De Ma Cuisine

easy meals Archive

Tuesday

17

September 2019

2

COMMENTS

Red and Green Enchiladas

Written by , Posted in Baking, Beans, Cheese, Dinner, Main Dishes, Meat, Poultry, Vegetables

Today didn’t go as I’d planned. I had some work that I was supposed to do. It didn’t happen. Not by choice. But then, I got to choose to not be frustrated. Do you hate the expression “It is what it is”? I know some people do. But, sometimes, it’s really the only thing that works. I could be mad that things didn’t go as I’d planned. I’d organized my week accordingly. Instead, I got to have a low key day. I watered the garden and gave the dog a long drink from the hose without hurry. I listened to the sound of food cooking in the skillet. I had a glass of wine at 4pm while I washed the dishes. It was a good day.

I had intended to make these enchiladas for dinner tomorrow. But, they looked too good to wait. I have our meals planned for the rest of the month. For tomorrow, now I have no idea. It might be tater tots dipped in chipotle mayo. Or sushi from the grocery store (our chef is amazing). Maybe cereal. I’ll worry about that tomorrow. For now, I’m here, and this is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.

I always want to hurry into the future, only to get there and want to move on to the next thing. Ever since I was a kid… I don’t know that I’ve enjoyed as much of the present as I could have. Until this summer. For the first time, maybe ever, I’ve been here, in the now.

I don’t like summer. I hate hate hate being hot. Sweaty is for workouts, but not for regular living. Humidity could leave forever and I’d be glad. I’m sure it’s great for my skin. Whatev. I don’t like that so many tourists come to here. I mean, I get it, it’s important for the economy blah blah blah… Many of them are quite lovely yada yada yada. But, it’s busy, it’s loud, it’s claustrophobic. I like quiet and cold. I like the hibernating times more than the big, busy, social events. I like a small, but meaningful life… And, I don’t like summer.

Everyone likes summer. Especially around here. But, every once in a while I’ll come across a kindred spirit who can’t wait for the chill of autumn.

This year, I’ve embraced it. Summer and I became friends-ish. It could be that it’s easier now that we live somewhere with seasons. I know it’s not going to be hot forever. So I can enjoy it while it lasts. There’s something to be said for weekends spent in the garden, glass of rosé in hand, nose in a book. For watering the garden, and then pointing the hose heavenward and gasping as the freezing water hits my skin. I found joy in summer this year. I’m glad it’s feeling more like fall, but summer was more than ok.

When we lived in Burbank, I missed things like soup in the summer. Because summer lasted for like ten months. This year, I didn’t think about it at all. I was too busy eating green beans in the garden. This summer we discovered pizza on the grill. We don’t want to turn the oven on, but who can go three months without pizza?! Solved that one. But, then I made an amazing potato chowder the other day. And I was ruined. Summer can be over. I’ve made soup again.

Today, I wanted enchiladas. I had a jar of salsa verde in the pantry that needed to not be in there anymore and a frozen plomp of ground turkey taking up the bacon’s space in the freezer. Seemed like it was time. The oven, alas, was ready to turn back on.

Enchiladas start with humble ingredients: onion, bell pepper that has seen better days, white beans, and salsa verde from Arcadia’s Kitchen.

The salsa is delicious. And sooooo spicy. I used only two tablespoons in the filling and I could feel the heat. I was originally going to make just salsa verde enchiladas. But, I wasn’t sure if our faces would burn off if I added enough to make a sauce. So I added some tomato sauce to balance it out. It was perfect. Spicy, but not too.

We’ve discovered a company called TortillaLand that makes fresh tortillas. They contain five ingredients and are ready to cook. We haven’t bought regular tortillas since we found these.

Enchilada assembly isn’t difficult. Scoop some filling on a tortilla. Fold in the ends and then roll it up. Or don’t fold in the ends and just roll it. I did a pan of each. I poured some of the tomato-salsa verde mixture into the bottom of the pan, added the rolled enchiladas, then poured the rest of the sauce overtop.

Once I topped everything with cheese, they went into the oven. It’s just the cheese that needs to melt and the sauce that needs to bubble. The filling is already hot, so twenty minutes was perfect.

I had two problems with this dinner. I finished cooking at like 3:30pm, because I wanted to photograph with the natural light. So I took a bite, cooled them down, then reheated them for later dinner. Second problem, I’d eaten all the sour cream a few days ago. I’d def add some to this. It would help with the heat from the salsa verde, and it just tastes good. Tim thinks I use a weird amount of sour cream on tacos and enchiladas. But, I like it. So I use what I use, and sometimes then I don’t have enough for my spontaneous blog post. But, it is what it is. Right?

Happy Eating!

Red and Green Enchiladas

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 T oil
  • 1 pound ground meat (I used turkey)
  • salt
  • 2 1/2 C bell peppers (about 2), chopped
  • 1 C onion, chopped
  • 1-15 oz. can white beans
  • 2 T salsa verde
  • 8 fresh tortillas
  • 1/4 C salsa verde
  • 1 C tomato sauce
  • 1/2 t cumin
  • 1/2 t salt
  • stock or water
  • 1-2 C grated colby jack cheese
  • toppings: avocado and sour cream

Directions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil. Add the meat and cook until it’s cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Add the salt, bell pepper, and onion. Cook until the veggies are tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the beans and 2 tablespoons of salsa verde. Cook until the beans are hot, about 2-3 minutes more.
  2. While the filling is cooking, cook the tortillas in a separate skillet, keeping them warm once they’re done in a clean tea towel. In a 2 cup measuring cup, stir together 1/4 cup salsa verde, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Then fill with stock or water up to the 2 cup line.
  3. Taste the filling and add more salt if needed. Pour a few scoops of the salsa verde-tomato mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 (or around that size) pan. Divide the filling between 8 tortillas. Roll them up and place them into the pan. Top with the remaining filling and sprinkle with cheese.* Bake until sauce is hot and cheese is bubbly and browned, about 20 minutes. Let them cool and set for a few minutes, then serve topped with avocado and sour cream.
  4. *(The enchiladas can be cooled, covered, and frozen at this point. I prefer to use a metal pan if freezing. It can go right into the oven from the freezer – take plastic wrap off and cover the pan with tinfoil. From frozen will obviously take longer to bake than the original. Give it an hour-ish and check it on your instant read thermometer to make sure it’s come to a safe temp. If not, bake it some more.)

Friday

19

February 2016

0

COMMENTS

Savory Crêpes

Written by , Posted in Beans, Breakfast, Brunch, Cheese, Dinner, Eggs, Fruit, Herbs, Leftovers, Legumes, Lunch, Main Dishes, Meat, Nuts, Poultry, Quick and Easy, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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Right now my thoughts are flipping between crêpes and the onion rings I ate right before I made the crêpes. Of both, I couldn’t wait to eat more. But, let’s talk about the crêpes today (those onion rings can wait until next week). When I was a kid, mom made crêpes every once in a while. If she made them for supper, we usually had to eat a savory crêpe or two before we were allowed to eat one covered with maple syrup, powdered sugar, or honey. I may have turned my nose up at it then, but now I see the merit in the savory crêpe.

Crêpes are what I’d imagine would result if a tortilla and a pancake had a baby. A delicious baby… This is getting weird… They’re light, soft, and a bit crispy around the edges. They’re great with butter and maple syrup, of course, but also the perfect vessel for some savory goodies.

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I like the idea of a multifaceted filling. It starts with a purée. I had some pumpkin in the freezer that I reheated and seasoned with salt and cayenne. Simple. You could also try cauliflower, sweet potato, or beets.

I topped the purée with some sautéed broccoli rabe, peas, and radishes. You might substitute with roasted or raw garlic, broccoli, any greens that you have on hand, apples, cabbage, summer or winter squash, carrots, or even white beans. If you have some fresh herbs on hand, things like basil, thyme, rosemary, or mint would be great. Just use whatever herbs would go well with the veggies that you’re using.

If you wanted to add a little more protein, throw in some leftover shredded chicken or chopped up crispy tofu.

And then, to top it all, I like a spoonful of plain or Greek yogurt, some walnuts, parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon. You might substitute with silken tofu or coconut milk, browned butter or cream, ricotta or cream cheese.

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If you’ve got any left, they will make the perfect dessert (Nutella crêpes anyone?!), or can be reheated the next day for a quick and easy breakfast. You could do simple, just maple syrup, or maybe top them with some ricotta, cottage cheese, or silken tofu, and some chopped apples sprinkled with cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon. Two meals, one dish.

Happy Eating!

Savory Crêpes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 4

Serving Size: 2 crêpes

Savory Crêpes

Ingredients

  • 1 C purée (any: winter squash, cauliflower, sweet potato, beet)
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 C any mix ins: broccoli rabe, peas, roasted or raw garlic, kale, radishes, apples, cabbage, white beans, summer squash, carrots; chopped if warranted
  • 1 C any proteins (optional): cooked chicken, crispy tofu
  • 1 t to 1 T any: thyme, rosemary, basil, mint; chopped
  • to taste salt
  • 8 crêpes
  • 1 C any toppings: ricotta, cream cheese, yogurt, silken tofu, parmesan cheese, browned butter, cream, coconut milk, walnuts, almonds, lemon zest; chopped if warranted
  • lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

  1. (Prepare crêpe batter if it needs to sit for an hour in the fridge.)
  2. Make your purée (roast or steam veggies, blend, season with salt and, if desired, cayenne).
  3. Heat skillet, add olive oil. Sauté mix ins until tender (about 10 minutes, depending on the veggies) over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add things like greens and garlic near the end. Re-heat protein, if using. Add to mix ins. Add herbs. Taste for seasoning.
  4. While mix ins are cooking, prepare your crêpes (keep them warm in a 200F oven on a baking sheet).
  5. To assemble, spoon some purée down the center of the crêpes. Top with mix ins. Roll up (the easiest way to do this is to hook a fork inside the edge of the crêpe and roll it in on itself). Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/savory-crepes/

Thursday

13

February 2014

0

COMMENTS

Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Written by , Posted in Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Holiday, Lunch, Main Dishes, Roasting, Soups, Storage/Prep, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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There are some serious nutrition trends out there. Here’s one that I can wholeheartedly embrace… no pun intended… Heart Healthy Eating.

Let’s do this.

Let’s get on the bandwagon.

Let’s treat out hearts well.

And, at the same time, let’s feed ourselves and our loved ones a delicious dinner.

You in? I am.

Let’s start with some soup. A creamy, dreamy, super simple butternut squash soup.

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The squash is halved, seeds scooped out (and saved for another time – they will be seasoned and roasted), drizzled with olive oil, and roasted.

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The sweet roasted flesh is scooped out. We will need about 3-4 cups for our soup.

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This is a simple recipe. You won’t be stuck in the kitchen all day. Squash is the main ingredient, and it’s accented by honey, thyme, coconut milk, and some spices.

Trust me. This is a good one.

After the soup comes together on the stove for a few minutes, lemon juice is added. It brightens the soup and gives it a bit of a tang… just a bit.

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The soup is puréed with a hand blender (or your favorite countertop blender – be sure to remove the plug in the lid and cover with a clean tea towel). It’s the smoothest, creamiest soup I think I’ve ever made.

I’m ready for seconds.

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This soup is so wonderfully good for you. Why?

Let’s look at the color. We’re told to eat a rainbow of colors (um, we’re talking fruits and veggies though, sorry Froot Loops, you are not included here). I’ve read that these colorful fruits and veggies are not just pretty, they contain bioflavonoids that are shown to “have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antiviral, and anti-cancer properties” (4).

This bright orange vegetable is suuuuper high in vitamin A, it’s a great source of vitamin C, and a good source of folic acid, magnesium, potassium, vitamins B6 and E.

For the heart, it’s got Omega-3 fatty acids, (the heart relies on fatty acids for fuel – two that are essential are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (4)) it’s very low in fat, and has no cholesterol. (1) (2) (3) It’s a good source of dietary fiber. Diets that are low in fat (especially saturated fats) and high in fiber are a great way to lower cholesterol, which in turn can improve your heart’s health. (4)

Niacin, also found in butternut squash, can help lower LDL cholesterol (the bad one) and raise HDL cholesterol (the good one – it “is a fat that campaigns for free-flowing blood, and never sticks around to cause trouble in the arteries” (4)). Niacin can also help lower “fibrinogen, a blood protein that causes clot formation”. (4)

I’ve mentioned cholesterol quite a bit. Should we talk about why it’s bad? Easy, it’s a killer. It can lead to heart disease, or coronary artery disease. Let’s get off that road and on to a road to good heart health.

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For your heart healthy Valentine’s Day dinner (or any dinner, really), I’ve come up with a four course menu that’s full of delicious goodness.

Starter

Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Salad

Warm Arugula and Orange Salad

Main Course 

Oven Roasted Chicken

Chard Wraps with Quinoa and Walnuts

Honey Roasted Carrots

Dessert

Ginger Squash Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

Happy Heart Healthy Eating!

Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Recipe Type: Healthy, Dinners, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Starters, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Easy Meals
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 75 mins
Total time: 1 hour 35 mins
Serves: 4-6
A heart healthy and delicious soup. Perfect to start a meal or to star as the main dish.
Ingredients
  • 4 small butternut squash (about 3-4 C when cooked), halved, seeds removed
  • 2 t olive oil
  • 1/8 t allspice
  • pinch cayenne
  • pinch nutmeg
  • 1/2 t dried thyme, crumbled (or 1/2 T fresh thyme, chopped)
  • 1 T honey
  • to taste, salt
  • 1 to 1 1/2 C coconut milk
  • 2 C water (or more if desired)
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • olive oil, for serving
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
  2. Drizzle the cut side of the squash with olive oil. Place oil side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 45-60 minutes, or until flesh pierces easily with a fork.
  3. Scoop flesh out of skin and place in a soup pot. Add seasonings, honey, coconut milk, and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, and reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice. Blend to desired consistency (with a hand blender or a countertop blender). Taste and adjust seasoning.
  5. Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil.
3.2.1269

(1) Nutrition Almanac, Mc Graw-Hill 2001, Fifth Edition, Lavon J. Dunne

(2) http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2648/2

(3) Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture

(4) Nature’s Medicines, Rodale Inc. 1999, Gale Maleskey

Monday

20

January 2014

10

COMMENTS

Roasted Broccoli Topped Baked Potatoes

Written by , Posted in Cheese, Dinner, Gluten Free, Herbs, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Main Dishes, Potatoes, Roasting, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian

RoastedBroccoliBakedPotatoes-5Hello friends.

I’m glad you’re here.

I want to tell you about something that I love.

It’s not a person (although I love many). It’s not an object (although I seem to have quite a collection). It’s not bacon (although bacon will always be dear to my heart).

It’s roasted broccoli.

Maybe I’m weird. I don’t know. If I am, I’ll deal.

In any case, I really like broccoli, especially when it’s roasted.

I can be persuaded to like almost any veggie that’s roasted. In fact, I’m not sure I can think of one that I dislike.

Green beans? Delicious. Beets? Totally acceptable. Squash? Absolutely.

Roasting is the way to go.

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And let us not forget the humble potato when we consider vegetables that are suitable for roasting.

For this dish, I sliced the potatoes in half to try to shorten the baking time. It didn’t really help with that. Buuuut, look at that crispy goodness. Well worth the wait.

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Thyme is a friend of broccoli and potato. So I mixed some with a bit of Greek yogurt to dollop on top. We will also have a nice sprinkling of parmesan cheese. This is like a jazzed up version of a baked potato. There’s nothing wrong with a baked potato. In fact, I could go for a chili, cheddar, chive, bacon, yogurt topped perfectly roasted potato right now. But, for today, let’s pretend we’re fancy. Ok?

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One of the best things about my work is when the cooking and photographing lines up perfectly with meal time.

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Happy Eating!

Roasted Broccoli Topped Baked Potatoes
Recipe Type: Roasting, Oven, Stove Top, Main Dishes, Dinner, Lunch, Sides, Kid-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Dairy, Cheese, Broccoli, Yogurt, Easy Meals
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
A snazzy take on a baked potato.
Ingredients
  • 2 large red potatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 1/2 T olive oil
  • 5-6 C broccoli (about 3 heads), cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 3/4 T fresh thyme
  • to taste, salt
  • to taste, pepper
  • pinch cayenne
  • pinch fresh thyme
  • 1/2 C Greek yogurt (for topping)
  • parmesan cheese, grated (for topping)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
  2. Drizzle cut side of potatoes with 1/2 T olive oil. Place oil side down on a baking sheet. Roast for about 50 minutes (or until potatoes are fork tender).
  3. Toss broccoli with remaining olive oil, 3/4 T thyme, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Place on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes (keep potatoes in the oven to continue to roast – potatoes should take about 60-70 minutes total – if they’re done sooner just remove from the oven).
  4. Mix yogurt with a pinch of thyme and a sprinkle of salt.
  5. Top each potato half with parmesan cheese, broccoli, and a dollop of yogurt.

 

 

Monday

2

December 2013

0

COMMENTS

Leek and Potato Soup

Written by , Posted in Appetizers, Cheese, Dinner, Lunch, Main Dishes, One Dish Dinners, Potatoes, Quick and Easy, Soups, Vegetables

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I’m all about soups at this time of year. I’m sorry if you aren’t. Buuut also… I’m kinda not, because I think they’re so good.

I just can’t help myself.

I’m a soup girl.

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Leek and Potato Soup would be great as a main dish, but I think it would also be delicious as an appetizer. I could see it going well with a dinner where ham is served, maybe a Spinach Salad, and some Steamed Carrots with Butter and Honey. Oooh, that’d be good.

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Maybe you prefer it as a lunch dish. Cool. I like soup and grilled cheese for lunch on a cold day… Ok, I like that meal at any time of day, any time of the year. But, there’s something so comforting about soup and a sandwich. Having grown up in Southwestern Ontario where it gets for real cold, I have memories of snow outside, snow pants, snow forts, and coming in the house to a hot meal that Mom had prepared. I love that feeling. It’s one of the things that I miss about true fall and winter weather. Maybe I wouldn’t feel the same if I lived in it again… I don’t know. You know how the grass is often greener where you are not? Yeah. I wonder. Maybe someday…

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For now, we will bundle up in our spring jackets, unlined boots, and thin scarves, and count the blessings we do have. Nice weather most months of the year definitely has its perks. 😉

Happy Eating!

Leek and Potato Soup
Recipe Type: Soups, Main Dishes, Vegetables, Easy Meals, Potatoes
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-3
Creamy with a hint of spice.
Ingredients
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 3 potatoes, chopped
  • to taste, salt
  • to taste pepper
  • 1/4 t red pepper flakes
  • 1 T apple cider vinegar
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 small (or 1 large) leeks, washed well and chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, diced
  • 2/3 C white wine (optional – you could also just use more stock)
  • 3 C chicken stock (vegetable would be great too)
  • 2 C milk
  • 1/2 t Sriracha sauce
  • 1/4 to 1/2 C cheddar cheese, grated
  • 4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, chopped
  • 1 t apple cider vinegar
Instructions
  1. Heat soup pot. Add oil. When oil is hot, add potato, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook covered, over medium-low for 10 minutes.
  2. Add vinegar, onion, and leeks. Cook covered for 5-7 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and cook uncovered, 2-3 minutes more.
  4. Add wine and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and cook for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
  6. Turn heat to low and add milk. Cook for 2-3 minutes, but do not boil.
  7. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, sriracha, and 1 t apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.