Monday

1

September 2014

Irish Nachos

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Cheese, Dinner, Gluten Free, Herbs, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Main Dishes, Potatoes, Quick and Easy, Roasting, Sides, Snacks, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Confession: I’ve never actually had Irish Nachos. I’ve seen some pictures though, so maybe that counts for something. Tim had them once when he was out with friends. He came home and talked about how good they were.

They seemed like something that I could make.

It all starts with potatoes. You could slice them thin and round if you’d like. I cut them in to chunks because it’s quick and easy.

I need more quick and easy when it comes to meal preparations.

Since we get a weekly box of produce from Abundant Harvest Organics, I try to add as many veggies as possible to our meals. The longer I do it the easier it is and now it’s become second nature. All the times that I’ve made my Irish Nachos, I’ve added some sort of greens. I just love their flavor when they’re roasted.

This particular version of Irish Nachos has more veggies than Tim would prefer (just a little too piled on for him). I’ve made them two or three other times with less. He liked those better. So use my recipe as a suggestion box and tweak it and adapt it to suit your family.

I feel like Irish Nachos ought to have some sort of green onion sprinkled over top. That might just be me. In any case, I really like what they add to the dish.

Crisped up potatoes are gathered into piles.

Mmmmm piles of potatoes.

Then all of the toppings are piled on. You can do them in whatever order you’d like.

Don’t forget the cheese. They are nachos after all.

Since I recently cut a bunch of corn off the cob, I’m using it in everything. Summer Pizza, Squash and Egg Wraps, and Quinoa Salads… It’s good to have corn on hand.

My favorite part, whenever there’s hot cheese involved, are the crispy bits of cheeeeeese. Every last bit needs to be scraped off the pan.

Every last bit.

Happy Eating!

Irish Nachos

Recipe Type: Main, Dinner, Side, Snack, Potatoes, Vegetarian

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

4 potatoes, cut into long chunks
1 T olive oil
1/2 t (or more) salt
to taste pepper
1/2 to 1 C greens (collards, kale, spinach, chard) cut in a chiffonade (thin ribbons)
1/2 to 1 C green onions (or chives), chopped
1/2 to 1 C cheese, grated
2 cobs corn, cut off the cob
yogurt, for topping
lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
Toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on 1-2 baking sheets (don’t overcrowd them – use two sheets if needed), and bake for 15 minutes, flip them (and rotate the position in the oven if using two sheets), and bake about 15 minutes more (or until potatoes are crispy outside, tender inside).
Gather potatoes into piles (as many piles as there are people eating), and top with greens, onions, cheese, and corn. Bake for 10 minutes more.
Serve topped with yogurt and a squeeze of lemon.

Thursday

14

August 2014

0

COMMENTS

How To Dry and Pair Summer Herbs

Written by Rachel, Posted in Herbs, How To, Storage/Prep

If you walked into my kitchen, at most any time of the year, you’d see herbs at various stages in the drying process.

Usually they start in the fridge, in a glass, with a bit of water in the bottom. This is my favorite way to store fresh herbs, as they will sometimes last a week or two.

Once they’re past their prime, or if I don’t have plans to use them soon, I will wash them and lay them on a clean tea towel to dry. I leave them there for a week or two, or until they’re crispy and crumbly.

Dried herbs are stripped from their stems and stored in a labeled glass jar with a lid.

I have jars filled with most of the herbs we get from Abundant Harvest Organics in my pantry. Fresh is usually best, in my opinion, but I’m always happy to have things like basil and oregano on hand, no matter what state it is in.

We enjoy Italian flavors a lot in our home, so having a jar of an Italian herb blend always comes in handy. It’s perfect for anything from pizzas and calzones, to pastas and soups. This week I combined some of my favorites: basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, and rosemary.

They are smashed up and mixed together with a mortar and pestle before being stored in a jar for the next time we have Italian inspired pasta (which will probably be tonight).

Since it’s summer right now, let’s talk about a few of the summer herbs that we’ve been getting, and what they will pair well with (I often find ideas for what pairs well together in one of my favorite kitchen tools, The Flavor Bible).

Basil

Herbs Basil Pairs Well With

Chives

Cilantro

Oregano

Parsley

Rosemary

Thyme

Marjoram

Mint

Foods Basil Pairs Well With

Cheese

Eggs

Garlic

Olive Oil

Fennel

Pasta

Pesto

Tomatoes

Zucchini

Cuisines Basil Can Be Found In

Asian

Italian

Mediterranean

Thai

Vietnamese

Great Ways to Use Basil

Fresh Herb and Dried Tomato Bruschetta

Basil and Summer Squash Risotto

Fresh Fruit and Basil Stuffed French Toast

English Peas with Ricotta and Ham over Pasta

Roasted Stuffed Squash

Oregano

Herbs Oregano Pairs Well With

Basil

Marjoram

Chives

Parsley

Rosemary

Sage

Thyme

Foods Oregano Pairs Well With

Bell Peppers

Fish

Lemon

Meats

Pasta

Pizza

Tomatoes

Cuisines Oregano Can Be Found In

Greek

Italian

Mediterranean

Mexican

Tex-Mex

Great Ways to Use Oregano

Dried Tomatoes

Herbed Roasted Chicken Thighs with Cherry Tomatoes

Simple Summer Salad

Roasted Stuffed Squash

Sage

Herbs Sage Pairs Well With

Lemon Balm

Lemon Thyme

Thyme

Rosemary

Savory

Parsley

Oregano

Mint

Marjoram

Foods Sage Pairs Well With

Fennel

Beans

Cheese

Chicken

Onions

Pork

Pasta

Stuffing

Eggplant

Cuisines Sage Can Be Found In

European

French

Greek

Italian

Mediterranean

Spanish

Great Ways to Use Sage

Roasted Stuffed Squash

Roasted Lemon Balm Chicken

Sage Pesto

Mint

Herbs Mint Pairs Well With

Basil

Chives

Cilantro

Dill

Lavender

Lemongrass

Lemon Verbena

Marjoram

Parsley

Rosemary

Sage

Thyme

Foods Mint Pairs Well With

Beans

Chocolate

Cream

Ice Cream

Cucumbers

Fruit

Lamb

Salads

Sugar

Yogurt

Cuisines Mint Can Be Found In

Afghan

Asian

Egyptian

Greek

Indian

Mediterranean

Mexican

Middle Eastern

Moroccan

Thai

Turkish

Vietnamese

Great Ways to Use Mint

Mediterranean Summer Salad

Mint Iced Tea

Indian Spiced Okra

Fun Drinks with Summer Herbs

Happy Eating!

Thursday

17

July 2014

0

COMMENTS

How To Dry Tomatoes

Written by Rachel, Posted in Canning, Condiments, Dairy-Free, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Roasting, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Tomatoes are such a great fruit. It’s weird that we use them like a vegetable when they’re not one.

I’m ok with that.

They go with so much, they can be used in so many different ways.

The possibilities are pretty endless.

Around here, the growing season for local tomatoes is pretty long. We’ve been getting them in our Abundant Harvest Organics box for about two months now.

We’re very fortunate.

But, that doesn’t mean we don’t need to preserve them and make them last as long as possible.

I opted to dry the tomatoes by slow roasting them in the oven at a low temperature.

I love the intense flavor that roasting brings.

I’ve always called this type of tomato a “sun-dried tomato”. But, since I did not dry them in the sun, I didn’t want to lie.

Also, if I’d tried to dry them in the sun I have a feeling that a curious dog might have enjoyed a snack. They are safer in the oven.

It’s simple: tomatoes, olive oil, and salt.

Tomatoes are sliced thin, but not too thin. No thinner than a quarter of an inch please.

Trust me.

They will burn.

But, the dog will be happy because he will get a treat.

Dried tomatoes are just perfection. A fabulous way to make summer tomatoes last a little longer.

Or, in our case, a fun new way to enjoy them. As they will soon be eaten.

Since the base recipe is simple, it leaves so many options for flavoring the oil they are stored in.

I opted to make a jar of simple Italian-style, with basil, oregano, and garlic.

Other yummy options would be:

Red pepper flakes, garlic, and rosemary.

Cilantro, oregano, and jalapeño (dry the jalapeños the same way as the tomatoes).

Rosemary and garlic.

Bay leaf, garlic, and rosemary.

Dill, lemon thyme, and garlic.

Fennel seeds, garlic, and basil.

Thyme, rosemary, and oregano.

Lemon zest, basil, and garlic.

I want to make them all!

I’ve stored them in the fridge and plan to use them quickly, on bruschetta, in pasta, and on pizza.

The olive oil, which will become a delicious flavored oil, will be used as well.

We don’t waste food around here if we can help it. 😉

Happy Eating!

Kitchen Basics: Drying Tomatoes

Recipe Type: Condiment, Preserving, Roasting, Drying, Vegetarian, Fruit

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Preserve summer’s beautiful tomatoes by drying them and storing them in olive oil.

Ingredients

2 tomatoes, sliced 1/4″ thick (no thinner, or they will burn)
1-2 T olive oil
to taste salt
1 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 to 3/4 C olive oil

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 250F.
Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Place tomatoes in a single layer on the silpat or parchment paper. Drizzle generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 3 hours, turning occasionally, until tomatoes are nicely dried.
Cool completely and combine in a half pint jar with herbs, garlic, and olive oil. Store in the refrigerator.

Notes

Yields: one half pint, including the oil.

3.2.1303

Wednesday

26

February 2014

1

COMMENTS

Mushroom and Prosciutto Flatbread – for AJ

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Baking, Brunch, Cheese, Dinner, Fruit, Herbs, Lunch, Meat, Pizza, Pork, Quick and Easy, Sides, Snacks, Vegetables

Alexandra Joy is a busy new mom. She has a four month old daughter named Clover (hello cutest name ever!) and is the owner of Pink & Honey Event Styling. Yet she still makes the time to love on friends like me and tell people about my work. So I thought, what better dish for a tired mama than a quick flatbread?!

You need some cheese, mushrooms, and prosciutto.

Lemon, basil, and walnuts are a must. They transform this flatbread from “pretty great” to “putthisonthemenueveryweekforrealforrealforreal”.

It all goes onto a thin pizza crust that’s topped with some olive oil and salt. A tired mom could do that, right? (Seriously, I’m asking. I have no idea.)

This can be an appetizer (hello Oscar party!), a snack (what I’ve been eating all day), or a light dinner (falling asleep at the table is totally allowed).

I made it this morning. I’d already eaten breakfast (ok, like two hours before, but still…) and I couldn’t stop eating. I only had two slices, but I’m confident that I could have devoured ~~two or three more~~ the entire thing. Seriously good food.

The only problem is that I don’t want to share… I guess it’s a good thing that AJ lives about 1,150 miles away (actually, I’d rather she lived closer – I’d share).

I’m thankful for great friends and good food.

Happy Eating!

Mushroom and Prosciutto Flatbread

Recipe Type: Pizza, Flatbread, Oven, Appetizer, Dinner, Party Food

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

1 pizza crust
olive oil
to taste salt
to taste pepper (optional)
3/4 C mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/3 C (3 slices) prosciutto, chopped
1/2 C gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 C Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 C walnuts, chopped
fresh basil, chiffonade (or sliced into ribbons), for serving
lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

Pre-heat oven according to pizza crust recipe (I cooked it at 450F).
Thinly roll crust on a greased baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with cheese (reserving 1/4 C), mushrooms, prosciutto, walnuts, and remaining cheese.
Bake for about 10 minutes, or until crust is to desired crispiness and cheese is melted.
Serve topped with basil and a squeeze of lemon.

I used Alana’s crust from her The Homemade Pantry cookbook (p.172) and it was just perfect. I made it the night before and (as instructed) let it rise for about 15 hours. Fabulous!

Friday

10

January 2014

0

COMMENTS

Menu Planning Series – Part Two – The Menu

Written by Rachel, Posted in Menu Planning, Thoughts

Welcome to step two of our Menu Planning Series!

In this post we’re going to tackle the menu. It may be daunting, but you can do it!

Give yourself an hour or two.

Let’s plan.

(Week one talked about the reason and the research behind the menu plan. It also had the first step to menu planning.)

On to step two…

2. Make a week long calendar. Use pencil (or the computer – feel free to print off my menu template above). Write down the ideas and notes on a separate page and take them with you to the computer to peruse your favorite food blogs I’d suggest some of my favorites: De Ma Cuisine, Simple Bites, Abundant Harvest Kitchen, Gluten Free Girl, Eating from the Ground Up, Joy the Baker), or search through your preferred cookbooks or magazines. Bookmark online recipes, note page numbers from cookbooks, and tear out recipes from magazines. To begin it may be best to use just a few blogs, one cookbook, and one magazine, so it’s not too overwhelming.

3. Think about the types of foods that you like to eat and the ways they can be used. For example, I like to roast a whole chicken. If I plan to roast it on Monday, I know that there will be leftovers (since there are two of us eating). I can freeze the leftovers and use them to make Chicken and Rice Soup on Sunday. I can use the bones from the chicken to make stock for the soup. I could plan a Stir-Fry for Tuesday, doubling the amount of brown rice so I can freeze the leftovers for Sunday’s soup.

4. I like to write down ideas for the sides and main dishes, so I don’t forget something and end up with pasta three times and no rice or beans, and beef four nights in a row. I might start with some basics for sides: pasta, beans, rice, polenta, quinoa, potatoes.

Then I could expand each one to:

Pasta = spaghetti

Beans = chili

Rice = stir-fry

Polenta = cheesy polenta

Quinoa = quinoa risotto

Potatoes = crispy potatoes

Then I could move to adding proteins to the dishes:

Pasta = spaghetti and meatballs

Beans = chili with ground beef and beans

Rice = stir-fry with almonds or peanuts

Polenta = roasted chicken with cheesy polenta

Quinoa = quinoa risotto with ham

Potatoes = Crispy Potatoes with Chili and Cheese

Rice = Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

Next add your veggies and fruits:

Pasta = spaghetti and meatballs (with zucchini, bell pepper, onions, garlic, spinach, and tomatoes) with homemade caesar salad

Beans = chili with ground beef and beans (with tomatoes, bell pepper, onions, squash… the possibilities are endless!)

Rice = stir-fry with almonds or peanuts (with carrots, snap peas, onions, garlic, citrus, broccoli)

Polenta = roasted chicken with cheesy polenta with roasted broccoli and cauliflower

Quinoa = quinoa risotto with ham (with peas in the quinoa risotto) with roasted green beans

Potatoes = Crispy Potatoes with Chili and Cheese with a green salad with homemade vinaigrette

Rice = Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup (with peas, carrots, onions, garlic, squash)

Add any notes or extras:

Pasta = spaghetti and meatballs (with zucchini, bell pepper, onions, garlic, spinach, and tomatoes) with homemade caesar salad – serve with garlic bread, freeze leftover garlic bread to go along with Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup.

Beans = chili with ground beef and beans (with tomatoes, bell pepper, onions, squash… the possibilities are endless!) – serve with cornbread, re-heat leftover cornbread for breakfast tomorrow with a fried egg, freeze leftover garlic bread to go along with Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup, freeze leftover chili for Crispy Potatoes with Chili and Cheese.

Rice = stir-fry with almonds or peanuts (with carrots, snap peas, sprouts, onions, garlic, citrus, broccoli) – make a double batch of rice and freeze half for Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup.

Polenta = roasted chicken with cheesy polenta with roasted broccoli and cauliflower – leftover broccoli and cauliflower could be used in the Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup.

Quinoa = quinoa risotto with ham (with peas in the quinoa risotto) with roasted green beans – slice leftover ham for sandwiches for lunches, freeze cubed leftover ham for a Ham and Potato Chowder (meal idea for next week?), freeze small slices of ham to make Hawaiian pizza.

Potatoes = Crispy Potatoes with Chili and Cheese with a green salad with homemade vinaigrette – make extra vinaigrette and store it in the fridge for salads for lunches and for next week.

Rice = Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup (with peas, carrots, onions, garlic, squash) – serve with leftover cornbread or garlic bread.

Now that I’ve got my meals, I’d look at the calendar and figure out which days they will work best for. (Keeping in mind that I might not prefer to have the same food three days in a row, so spacing out the beef, for example. Also remembering not to put the leftover meals at the beginning of the week. ;))

Monday

Spaghetti and Meatballs

(with zucchini, bell pepper, onions, garlic, spinach, and tomatoes)

with homemade Caesar Salad

Serve with garlic twists. Freeze leftover garlic twists to go along with Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup.

Recipe from De Ma Cuisine.

Take chicken out to defrost for Wednesday.

Tuesday

Ginger-Citrus Stir-Fry with Almonds and Brown Rice

(with carrots, snap peas, sprouts, onions, garlic, citrus, broccoli)

Make a double batch of rice and freeze half for Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup.

Recipe from De Ma Cuisine.

Wednesday

Roasted Chicken with Cheesy Polenta with Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower

Leftover broccoli and cauliflower could be used in the Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup.

Recipe from De Ma Cuisine.

In polenta, substitute for savory with thyme, omit tomato and baking step. Take beef out to defrost for Thursday. If ham is large, take out to defrost for Friday, if not change note to tomorrow.

Thursday

Three Bean Chili

(with tomatoes, bell pepper, onions, squash… the possibilities are endless!)

Serve with cornbread. Re-heat leftover cornbread for breakfast tomorrow with a fried egg. Freeze leftover cornbread to go along with Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup. Freeze leftover chili for Crispy Potatoes with Chili and Cheese.

Recipe from De Ma Cuisine.

Friday

Quinoa Risotto with Roasted Ham with Roasted Green Beans

(with peas in the quinoa risotto)

Slice leftover ham for sandwiches for lunches. Freeze cubed leftover ham for a Ham and Potato Chowder (meal idea for next week?). Freeze small slices of ham to make Hawaiian pizza.

Take leftover chili out to defrost for Saturday.

Saturday

Crispy Potatoes with Chili and Cheese with a Green Salad with Homemade Maple Vinaigrette

Make extra vinaigrette and store it in the fridge for salads for lunches and for next week.

Take leftover chicken, rice, and bread out to defrost for Sunday.

Recipe from De Ma Cuisine.

Sunday

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

(with peas, carrots, onions, garlic, squash)

Serve with leftover cornbread or garlic bread.

Now that the hard part is done, pat yourself on the back, step away from the menu, and take a breath.

I’m proud of you.

Now make a note to come back on January 13th to learn more about equipping your kitchen to cook all these amazing meals that you’ve just planned.

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Menu Planning Series – Part Two – The Menu

Welcome to step two of our Menu Planning Series!

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