here are some of the things I’m loving!

It comes in a storage container, so all the parts aren’t just getting lost in my kitchen drawers.

Many of the components are dishwasher safe (obviously the motor body and adapters are not).

The chopperÃ‚ attachmentÃ‚ (I call it a mini food processor). This might be my most used method of blending. Having it makes things like salsa so simple! Literally, all the ingredients were roughly chopped and thrown in, and done: homemade salsa in about 5 minutes. Oh, and I don’t have a regular food processor (sad, I know – I also don’t have a stand mixer… sigh… I’m saving up for one) so this was a big deal to get this extra prize!

The blending pitcher is also awesome! It’s perfect for making smoothies, or you know, things you’d like to pour.

The whisk attachment whipped up some cream in minutes! It was way faster than the hand mixer that I have. (You know, the hand held thing with the two beaters at the end, that I’ve been using for almost 6 years now without complaint, but am so glad to have something to replace at least some of the time? Ya that thing.)

There’s a multi-purpose blade that’s for things like shredding meat and crushing ice (awesome!!). The S-blade is for things like smoothies (yes!), cooked veggies, soups. There’s even a frother/beater – hello pancake batter and lattÃƒ©s!

It’s purty.

I’ve used it to make quite a few things. Here are some of my favorites:Ã‚ Salsa,Ã‚ Peachish Delight,Ã‚ Peach SorbetÃ‚ (I added basil to my version – delicious!),Ã‚ Crackers, Whipped Cream, Smoothies… the possibilities are pretty limitless.

I’ve used it on my show a few times, to make: A coating for anÃ‚ Almond and Black Pepper Crusted Roast Pork, Roasted Tomato Soup (have you made this yet? Oh man! It’s so goooooood!!)… I used my original KitchenAid Immersion Blender to make my Mashed Potato Soup.

I love that I can use it for things like the aforementioned (I don’t think I’ve ever used that word before – it makes me feel smart… then I give myself away by telling you…) soup without worrying that I’m going to have a blender explosion like the first time I made a homemade Tomato Soup. (Have I told you about this before? I referred to it in the Mashed Potato Soup episode, but I don’t know if you knew that I knew this from experience. In case you don’t know what happened: boiling hot tomato soup, blender, lid on with middle plug part still in, blender on, steam making lid get all soft and wobbly, hot soup flying everywhere, middle plug part detaching itself and falling into the still running blender, soup on the walls, counter, and me. I laughed, because it was either laugh or cry.)

In case you haven’t already figured it out, this KitchenAid Hand Blender is a total kitchen gadgetÃ‚ win for me. I love it! If you purchase one, I hope you love it too! And that you use it to make many many yummy things.

Like this salsa (to be served with your favorite chip pieces – someone needs to go to the grocery store).