Monday

6

January 2014

2

COMMENTS

So That Was Christmas – Baguette Pizzas

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Cheese, Dinner, Herbs, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Main Dishes, Meat, Pizza, Quick and Easy, Snacks, Thoughts, Vegetables

Christmas2013-12

Looking through our photos, I’ve concluded that our holiday consisted mostly of family, friends, and food. There were some gifts thrown in there, a movie or two (ok, more than two), and a few games here and there. But mostly, we were with family and friends for two weeks. Can’t get much better than that.

We put about 1,200 miles on our car. We spent Christmas morning here together, just Tim, the dog, and I. It was nice. Then we packed up and headed out.

Our first stop was the farm Tim grew up on, and his family. Lots of good family time sharing about our adventures this year, eating, gifting… being together.

Partway through the visit my youngest brother, Josh, and his girlfriend, Karensa, arrived. We took them to see the Giant Sequoias and had some great family dinners before heading home for a few days.

(Photo credit Shannon Oberg – I think??! Or did Josh take this one?)

I think I’ve lost count of how many french fries I ate. I’m ok with this. We needed to introduce Karensa to In-n-Out, a road trip staple. Done.

There was also a need for Quenelle.

More than once.

Tim’s birthday is on the 24th, so before we started our Christmas Eve celebrations we had lunch at Quenelle. We had ice cream. For lunch. It was delicious.

The next week we had to go back with Josh and Karensa.

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Having guests in town is a fun excuse to visit some of our favorite places. Umami Burger is a fun treat. I can’t order anything but the Truffle Burger and Truffle Fries. I’m sure there are other things that are good, buuuut I don’t want to branch out. I like my favorites.

Guests are also an excuse to play tourist in our town (this is Tim giving a tour of the WB lot – I think he’s showing J&K the spot where Spiderman hangs upside down and kisses Mary Jane… he might also just be pointing at a wall).

We had our third Christmas morning with J&K while Skyping with my parents so they could watch us open our gifts. It’s not the same when we’re not with the whole family, but we will take what we can get. One of my favorite gifts of all was this magnet of our super cute niece. It makes me want to cry every time I see it because I miss her so much, but I love having her little face on my fridge.

My other favorite gift: a new knife. I’ve been wanting this knife for a year. I yelled when I opened it, I was so excited. It cuts through potatoes like they are room temperature butter.

I love it. I love it. I love it.

After a few days at home we went to the coast to visit with our aunt and uncle. To say that the sun setting over the ocean is majestic is an understatement. I don’t think I could ever get tired of this view.

Christmas2013-11

While at the coast we stopped by the Honeymoon Cafe. We’ve been going there since our honeymoon (I know, how cute), and go back anytime we’re in the area. If the food wasn’t so scrumptious it would be easier to skip it. But, there’s the sentimental and delicious factors that keep bringing us back.

Christmas2013-9

For our last dinner together, which happened to be at the coast, Josh, Karensa, and I made Baguette Pizzas. I totally love pizza with real crust, but these were super yummy. See all that cheese that dripped on to the pan and browned?! That’s the best part!

Happy New Year, friends! Here’s to a great one, filled with family, friends, and lots of good food!

Happy Eating!

Baguette Pizzas

Recipe Type: Main, Dinner, Pizza, Cheese, Vegetables

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine, with Josh, Karensa, and Tim

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1-2 T olive oil
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
salt, to taste
6 baguettes, sliced in half lengthwise and widthwise (in the middle)
1 head garlic, diced
2 C tomato sauce
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 head broccoli, chopped in small pieces
pepperoni (optional)
additional veggies like: mushrooms, olives, and tomatoes; sliced
1 brick mozzarella cheese, grated
basil, chopped

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 375F.
Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium or medium-low heat. Add olive oil. When oil is hot add bell pepper, onion, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender, about 5-8 minutes.
Place baguettes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until slightly toasty.
Add garlic to skillet and cook 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Let everyone top their own pizza, starting with tomato sauce, sautéed veggies, pepperoni (optional), raw veggies, cheese, and basil.
Place back onto a baking sheet and bake until cheese is melted, about 5-10 minutes.

Thursday

5

December 2013

2

COMMENTS

Orzo Pasta with Kale and Italian Sausage – In the Kitchen with Rachel O – Video

Written by Rachel, Posted in Cheese, Dinner, Herbs, In the Kitchen with Rachel O, Main Dishes, Meat, Pasta, Pork, Quick and Easy, Sausage, Vegetables

Something weird happened. I discovered that I’d never tried Orzo pasta. What?! Why!? Don’t worry, I rectified it. I need to issue an apology to Orzo pastas everywhere. I was sticking to my usuals: rotini, penne, and spaghetti. I can’t believe I was missing out for all these years.

Now I know.

We’re getting in to the season of greens. Hooray! Yippee! Let’s rejoice! I love to eat greens. I love beet greens, collard greens, and kale. Spinach is awesome, mustard greens are spicy-good, and swiss chard is pretty looking and tastes great.

They’re packed with nutrients (hello vitamins A and C, calcium and magnesium, potassium and folic acid*). They are so easy to make (hello salads, wilted or sautéed, and in a frittata). And, they taste really good.

I like to eat greens just about any way I can think to make them. Add them to a soup? Yes! Bake them and make chips? Please! Purée them and make pesto? Obviously! And then there’s one of my super favorite ways: wilted. Wilted wilted wilted.

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Let’s talk about a spicy sausage that you can feel good about eating. Llano Seco makes an amazing Italian Sausage. How cool that they treat their little piggies so well. Why can’t all meat farmers do this? Use it if you can. Trust me on this one. (Oh and while you’re at it, you might as well buy some bacon, and ham, and Argentine sausage… ok just buy everything. This is seriously tasty pork.)

It’s a simple meal, with honest, delicious ingredients. Cream, sausage, greens, pasta… you’re done. It will be ready in a flash. Oh this is gonna be good!

Happy Eating!

Orzo Pasta with Kale and Italian Sausage

Recipe Type: Main Dishes, Dinner, Pasta, Vegetables, Sausage, Meat, Pork, Greens, Stove Top, Quick and Easy

Cuisine: Italian

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1/2 lb. orzo pasta (dry)
1 T olive oil
2 Italian sausages, sliced into rounds
3-4 cloves garlic, diced
2 bunches kale, sliced into ribbons
1/4 t red pepper flakes
pinch nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t thyme
1/2 C pasta water
1/4 C cream
1/4 C parmesan cheese, grated, for topping

Instructions

Cook pasta. Reserve 1/2 C pasta water.
Heat skillet. Add oil. When oil is hot, add sausages. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic, seasonings, and half of the kale. Using tongs, pull up from bottom and toss, letting kale wilt. As it decreases in volume add more. Turn to low and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
Remove from heat. Add pasta water and cream. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Serve kale mixture over or tossed with pasta. Top with parmesan cheese.

Sources: (*) Nutrition Almanac, 2002‚ Lavon J. Dunne.

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.

Friday

18

October 2013

6

COMMENTS

Quick and Easy Herbed Roasted Chicken Thighs with Cherry Tomatoes – In the Kitchen with Rachel O – Video

Written by Rachel, Posted in Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, In the Kitchen with Rachel O, Main Dishes, Meat, Poultry, Quick and Easy, Roasting, Vegetables

If you’re hungry, put up your hand!!

It’s 10am as I type this, and I can not wait for dinner… It may be a long day. 😉

Here’s what inspired this dish: yumminess and ease. It’s gonna look like you slaved away. Seriously. But, the reality is that this meal takes minimal preparation, and most of the cooking time is inactive. Winner winner chicken dinner. Oh and then bonus, it taste amazing. How can it not with all those amazing herbs, roasted tomatoes and peppers, and juicy chicken thighs.

Sigh. Have I mentioned that I’m really hungry?

I am going to serve this with a green salad, and some hearty bread to use to soak up the sauce and wipe the plate clean.

And when I’m done eating, I may just come back here and stare at the photos and imagine that I could eat this at every meal… Ok, maybe that’s exaggerating a little bit. I’ll leave breakfast alone.

Although, with any leftovers, you could make some hot grits to go along with slices of cold chicken, and serve it with a fruit salad. If you’d rather leave chicken for lunch and dinner (totally cool), you might enjoy a chicken salad sandwich. Toss chopped chicken with some mayo, the tomatoes, and peppers, and a bit of the pan drippings, maybe a bit of dijon mustard.

Or maybe there won’t be any leftovers. I could see that happening.

Happy Eating!

Herbed Roasted Chicken Thighs with Cherry Tomatoes

Recipe Type: Main, One dish dinner, meat, chicken, poultry, stove top, oven, roasting, herbs, tomatoes, vegetables

Cuisine: Italian

Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 38 mins

Total time: 48 mins

Serves: 2-3

Quick and easy and so delicious. Chicken is browned on the stove in savory infused butter and olive oil, then roasted with veggies. Winner.

Ingredients

2 T olive oil, divided
1 T unsalted butter
1 sprig fresh savory
pinch salt
pinch pepper
2-3 chicken thighs, bone-in
1 C (heaping) cherry tomatoes (about 24-26)
2 sweet peppers, sliced (bell peppers would work too, use 1-2)
1/4 t dried thyme
1 T fresh savory, chopped
1/4 t dried oregano
1/4 t dried parsley
1/4 t dried rosemary
to taste, salt
to taste, pepper
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1/4 C balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 425F.
Heat ovenproof skillet over medium heat. When hot, add butter and 1 T olive oil. When hot, add sprig of savory and swirl around (infusing the butter and oil) for 2 minutes. Discard savory.
Add a tiny bit of salt and pepper to oil. Add chicken, skin side down, and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, flip, and cook 3-5 minutes more.
Remove from heat. Add tomatoes and peppers. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with herbs, salt, and pepper. Pour vinegars into the bottom of the pan. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 180F.
Serve with tomatoes and peppers, topped with pan drippings and a slice of crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.

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herbs Archive

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So That Was Christmas – Baguette Pizzas

(Photo credit Shannon Oberg – I think??! Or did Josh take this one?)

Happy Eating!

5

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Orzo Pasta with Kale and Italian Sausage – In the Kitchen with Rachel O – Video

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Mediterranean Veggies and Rice – Quick and Easy

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Amazing Roasted Tomato Soup

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Quick and Easy Herbed Roasted Chicken Thighs with Cherry Tomatoes – In the Kitchen with Rachel O – Video

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