Tuesday

24

December 2013

3

COMMENTS

I’m Ready for Christmas and some Vegan Roasted Cauliflower and Potato Soup

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Dinner, Gluten Free, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Main Dishes, Potatoes, Roasting, Soups, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I’m ready. So so so ready for Christmas. Most of our shopping was finished in Paris, and the gifts are wrapped and under the tree. (Speaking of Paris, I can’t wait to share about our trip, in the new year!) There’s egg nog in the fridge (not for me, but Tim loves it), and cider to heat up each night, to be drunk by the light of the Christmas tree. I love this season.

We Skyped with my family on Sunday. That’s when they did Christmas morning. We can’t be there every year, which is hard for me, but that’s what happens when you live far away. So I take the moments I can get. My favorite from Sunday was our niece, Anja, who is 15 months old, giving us (and the laptop she was looking at) kisses, over and over and over. My heart nearly burst with happiness. I will treasure that memory always.

Even though we won’t be traveling to see my family, Tim’s family is not as far away, and we are looking forward to spending time with them. And then, my youngest brother and his sweet girlfriend are coming to visit us. We have weeks full of fun planned with these special family members, and some dear friends.

In light of all the festivities, I will be taking the next two weeks off to play.

Since I’m smitten with soup, it seemed appropriate to share a great recipe with you to close out the year.

It’s a Vegan Roasted Cauliflower and Potato Soup. Veggies are roasted to deepen their flavor. Hot sauce is added for a hint of spice. And coconut milk is used for a creaminess. Then it’s all blended up to make a nice, happy, soupy dinner that is dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, and vegetarian. I served it with some of our favorite biscuits.

With that, dear friends, I bid you good eating, Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and wishes for a most wonderful New Year.

Vegan Roasted Cauliflower and Potato Soup

Recipe Type: Vegan, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Dinner, Main Dishes, Soups, Vegetables, Roasting, Oven, Stove Top

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 50 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 6

Ingredients

3-4 C potato, large chunks
1 onion, large chunks
2 large red radishes, large chunks
10-12 C cauliflower, large chunks
1 small head garlic
olive oil
to taste, salt
to taste, pepper
6-8 C water or vegetable stock
2-3 C coconut milk (almond milk would work too)
1 t of your favorite hot sauce
pinch chili powder
pinch ginger
4 t red wine vinegar
1/2 t lemon balsamic vinegar
to taste salt
to taste pepper
olive oil, for serving

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 375F.
Toss veggies with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on two baking sheets (keep onions in one section in case they’re done sooner and you need to remove them).
Cut top off the head of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap in foil. Place on one of the veggie baking sheets.
Roast veggies for about 45 minutes, or until tender inside, slightly crispy outside.
Bring water/stock to a boil. Add veggies, milk, hot sauce, seasonings, and vinegars. Cook for a few minutes.
Blend with a hand blender (or in batches in a regular blender, with the middle plug removed and the lid covered with a clean towel) until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve topped with a drizzle of your favorite olive oil.

Notes

Leftovers can be frozen and reheated to go with your favorite sandwiches!

Wednesday

13

November 2013

3

COMMENTS

Hearty Butter Lettuce, Fruit, and Tuna Salad

Written by Rachel, Posted in Cheese, Fish, Fruit, Gluten Free, Lunch, Main Dishes, Meat, Quick and Easy, Salads, Sides, Thoughts, Vegetables

This was one of those days when lunchtime was inspired. Usually, I make the quickest and easiest something or other‚ that I can eat at my desk. Often it’s PB&J, or almonds, fruit, and cheese. But today was different. I don’t really know why.

Whatever the reason, I thought of the head of butter lettuce (which I do believe is my new favorite kind of lettuce) that was waiting in the produce drawer. I hate it when I wait too long to use lettuce and it goes bad. That’s a sad sad fate.

Then all sorts of yummy toppings popped into my head.

Tuna for protein. And almonds too, for the protein and the crunch. Chopped, so it seems like there are more.

Super ripe pears that just made it into the fridge yesterday, because I’d forgotten that they were hiding in a bowl. An apple. I ordered 10 pounds of apples two weeks in a row. It’s taking a while to get through them. I don’t mind.

I’m totally in love with peony grapes. I’m not crazy about how awkward it is to get the seeds out, so I halved them and scraped them out before tossing them into the salad.

We have a couple cucumbers in the fridge that need to be eaten. Cucumber is a nice accompaniment to tuna. Also adds a nice crunch. I love a good crunchy salad.

I like a few small chunks of cheese in ~~a salad~~ anything. Today I chose gruyère, because that’s what I had on hand. It’s my current best cheese. I have to cut just one or two slices when I eat it, or I can easily eat half the brick.

For the dressing, I made a simple vinaigrette, my go-to recipe. It has balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, dijon, and maple syrup.

Combining all of this was a good idea. I wasn’t sure how the fruit would go with the tuna. But, I loved it. There’s all sorts of sweet, savory, salty, acidic flavors going on. At one moment deep mellow, the next light and fruity. Oh, and it’s healthy. I love that healthy tastes great. No cardboard-like food for moi! And, bonus, there’s lots of tuna and dressing leftover, so it will be perfect for making a tuna sandwich for tomorrow’s lunch, and maybe another salad the following day.

If you don’t like tuna, some shredded chicken would be lovely. If you want to add croutons, I think that would be swell. If you don’t like gruyère, try an aged sharp cheddar.

This would go well with the Leek and Potato Soup that I made for dinner yesterday. I wanted to have some, but was just too hungry to wait for it to heat up. Maybe next time. 🙂

Happy Eating!

Hearty Butter Lettuce, Fruit, and Tuna Salad

Recipe Type: Main Dishes, Salads, Lunches, Fish, Cheese, Gluten-Free, Fruit, Vegetables, Quick and Easy

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Tuna: 1 can tuna
1 t lemon balsamic vinegar (or 1 T lemon juice)
1 T olive oil
pinch salt
pinch pepper
Dressing: 1/3 C balsamic vinegar
1 t lemon balsamic vinegar (or 1 T lemon juice)
1/2 T maple syrup
1/2 t dijon mustard
to taste, salt
to taste, pepper
1/3 C olive oil
Salad: 4 C butter lettuce, washed and torn
2 slices cheese, chopped
1 apple, chopped
1 pear, chopped
10 peony grapes, halved
18 thin slices cucumber, peeled
12 roasted and salted almonds, chopped

Instructions

Combine tuna ingredients.
Whisk together dressing, adding oil last – streaming it in slowly as you whisk, creating an emulsion.
Make two salads. Place 2 C lettuce in a bowl and top with fruit, cucumber, cheese, nuts, and 2 T tuna. Drizzle with dressing. Repeat on second salad.

Monday

4

November 2013

2

COMMENTS

Mediterranean Veggies and Rice – Quick and Easy

Written by Rachel, Posted in Cheese, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Leftovers, Main Dishes, Quick and Easy, Rice, Vegetables, Vegetarian

It seems like more often than not, as of late, when it comes time for dinner, I’m too pooped to make anything, well, good. Don’t worry, we’re not starving or anything. I’m sure we’re even getting a fairly nutritious diet. But, we haven’t been eating as well as we could be.

Even though I was bone tired last Wednesday, I decided that we needed something full of veggies, good fats, and whole grains.

Enter rice, veggies, herbs, and Bari olive oil.

Rice lends a nutty, wholesome, hearty aspect to this dish.

The veggies range from carrots with the slightest hint of a crunch, to eggplant that melts in your mouth.

The herbs, some fresh, some dried, add an earthy, savory comfort.

The olive oil adds a bright finishing note that’s not like anything else I’ve ever tasted.

It’s a good dish, this one.

If you’re out of eggplant ideas, I’m here for you.

If you love zucchini but can’t think of another way to prepare it, I’ve got you covered.

If you’re exhausted and would rather crawl into bed than fix dinner, I understand.

If you love food, good food, food that’s wholesome and nutritious, I’m with you.

Happy Eating!

Mediterranean Veggies and Rice

Recipe Type: Main Dishes, Rice, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Vegetables, Herbs, Quick and Easy

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 17 mins

Total time: 27 mins

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

1 – 1 1/2 C leftover rice
1/4 C water or vegetable stock
1 T olive oil
1 carrot, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
2 small skinny or 1 small fat eggplant, peeled and sliced
1/2 t (or more) salt
pinch pepper
1/4 t dried basil
1 t fresh oregano,
1/8 t red pepper flakes
1 t fresh savory
1/4 t dried parsley
1 t fresh thyme
2-4 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
1/4 C tomatoes, chopped
1/4 C kalamata olives, chopped
2-3 T balsamic vinegar
2 T water
parmesan cheese, shaved, for topping
olive oil, for topping

Instructions

Re-heat leftover rice with water or stock.
Generously salt eggplant and let stand for 15 minutes. Rinse and pat dry, then chop.
Heat skillet and add oil. When oil is hot, add carrot, zucchini, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
Add eggplant, herbs, and red pepper flakes and cook 5 minutes more.
Add garlic, tomatoes, olives, balsamic vinegar, and water. Cook 1-2 minutes more.
Combine with rice and let stand for a few minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Serve topped with a drizzle of good olive oil and some parmesan cheese.

Notes

If using uncooked rice, cook 1 C rice in 2 C water or stock. Cook according to directions on package. Cooking time will increase, but not by much, as the rice will cook while the veggies do.

Friday

1

November 2013

0

COMMENTS

Amazing Roasted Tomato Soup

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

RoastedTomatoSoupNC-3 There is plenty of roasting that goes on in our home, no matter the season. But, there’s just something about the cool, crisp days of autumn that invite cozy, warm, roasted meals… and SOUP!

As we’re getting close to the end of tomato season, why not combine the end of summer with the cool of fall.

I’m into it. I’m always into soup.

Especially this one.

Ever since I was a kid, Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup was a comforting meal. We usually had it on cold and rainy days. I have a distant memory of one of the two times I went to summer camp, it was a rainy day and we had this meal. That was a long time ago, but I can still feel the warmth of the soup, the crunch of the sandwich.

There are plenty of great soups to be bought at the grocery store. Some include roasted red peppers, some are just full of tomatoey goodness. But, there is something to be said about homemade tomato soup. It just can’t be beat.

I made this soup on my show for the first time last fall. I had made homemade tomato soup once before, and ended up blending the plug that goes in the center of the lid of my blender (hadn’t learned the lesson about blending soups with a towel covering the hole, not the plug… now I know… now I use a hand blender…) and spraying hot soup all over the walls, counter, and myself. I had the choice to laugh or cry. I laughed. Some of the soup was salvaged. It was good, but it didn’t compare to this one… This one’s a keeper.

Make a huge batch and freeze it for an even colder winter day. That’s what I plan to do.

Happy Eating!

Roasted Tomato Soup

Recipe Type: Soup, Main

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 60 mins

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 4-6

Comforting, homemade tomato soup. Perfect for a chilly fall day.

Ingredients

10 tomatoes, each one cut in 6 or 8 pieces
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves of garlic, tip chopped off
4 C veggie stock
1 1/2 C water (or stock)
1-2 t salt
3/4-1 t pepper
1 t sweet paprika
1 t fresh thyme
1/2 t dried oregano (or 1 t fresh)
1/3 C garlic chives
1/2 C basil
3 T balsamic vinegar
2-3 T olive oil
1 T heavy whipping cream (or half and half, or milk… whatever you use in your morning coffee) per bowl

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Place tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place onions and carrots on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast veggies for about 30 minutes (carrots might not be tender, that’s OK, we’re par-baking them, as they will cook more later).
Add stock, thyme, oregano, garlic chives, paprika, salt, and pepper to soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until veggies are done roasting.
Add roasted veggies to the soup pot. Bring to a boil and cook 15-30 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
Add basil and balsamic vinegar and cook 5 minutes more.
Using a hand blender (or a regular blender – if you do this method, please remove the plug in the lid and cover it with a towel instead, this allows steam to escape, and results in a non-disastrous soup making experience… trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way), submerge into soup, then begin to blend. Be careful, it may splash, and it’s very hot (I know you know this). Blend until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Add a drizzle of good olive oil.
Serve it topped with a drizzle of cream, alongside a grilled cheese sandwich.

Notes

This soup will freeze and reheat well. To store, cool on counter for a while, then place in the refrigerator. Once it’s completely cooled, freeze in an airtight container. It can be reheated to use in pasta sauces, to add to Minestrone Soup, you could add pasta to it, other veggies, or just reheat it and have it with another grilled cheeeeeeese! You could also eat it chilled, as a Gazpacho.

Monday

2

September 2013

4

COMMENTS

When Winter Veggies Arrive Early – Spaghetti Soup

Written by Rachel, Posted in Cheese, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Roasting, Soups, Vegetables, Vegetarian

What to do with a winter squash… when it’s still summer?! Make it into a soup that has summery flavors.

It’s kinda the best of both worlds. I get to eat soup when it’s 95 degrees F out, but I also get to use the wintery veggies that we’ve started getting in our weekly box of produce.

This one is a bit like a soupy version of the Spaghetti Squash Rock that I made on the show last year. The squash is roasted, stock is made, veggies are sautéed. Then it all comes together pretty quickly.

I like to top this soup with a good amount of parmesan cheese. And some hearty, crusty bread, with some butter on it goes really well (perfect for dipping and then cleaning out the bowl).

Happy Eating!

Spaghetti Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Yield: 4-6

Spaghetti Soup

Ingredients

1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 sweet peppers (or 1 bell pepper), chopped
6 cloves garlic, diced
1 t honey
salt, to taste (about 1 to 1 1/2 t)
pepper, to taste
1-8 oz. can tomato sauce
6-8 C stock (chicken or vegetable will work)
2 spaghetti squash, cooked (about 4 C)
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T butter
parmesan cheese, grated, for topping

Instructions

Cook squash: Halve, remove seeds, brush with olive oil, and bake cut side down at 350F for 45-60 minutes (or until flesh pierces easily with a fork). Scrape flesh from skin and set aside.
Heat a soup pot, add oil. When oil is hot, add peppers, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and honey and cook for about 1 minute.
Add tomato sauce, squash, balsamic vinegar, and stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes.
Remove from heat and add butter. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Notes

Most of the cooking time is inactive.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/when-winter-veggies-arrive-early-spaghetti-soup/

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