I know Thanksgiving is over. I know, I know. But, we had such a fun time with our family and friends that I just want to write about it one more time.
You see, each year, for a long time, Tim has been making a Thanksgiving video. Some years it involves the Turkey being driven around the family farm, other years it features us. He’s so creative.
Normally, you see videos of my cooking show on here. But, I feel like giving you a glimpse of our life, our family, our holidays.
We had Thanksgiving dinner with my Uncle Larry and Aunt Gail, cousins: Ted, Jake, Renée, Gracie, Josiah; Tim’s parents, Terry and Cathy, and our friends, Doris, Brad, Mary, Brian, and Sarah. It was a blast!!
I’d planned to make my Roasted Garlic Yams, but ended up making a variation of them, which you can see below. It would work well for any holiday or regular dinner, so keep this one bookmarked!
Happy the holidays! Enjoy a laugh, on us.
Happy Eating!
Parmesan and Garlic Roasted Yams
Recipe Type: Side, Roasting, Oven, Squash, Winter
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Yams are roasted. Parmesan cheese is grated. Almonds are chopped. They are all combined to make a delicious fall dish.
Ingredients
9 yams, cut into large chunks
1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
1/2 to 1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
pinch nutmeg
pinch cayenne or red pepper flakes
1-2 T olive oil
1/4 C garlic infused olive oil (I used Bari’s)
1 C parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 C reserved)
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 t lemon juice
1/4 C apple cider
1/2 C roasted almonds, chopped
Instructions
Toss yams with 1 1/2 T olive oil, and seasonings. Place on 2 or 3 baking sheets (making sure they are not overcrowded). Drizzle cut side of squash with 1/2 T olive oil. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast at 350F for 60 minutes (at 30 minutes rotate which is on top and bottom oven racks).
Whisk together garlic olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and cider.
When squash is tender, scrape into a bowl, mash a bit, and combine with roasted yams, 3/4 C parmesan cheese, and cider mixture.
Top with remaining 1/4 C cheese and bake for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Serve topped with almonds.
Notes
This can be made the day before, up thru step 3. The following day, place in an oven proof pan, covered, and bake at 350F for about 20 minutes. Uncover, and bake an additional 20-40 minutes more (or until it’s heated to at least 165F). In last 15 minutes of baking, top with remaining 1/4 C parmesan cheese. Serve topped with almonds.
This week marks a year since A Cooking Show with Rachel O made its debut into the world of culinary entertainment (or whatever you want to call it). Armed with my Minestrone Soup recipe and a lot of excitement, I began. Now, a year later, I’ve learned a lot, eaten a lot… I’m not sure which I’ve done more of… I’ve also burned myself, pinched my hand, scared the dog with my horn thingey (that was today), dropped tons of food on the floor, eaten lots of veggies, laughed a lot, knocked the iPad/second camera off the counter‚ pronounced things incorrectly, learned how to cook new things, invented dishes I’ve loved, made a few things I wasn’t absolutely crazy about, learned some more, ate some more, chopped about a million veggies, and developed a new found respect for those who wash dishes and/or edit video for a living. Neither is my favorite part of the job (although one is definitely more favorite), but both are necessary.
My favorite part of the job… favorites actually: Chopping food, the smell of Bari‘s olive oil, the smell of garlic when it hits a hot pan, photographing food, editing my photos, the inspiration that comes when I open the box of Abundant Harvest Organics produce, planning a menu, writing furiously so I don’t forget the recipe idea that popped into my brain, hearing Husband exclaim “MMMMMMMMMmmmm” after taking his first bite (it happened with this meal!), watching the dog pretend not to watch us eat because he too would like a bite, laughing at myself, eating amazing organic produce, working with a company I respect, sharing my love for food with you… I could go on for hours. I feel truly blessed to do what I do.
Thank you for being a part of that. Thanks for watching, for reading, for commenting, for telling me that you liked a recipe. It means so much to me. I create these dishes, write about these foods, share my ideas because I think they taste good. But, I also share them because I want you to enjoy them just as much as I do. I hope this is happening.
I also hope you like Mac and Cheese as much as I do. We can still be friends if you don’t, but it is one of my favorite go-to/comfort/quick meals. I know it’s tempting on a tired night to grab a box of the really quick stuff. I’m not judging if you do. I’ve done it. Buuuut, I’ve also discovered that homemade Mac and Cheese is almost as fast. Really! You have to wait for the water to boil regardless. So while you’re standing in the kitchen, starving, staring at the water, willing it to boil, trying to keep from eating peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon, grab some milk, olive oil, salt, pepper, and flour, grate some cheese and make a simple sauce. If you have a few more minutes, roast some fennel and add it to some sautéed onion and garlic. It’s a good idea.
I didn’t think I liked fennel. Then I roasted it. Roasting is the key to making almost any vegetable a thousand times better (even though I usually like them just the way they are! Here’s how: Buy olive oil (personally, I like Bari‘s). Turn on oven. Combine olive oil with halved fennel. 350F. Done. Boom. Roasted. Good right?!
Now it’s your turn. Have fun!
Happy Eating!
Roasted Fennel Mac
Recipe Type: Main, Pasta, Dinner, Oven, Stove Top
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-4
When fennel is roasted it becomes sweet and slightly caramelized. It’s paired with pears and Gruyère and added to traditional Mac and Cheese to dress it up.
Ingredients
1/2 to 1 C onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, halved
3-4 T plus 1 t olive oil
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 carrot, grated
1/2 to 1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 t apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 C cheese (combination of Gruyère and Parmesan), grated (1/4 C reserved for topping)
2 T flour
1/4 C cream
1/2 to 1 C milk
1/2 to 1 C vegetable stock
1/4 C pasta water
2 C pasta
1 pear, thinly sliced (for topping)
Instructions
Drizzle fennel with 1 t olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place cut side down on baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes (or until fennel is tender).
Cook pasta.
Heat pan over medium heat. Add 2 T oil. When oil is hot, add onion, carrot, and a pinch of salt. Cook 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
When fennel is done, remove from oven and let cool slightly. Chop. Add to pan with veggies.
Move veggies to one side. Add 1-2 T more oil. When it’s hot, whisk in 2 T flour, cook 30-60 seconds. Slowly, a little bit at a time, whisk in milk, stock, cream, and pasta water. Let it thicken a little after each addition of more liquid. Add pasta water. Cook until just before it boils.
Remove from heat and whisk in cheese, apple cider vinegar, and pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Toss pasta with sauce. Top with thinly sliced pear, and top pear with cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and melted.
It’s almost lunch time as I type this post. I’m hungry. I want to eat everything.
When I was looking at what was going to arrive in this week’s box, the tomatoes (“Ta-may-toh”) kinda jumped out at me. I’ve made stuffed peppers before. Why not stuffed tomatoes?! I’ve heard of other people doing it. I guess we just use our tomatoes up too quickly to get around to doing this. Tomatoes are really good for us: We’re talking lycopene (a natural antioxidant) and it’s thought to benefit the heart*!
Do we really need an excuse to eat tomatoes though?!
I often have leftover quinoa in the freezer. It’s pronounced “keen-wah”. Did you know that? I’d been calling it the wrong thing for years. Now I know. It’s easy to make, higher in protein (about 14g/3.5oz.) than rice or pasta (I still totally eat rice and pasta), and is very versatile. It’s not just a protein, but a complete protein and is high in dietary fiber**. Yay Quinoa!
This could be a dinner, going alongside some Roast Beef (haha I typed “meef”: meat + beef = funny), Pan Seared Pork, Roasted Chicken… You could chop up any of said meats (cooked first) and add to the filling and have this as your main dish with a big salad.
You could eat it as a light lunch (or even breakfast), alongside a Fried Egg and a slice of hearty toast! You could make this vegetarian by omitting the bacon and adding chopped almonds for crunch. Get creative with your food!
Happy Eating!
Stuffed Tomatoes
Recipe Type: Side
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 28 mins
Total time: 43 mins
Serves: 2-6
Summer tomatoes are stuffed, roasted, and topped with crunchy bacon!
Ingredients
4-6 tomatoes, seeded and cored
1 T fresh oregano, diced (1 leaf reserved per tomato for topping)
1 ear of corn, off the cob
1 onion, diced
1 C squash, diced (I used a small zucchini, but any summer squash would work)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 C quinoa, cooked (I used leftovers)
1/2 t salt (I used Lemon, Thyme, and Bay Sea Salt, but regular salt would work just as well)
1/4 t pepper
1 T olive oil
1 T tomato paste
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 C parmesan cheese, grated (reserve 2 T for topping)
2 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled (for topping)
Instructions
Heat a medium sized pan. Add oil. Add onion, squash, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, corn, tomato paste, vinegar, and quinoa, stir (make sure tomato paste is combined) and cook 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat, taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then stir in parmesan cheese (reserving a bit for topping).
Stuff filling into hollowed out tomatoes. Bake at 350F (I used the toaster oven) about 20 minutes.
Top each tomato with crumbled bacon, 1 T parmesan and a fresh oregano leaf.
Notes
If you’re not using leftover quinoa: Bring 1 C water to a boil. Add 1/2 C quinoa. Cook about 15 minutes. Will yield about 2 C cooked. It freezes well.
I made risotto this week because my friend, Elizabeth, asked me to.
I was inspired by the basil I was getting in this week’s Abundant Harvest Organics box. All of the ingredients in this dish are basil friendly. It’s a tasty dish.
I’ll admit to you that I couldn’t stop eating it, even though it was a little too hot and I kinda burned my mouth. It was worth it.
Most of this dish contains ingredients that are from an AHO box, or can be bought as or made from an add on. There are a few exceptions (such as the arborio rice and the wine), but even the rice could be substituted for the rice that’s available through AHO. I’ve done it before. It’s a bit different, but still really good. It’s up to you.
We buy cheap wine. That’s what we drink and what I cook with. If you want to use more expensive wine, go for it! But, in my opinion, Two Buck Chuck is just fine. 🙂 If you don’t want to use wine at all, just use all chicken or vegetable stock.
Basil is probably my favorite herb. The smell of it reminds me of Reedley, where we used to live, where I learned to garden and grew my first basil plants from seed.
I can see myself in the spoon in the photo. I’m OK with that.
I served the risotto in a tea cup that belonged to my Oma. I miss her.
1 C basil, cut in a chiffonade (roll it up and cut into little strips)
1 C parmesan cheese, grated
lemon juice, for serving
Instructions
In a medium sauce pan, combine 1 C wine, stock, honey, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer (or turn off and cover).
Heat a medium or large sauce pan over medium heat. Add olive oil. When it's hot, add onion, squash, salt, and pepper. Cook 3-5 minutes.
Add garlic and green garlic, cook for 1 minute.
Add rice, cook for 1 minute.
Add 1 C wine, cook for 1 minute or so, stirring to deglaze the pan.
Add 1 C of the hot stock mixture to rice pan. Stir. Cook about 3 minutes, or until the liquid is mostly absorbed.
Repeat until rice is tender, creamy, starchy. (You may use all the liquid and need more: add water or more stock, heat. Or, you may not need it all: refrigerate or freeze leftovers.) It will take about 30-40 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add basil. Stir for about a minute.
Add parmesan cheese, stir to combine.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve topped with fresh basil, grated parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Do you want to do something with the extra pumpkin filling you didn’t use in your Pumpkin Pie? One option is to make another pie. Or, you could make some pumpkin pasta for dinner on Friday night. If you didn’t have Pumpkin Pie, but have some winter squash that needs a delicious use: roast it, scoop it out, puree it (freeze it, if you’re not ready to use it yet)… then you’re ready to cook!
Ooh, another yummy way to use leftover pumpkin is on grilled cheese. Not kidding. Take a little pureed pumpkin (about 2 T per sandwich) and spread it on a slice of bread. Top with cheese, close the sandwich, and butter (or olive oil) the outside of the slices and grill until cheese is melted and bread is toasty (I’m sure you know how to make grilled cheese, so all that was probably totally unnecessary).
For more ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers, check in on Friday. Until then, enjoy your loved ones, the turkey, potatoes, gravy… I don’t need to list the whole meal, mostly because it’s making me hungry, and you know what it entails. Happy Thanksgiving, Friends! And for those of you in non-Thanksgiving places, happy tomorrow’s Thursday to you!
Here’s the pasta. It’s basically like Mac and Cheese meets Pumpkin.
pasta (rice, whole wheat, or regular - spaghetti, rotini, penne)
2 T olive oil
2 T flour
1 C (or more) milk
1/2 C stock (or water, or milk)
1 C pumpkin, pureed
pinch cumin
pinch all spice
salt
pepper
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1 C sharp cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you like), grated
1/4 C parmesan cheese
1/2 C pasta water
1/2 T balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Cook pasta (reserve 1/2 C pasta water before draining pasta).
Heat oil in pan, add flour. Whisk together and cook 30-60 seconds. Add milk and stock slowly, whisking as you do. Once it's getting thick, add pumpkin and seasonings. Bring almost to a boil (try not to let it boil - the sauce may break) and turn heat off. Add cheese, whisking; add pasta water and balsamic vinegar.
Serve topped with any, all or none: homemade croutons (toasted slices of bread seasoned with olive oil, chili powder, salt and pepper), caramelized onions, parmesan, bacon. Great on it's own, or as a side with chicken or beef or leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
