De Ma Cuisine

vegetables Archive

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.

 

Thursday

21

November 2013

0

COMMENTS

Mac and Cheese with Roasted Veggies – In the Kitchen with Rachel O – Video

Written by , Posted in Cheese, Dinner, Fruit, In the Kitchen with Rachel O, Lunch, Pasta, Roasting, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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I’ve said it time and time and time and time again. Pasta is one of my go-to meals for a quick and easy dinner. It has come to the rescue many times. It just happens, doesn’t it? The dinner hour arrives and there’s nothing to eat… dun dun dun.

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Usually my solution is to boil some salted water for pasta and sauté some veggies. But, this time, I thought that it might be nice to get a little more creative.

One of my favorite, all time best, totally the yummiest ways to eat veggies is when they are roasted. Don’t even get me started on how they taste… Ok do. They get kinda sweet, a bit nutty, crispy outside, tender inside. I can eat a whole pan by myself. No joke. I usually make extra because I know how much I want on my plate, and I know that I have to share with Tim. Yes, I’m selfish that way. I don’t like to share my roasted veggies.

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I liked shells for this dish, but I think elbows would be delicious, rotini could be amazing, maybe even orzo would be good… You get it. Use the pasta that you and your family love best. I just like the shells because the sauce seems to get trapped and makes each bite so much yummier. Oh, and also, they’re multi-colored and they look fun.

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Maybe it’s a pasta night tonight. There are endless ways to make it great.

Happy Eating!

Mac and Cheese with Roasted Veggies
Recipe Type: Main Dish, Pasta, Cheese, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Roasting, Stove Top, Oven
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 small head garlic, top sliced off
  • drizzle of olive oil (for garlic)
  • 3 C summer squash, cut into large chunks
  • 1 1/2 C tomato, cut into large chunks
  • 1 C onion, cut into large chunks
  • olive oil (for veggies)
  • salt (for veggies)
  • pasta
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 2 T all purpose flour
  • 2 C milk
  • 1/2 C pasta water
  • 1 to 1 1/2 C cheese (pepper jack and parmesan)
  • to taste, salt
  • to taste, pepper
  • 1 t unsalted butter
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375F.
  2. Drizzle garlic with olive oil and wrap in foil. Place on a baking sheet a roast for 15 minutes.
  3. Toss veggies with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add to garlic baking sheet and continue to bake for about 25-30 minutes more.
  4. Cook pasta, reserving 1/2 C starchy water for sauce before draining.
  5. Heat a medium pot. Add 2 T olive oil. When hot, whisk in flour. Cook for 30-60 seconds. Slowly add milk, a little at a time, whisking and letting it thicken between additions. Heat until steam rises, but do not boil (sauce may break). Add pasta water.
  6. Remove from heat and whisk in cheese, a bit at a time. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Mash 6 cloves of roasted garlic and whisk into sauce. Stir in butter. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  8. Combine pasta with veggies and sauce. Let it stand a few minutes before serving.

 

Friday

15

November 2013

6

COMMENTS

Chicken Pot Pie – In the Kitchen with Rachel O – Video

Written by , Posted in Baking, Dinner, Herbs, In the Kitchen with Rachel O, Leftovers, Main Dishes, Meat, One Dish Dinners, Potatoes, Poultry, Vegetables

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It’s cold. It’s fall. It’s the perfect weather for Chicken Pot Pie.

I would, I could, I will eat it any time of year. But, I especially love to eat cozy foods when the weather co-operates.

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Chicken Pot Pie is one of my favorites. That might be why I have made it twice, once on each show. 😉 You can see the original here.

I don’t know if I’ve ever not liked it. I mean, can you really go wrong with a flaky crust (I used Aimée’s recipe this time, yum!), sautéed veggies, and a creamy sauce?! You are shaking your head no too, right?

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I would almost be happy just to look at it. Even the one I made for the most recent show, as ugly as I made it (I had some trouble crimping the crust… I think I need more practice), still looked amazing. But, then you cut into it… Steam pours out and you get a whiff. Oh that filling… And you know that you have to eat it right away. Something this good just can’t be made to wait.

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Happy Eating!

Chicken Pot Pie
Recipe Type: Main Dish, Dinner, Meat, Chicken, Poultry, Vegetables, Stove Top, Oven, Baking
Cuisine: American
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
A classic comfort food, this Chicken Pot Pie is perfect for a cool fall evening.
Ingredients
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1/2 C carrots, chopped or diced
  • 1 onion, chopped or diced
  • 1 C potatoes, chopped or diced
  • 1 C zucchini, chopped or diced
  • 1 t fresh savory, chopped
  • 1/4 t dried rosemary
  • 1/4 t dried thyme
  • 1/4 t dried oregano
  • 1/4 t dried parsley
  • to taste, salt
  • to taste, pepper
  • 3/4 C peas (frozen are fine)
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1-2 T lemon juice
  • 1/2 t dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 to 2 C cooked chicken, shredded
  • 2 T all purpose flour (or 1 T cornstarch for gluten free)
  • 1 1/2 C cold water (or stock)
  • 1/2 C milk
  • 1 pie crust
  • 1 egg white, beaten with a fork
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375F.
  2. Heat ovenproof skillet. Add olive oil. Add carrots through pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until veggies are tender, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add garlic, chicken, peas, dijon, and lemon juice. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Whisk flour (or cornstarch) and water. Add to pan. Bring to a boil and let it thicken for a few minutes. Add milk and cook a few minutes more, but do not boil.
  5. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  6. Top with crust (be careful, the pan is hot) and crimp edges with fingers or a fork. Brush with egg white. Make three or four slits in the center of the crust.
  7. Place ovenproof skillet on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden and flaky.

Wednesday

13

November 2013

3

COMMENTS

Hearty Butter Lettuce, Fruit, and Tuna Salad

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

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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.

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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:
Total time:
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
  1. Combine tuna ingredients.
  2. Whisk together dressing, adding oil last – streaming it in slowly as you whisk, creating an emulsion.
  3. 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

11

November 2013

2

COMMENTS

Vegetable Stock Tutorial – Storage Tips

Written by , Posted in Soups, Storage/Prep, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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One of the ways that I love to save money is by making my own stock. So far, my favorites are vegetable stock and chicken stock. Veggie stock gets made from those sad sad items in the produce drawer that just didn’t get eaten. They are about to go bad and need to be used up so they don’t end up in the compost. Chicken stock gets made from the bones, giblets, and skin from a whole chicken (which is how I usually buy them).

Today, let’s talk about the veggie version.

It’s easy.

It will save you money.

It will feel like you’re wasting less produce, because you are.

Oh and bonus, you control what goes in it. I don’t salt my stocks. I leave them pure and simple, and add salt when I’m making the soup.

Whatever your reason for wanting to do it, here’s what I’ve learned to do.

I find some veggies, a few herbs, some water, and a large pot. Most any veggies will do. I’ve used broccoli and cabbage, carrots and parsnips, lettuce ends and kale stems… If you’ve got it, it can probably be stock.

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Cover the veggies with water. You can always add more later if you need to, but make sure there’s a good amount. Then it’s going to cook away for an hour or so.

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That’s it. You just made vegetable stock.

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If you want to go a step further in the responsible consumer arena, you could use water that you’d used to boil pasta to make your stock. Or water that you’ve used to boil potatoes, or cook beans… Sure, it will be a little bit different, but why not?! And then, an extra extra step, let your dog eat the boiled veggies. Our dog, Brando, loves them (which is weird because he usually prefers his veggies doused in bacon grease).

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Making our own stock is a great way that we can save money, use our resources wisely, and to be even more responsible with our food. Less waste, more taste. Let’s do this!

Vegetable Stock
Recipe Type: Stock, Soup
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8.5 Cups
Ingredients
  • 3 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 4 radishes, quartered
  • 2 summer squash, quartered
  • 1/2 sweet pepper, chopped
  • 1 lettuce end
  • 3-4 garlic ends and peels
  • 1 lemongrass end
  • 1 sprig fresh sage
  • 1 t dried rosemary
  • 2 T dried parsley
  • 1 sprig fresh savory
  • bunch fresh chives
  • 8-12 C water
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a large soup or stock pot. Cover with water.
  2. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil.
  3. Uncover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 45-60 minutes.
  4. Strain and let stand to cool on counter for about 30 minutes.
  5. Refrigerate until completely cool and then freeze in freezer safe containers with date and amount written on a label).
Notes
Feel free to substitute with other veggies that you have on hand.

 

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