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Thursday

24

September 2015

Carrot Pasta with Tarragon

Written by Rachel, Posted in Beans, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Legumes, Lentils, Lunch, Main Dishes, Pasta, Quick and Easy, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

If I told you that this was another dish where versatility is key, would you be surprised? It’s the way that I cook, so as often as possible, I will offer alternatives. Just in case it’s a different season when you read this post, in case you have something else in your fridge, in case you don’t care for something that I’ve used.

I wanted to do a pasta dish of sorts, using veggies as the pasta. Here’s where you can pull out that spiralizer, if you’ve already jumped on the veggie pasta bandwagon. I have far too many tools in my kitchen, so I opted to use a knife to cut carrots and summer squash into long, thin, pasta-like sticks (kinda like a long julienne). Other veggies that would be great: beets, parsnips, daikon radish, and fennel. Just mix and match based on what will go with the fresh herbs that you have on hand (for help with parings The Vegetarian Flavor Bible is a great kitchen tool).

I cooked the “pasta” in boiling salted water. I cooked for just three minutes – quick and easy.

To top the “pasta” I made a simple sauce of sorts. I used butter today, but for a vegan option, or just because it’s yummy, olive oil would be fabulous. I chopped up some small radishes, a shallot, and some garlic. Other veggies that would be great: peas, greens, cabbage, and green beans – again, mix and match based on the other veggies and herbs that you have on hand. Today’s herbs were tarragon and parsley. Other herbs to consider (these all go with carrots, if you want to keep them as the main veg): basil, Thai basil, chives, cilantro, dill, mint, and thyme.

You could leave things as they are. That’d make for a great dish. But, I wanted to bump up the protein, so I added some lentils. I’m kinda obsessed with green lentils right now. They hold their shape well and taste great. I want to eat them all the time. Garbanzo beans or black beans would be fun too, if you’re not as in to lentils as I am.

The lentils and tarragon, along with the dijon mustard that I added to the sauce, resulted in a dish that felt kinda French inspired. Topped with fresh tomatoes, this was a fabulous lunch. By the time I got to it, it was more room temperature than hot, but it was delicious. So, serve it either way. You could also top with more fresh herbs or nuts, even cheese, if you’re feeling cheesy. It would be great with some garlic bread or cornbread alongside, and a hearty spinach salad… But, just on its own is wonderful too.

Happy Eating!

Carrot Pasta with Tarragon

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 2

Carrot Pasta with Tarragon

Ingredients

2 T butter or olive oil, divided
1/4 C radish, diced
1 shallot or small onion, diced
to taste salt
(could also add: peas, greens, cabbage, green beans)
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 C lentils (or garbanzo or black beans), cooked
1 to 1 1/2 t dijon mustard
1 C carrot, thinly sliced into strips and then into long noodle-like sticks
1/2 C summer squash, thinly sliced into strips and then into long noodle-like sticks
(could also use or substitute: beets, parsnips, daikon radish, or fennel)
1-2 T fresh tarragon, chopped (with other veggies could substitute basil, dill, mint, or thyme)
1 T fresh parsley, chopped
1 tomato, chopped, for topping
splash white vinegar, for topping

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
While it comes to a boil, heat a skillet over medium-low. Add 1 1/2 T butter or oil. When it's hot, add radish through salt. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, lentils (or beans), and dijon, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1/2 T butter/oil, tarragon, and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
While sauce cooks, drop carrots and squash (and any other veggie "noodles") into the boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes. Drain.
Top "pasta" with lentil sauce, some tomatoes, and a splash of vinegar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/carrot-pasta-with-tarragon/

Monday

21

September 2015

0

COMMENTS

Whole Wheat Pear Muffins

Written by Rachel, Posted in Baking, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Eggs, Fruit, Gluten Free, Grains, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Nuts, Quick and Easy, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I’ve never been the best baker. I like to think that it’s because of my lack of skill when it comes to all things science. I got a D in chemistry in high school. Sometimes I wonder, if they’d told me how much I would care about science when I grew up, or if someone had shown me science in action, in the form of different baked goods, if it would have clicked. Maybe not, but I wonder.

So I’m slowly learning about baking. I’m a kinesthetic learner – I learn by doing, so it’s taking some trial and error to figure things out. What comes the most naturally to me when cooking is figuring things out as I go; recipes used for inspiration more than direction. That doesn’t really work with baking. But, I guess I’m learning, because these muffins did.

It helps that I know what the batter should look and feel like. The more I bake the more I know about doughs and batters and the like.

The stars of this recipe are Asian pears and figs, but any seasonal fruit will do: apples, berries, cherries, persimmons… Use what you love and what you have on hand.

There are also carrots, but you could use parsnips or summer squash in their place.

I used whole wheat flour and butter. But, of course, adapt it to suit your family’s needs. You could try a gluten-free flour blend if you’d like, or to make it vegan, use cold coconut oil and substitute flax seeds and water for the egg.

I love Burroughs Family Farms’ eggs, so that’s what I used today. The yolks are always the most brilliant golden yellow. I just can’t get enough!

I’m pretty picky about what I eat when it comes to sugar. I’m ok with the occasional treat, but in general, I avoid refined white sugar like the plague. Instead I like to use honey and maple syrup. Combine that with the oats, whole wheat flour, vegetable, and fruit that these muffins contain, and I feel great about them for breakfast, lunch, or a satisfying snack.

I was totally going to add chocolate chips. I even had them out on the counter. Then I forgot. Add ’em if you’d like. You could also add nuts. I’m not crazy about them in baked goods. But, to bump up the protein, or just because you like them, you could add some almonds or walnuts either to the batter, or gently press them into the top before baking.

I enjoyed these with some homemade butter. They’d been cooling for a little while when I finally got a taste, but were still warm enough to melt the butter just slightly. But even without butter (which is how I ate my second one), they’re absolutely delicious.

Happy Eating!

Whole Wheat Pear Muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes

Total Time: 37 minutes

Yield: 1 dozen

Whole Wheat Pear Muffins

Ingredients

1 C whole wheat flour
1/4 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger
1/2 C cold butter (or coconut oil), cut into small chunks
1 C oats
3/4 C any of the following: Asian pears, pears, apples, parsnips, carrots, squash, persimmons, (grated)
1/2 C any of the following: figs, berries, cherries (pits removed), chopped
1/4 C honey (or maple syrup)
1/4 C maple syrup
1 egg (or use ground up flaxseeds and water)
1 t apple cider vinegar
1 t vanilla extract
(optional: almonds or walnuts, chopped, for topping)

Instructions

Position the rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat to 350F.
Whisk flour through ginger. Mix in butter with a pastry blender or hands until coarse meal or small (pea sized) chunks remain. Stir in oats through fruit. Set in the freezer while you assemble the wet ingredients.
In a separate bowl whisk honey through vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Scoop about 3T of batter into each compartment of a greased muffin pan (should yield 1 dozen). Top with nuts if desired, pressing them gently into the batter. Bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the center of the muffin springs back when touched.
Remove from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes in the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/whole-wheat-pear-muffins/

Thursday

10

September 2015

0

COMMENTS

Veggie Pot Pie

Written by Rachel, Posted in Baking, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Eggs, Gluten Free, Herbs, Leftovers, Legumes, Lentils, Main Dishes, One Dish Dinners, Potatoes, Potlucks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Pot pie is one of my favorite foods. I think I say that a lot though. So many foods are favorites that I’m starting to lose track. I guess it depends on the season. Pot pie is one of those dishes that I don’t make all that often during the hot summer months. But, when it finally cools down, it’s all that I want to eat (that and soup, always soup). But, this pot pie can be enjoyed any time of the year, because the veggies can be changed up to suit whatever you’ve got on hand.

This is a great dish to clean out the produce drawers. That’s what it felt like today. I used mushrooms (great for adding a deep, rich flavor), summer squash (but winter squash would be great here too), carrots, turnips (don’t add too many, otherwise they may overwhelm), eggplant, potatoes, radishes (doesn’t matter what kind), onion, chile pepper, garlic chives, and garlic… It’s at least one of everything that I had on hand, minus the lettuce and tomatoes that I’ll save for another time.

I also added lentils, or you could add tofu if you’d like. They would take the place of the meat in a Chicken Pot Pie, Beef Pot Pie, or Lobster Pot Pie.

Since there were so many veggies, they took a while to cook. Once they were tender, I added some veggie stock whisked with some all purpose flour (or you could whisk the stock with some cornstarch for a gluten-free version). Once it came to a boil it began to reduce down and thicken, resulting in a nice rich gravy.

At this point, you could just top the oven-proof skillet with pie crust and pop it into the oven. But, today I wanted to do some individual pot pies, so I greased some ramekins and filled them with the hot filling.

If you’re making this ahead of time, the filling can be cooled at this point and then refrigerated or frozen. To use it, defrost in the fridge for a day, then either heat it up first, or pour it into the baking dish and top with pie crust. If your filling is cold you may want to cover your crust with tinfoil partway through the baking time if it starts to get too brown.

Pot pies can also be covered, baked, and cooled completely, then reheated at a later date. To cool quickly, remove the crust to cool separately. Stir the filling often to get cool air into it. Refrigerate once it’s cooled down (if food is too hot when it goes into the fridge, the fridge temperature may raise to an unsafe temperature).

Of course you could also just stand at the stove and eat it out of the pan… 😉

I have a favorite pie crust that I make, from Alana’s cookbook, The Homemade Pantry. One crust was perfect for four individual ramekins of pot pie. If you prefer gluten-free, there are flour blends available, or you can just buy a GF crust at your favorite market.

I can’t decide what’s more favorite, the beautifully browned crust or the savory gravy soaked veggies. Good thing I get to eat them together.

Happy Eating!

Veggie Pot Pie

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 1 minute

Total Time: 1 hour, 21 minutes

Yield: 4

Veggie Pot Pie

Ingredients

2 T olive oil
1 C any: potatoes, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, chopped
6-7 C combination of any that you like together: carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, radishes, eggplant, summer squash, winter squash, onion, shallot, leeks, fennel, celery, greens, cabbage, bell pepper, green beans, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, asparagus
to taste salt
2-3 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 C lentils or tofu (optional), chopped, if tofu
1/4 C any* (fresh): garlic chives, basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, or rosemary, chopped
1/2 t paprika
1 t dijon mustard
2 T AP flour or 1 T cornstarch whisked with 2 1/4 C cold veggie stock
1 T lemon juice or vinegar
1 pie crust
1 egg (optional), whisked, for brushing
salt

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
Heat an oven-proof skillet (unless using individual ramekins, in which case just use a skillet). Add oil. Add veggies and salt. Cook over medium-low for about 15-20 minutes, or until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic through dijon and cook for 1 minute. Add flour or cornstarch and veggie stock mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until sauce has reduced and thickened and all veggies are tender. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice or vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Roll out pie crust. Use it to top the oven-proof skillet, or divide the veggie mixture into 4 greased 6" ramekins and top with pie crust (1 crust should be enough for 4 ramekins). Brush with egg if desired, sprinkle with salt, and use a knife to cut some vent holes in the center.. Bake for 30 minutes, or until crust is browned and flaky.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/veggie-pot-pie/

Monday

7

September 2015

0

COMMENTS

Tuna Boats

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Dinner, Eggs, Fennel Pollen, Fish, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Kid-Friendly, Low Carb, Lunch, Main Dishes, Meat, Quick and Easy, Sides, Snacks, Vegetables

There are so many things that you can do with tuna. It makes a fabulous sandwich, one of my favorites. It’s a great addition to pasta, one of my comfort foods. And, it’s good in a boat. Specifically a boat made of veggies.

This is one of those awesome recipes that’s great no matter the season. So I will share one of my favorite ways to make it, and then some mix and match options.

For this recipe, the stars were hard boiled eggs, shallots, and fresh tarragon. Plus the boats: cabbage, tomatoes, and cucumber. It was fabulous.

I started with the eggs. My method for hard boiling is what my mom taught me: boil water, add 1t white vinegar, add eggs, boil for 15 minutes, cool eggs under cold running water. I like to peel the eggs right away, while they’re still a bit warm. They’re easier to peel.

After the eggs, the rest came together in no time.

We loved the cucumber boats, the tomato boats were yummy, but the cabbage boats were our favorite. There was something so perfect about the slightly sweet cabbage that went so well with the tuna and egg mixture.

Since tuna goes with so so many things, it didn’t seem fair to limit the recipe to just a these few ingredients. So here are some mix and match ideas. Mix a little something that you think would taste great together, from each of the five categories, for a quick and easy treat.

Creamy/Liquidy

Mayo, yogurt, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, aioli, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, silken tofu, olive oil, sesame oil.

Herbs

Basil, cilantro, dill, chives, fennel pollen, parsley, Rosemary, sage, thyme, tarragon.

Seasonings

Cayenne, paprika, pepper, salt.

Extras

Bacon, arugula, bell pepper, celery, back/white/fava/green beans, capers, chile peppers, hard boiled eggs, garlic, ginger, leeks, lemon zest, red onions, pancetta, scallions, shallots, radishes, tomatoes, salsa, olives.

Serve In

Avocado, cucumber, cabbage, carrots, celery, kale, chard, mixing, lettuce, radicchio, daikon radishes, radishes, fennel, beets, jicama, shiitakes.

Some may be best cooked and scooped out (beets and carrots). They could be served with the veggies at room temperature, or even chilled. Others will just need the seeds or some of the flesh scooped out (any good bits could be mixed with the tuna or saved for later). Those of the leafy variety need just be separated.

And now, here are some combos that I came up with, all of which I can’t wait to try.

French Inspired Tuna, tarragon or basil, hard boiled eggs, and mayo, served in a tomato or cucumber.

Asian Inspired Tuna, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, onion, chile pepper, and cilantro, served in summer squash, tomato, or cabbage.

Mediterranean Inspired Tuna, olives, olive oil, paprika, lemon zest, parsley, basil, dill, white beans or garbanzo beans, and red onion, served in cucumber, bell pepper, or tomato.

Mexican Inspired Tuna, yogurt, salsa, black beans, cilantro, chile pepper, bell pepper, tomato, and red onion, served in avocado, tomato, or bell pepper.

Italian Inspired Tuna, garlic, rosemary, parsley, basil, thyme, tomato, lemon juice, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar, served in tomato, fennel, bell pepper, or summer squash.

Happy Eating!

Tuna Boats

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 2-3

Tuna Boats

Ingredients

2 hard boiled eggs
1-2 T mayo
1-2 T plain yogurt
1 T olive oil
1 T tarragon or basil, chopped or cut in a chiffonade
pinch cayenne
to taste salt
1 T shallot or red onion, diced
1-5oz. can tuna
cucumber, tomato, or cabbage (halved, center scooped out if applicable), for serving

Instructions

Cook eggs (boil water, add 1t white vinegar, add eggs, boil for 15 minutes, drain, pour cool water over, peel right away).
Combine eggs through tuna. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Scoop tuna mixture into cucumber, tomatoes, and cabbage.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/tuna-boats/

Monday

31

August 2015

0

COMMENTS

Thai Basil and Peanut Soup

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Gluten Free, Herbs, Lunch, Main Dishes, Pasta, Rice, Sides, Soups, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Soup, how I have missed you!!

I’d kinda forgotten about soup. I don’t know how. It’s one of my favorite things to cook and eat. Ever. Ever. EVER! I’m aware of the weather. It’s been about 97,000 degrees out lately and it’s just going to get hotter. But, I just can’t help myself.

This is my take on a Thai-peanut-kinda-spicy-oh-so-good soup. And yes, I said peanut. Peanut butter, to be exact. Just trust me, it works.

To start, I raided the veggie drawers in the fridge. Cabbage, green beans, lemongrass, and chile peppers all made the cut (bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, and greens could also be added, but you’re not missing out without them).

Then I went to the pantry. Found some peanut butter, ginger, liquid aminos (gluten-free soy sauce substitute – I ran out of the real stuff yesterday), and onion. Along with some tofu from the freezer, the veggies went into a soup pot with some coconut oil to cook away. A few minutes later, the peanut butter and other goodies went in. This soup came together in no time at all.

I added some veggie stock. Keeping things vegan today. A 30 minute simmer was all it took. If you’ve got less time, that would work too. Just cook until it tastes great to you.

In the last few minutes of cooking, I added the noodles to some boiling salted water. You can use whatever kind of noodles you prefer – I used soba, but rice noodles would be great too. You can totally add a little more liquid to the soup and cook the noodles that way. I thought about it, but wasn’t sure if we’d have leftovers and didn’t want to risk soup-logged noodles the second time we’d eat it. Since we’re trying to conserve water in the kitchen, I let the pasta water cool and dumped it on the lawn a few minutes ago (ahem – I have no idea if lawns like pasta water, so try at your own risk).

There are many things that you could do differently. As noted earlier, you could swap some of the veggies and you could use rice pasta if you want to go gluten-free. You could also use rice instead of pasta. It’d be a different soup, but I think it’d still be great. You could also add some coconut milk. I would have done this, but my grocery shopping was already done when I made up the recipe, so it was a use what I have on hand kinda day. However you make it, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. We had it for lunch today and Tim said that it tasted like something you’d find at a fancy restaurant. Well, shucks, honey, that was a nice thing to say. (I agree… I may or may not have licked the bowl.)

Happy Eating!

Thai Basil and Peanut Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 42 minutes

Total Time: 57 minutes

Yield: 2-4

Thai Basil and Peanut Soup

Ingredients

2 T coconut oil
1 C tofu, chopped
1 C green beans, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1-2 chiles, ribs and seeds removed (if desired), diced
1 C cabbage, chopped
could also add: bell pepper, summer squash, carrot, broccoli, greens
2 stalks lemongrass, use only an inch or so from the bottom, tender inside layers, chopped
to taste salt
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 t ground ginger (or 1/2 to 1 t fresh, diced)
1-2 T liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar, divided
1/4 C peanut butter
4-6 C veggie stock
1/4 lb. soba noodles or rice noodles (or rice, cooked)
1/4 C Thai basil, chopped, some reserved for topping

Instructions

Heat soup pot, add coconut oil. When oil is hot, add tofu through salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic (and if using fresh ginger, add it now), cook for 1 minute. Add dried ginger (if using), soy sauce/liquid aminos, 1/2 T rice vinegar, and peanut butter, cook for 1 minute. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. During the last few minutes of the soup's cooking time, add the pasta to the water. Cook according to package's directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Remove soup from heat. Stir in Thai basil and remaining 1/2 T of rice vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
To serve, pile some noodles in a bowl and pour soup around them. Top with the reserved Thai basil.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/thai-basil-and-peanut-soup/

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Carrots Archive

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Carrot Pasta with Tarragon

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Whole Wheat Pear Muffins

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10

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Veggie Pot Pie

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7

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Tuna Boats

Creamy/Liquidy

Herbs

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Extras

Serve In

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Thai Basil and Peanut Soup

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