Green Beans with Pesto

Don't you love how sometimes the simplest dishes can be so tasty? Our youngest turned three yesterday so I made some of her favorites for dinner last night.  Slow cooker mac & cheese (more on that another day), honey drizzled carrot fries (another big hit) , and these pesto green beans were on the menu and she was so happy - that kid will eat anything with pesto on it! But it's got to be the good stuff - homemade or store bought fresh.  She's a definite foodie in the making already. ;)

1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed

1 tsp. olive oil or butter

1 - 2 TBSP your favorite pesto, or to taste

Parmesan cheese, grated - optional

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add green beans.  Allow to cook 3-4 minutes.

Remove from heat, drain beans, and immediately rinse with cold water.  Pat dry.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tsp. olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the green beans and toss to coat a minute or so, until heated through.

Remove from heat and toss with as little or as much pesto as you like.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve warm.

Or refrigerate and serve cold.  It's good either way.

Late Summer Garden Minestrone

We're on the very edge of fall here and I've already been craving heartier soups and stews lately.  Farmers' markets are overflowing with okra, tomatoes, carrots.... add to that, my little backyard garden is bursting with herbs.

This soup creation is exactly what I was in the mood for on a recent cool and rainy day.  It is a minestrone in the classic sense that it's a vegetable soup with a little pasta thrown in for fun.  The ingredients are what's in-season here right now and I think could be easily adjusted to whatever you've got on hand.

2 TBSP olive oil

1/4c yellow onion, diced

3/4c okra, sliced 1/2"

1/4c celery, sliced

1/2c carrots, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4c vegetable broth

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

3 large roma tomatoes, diced

3 TBSP fresh parsley

1 TBSP fresh oregano

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 TBSP fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp. fresh thyme

3c fresh baby spinach, rough chopped 

1/2c ditalini pasta

1.  In a large pot, heat olive oil over Medium heat.

2.  Add onion, okra, celery, and carrots.  Saute 3-5 minutes.

3.  Add garlic and continue cooking another 1 minute.

4.  Add all remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to Low.

5.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes.  Adjust seasoning to taste and serve warm.

Garlic and Herb Mushroom Tacos

Serve these with some garlic rice.... YUM!!

1/4c mayonnaise

1 TBSP garlic powder

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper sauce, or to taste

1 bag arugula or spring salad mix

2c wild mushrooms (I used cremini and shiitake)

1 shallot

1 1/2 TBSP butter

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2c herbed goat cheese, crumbled

2 tsp. fresh thyme

6 spinach tortillas

1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, garlic powder, and pepper sauce.  Toss lightly with the salad mix and set aside.  
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add shallot and cook until light golden brown.
3. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle with fresh thyme.
4. Top warm tortillas with salad mix, mushrooms, and goat cheese.

Garlicky Cauliflower Gratin

I've been experimenting with cauliflower quite a bit lately with this gratin dish being the latest creation.  As always, I used non-dairy butter.  Served over Basmati rice, with a side of sautéed asparagus, this was a delicious meal!

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBSP butter, melted 

1 TBSP olive oil

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets

1/3c Parmesan cheese, grated

salt and pepper, to taste

1 TBSP fresh Italian parsley

1/c Panko breadcrumbs

1.  Preheat oven to 400* and butter an 8x8 baking pan.

2.  In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with the butter, olive oil, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

3.  Cover and bake 25 min.

4.  Uncover and top with Panko breadcrumbs.

5.  Switch oven setting to Broil and allow another 3-5 min. cook time to allow for a nice golden brown top.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

                                     

Savory Stuffed Red Potatoes

I recently found myself with half a bag of baby red potatoes and no real plans for them.  A few more days and they would go out with the trash.  That seemed wasteful though and I'm trying to make more of an effort to actually use all the produce I buy.

Roasted corn and poblano soup was already on the menu so I decided to try these little potato bites on the side.  The two dishes paired really well, which was a relief because the potatoes can take awhile to prepare.  It's a simple recipe but the scooping out of the potatoes (without tearing the skins!) is what is most time consuming.  Worth it though.

Note:
* I used vegan substitutes for the sour cream and butter.

8 red potatoes, bite size

1 TBSP sour cream

2 TBSP butter, melted

1/4 tsp. seasoned salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. green onion

2 TBSP cheddar cheese, grated
olive oil and sea salt

1.  In a saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and boil until tender.  The amount of time needed here will depend on the size of your potatoes.  Mine were on the small side and I let them boil about 15 minutes.  Drain potatoes and set aside to cool.

2.  Cut potatoes in half and carefully scoop out the inside, leaving a little edge all around.  Spray a little olive oil on the skin side of each potato and sprinkle with sea salt, to taste.

3.  In a medium size bowl, combine the scooped out potato, sour cream, butter, seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder, green onions, and cheese.

4.  Spoon the mixture evenly back into each potato skin and top with a little extra cheese.

5.  Bake approximately 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with green onions and serve.

Sweet Potato with Black Beans, Salsa, and Feta

Ready for a super easy dinner?

Bake a sweet potato and top it with black beans, salsa, and feta cheese.  That's it.  The flavor combination is surprisingly delicious!

1.  Preheat oven to 385*.  Prick large sweet potatoes with a fork and coat with olive oil.  Bake approximately 1 hour.

2. Prep the black beans by rinsing and draining.  Then, in a small saucepan, heat 1 tsp. olive oil.  Add a minced clove of garlic, the beans, and salt, to taste.  Heat through.

3.  Top the potatoes with the beans, salsa, and feta.
           

                       

   

Zucchini Pasta Olio

I had been seeing recipes everywhere that featured zucchini as a substitute for pasta so I finally decided to break in my new vegetable spiral gadget last night.  If you don't have one of these tools in your kitchen, stop what you're doing right now and go get one.  Seriously, it was so easy and fun to use!

I didn't have high hopes that just because the zucchini now looked like pasta, it would be an acceptable replacement, but it was perfect!  I'm glad for starting with something simple but my husband and I were talking over dinner and agreed it would be good to try zucchini-as-noodles in other dishes as well.  Surprisingly, we really didn't miss the pasta.

All you do is run the zucchini through the spiral slicer:
(I used 2 large zucchinis for this recipe.)

                    

Next, prepare the sauce:

1/8c olive oil

1/8c butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4c Parmesan cheese

1.  In a small pan, heat the oil and butter until butter is melted.

2.  Add the garlic and sauté 2-3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper; set aside.


Finally, cook the zucchini:

1.  In a large skillet, heat 1-2 tsp. olive oil.  Add the zucchini and toss to coat.

2.  Pour in 1/4c water (vegetable stock might also be good here) and allow to simmer until al dente, approximately 5 minutes.

3.  Drain, if necessary, and add your sauce.  Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

                      

Yummy low-carb dinner!

Creole Spiced Quinoa and Kale

I have to admit, I wasn't sure if this alone was going to be enough for a meal.  But that's because I had forgotten how surprisingly filling quinoa can be.  This recipe yields two servings that are not only full of flavor but also satisfying.

This was my first time actually cooking with kale.  I had only used it frozen in smoothies before so I was a little concerned an entire bunch would be too much but it wasn't at all.  It was actually the perfect amount.

Notes:
* I used the Lacinato variety of kale, also known as "dinosaur kale"
* Better Than Bouillon makes a fantastic vegetarian version of chicken broth base

1/2c quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 bunch kale

1 tsp. olive oil

1/8c yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. Creole seasoning, or to taste

1.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add the kale and blanch for 1-2 minutes.  Drain and rinse immediately with cold water.  Chop into bite size pieces and set aside.

2.  In a medium pot, bring broth to a boil and add the quinoa.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer until liquid is absorbed; approx. 15-20 min.

3.  In a separate medium pot, heat the olive oil.  Sauté onion and garlic 2-3 min., until softened.

4.  Stir in the kale and cook another 2-3 min.

5.  Add the quinoa and Creole seasoning, stirring to combine everything and serve.

Crispy Polenta with Mushroom Ragout

My husband and I both recently read the same book on the benefits of a gluten-free diet and decided to give it a try.  The results have been positive - I've dropped 5 lbs. in the last two weeks (It was 6.5 but I slipped).  However, as a vegetarian pasta and bread lover, the switch has been somewhat challenging.
And then I remembered how much I love polenta and the way it satisfies me in a way very similar to that of my beloved pastas and breads.

A few notes about this recipe:

*  Before serving, I did pop the polenta rounds in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
*  I used vegan butter (it's the only kind I buy anymore).
*  I had big plans to make my own polenta but just ran short on time.  And really, the pre-made stuff      worked great.

1 pkg. pre-made polenta

1/2c cornmeal

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 TBSP Italian parsley, chopped

1 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP butter

2 TBSP olive oil

1/3c yellow onion, chopped

2 pkg. mushrooms (I used 1 baby bella and 1 shiitake), sliced

5 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4c Marsala wine

1 1/2c vegetable broth

2 TBSP Italian parsley, chopped

1.  Slice polenta into 1" thick rounds.  Begin heating butter and oil in a large skillet over Medium heat.

2.  In a small bowl, combine cornmeal, salt, pepper, and parsley.  Dredge each round in the cornmeal mixture and add to skillet.

3.  Allow polenta to cook 5-10 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.  Remove any cornmeal residue from the pan.

4.  To the skillet, add remaining 2 TBSP olive oil.  Saute onions and mushrooms until soft and fragrant.

5.  Add garlic, salt, and pepper.  Continue cooking and stirring another 2-3 minutes.

6.  Pour in the wine and broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to Low and simmer approximately 15 minutes.

7.  Top polenta rounds with mushroom sauce and serve immediately.

                              

                             

                             

                             

The one serving leftover will be my lunch today!

Clean Out the Fridge Soup

What to do when the crisper fill up with various odds & ends like half a bag of broccoli, two carrots, a potato, parsley that is starting to look wilted and sad, etc.?  This happened at my house yesterday and I declared a Soup Night!

All you really need is whatever vegetables and/or beans (I used both) you have on hand and some broth.  Yes, it's that simple.  The following recipe lists the ingredients I happened to use last night:

1 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP butter

1/4c onion, chopped

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Russet potato - cubed

2c cauliflower florets

1c broccoli florets

1 can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

5c vegetable broth

1/4c Italian parsley, chopped

salt & pepper, to taste

1.  In a medium pot, over medium heat, combine oil and butter.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until softened; about 5 minutes.

2.  Add the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes.

3.  Add remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer 20-30 minutes over low heat, until potatoes and cauliflower are tender.  Stir in the parsley, adjust the seasoning and serve.

                   

Rhubarb Crisp

Rhubarb is one of those vegetables I would always bypass in the grocery store because, really, I had no clue what to do with it.  I had never even tasted it before and neither had my husband.  Apparently, his mom used to make rhubarb pies when he was growing up but he would never try it because, well, it's rhubarb - gross.  Turns out, it's pretty good. 

This recipe yields two 6oz. ramekins:

1 1/4c rhubarb, diced

2 tsp. all-purpose flour

4 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. lemon zest

1/4 tsp. salt

3 TBSP rolled oats

1 TBSP brown sugar, packed

1 TBSP all-purpose flour

1 TBSP butter, melted

1/8 tsp. allspice

1/8 tsp. salt

1.  Preheat oven to 400*.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine the rhubarb, 2 tsp. flour, sugar, vanilla extract, 1/8 tsp. allspice, lemon zest, and 1/4 tsp. salt.  Pour into prepared ramekins.

3.  For the topping, combine the oats, brown sugar, 1 TBSP flour, butter, 1/8 tsp. allspice, and 1/8 tsp. salt.  Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture and press gently to make it stick.

4.  Place on cookie sheet and bake approximately 25 minutes, or until bubbly and topping is a pretty golden brown.

This has inspired me to keep experimenting with rhubarb. :)

Bang Bang Cauliflower

The weather here has just been too perfect to not sit outside at dinnertime so that's what we did again yesterday.  I never noticed before but it's true that the taste and texture of cooked cauliflower is very similar to that of shrimp.  I've made this style cauliflower twice now, once as an appetizer and again as an entrée salad last night.  The meal wasn't originally planned as a salad but I had some lettuce I needed to use or lose so... Bang Bang Salads for everyone!

1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into florets

1/4c cornstarch

1 1/2 TBSP flaxseed

1/4c + 1 1/2 tsp. water

1/2c Panko breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2c coconut oil

1/3c mayonnaise

1/4 tsp. chili sauce

1 TBSP rice vinegar

1 tsp. agave sweetener

2 green onions, chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 400*

2.  In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, flaxseed, and water.  Whisk to thicken and set aside.

3.  In another small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Set aside.

4.  In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium high heat.

5.  Dip each cauliflower floret first in the cornstarch mixture, then in the breadcrumb mixture, to coat.

6.  Add the cauliflower to the hot oil and cook until browned on all sides.  (Use tongs to flip the cauliflower.  Stirring will only knock the breading loose.)

7.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.  Then, toss in the mayonnaise mixture, to coat.

8.  Place in a prepared 8x8 dish and bake for approximately, 10-15 minutes, or until desired crispiness.

9.  Top with green onions and serve.

For serving, I tossed the lettuce with just a tiny amount

of chipotle ranch dressing before topping with the cauliflower. 

Baked Artichoke Bites

Last night's dinner consisted of gnocchi in a tomato basil sauce, topped with mozzarella and served with a side of French bread.  That was pretty good but the appetizer is what really stood out for me.  Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best.  The flavors here were uncomplicated and really quite delicious. 

You will need to allow a good hour to drain the artichoke hearts though.  I realize that might sound a bit excessive, but it's not at all.  Those little things harbor a surprising amount of liquid.

1 can artichoke hearts (most contain 6)

salt and pepper, to taste

2 TBSP Panko breadcrumbs

1/4c Parmesan cheese

1 TBSP olive oil
 

1.  Slice each artichoke in half and place on paper towel to drain. (I had to change the paper towel several times due to the ridiculous amount of liquid.)
 

2.  Meanwhile, turn on the broiler, move the top rack to about 6" from the heat, and put some parchment paper down on a baking sheet.
 

3.  Place the artichoke hearts on the pan, cut side up.  Top with salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and cheese.  Drizzle with olive oil.
 

4.  Broil for about 5 minutes.  Could be more, could be less depending on your oven so watch it.

 

These were good straight out of the oven but they were also still
tasty after sitting there awhile so, no worries if you can't serve them right away.



Garden Tomato Soup

I love this tomato soup because it's not thin and watery like so make others I've eaten in the past.  Also, there is no dairy in this soup!  Sure, you could use the dairy-based stuff in here, but it's not necessary for flavor.

I used my food processor to get the vegetables really finely chopped but you could easily accomplish the same thing with an immersion blender.

15 roma tomatoes, seeded and lightly pureed

1c carrots, finely chopped

3/4c onion, finely chopped

3 TBSP vegan butter

3 TBSP all-purpose flour

1c almond milk

1 3/4c vegetable broth

1 TBSP white sugar

2 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. dried basil (or 2 TBSP fresh, chopped)

1/2 tsp. celery salt

3/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1.  In a large pot, combine the tomatoes, carrots, amd onions.  Bring to a boil then reduce to Low and simmer about 30 minutes.

2.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour.  Whisk until thick and well blended.  Add milk and continue whisking until consistencey is smooth.  Add this to the soup pot.

3.  To the soup mixture, add the vegetable broth, sugar, sea salt, basil, celery salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.

4.  Allow everything to continue simmering about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

This paired really well with sourdough and Havarti paninis.

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms have become one of my favorite appetizers so I like to play around with different variations.  These are the most recent:

5 slices bacon
1 (10oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
12 large mushrooms
3 TBSP butter

2 TBSP onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3/8c heavy cream

1/4c Parmesan cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 400*.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. 

2.  Place bacon in a large, deep skillet.  Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown.  Drain, crumble and set aside.

3.  Remove stems from mushrooms.  Arrange caps in the baking dish.  Finely chop stems and set aside.

4.  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and mix in onion and garlic.  Cook 5 minutes, or until tender, then mix in bacon, spinach, chopped mushroom stems and heavy cream. 

5.  Bring cream to a boil. Remove from heat and mix in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

6.  Stuff mushroom caps generously with the mixture.

7.  Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes until lightly browned.

Not the most kid-friendly, I know, but they're so good!

Collard Greens

Last night's dinner was amazing!  We had Emeril's honey brined pork chops with a Creole mustard reduction sauce, spicy black-eyed peas leftover from New Year's Day, Southern-style collard greens, and buttermilk cornbread.  The flavor combination was crazy good!

I've used the same recipe for collard greens for a few years now and the result is always fantastic.  Even my boys who used to turn their noses up at greens now like these so much they actually go back for seconds!   It must be the bacon in there.  Everything's better with bacon, right?  :)

Here's the recipe:

1 TBSP olive oil

3 slices bacon

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

3 c. chicken broth

red pepper flakes, to taste

1 lb. fresh collard greens, cut into 2-inch pieces

1.  Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp.

Remove bacon from pan, crumble and return to the pan.

2.  Add onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic, and cook until just fragrant.

3.  Add collard greens, and fry until they start to wilt.

4.  Pour in chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

5.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, or until greens are tender.



Roasted Romas

My son came in the kitchen today and asked his usual,

"What's for dinner?"  to which I responded by telling him I would be
serving steaks with a red wine and mushroom sauce,
creamed spinach, and roasted roma tomatoes. 
Then he said something that absolutely stunned me. 
He said, "I love tomatoes!"

This is the same kid for whom I used to hide vegetables in his

food just so he would eat them.  Amazing how things change.  :)

The steak recipe can be found on my other blog, here

About the tomatoes, this is a super easy and pretty side dish

that adds a nice splash of color to the dinner plate.

Here's the recipe:

4 Roma tomatoes, cut in half, lengthwise

olive oil, to taste

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/8c. fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 400*

2.  Place tomato halves in prepared baking dish.

Drizzle with olive oil.

3.  Sprinkle with garlic, basil, salt, and pepper.

4.  Bake 35-45 minutes, until tomatoes have softened.

5.  Serve immediately.

Every time I make these, my husband comments on

how much he loves them! 

Our Favorite Oven Fries

I'm not sure why people buy frozen fries when real, fresh potatoes are so much better than anything that comes in a bag.  I guess the bagged versions are supposed to be some kind of time saver, but really?  How long does it take to chop up some potatoes, season them the way you like it, and pop them in the oven?

I can tell you that the prep takes me approximately 10 minutes.

Here is the recipe I use: 

4 russett potatoes with skins, sliced

2 TBSP olive oil

1/2c. grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp.salt

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1.  Preheat oven to 425* and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat.

3.  Spread the potatoes over the baking sheet.

4.  Bake until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork,

about 25 minutes.

We had these last night with grilled burgers topped with bacon,

bleu cheese, and guacamole.

My son took one bite and said, "These fries are awesome!" 

How to Cook a Pumpkin

I originally posted this last fall but, since I am planning to bake the first pumpkin of this fall season today, I decided to repost this entry:

In all the years I have been baking with pumpkin (pies, cakes, muffins, cookies, etc.) I have never, ever used a real pumpkin. I know the stuff in the can is labeled Real Pumpkin but I'm talking about the non-canned variety that only shows up in the grocery stores in the fall and winter. Not the big, jack-o-lantern ones, the other ones. The ones that sit with all the other gourds that I don't know what to do with, besides decorate. I actually set out today to buy a can of pumpkin for a cake recipe but, upon discovering that the store did not have canned pumpkin in stock, I decided to try baking a whole one. What I found is that it's ridiculously easy, fills my house with an amazing aroma, and a medium size pumpkin yields about 3 cups.

This is how I did it:

1. Cut the top of the pumpkin off, close to the stem.

2. Cut the pumpkin in half, lengthwise,

and remove the seeds and stringy stuff.

3. Spray a baking pan and place pumpkin halves in pan, face down.

4. Cover with foil and bake at 375* for about 1 hour.

5. When cool enough to handle, scrape pumpkin out of its shell.

At this point you can mash or puree, if you like,

but mine was so soft that it wasn't necessary.

So easy! I may never buy canned pumpkin again!

Best Baked Potato

I realize alot of people like to just nuke their potatoes

and be done with it but I am completely convinced

there is no better baked potato than one made the

old-fashioned way - in the oven.

When people say they can't be bothered to actually bake

their potatoes, I really don't understand that.

It really does make a difference!  My husband used to

never eat the skin off russett potatoes until I

quit throwing them in the microwave and started

baking them in the oven.  The skin has a better texture

than what you get from using the microwave.

Here's the way I do it:

1.  Scrub potatoes and prick holes all around with a fork.

2.  Lightly cover with olive oil.

3.  Sprinkle with kosher salt.

4. Bake at 385* for about an hour, or until done.

Yum!