Some people are so scared to try new foods or new recipes. I can understand why, I mean, you could spend hours in the kitchen preparing something new, only to have it be absolutely intolerable. Been there, done that. But why let a fear of failure hold you back? If we did that in every area of our lives, where would we be? We'd probably be cooking over a campfire still!
Tonight's recipe was a completely improvised ordeal that turned out rather tasty! Tonight's wildcard ingredient was a dried mushroom blend. I absolutely love mushrooms. I usually buy two cartons of fresh baby bellas and a carton of sliced white mushrooms every week when I go to the market. Often, they're just roasted with a bit of garlic and eaten as a side. A few weeks ago we were at Costco and I saw a large container of dried mushrooms. They were morel, oyster, porcini, portobella, and maybe more. The container must stand 18" tall and 6" in diameter. They called out to me like an Iron Chef challenge. "Try me. I dare you." So, I snapped them up!
I have absolutely no idea what to call it, except interestingly delicious and new! Maybe a Mushroom-Onion gravy?
Ingredients:
1 block extra firm tofu, pressed to remove excess water
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion
2 cups dried mushrooms (I'm sure fresh would work beautifully as well!)
4 cups vegetable broth/stock (I use the Imagine Organics brand)
2 tbsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. corn starch
Onion powder
McCormick Chicken Seasoning
Method:
Before starting... wrap your tofu in a paper towel, then in a kitchen towel. Sit something heavy on top of it (whatever contraption works for you!) to draw out some of the excess water.
1. If you're using dried mushrooms, roughly chop, rinse, then soak them in hot water for a few minutes to rehydrate them. If you're using fresh mushrooms, roughly chop them.
2. Chop your onion roughly he same size as your mushroom pieces.
3. Add olive oil and garlic to a large pot. Soften your onions then add in mushrooms and soften those.
4. Add thyme and broth, then mix thoroughly.
5. Keep this mixture at a low boil for 30 minutes.
While your mushroom-onion mixture is brewing...
1. Unwrap your tofu and cut into 3/4 inch cubes.
2. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium. Sprinkle pan with onion powder and chicken seasoning and add tofu. Brown it on all sides.
Back to your mushroom-onion mixture... take 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and mix with cold water. Then add to your boiling hot mixture. If you do not mix your cornstarch with water first, you'll get lovely lumps of starch in your pot. Not so pretty, not so tasty. Stir this mixture very well, and it will thicken to a gravy like consistency. Add your tofu and simmer for 10 minutes.
I think that this would be exceptional served on brown rice or even some whipped/mashed potatoes. It won't be colorful, but it will be really tasty. We had it alongside some green beans... stupid low-carb diet!
Enjoy!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Zucchini "lasagna"
After a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner complete with mashed potatoes, stuffing, "Field Roast Grain Meat celebration roast," squash, corn casserole, green bean casserole, pumpkin cheesecake (one of my specialties!), pumpkin pie, and even more, we needed a veg-heavy meal! So, after a trip to the supermarket, I made this...
Zucchini Lasagna & Homemade Sauce
For the Sauce:
Olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. pesto
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 large onion
10 oz. mushrooms
1 bunch kale
4 cans Diced Tomatoes (the smaller, soup sized cans)
1 can Tomato paste
1 small Parmesano-Reggiano rind without a label OR 1/2 cup. parmesan (mine was about 1" x 2")
Lasagna:
4 rather large zucchini (I baked 3 large sheet pans full)
1-2 cups shredded part skim mozzerella
1 cup. part skim ricotta
1/2 cup parmesan
To make the sauce:
1. Dice onions, mushrooms and kale. Saute onions a few minutes, then add mushrooms and kale.
2. Add all tomato products and spices.
3. Let simmer, covered for one hour. Drink a glass of wine during this time, and prepare your zucchini.
4. Cool so you could taste a big spoonful without melting the roof off of your mouth.
5. In small batches (2 cups max), use your blender to puree the sauce. This helps hide the kale from your husband, who swears he can't stand the stuff but it's so incredibly nutritious, I can't seem to live without it! (If you have an immersion blender, you can also use that. An immersion blender is on my Christmas list!)
6. Once all is pureed, you can either put it back in your pot to simmer, or let it cool. Either way is perfectly fine!
To prepare the zucchini:
1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Slice the zucchini thin - 1/4 inch is perfect.
3. Line sheet pan(s) with parchment paper and lay a single layer of zucchini. Spray with cooking spray, we use Pam.
4. Sprinkle a generous amount of oregano and garlic on them.
5. Bake the zucchini for 20-25 minutes. You want it to be soft, and maybe even a bit browned.
To prepare lasagna in 9 x 13 pan:
1. Spoon a light layer of sauce on the bottom of your pan.
2. Cover with a single layer of zucchini.
3. Dot with little spots of ricotta (about 1 teaspoon per dot on every other zucchini round is good).
4. Spoon a layer of sauce on, then sprinkle with mozzarella.
5.Repeat steps 2-4 until you're on your last layer of zucchini.
6. Once you've laid your last layer of zucchini, add a layer of sauce, then mozzarella and a light sprinkling of parmesan. Then sprinkle with oregano.
7. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.
If you're following a low-carb diet, I think a big bowl of this for dinner (which is what we're having) will be fantastic. If you're not on a low-carb diet, this would be amazing served with a short, fat pasta like ziti or rigatoni (always whole wheat in my family!), or a hunk of crusty, whole grain bread.
I was also thinking that you could easily add in different roasted or sauteed vegetables when making this dish, according to what your family favorites are. Mushrooms were what came to my mind first. I adore mushrooms and would simply saute a package of mushrooms in a touch of olive oil, garlic and some liquid aminos. Fantastic! Enjoy!
Zucchini Lasagna & Homemade Sauce
For the Sauce:
Olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. pesto
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 large onion
10 oz. mushrooms
1 bunch kale
4 cans Diced Tomatoes (the smaller, soup sized cans)
1 can Tomato paste
1 small Parmesano-Reggiano rind without a label OR 1/2 cup. parmesan (mine was about 1" x 2")
Lasagna:
4 rather large zucchini (I baked 3 large sheet pans full)
1-2 cups shredded part skim mozzerella
1 cup. part skim ricotta
1/2 cup parmesan
To make the sauce:
1. Dice onions, mushrooms and kale. Saute onions a few minutes, then add mushrooms and kale.
2. Add all tomato products and spices.
3. Let simmer, covered for one hour. Drink a glass of wine during this time, and prepare your zucchini.
4. Cool so you could taste a big spoonful without melting the roof off of your mouth.
5. In small batches (2 cups max), use your blender to puree the sauce. This helps hide the kale from your husband, who swears he can't stand the stuff but it's so incredibly nutritious, I can't seem to live without it! (If you have an immersion blender, you can also use that. An immersion blender is on my Christmas list!)
6. Once all is pureed, you can either put it back in your pot to simmer, or let it cool. Either way is perfectly fine!
To prepare the zucchini:
1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Slice the zucchini thin - 1/4 inch is perfect.
3. Line sheet pan(s) with parchment paper and lay a single layer of zucchini. Spray with cooking spray, we use Pam.
4. Sprinkle a generous amount of oregano and garlic on them.
5. Bake the zucchini for 20-25 minutes. You want it to be soft, and maybe even a bit browned.
To prepare lasagna in 9 x 13 pan:
1. Spoon a light layer of sauce on the bottom of your pan.
2. Cover with a single layer of zucchini.
3. Dot with little spots of ricotta (about 1 teaspoon per dot on every other zucchini round is good).
4. Spoon a layer of sauce on, then sprinkle with mozzarella.
5.Repeat steps 2-4 until you're on your last layer of zucchini.
6. Once you've laid your last layer of zucchini, add a layer of sauce, then mozzarella and a light sprinkling of parmesan. Then sprinkle with oregano.
7. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.
If you're following a low-carb diet, I think a big bowl of this for dinner (which is what we're having) will be fantastic. If you're not on a low-carb diet, this would be amazing served with a short, fat pasta like ziti or rigatoni (always whole wheat in my family!), or a hunk of crusty, whole grain bread.
I was also thinking that you could easily add in different roasted or sauteed vegetables when making this dish, according to what your family favorites are. Mushrooms were what came to my mind first. I adore mushrooms and would simply saute a package of mushrooms in a touch of olive oil, garlic and some liquid aminos. Fantastic! Enjoy!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
My first try making a curry!
I absolutely adore the amazing flavors of curry. So warming, so incredibly flavorful. So amazing.
We tend to eat the same types of flavors: American-Italian and plain old American. A lot of my recipes use flavors of garlic, salt and pepper, onion, oregano, basil, etc. Nothing too exciting. Tonight, I needed to mix it up! The following are pretty rough estimates...
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion
1 small sweet potato
1 head broccoli
4 roma tomatoes
1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. garam masala (I picked up a jar of this on a whim... if you don't have it, give a shake in a pot of whatever you have of the following: coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom,
* one package of seitan (optional) - if you want to add chicken, tofu, shrimp, etc., I'm sure it'd be delicious!
Tools: your noodle pot and a big ole spoon
Method:
Swirl the olive oil in your pot, heat it to medium heat. Chop the onion, toss it in. Dice the potato, toss it in, then the broccoli, then the tomatoes. As you add the vegetables in one by one, stir the pot and cover in between. Add the can of crushed tomatoes, your spices and stir. I also added in the seitan here. If you're using meat, I suggest starting to cook the meat when you start cooking the onions. Cover the pot and turn down to low. Simmer 15 minutes. Then remove the cover, stir, and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Enjoy!
We tend to eat the same types of flavors: American-Italian and plain old American. A lot of my recipes use flavors of garlic, salt and pepper, onion, oregano, basil, etc. Nothing too exciting. Tonight, I needed to mix it up! The following are pretty rough estimates...
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion
1 small sweet potato
1 head broccoli
4 roma tomatoes
1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. garam masala (I picked up a jar of this on a whim... if you don't have it, give a shake in a pot of whatever you have of the following: coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom,
* one package of seitan (optional) - if you want to add chicken, tofu, shrimp, etc., I'm sure it'd be delicious!
Tools: your noodle pot and a big ole spoon
Method:
Swirl the olive oil in your pot, heat it to medium heat. Chop the onion, toss it in. Dice the potato, toss it in, then the broccoli, then the tomatoes. As you add the vegetables in one by one, stir the pot and cover in between. Add the can of crushed tomatoes, your spices and stir. I also added in the seitan here. If you're using meat, I suggest starting to cook the meat when you start cooking the onions. Cover the pot and turn down to low. Simmer 15 minutes. Then remove the cover, stir, and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Enjoy!
So, you want to cook a little tofu?
Tofu gets a bad wrap. Sure, you bring it home in its little tub full of water... it's off-white squishiness may not look very appetizing, but it can really be quite good! And it's CHEAP! It's only about $2 per pound at Whole Foods - and that's organic! This post will give a very basic way of cooking tofu in healthy ways. (Your local Chinese restaurant may fry the tofu, and let's face it, anything fried tastes good... almost!)
We like tofu a variety of ways, from adding it to stir fry, to adding different sauces and marinades and enjoying it as a protein, to adding it to shish kebabs.
The texture of tofu can turn people off, so one way to change the texture considerably is to freeze then thaw it before pressing and cooking. Whether you've frozen (and thawed) it or not, you'll want to press it before cooking. If it has been frozen, simply pressing the entire block gently between two hands will squeeze a significant amount of water out.
If you haven't frozen it first, it's much more fragile. One effective way of pressing it and keeping it intact is wrapping it in a CLEAN tea towel (lint-free towel) or 3-4 layers of paper towels. Then sit it on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet with another cookie sheet on top. Lay 1-2 of your biggest cookbooks on top of the cookie sheet, and watch it drip!
After you've let it press for 30 minutes or so (and if you're short on time, 10 minutes is enough to get a good amount of water out), cut it into cubes that are 1/2 - 3/4 inch per side. You're now ready to cook! There are multiple methods of seasoning your tofu:
1. Mix a bit of flour (whole wheat or white) with your favorite seasonings. We use Greek seasoning, BBQ seasoning (a random blend my husband found at the market), Hidden Valley Ranch powder, curry, garlic, you get the idea. Gently toss your tofu in the mixture.
2. Sprinkle your favorite spices on the tofu directly (no flour).
3. Marinade your tofu in your favorite flavor. When using a marinade, pressing is especially important, as whatever water comes out, the tofu will reabsorb the marinade.
Method:
1. Using a large frying pan (or a wok), heat a small amount of oil (1-2 tbsp) or spray with cooking spray (we use Pam).
2. Heat to medium heat.
3. Add your tofu gently. When you place it in the pan, you should hear a light sizzle. The idea is to lightly brown your tofu and crisp it on the outside, and heat it throughout, without burning it.
4. Check your tofu at around 5 minutes in the pan and turn them over. I actually stand over the pan and stand them all up on every side to brown every side!
5. Once they're cooked on each side, you're done! ...or... you can add a little more of your marinade and heat it us, or, if you're cooking with just spices, you can also add a new sauce, like BBQ, buffalo, peanut, etc.
Favorite dinners at our house...
- BBQ tofu, steamed broccoli and brown rice
- Tofu in peanut sauce with stir fried veggies
- quinoa salad with spicy tofu and veggies
Yum.
We like tofu a variety of ways, from adding it to stir fry, to adding different sauces and marinades and enjoying it as a protein, to adding it to shish kebabs.
The texture of tofu can turn people off, so one way to change the texture considerably is to freeze then thaw it before pressing and cooking. Whether you've frozen (and thawed) it or not, you'll want to press it before cooking. If it has been frozen, simply pressing the entire block gently between two hands will squeeze a significant amount of water out.
If you haven't frozen it first, it's much more fragile. One effective way of pressing it and keeping it intact is wrapping it in a CLEAN tea towel (lint-free towel) or 3-4 layers of paper towels. Then sit it on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet with another cookie sheet on top. Lay 1-2 of your biggest cookbooks on top of the cookie sheet, and watch it drip!
After you've let it press for 30 minutes or so (and if you're short on time, 10 minutes is enough to get a good amount of water out), cut it into cubes that are 1/2 - 3/4 inch per side. You're now ready to cook! There are multiple methods of seasoning your tofu:
1. Mix a bit of flour (whole wheat or white) with your favorite seasonings. We use Greek seasoning, BBQ seasoning (a random blend my husband found at the market), Hidden Valley Ranch powder, curry, garlic, you get the idea. Gently toss your tofu in the mixture.
2. Sprinkle your favorite spices on the tofu directly (no flour).
3. Marinade your tofu in your favorite flavor. When using a marinade, pressing is especially important, as whatever water comes out, the tofu will reabsorb the marinade.
Method:
1. Using a large frying pan (or a wok), heat a small amount of oil (1-2 tbsp) or spray with cooking spray (we use Pam).
2. Heat to medium heat.
3. Add your tofu gently. When you place it in the pan, you should hear a light sizzle. The idea is to lightly brown your tofu and crisp it on the outside, and heat it throughout, without burning it.
4. Check your tofu at around 5 minutes in the pan and turn them over. I actually stand over the pan and stand them all up on every side to brown every side!
5. Once they're cooked on each side, you're done! ...or... you can add a little more of your marinade and heat it us, or, if you're cooking with just spices, you can also add a new sauce, like BBQ, buffalo, peanut, etc.
Favorite dinners at our house...
- BBQ tofu, steamed broccoli and brown rice
- Tofu in peanut sauce with stir fried veggies
- quinoa salad with spicy tofu and veggies
Yum.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Breakfast MUD
Many, many of the foods that I eat are incredibly unattractive. For example, my lunch today consisted of a giant dish of reheated roasted vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts, onions, zucchini, and green pepper).
My breakfast is equally - if not more - unattractive, but it keeps me incredibly full and satisfied. Don't knock it til you try it! And hey - mud masks make your face glow, mud breakfasts make your whole body grow!
Breakfast MUD
1 cup fat free Greek (or plain) yogurt
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa (not hot cocoa mix, you want the kind used for baking)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. agave syrup
3-4 shakes cinnamon (probably 1 tsp, but I never measure!)
1 tbsp. flax seeds
1 tbsp. chia seeds
1 tbsp. natural, unsalted, chunky peanut butter
Mix this all up (careful, the cocoa has a tendency to poof! all over the kitchen!) Enjoy!
* I make this at night and bring it to work for breakfast, and it travels nicely.
My breakfast is equally - if not more - unattractive, but it keeps me incredibly full and satisfied. Don't knock it til you try it! And hey - mud masks make your face glow, mud breakfasts make your whole body grow!
Breakfast MUD
1 cup fat free Greek (or plain) yogurt
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa (not hot cocoa mix, you want the kind used for baking)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. agave syrup
3-4 shakes cinnamon (probably 1 tsp, but I never measure!)
1 tbsp. flax seeds
1 tbsp. chia seeds
1 tbsp. natural, unsalted, chunky peanut butter
Mix this all up (careful, the cocoa has a tendency to poof! all over the kitchen!) Enjoy!
* I make this at night and bring it to work for breakfast, and it travels nicely.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Eggs and TOMATO SAUCE???
So, I saw this on a random blog, then I did a little research on recipes. And wow. Sounds kind of lame, but it was kind of fantastic, if a bit strange... I talked to two people at work about it, one had never heard of it, and the other had never tried it because she's not a fan of eggs.
When I decide to make something that sounds rather odd, like this recipe, I have to make sure my husband is out of town or has other dinner plans. After making this little recipe, however, I can't wait to make it for him. I think he'll love it, because it's so high in protein and nutrients! (Whatever anyone says, eggs aren't bad for you as part of a diet that's full of color and variety! The yolks are jam packed full of nutrients, and the whites are protein-packed!)
You'll need a frying/saute pan with a cover and a nice, big spoon.
Ingredients:
- whatever fresh vegetables you've got laying around.
- regular sized jar of sauce
- 4-6 eggs
Take whatever veggies you've got laying around. Tonight, I had two 6-inch zucchini, an onion, and one last spear of broccoli. Chop everything up. I sliced my zucchini in quarters the long way, then sliced it really thin. I also chopped up my broccoli pretty small. Onions were cut into 1/2 inch squares. I then threw everything, plus a little mashed garlic into your pan and soften it all up.
Take a jar of spaghetti sauce and dump it on top of your nicely softened vegetable mish-mash. (From a jar or your own homemade. My people don't make homemade sauce. We buy it in a jar and we like it that way.) This is why you need your pan to have some sides.
Heat everything up together until it's bubbling and almost boiling. One at a time, gently crack an egg into a small dish or bowl (I used a little tupperware container). Gently pour the egg onto the sauce. Do not stir the egg into the sauce. Depending on the size of your pan, you can probably fit 3-4 eggs in the pan at a time. I repeat: DO NOT STIR THE EGGS IN!!!
Let the eggs cook from the bottom and steam from the top. This may take 5-8 minutes. You'll want your eggs to be opaque (raw eggs are generally frowned upon)! They can still be running in the middle.
When the eggs are opaque, gently take them out, along with a bit of the sauce they're
floating/cooking in. Serve them with some big, fluffy, whole grain bread slices, or over brown rice.
Sounds like a crazy recipe - but somehow, the egg and the tomato sauce are absolutely amazing together. Give it a shot!
Just to throw in two little details... I generally am not a fan of eggs unless they are either perfectly scrambled or poached (it's a texture thing). I was so in love with the results of this recipe, however, that I ate a huge bite too fast and now have a blister on the roof of my mouth!! It is SO good!!
When I decide to make something that sounds rather odd, like this recipe, I have to make sure my husband is out of town or has other dinner plans. After making this little recipe, however, I can't wait to make it for him. I think he'll love it, because it's so high in protein and nutrients! (Whatever anyone says, eggs aren't bad for you as part of a diet that's full of color and variety! The yolks are jam packed full of nutrients, and the whites are protein-packed!)
You'll need a frying/saute pan with a cover and a nice, big spoon.
Ingredients:
- whatever fresh vegetables you've got laying around.
- regular sized jar of sauce
- 4-6 eggs
Take whatever veggies you've got laying around. Tonight, I had two 6-inch zucchini, an onion, and one last spear of broccoli. Chop everything up. I sliced my zucchini in quarters the long way, then sliced it really thin. I also chopped up my broccoli pretty small. Onions were cut into 1/2 inch squares. I then threw everything, plus a little mashed garlic into your pan and soften it all up.
Take a jar of spaghetti sauce and dump it on top of your nicely softened vegetable mish-mash. (From a jar or your own homemade. My people don't make homemade sauce. We buy it in a jar and we like it that way.) This is why you need your pan to have some sides.
Heat everything up together until it's bubbling and almost boiling. One at a time, gently crack an egg into a small dish or bowl (I used a little tupperware container). Gently pour the egg onto the sauce. Do not stir the egg into the sauce. Depending on the size of your pan, you can probably fit 3-4 eggs in the pan at a time. I repeat: DO NOT STIR THE EGGS IN!!!
Let the eggs cook from the bottom and steam from the top. This may take 5-8 minutes. You'll want your eggs to be opaque (raw eggs are generally frowned upon)! They can still be running in the middle.
When the eggs are opaque, gently take them out, along with a bit of the sauce they're
floating/cooking in. Serve them with some big, fluffy, whole grain bread slices, or over brown rice.Sounds like a crazy recipe - but somehow, the egg and the tomato sauce are absolutely amazing together. Give it a shot!
Just to throw in two little details... I generally am not a fan of eggs unless they are either perfectly scrambled or poached (it's a texture thing). I was so in love with the results of this recipe, however, that I ate a huge bite too fast and now have a blister on the roof of my mouth!! It is SO good!!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Roasted vegetables
I don't know about you, but roasting vegetables seems to bring out the very best in them, regardless of what they are. I think I've roasted everything, and almost everything comes out fantastic! (Almost = celery is terrible roasted.)
Roasting your vegetables will give them a wonderfully intense flavor. A key to roasting is making sure that you get a little bit of browning (caramelizing) on your veggies, as this gives them a great sweetness.
The general method is simple:
1. Cut your vegetables into 1-2 bite pieces (i.e. 1" cubes)
2. Toss with 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, or, Pam if you'd like a slightly less "slick" outcome. Remember - olive oil is healthy fat! It also will help fill you up, so don't be shy!
3. Take your baking sheet and cover it with a sheet of parchment paper.**
4. Sprinkle with spices... our favorites are:
- sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and garlic powder
- Hidden Valley Ranch powder (yes, we do have these big ole containers in our cabinet! Blame my dad!)
- Chef Paul Prudhomme's Vegetable Magic
- Mrs. Dash, Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute, or other seasoning mix you enjoy!
5. Cook your vegetables at 425 degrees. Keep a close eye on them when your time gets past halfway - they can go from beautifully carmelized to burnt-to-a-crisp in a flash!
- 20-25 minutes for "soft vegetables" like broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, green beans
- 30 minutes for cauliflower, carrots, and other "medium" crunchiness vegetables
- 40-50 minutes for root vegetables like potatoes, beets, etc.
6. A great way to "finish" your vegetables is to add a sprinkling of walnuts, slivered/sliced almonds, or pecans during the last five minutes of cooking. It will lightly roast the nuts to bring out fantastic flavors, and make you look like a true gourmet!
Some of our favorite combos:
- broccoli and mushroom caps, seasoned with Bragg's Amino Acid and garlic, roasted 20 min. (Toss this blend with tortellini and sprinkle with parmesan for an amazing dinner!)
- carrots seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper
- baby potatoes seasoned with anything! Leave these little babies with their skin on, toss them in generous olive oil and bake for 45 minutes. Your results will be absolutely fabulous and you won't be able to stop eating them! I salivate just thinking about them!!!
- green beans, sprinkled with garlic powder and parmesan. Cook only for about 15 minutes.
**What?? You don't use parchment paper? Parchment paper is fabulous! It's a fantastic way to make clean-up super quick and keep you pans clean of that strange black stuff that becomes permanently affixed to your pans.
Roasting your vegetables will give them a wonderfully intense flavor. A key to roasting is making sure that you get a little bit of browning (caramelizing) on your veggies, as this gives them a great sweetness.
The general method is simple:
1. Cut your vegetables into 1-2 bite pieces (i.e. 1" cubes)
2. Toss with 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, or, Pam if you'd like a slightly less "slick" outcome. Remember - olive oil is healthy fat! It also will help fill you up, so don't be shy!
3. Take your baking sheet and cover it with a sheet of parchment paper.**
4. Sprinkle with spices... our favorites are:
- sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and garlic powder
- Hidden Valley Ranch powder (yes, we do have these big ole containers in our cabinet! Blame my dad!)
- Chef Paul Prudhomme's Vegetable Magic
- Mrs. Dash, Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute, or other seasoning mix you enjoy!
5. Cook your vegetables at 425 degrees. Keep a close eye on them when your time gets past halfway - they can go from beautifully carmelized to burnt-to-a-crisp in a flash!
- 20-25 minutes for "soft vegetables" like broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, green beans
- 30 minutes for cauliflower, carrots, and other "medium" crunchiness vegetables
- 40-50 minutes for root vegetables like potatoes, beets, etc.
6. A great way to "finish" your vegetables is to add a sprinkling of walnuts, slivered/sliced almonds, or pecans during the last five minutes of cooking. It will lightly roast the nuts to bring out fantastic flavors, and make you look like a true gourmet!
Some of our favorite combos:
- broccoli and mushroom caps, seasoned with Bragg's Amino Acid and garlic, roasted 20 min. (Toss this blend with tortellini and sprinkle with parmesan for an amazing dinner!)
- carrots seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper
- baby potatoes seasoned with anything! Leave these little babies with their skin on, toss them in generous olive oil and bake for 45 minutes. Your results will be absolutely fabulous and you won't be able to stop eating them! I salivate just thinking about them!!!
- green beans, sprinkled with garlic powder and parmesan. Cook only for about 15 minutes.
**What?? You don't use parchment paper? Parchment paper is fabulous! It's a fantastic way to make clean-up super quick and keep you pans clean of that strange black stuff that becomes permanently affixed to your pans.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Butternut Squash "risotto"
Sometimes, you need something warm and filling. As a (sometimes) long distance runner, I find that the night before I have a long run, I want something that's going to really fill me up without creating that simple-carb-crash that can come after a pasta dinner. This dish can be great on it's own, or served alongside a lean protein.
Butternut Squash Risotto
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 butternut squash, peeled and shredded or diced small (shredding in a food processor makes this super quick); yields about 1.5-2 cups
1 cup dry brown rice (do not substitute white rice)
1.5 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
2 tablespoons prepared pesto
Instructions
1. Saute garlic in olive oil in the bottom of 2 qt saucepan.
2. Add butternut squash, rice and broth, simmer for 45 minutes, covered.
3. Test to make sure that rice is cooked.
4. Add pesto and stir thoroughly. For stronger pesto flavor, add more!
I like to add a dash of Frank's Red Hot on top, and a little shredded cheese, if I'm feeling cheesy. This is also very good if you add in steamed broccoli, peas, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.
This has a smooth, homey flavor that goes well with barbequed tofu, tempeh or chicken. I'm sure it would go well with beef too, but probably not fish, as I can't imagine the flavors going together well. It's a fall/winter favorite of mine!
Butternut Squash Risotto
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 butternut squash, peeled and shredded or diced small (shredding in a food processor makes this super quick); yields about 1.5-2 cups
1 cup dry brown rice (do not substitute white rice)
1.5 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
2 tablespoons prepared pesto
Instructions
1. Saute garlic in olive oil in the bottom of 2 qt saucepan.
2. Add butternut squash, rice and broth, simmer for 45 minutes, covered.
3. Test to make sure that rice is cooked.
4. Add pesto and stir thoroughly. For stronger pesto flavor, add more!
I like to add a dash of Frank's Red Hot on top, and a little shredded cheese, if I'm feeling cheesy. This is also very good if you add in steamed broccoli, peas, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.
This has a smooth, homey flavor that goes well with barbequed tofu, tempeh or chicken. I'm sure it would go well with beef too, but probably not fish, as I can't imagine the flavors going together well. It's a fall/winter favorite of mine!
Tomato-sausage-bean soup
Tonight, after eating too many treats at work (my fault - I made them and they were outstanding!), I needed a healthy dinner. The following recipe is full of vitamins and flavor...
Serves 4
1 large onion, diced
1 lb. Lightlife sausage (veggie sausage)
4 (or so) cups chopped fresh tomatoes (I think I used 5-6 baseball sized tomatoes)
1 pkg. frozen spinach
1 can no-salt cannelini beans (do not drain unless you don't have salt-free)
1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 tablespoon oregano
Olive oil
Directions:
1. Soften the onions in olive oil in a large pot.
2. Add the sausage and brown lightly. You can use true sausage or an alternative, like we do. The Lightlife brand has terrific flavor for this type of dish and costs about $4.
3. Defrost the spinach lightly (2 min. in the microwave will do).
4. Add in all of the remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover your pot and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Garnish with a dollop of light ricotta cheese or shredded/shaved parmesan.
Serves 4
1 large onion, diced
1 lb. Lightlife sausage (veggie sausage)
4 (or so) cups chopped fresh tomatoes (I think I used 5-6 baseball sized tomatoes)
1 pkg. frozen spinach
1 can no-salt cannelini beans (do not drain unless you don't have salt-free)
1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 tablespoon oregano
Olive oil
Directions:
1. Soften the onions in olive oil in a large pot.
2. Add the sausage and brown lightly. You can use true sausage or an alternative, like we do. The Lightlife brand has terrific flavor for this type of dish and costs about $4.
3. Defrost the spinach lightly (2 min. in the microwave will do).
4. Add in all of the remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover your pot and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Garnish with a dollop of light ricotta cheese or shredded/shaved parmesan.
Amazing Stuffed shells
As winter is upon us, we're often looking for belly-warming foods that will please the whole family. Here's a great way to doctor up an old favorite: stuffed shells.
1 lb. box JUMBO shells (whole wheat if you can find them!)
8 oz. part skim or fat free ricotta cheese
2-3 large heads of broccoli
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 - 16 oz. jar marinara sauce
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzerella
Cooking instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Cook your JUMBO shells to al dente according to package directions. Drain and let cool so you can handle them.
2. Steam your broccoli and chop everything (stems/stalks included) into small pieces (think the dice in a monopoly box). You can also put them in a food processor and chop them that way, but make sure you don't puree it!
3. Mix your ricotta, broccoli, spices and parmesan/reggiano cheese together.
4. Stuff the shells with the ricotta (roughly 2-3 tablespoons per shell) and line the shells up in a 9 x 13 pan. Cover with marinara sauce, then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted (or until it's a lightly golden brown, like we like it!).
Optional:
Add 1-2 cups roasted mushrooms, onions, peppers, eggplant, broccoli or any other vegetable to your pan before adding the marinara. Anything with red sauce and cheese is a winner in our house!
1 lb. box JUMBO shells (whole wheat if you can find them!)
8 oz. part skim or fat free ricotta cheese
2-3 large heads of broccoli
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 cup shredded/grated parmagiano/reggiano cheese
1 - 16 oz. jar marinara sauce
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzerella
Cooking instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Cook your JUMBO shells to al dente according to package directions. Drain and let cool so you can handle them.
2. Steam your broccoli and chop everything (stems/stalks included) into small pieces (think the dice in a monopoly box). You can also put them in a food processor and chop them that way, but make sure you don't puree it!
3. Mix your ricotta, broccoli, spices and parmesan/reggiano cheese together.
4. Stuff the shells with the ricotta (roughly 2-3 tablespoons per shell) and line the shells up in a 9 x 13 pan. Cover with marinara sauce, then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted (or until it's a lightly golden brown, like we like it!).
Optional:
Add 1-2 cups roasted mushrooms, onions, peppers, eggplant, broccoli or any other vegetable to your pan before adding the marinara. Anything with red sauce and cheese is a winner in our house!
What's for dinner??
I'm often asked "What's for dinner?" from friends, colleagues, and of course, my husband!
Many people have a really hard time finding easy, healthy, simple ways to feed themselves, their significant others, and their families without spending lots of money and being stuck with ingredients that they may never use again!
I decided to start this simple blog to give people ideas of recipes that they can make that take very little money and effort, but yield fantastic results every time! Some recipes may seem a bit more complicated than others, but overall, I'll try to keep things simple.
Some tips when "cooking with me" include...
1. I learned to cook from my Dad. We didn't measure. Ever. Even when baking. My measurements are always approximate (like Rachel Ray's palmful). Taste your food as you're cooking!!
2. The majority of the food I cook is vegetarian. I'm alive and even carrying a few extra pounds, so believe me, you and your loved ones can live without meat every so often. I promise. And bonus: you'll save money! Pound for pound, tofu is much cheaper than chicken!
3. Don't be afraid to try new things! Tofu is fantastic! Seitan is one of our favorite chicken-substitutes! Iceberg lettuce makes GREAT taco shells! Be creative!
4. If you make a great alteration to one of my recipes, send it along to me!
I'm sure I'll think of more later... but for now, enjoy!
Many people have a really hard time finding easy, healthy, simple ways to feed themselves, their significant others, and their families without spending lots of money and being stuck with ingredients that they may never use again!
I decided to start this simple blog to give people ideas of recipes that they can make that take very little money and effort, but yield fantastic results every time! Some recipes may seem a bit more complicated than others, but overall, I'll try to keep things simple.
Some tips when "cooking with me" include...
1. I learned to cook from my Dad. We didn't measure. Ever. Even when baking. My measurements are always approximate (like Rachel Ray's palmful). Taste your food as you're cooking!!
2. The majority of the food I cook is vegetarian. I'm alive and even carrying a few extra pounds, so believe me, you and your loved ones can live without meat every so often. I promise. And bonus: you'll save money! Pound for pound, tofu is much cheaper than chicken!
3. Don't be afraid to try new things! Tofu is fantastic! Seitan is one of our favorite chicken-substitutes! Iceberg lettuce makes GREAT taco shells! Be creative!
4. If you make a great alteration to one of my recipes, send it along to me!
I'm sure I'll think of more later... but for now, enjoy!
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