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Category: Meat Free

Mushroom Fried Rice with Pickled Ginger

Mushroom Fried Rice with Pickled Ginger

2 T. oyster sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce
1 1/2 T. light soy sauce
1 1/2 T. rice wine
4 T. canola oil, divided
4 eggs, cracked into a bowl, beaten lightly
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
6 C. leftover white rice (break up any clumps with your fingers)
2 scallions, ends trimmed, green parts thinly sliced
1/2 C. frozen green peas
1/2 C. pickled ginger, chopped

Whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce, and rice wine in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside. Heat a T. of the canola oil in a large wok over high heat until smoking. Swirl the oil around to cover the bottom, and pour in the eggs. Stir-fry until eggs are cooked, breaking them up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Transfer eggs to a bowl and further break into 1/2-inch pieces. Wipe out wok. Return wok to high heat and add another T. oil. Heat until smoking. Swirl the oil around to cover the bottom, and add as many of the mushrooms as will fit in one layer, approximately half. Stir-fry until tender, but before they become too soft, about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl with the eggs, and repeat with remaining mushrooms. Wipe out wok. Return wok to high heat and add remaining T. oil. Heat until smoking. Swirl the oil around to cover the bottom, and add the carrots. Cook until they turn bright orange, about 30 seconds. Add the rice, and stir-fry until very hot, making sure none sticks on the bottom of the wok. Add the cooked eggs and mushrooms, along with the frozen peas. Stir-fry until everything is warm. Pour in the sauce, and stir-fry until the rice is evenly coated, and no remaining sauce is left. Turn off the heat and stir in half the scallions. Divide the fried rice between four plates. Top with a generous helping of pickled ginger, along with some extra scallions if you’d like. Serve immediately.

Pantry Friendly Pretty Good Gumbo

Pantry Friendly Pretty Good Gumbo

1 T. EVOO
2 cloves Garlic, minced
14.5oz. can diced Tomatoes, drained
5 oz. jar Roasted Red Peppers, diced
1 T. dehydrated minced Onion
6 C. Vegetable Broth or Water
15.5oz. can Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
½ C. Quick Cooking Rice
14oz. can Okra, drained and sliced (optional)
1 tsp. dried Thyme
1 tsp. Filé Powder
¼ tsp. Celery Salt
Salt & Pepper
1 tsp. Tabasco

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, peppers, onions and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and add beans, rice, okra, thyme, Filé powder, celery salt and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and soup is hot, about 5-10 minutes. Add tabasco and taste to adjust seasonings; serve.

Pumpkin Risotto

Pumpkin Risotto

pumpkin-risotto5 1/2 to 6 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, or 6 to 10 scrapes on a grater from a whole nutmeg
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter
8 ounces shallots (7 to 8), minced
1 3/4 cups arborio, carnaroli, or vialone nano rice
1 1/2 cups dry white wine, Italian preferred, such as Pinot Grigio or Pinot Bianco, or dry white vermouth
1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
6 to 10 large sage leaves, finely chopped (optional)

Place the stock, pumpkin, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan over high heat on a burner near the one where you’ll be cooking the risotto. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Set a large saucepan next to the first one on the stovetop, add the butter, and melt over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until they are translucent with a few brown edges, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the rice and stir until each grain is coated in fat, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add the wine or vermouth and cook, stirring constantly, until it is absorbed. Add 1/2 cup of the pumpkin stock mixture and stir constantly until absorbed. Add the remaining stock mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly after each addition and adding the next amount only after the previous one is fully absorbed by the rice. After you have used about 4 1/2 to 5 cups of the stock mixture (this will be about 30 to 35 minutes after you started adding the first 1/2 cup of stock), taste the rice to determine if it is very hard, firm, or al dente. You are looking for al dente, with the grains just a bit toothsome (a little resistant to the bite) but cooked — not hard or powdery. The rice should be enrobed in a creamy sauce and the grains should remain slightly al dente. If it is, you can move on to the next step. But it hasn’t reached that stage, add more stock, this time 1/4 cup at a time, stirring after each addition and tasting once it has been absorbed. It should take about 45 minutes for all of the stock mixture to be added and incorporated, but you might not need all of it, so it’s important to slow down to 1/4 cup at a time and taste every few minutes. Stir in the cheese and sage if using. Serve immediately. Risotto is not a make-ahead dish. Even if you finish it 15 minutes before serving and simply allow it to sit, risotto turns into a paste.

Whole-wheat Spaghetti with Chard and Ricotta

Whole-wheat Spaghetti with Chard and Ricotta

1 lb. dried whole wheat spaghetti
2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 T. minced garlic
1 lb. green chard (rinsed, ends trimmed, and coarsely chopped)
1 container (15 oz.) low-fat ricotta
1/3 C. chopped roasted, salted pistachios
1/2 C. freshly grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
1 1/2 T. grated lemon peel
1 T. lemon juice
Salt and pepper

In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 3 quarts water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender to bite, 7 to 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 C. pasta-cooking water. Return spaghetti to pan. Meanwhile, heat oil in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic; stir until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chard; stir 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 C. of reserved water; cook until chard stems are tender to bite, 6 to 8 minutes. Mix chard mixture into hot spaghetti with ricotta, pistachios, pecorino, lemon peel, lemon juice, remaining 1/2 C. reserved pasta-cooking water, and salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Calories: 430
Fat: 11g
Fiber: 11g

Nettle Flan

Nettle Flan

Softened butter for the ramekins or flan molds
½ to 1 lb. fresh young nettle leaves (depending on how much nettle you desire, I generally use about ¾ lb.)
4 large fresh farm eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 C. chopped chives
4 fresh sage leaves
1/3 C. grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 C. heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 275° F and place the rack in the center position. Butter six 8-oz. ceramic ramekins, glass custard C. or glass canning jars. Cook the nettle leaves in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Drain thoroughly, rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle, then with your hands, squeeze out as much water as possible. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg together until blended. Combine the squeezed nettles, chives and sage in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the egg mixture and grated cheese and process until the mixture is extremely smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and process until thoroughly incorporated, about 30 seconds. Divide the nettle mixture among the prepared ramekins. Set the ramekins in a large baking dish so they don’t touch each other. Place the dish on the oven rack and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the centers are firm to the touch, about an hour. Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the flans cool in the water for 10 minutes. Run a thin-bladed knife around the sides of the ramekins and invert the flans onto serving plates. Serve with a light tomato sauce or a simple green salad and a little grated or shaved cheese over the top if desired.

Bean & Pea Shoot Stir Fry

Bean & Pea Shoot Stir Fry

This is a flexible dish that I created to make use of stored beans and rice and sprouted seeds. I like pea shoots, so that’s what I have. You could also use mung bean sprouts or another microgreen, such as arugula, sunflower sprouts, watercress, etc. You can also add any kind of other vegetable that you have on hand. I’ve noted where you add them in the recipe. Longer cooking fresh vegetables first, shorter cooking fresh vegetables later, canned (already cooked and more likely to break apart) even later, and then tender greens at the very end. I chose an Asian flavor profile, because that’s what I like and what I am storing, but you can alter the spices, replace the soy with Worcestershire, vinegars, pickling liquid, fish sauce, coconut milk, Mirin and so on).

1 C. Rice
2 C. Water
1 -2 tsp. Oil (If you have fresh vegetables to add in addition to onion, use more. Otherwise, use less)
1 Onion, Sliced (If you do not have this in your root cellar or from a garden, you can omit it, but food without onions is a sad thing!)
2 C. beans, cooked or canned
½ tsp. Garlic Powder
½ tsp. ground Ginger
¼ C. Soy Sauce
1 small can Tomato Paste
½ C. Water
Couple handfuls freshly harvested Pea Shoots (you could also use tender foraged greens such as purslane, dandelion, red clover, lamb’s quarters – but be sure you are picking what you think you are!)

Heat water for rice to near boiling, add rice, stir once. Cover and reduce heat and cook on low for 22-25 minutes. While Rice cooks, heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes, until the onion begins to soften and turn translucent. If you happen to have other fresh (sturdier type) vegetables from a garden or forage, such as celery, peppers, or carrots, etc.you can add them with the onion. After 5 minutes or so, if you have more tender / faster cooking vegetables, such as peas, shredded sturdier dark leafy vegetables like collards or kale, fiddleheads etc., you can add them now and cook with the other vegetables a few more minutes. Add beans, garlic powder, ginger, soy sauce, tomato paste and water. IF you happen to have a fully cooked meat product on hand, you can add some of that with the beans. IF you did not have onions or any other vegetables, you can boost the flavor with some dried herbs. IF you have a canned vegetable, you can add that now. Cook over lower heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring gently now and again, until everything is heated through. Add your pea shoots, toss just to combine and slightly wilt the pea shoots. Serve your bean mixture over your cooked rice.

Spätzle With Mushroom Gravy

Spätzle With Mushroom Gravy

Spätzle With Mushroom Gravy

 

4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 tsp nutmeg

6 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk ( more if needed)

 

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp garlic butter

8oz mushrooms, sliced

3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp flour

2 cups beef broth

2 tbsp 35% cream

1/4 cup sherry

 

Place flour in a bowl and combine with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center and add the eggs and mix well. Slowly add the milk and beat until the mixture is thick, glossy, and has no lumps remaining. Press dough into salted boiling water. Let it cook until it floats to the top, remove with a slotted spoon and place into cold water. Cool, drain, cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve place some olive oil or butter in a sauté pan and cook the spätzle until it begin to brown. Heat the olive oil and garlic butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add mushrooms and thyme, sauté until golden, adding more olive oil if needed. Stir in the tomato paste and flour, cook for 2-3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the sherry, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Add the beef broth, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook stirring occasional until the liquid has reduced by half. Finish by stirring in the 35% cream. Serve over the spätzle with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Mushroom Piccata

Mushroom Piccata

Mushroom Piccata

 

1 lemon

4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

12 oz. mixed mushrooms (such as crimini, shiitake, and/or maitake), cut or torn into large pieces if needed

1 tsp. all-purpose flour or cornstarch

Kosher salt

1 large shallot or 1 small red onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup Castelvetrano or other olives, crushed, pits removed

1 Tbsp. drained capers

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Freshly ground black pepper

Parsley leaves with tender stems (for serving)

 

Using a sharp knife, slice lemon into very thin rounds, (aim to get about 6–8 thin slices); remove seeds from rounds. Set remaining piece of lemon aside. Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Toss mushrooms with flour in a small bowl, then cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and crisp all over, 6–8 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a large plate. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to same skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook shallot, stirring often, until softened, 2–3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened and beginning to turn golden around edges, about 4 minutes. Add wine, olives, capers, and lemon slices. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until wine is mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add butter and swirl skillet continuously until butter is melted and emulsified into sauce. Squeeze in 1 Tbsp. lemon juice from reserved lemon. Taste sauce and season generously with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Return mushrooms to skillet and cook, tossing and adding a splash of water to loosen sauce as needed, just until well coated. Top mushroom piccata with parsley just before serving.

Barbecued Mushroom Caps with Sun-Dried Tomato and Herb Dressing

Barbecued Mushroom Caps with Sun-Dried Tomato and Herb Dressing

Barbecued Mushroom Caps with Sun-Dried Tomato and Herb Dressing

 

1 cup fresh

3 tbsp oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, pressed or minced

3 tbsp minced parsley

1 tbsp fresh basil leaves, minced

1 2 ⁄ tsp cayenne pepper (or more)

2 tbsp melted butter (optional)

12 large white mushrooms, brushed or washed and stems removed

1 egg

 

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the mushrooms and egg, and mix well. Just before grilling time, break the egg into the stuffing mixture, and combine thoroughly. Fill the mushroom caps with the stuffing, then sit them, stuffing side up, on an oiled grill over medium high heat, until the mushrooms are soft and juicy and the stuffing heated through. Serve immediately. Note: To prepare fresh breadcrumbs, leave several slices of whole-wheat bread to dry out a little for a few hours. In a food processor, process them to a fine crumb and measure required quantity. Any remaining crumbs can be frozen in an airtight bag and used at a later time.

Mushroom & Poblano Tacos

Mushroom & Poblano Tacos

Mushroom & Poblano Tacos

 

This is inspired by a dish that Mexican chef Rick Bayless makes with huitlacoche, a black fungus that grows in lobes on ears of corn. It’s a great delicacy in Mexico but not easy to get in the United States (though you can find mail order sources on the Internet). Mushrooms are a lot easier to find, and they make a delicious taco filling. Epazote is an earthy Mexican herb that you might be able to find in a Mexican market or a farmers’ market. If you can’t find it, use cilantro.

 

1 pound fresh poblano chiles (3 large or 4 medium)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium or large white onion, halved and thinly sliced across the grain

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/4 pounds mushrooms, sliced (about 6 cups)

Salt to taste

3 to 4 tablespoons chopped epazote or cilantro

12 corn tortillas

2 ounces crumbled Mexican queso fresco or feta (optional)

 

Roast the chiles. Light a gas burner, and place the pepper directly over the flame. As soon as one section has blackened, turn the chiles with tongs to expose another section to the flame. Continue to turn until peppers are blackened all over. Alternatively, roast under a broiler. Preheat the broiler. Cover a baking sheet with foil, and place the peppers on top. Place under the broiler until charred on one side, about three to four minutes. Turn and continue to grill, turning every three minutes or so, until uniformly charred. Place in a bowl, and cover tightly. Allow to sit until cool, then remove the charred skin. You may need to run the pepper briefly under the faucet to rinse off the final bits of charred skin. If so, pat dry with paper towels. Cut the pepper in half, remove the seeds and membranes and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender and lightly colored, about 10 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the mushrooms, and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, then season with salt. Turn the heat down to medium, and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender and moist, about eight minutes. Sir in the poblanos and epazote or cilantro, and cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove from the heat and keep warm. Wrap the tortillas in a heavy kitchen towel and place in a steamer basket over 1/2 inch of water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot and steam one minute. Turn off the heat, and allow to sit for 15 minutes without uncovering. Pass the tortillas, top with the mushroom mixture, sprinkle with a little cheese if desired, fold the tortillas over the filling and enjoy.

Padron Pepper and Goat Cheese Tacos with Smoked Salt and Cilantro Lime Crema

Padron Pepper and Goat Cheese Tacos with Smoked Salt and Cilantro Lime Crema

Look for padron peppers at farmer’s markets or fancy foodie stores throughout the late summer. If you’re sensitive to spice, fry up a batch on their own first to test them out. Peppers from the same farm tend to have the same ratio of hot to mild peppers. If you get a hot one, you can spit it out; but if it’s in your taco, you’ll be stuck eating it.

Have all your other ingredients ready before frying the peppers so that they stay warm; they only take a few minutes to cook. For the tomatoes, I like to use one dry-farmed red, and one heirloom yellow; you may not need to use all the tomatoes. Be sure to drink the delicious juice they let off. It pays to seek out good corn tortillas.

2 small tomatoes
salt, as needed
1/3 C. sour cream
2-3 T. finely chopped cilantro, plus a few leaves for garnish
juice of half a lime
1 T. olive oil
1 pint basket padron peppers
a few pinches of smoked sea salt
4 (6-inch) corn tortillas (or a corn/wheat blend)
2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 C.)
1 medium-sized ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced
several paper-thin slivers from a red onion
lime wedges

Dice the tomatoes, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and let drain in a sieve while you get on with the recipe. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, and a big pinch of salt. Taste, adding more lime or salt if you like. Set aside, or cover and chill for up to a day or two. Use a pair of scissors to cut the stems off the peppers (their crowns are edible). Rinse the peppers and drain them well. Heat 1 T. olive oil in a 10″ cast iron skillet set over a medium flame until it shimmers. Add the peppers and cook, tossing occasionally, until blistered all over and blackened in places, about 5 minutes. They will pop and spit; lower the temperature if things are getting too crazy. Sprinkle with a few pinches of the smoked salt.
In another skillet, warm the tortillas on both sides until soft and pliable. Place the tortillas on a couple of plates, and build the tacos. I like the following order:

goat cheese
avocado slices
diced tomato
sliced onion
cilantro lime crema
padron peppers

Top with a sprinkle of smoked salt and a few cilantro leaves. Serve immediately, with lime wedges for squeezing over the tops.

Chintextle (Pumpkin Seed And Pasilla De Oaxaca Paste)

Chintextle (Pumpkin Seed And Pasilla De Oaxaca Paste)

Mexicans can tell that this is not something you often find in cities. Instead, it’s what men who toil on farms buy in local street markets or get from their wives before they head to work, because it keeps well even in the high heat of the afternoon. When they need a snack, they break out tostadas (crunchy corn tortillas) and spread on chintextle, the potent paste turning even that simple snack into a real treat.

Chintextle (Pumpkin Seed And Pasilla De Oaxaca Paste)1 1/2 ounces pasilla de Oaxaca chiles (9), wiped clean and stemmed
4 ounces hulled raw (green) pumpkin seeds (¾ cup)
5 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon fine salt, or 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 to 2 tablespoons mild olive oil or vegetable oil, if necessary

Heat a comal, griddle, or heavy skillet over medium-low heat, and toast the chiles a few at a time, turning them over and pressing them down with tongs frequently, until they become a lighter shade of brown and develop some blisters, about 2 minutes per batch. Set them aside to cool. Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring and tossing constantly, until they’re puffed and just slightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer them to a plate to cool. Put the chiles, pumpkin seeds, and garlic in the food processor (there’s not enough liquid to use the blender here) and process to form a paste, scraping the sides often. Add the vinegars and process again. Season to taste with the distilled vinegar and salt, and process again to blend. If necessary, add oil, a little at a time, to help blend the mixture into a very smooth paste. Processing will take at least 3 minutes total. Before you serve it, refrigerate the chintextle in an airtight container for one day to allow the flavors to develop.

French Cherry Tomato Tart with Dijon Mustard & Chevre

French Cherry Tomato Tart with Dijon Mustard & Chevre

French Cherry Tomato Tart with Dijon Mustard & Chevre

Yields one 9- or 10-inch tart

 

One unbaked tart dough, placed on the tart pan (see recipe, below)

Dijon or whole-grain mustard, to taste

8 ounces goat cheese, sliced into 1-ounce rounds

2 pints of cherry tomatoes (or 2-3 large tomatoes, sliced)

1/4 cup olives, pitted (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or your favorite herbs

 

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spread an even layer of mustard on the bottom of the tart dough.  Place 4 rounds of goat cheese on top of the mustard.  Arrange tomatoes (and olives, if using) on top of the cheese. Place remaining 4 rounds of cheese on top of the tomatoes.  Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes, season with salt and ground pepper, and sprinkle chopped thyme.*  Bake the tart for 30 to 40 minutes, until the dough is cooked and the cheese is nicely browned.

 

*Note: I usually add chopped herbs after about 20 minutes of baking time so that they don’t burn.  For this recipe, I added some additional chopped thyme to the dough for extra flavor.

 

Tart Dough

Yields dough for one 9- or 10-inch tart

 

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 generous tablespoon chopped thyme (optional)

4 1/2 ounces unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes

1 large egg

2-3 tablespoons ice cold water

 

Mix the flour, salt, pepper, and chopped thyme in a medium-sized bowl. Add the butter and using your hands, pastry blender, or two forks, cut the butter into the flour/thyme mixture until it resembles a crumbly, cornmeal-like consistency.  Mix the egg with 2 tablespoons of the water. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the beaten egg, stirring gently until the dough holds together. Add the additional tablespoon of ice water, if needed.  Gather the dough into a ball and roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, adding only the minimum amount of flour to keep the dough from sticking to the counter. Roll the dough around the rolling pin and then unroll it over the tart pan with a removable bottom. “Dock” the dough by pressing the tart dough firmly with your fingertips to make a few indentations. Be careful not to press too hard to tear the dough.

Grilled Panela Cheese & Green Sauce with Nopales

Grilled Panela Cheese & Green Sauce with Nopales

1 Panella Cheese Round (200-300grilled panela cheese and green sauce with nopalesg)
½ – 1 C. Green Sauce (Your Favorite)
2 Nopales Paddles, cleaned
Chopped Cilantro to taste
Toast or Corn Tortillas for Serving

Cut 2 slices parchment paper larger than the cheese. Grease the paper and place on your hot grill or skillet, and place cheese on top of the paper. Cook 5-6 minutes until cheese has been marked. Add the nopales to the grill and cook one side while the cheese grills. Flip Nopales at 3-4 minutes. Cover the top of the cheese with the second sheet of greased parchment paper and flip carefully. Cook an additional 4-6 minutes, until that side is marked and cheese is warmed through. Meanwhile, remove your nopales after 3-4 minutes on the second side, and set aside. Remove cheese to a plate, carefully removing parchment first. Slice cactus into thin strips. Place half sauce on the plate around the cheese, top the cheese with the cactus, then drizzle with remaining sauce and garnish with cilantro.

Sheet Pan Suppers – Shakshuka

Sheet Pan Suppers – Shakshuka

Sheet Pan Shakshuka2 Poblano Peppers, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
2 Jalapeno Peppers, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 lg. Shallot, finely chopped
6 cloves Garlic, sliced thinly
1 ½ tsp. Cumin
2 T. Smoked Paprika
Salt
3 T. EVOO
28oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes
12 Large Eggs
½ – 1 cup crumbled Feta Cheese (2-4 oz.)
½ C. roughly chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
Toast or Warm Pita Bread, for Serving

Preheat oven to 350 with a rack in center position. Toss together peppers, shallot, garlic, cumin, paprika, half tsp. salt and oil on sheet pan until vegetables are evenly coated. Bake until spices are fragrant and vegetables have softened and started to brown, 10-15 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Pour tomatoes with juice, over vegetables and stir to combine. Use a wooden spoon to make 12 evenly spaced divots in the sauce; sauce will be a bit runny, but do your best. Crack the eggs into the divots, and sprinkle with salt. Return pan to the oven and bake until eggs are cooked to your liking. It will take about 10-15 minutes for the whites to set but the yolks to remain runny. Remove from oven, sprinkle with feta cheese and fresh parsley. Serve hot with toast or pita on the side.

Shakshuka with Feta

Shakshuka with Feta

shakshuka-superJumbo-v23 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. sweet paprika
â…› tsp. cayenne, or to taste
1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes with juices, coarsely chopped
¾ tsp. salt, more as needed
¼ tsp. black pepper, more as needed
5 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 large eggs
Chopped cilantro, for serving
Hot sauce, for serving

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook gently until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes; stir in cumin, paprika and cayenne, and cook 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes and season with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper; simmer until tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in crumbled feta. Gently crack eggs into skillet over tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with hot sauce.

Shiitake Mushroom Alfredo

Shiitake Mushroom Alfredo

creamy-shiitake-alfredo-med107616_sq

Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 pound fusilli or other short twisted pasta
2 T. unsalted butter
3 small shallots, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
2 T. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
3/4 cup heavy cream
Grated Parmesan, for serving

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until shallots are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and thyme and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir in cream, and cook until warmed (do not let boil). Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta to skillet, toss to combine, and top with Parmesan

Caramelized Onion Tart with Apples

Caramelized Onion Tart with Apples

2caralemlized onion tart with applesT. olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2 red apples (such as Braeburn or Gala), cut into small pieces
kosher salt and black pepper
2 sheets frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package), thawed
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

Heat oven to 400º F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the apples, ½ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper and cook until just tender, 2 minutes. Place each sheet of pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Spread with the crème fraîche, leaving a ½-inch border. Top with the onion mixture and bake until the pastry is crisp and browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into pieces before serving.

Sheet Pan Supper: Hearty Ratatouille with Goat Cheese

Sheet Pan Supper: Hearty Ratatouille with Goat Cheese

Hearty-Ratatouille-6Olive Oil Cooking Spray
1 can (12 oz.) tomato puree
3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1/2 medium yellow onion finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 T. unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large red bell pepper
1 large Chinese Eggplant or other long skinny eggplant
1 large zucchini
1 large yellow squash
3-4 smallish yukon gold potatoes unpeeled
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
4 oz. soft goat’s cheese
1 T. roughy chopped basil leaves
Crusty Bread for serving

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with one rack about 4 inches from the broiler and one rack in the center. Mist a sheet pan with cooking spray. Dump the tomato puree onto the prepared sheet pan. Add the garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Use a rubber spatula to spread evenly. Drop the butter cubes all over. Cut the top off the pepper, pull out the seeds. Take a sharp knife and slice into 1/8-1/4 of an inch rounds and slice the rounds into thirds. Trim the ends of the eggplant, zucchini and squash. Slice each into 1/8-1/4 inch. Slice the potatoes the same size too. Carefully arrange the vegetables over the tomato base overlapping them in a pattern going from one short end to the other. Drizzle the veggies with olive oil. Sprinkle with thyme and some salt and pepper. Bake the ratatouille on the center rack until the vegetables are tender and the tomato sauce is bubbling up the edges, 30-40 mins. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the oven to broil. Break the goats cheese into large crumbles and scatter evenly over the ratatouille. Broil to gently melt the cheese about 1 min. Sprinkle the chopped basil and serve warm with crusty bread.

Green Ravioli with Garlic Filling

Green Ravioli with Garlic Filling

12 oz. Jack Cheese
3 cloves fresh Garlic
12oz. grated parmesan Cheese
12oz. dry Breadcrumbs
Pepper
1 C. Dry White Wine
3 Eggs

10oz. pkg. Frozen Chopped Spinach
2 C. unbleached white Flour
1 T. Salt
1 T. Olive Oil
2 Eggs
Water, as needed

Filling: Process Jack cheese through food processor with grating blade. Remove cheese to bowl.
With steel blade, process garlic. Add remaining dry ingredients and return Jack cheese to food processor container. Pulse until well mixed. Add wine to moisten, and then add eggs and pulse until mixed.

Ravioli: Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain. When cool, press water out of spinach. Chop with steel blade until finely chopped. Add flour and salt and mix. Add oil and mix. Add eggs and mix. Add water until a ball of dough is formed. Place on floured board. Knead until smooth and velvety. Place mixture in plastic bag for 1 hour. At this point, if you have a pasta machine, proceed to make dough. If not, roll only as much dough as you can handle at one time out on floured board until thin. On half the dough spread some of the filling and cover with other half of dough. With ravioli rolling pin or 1/8-inch board form ravioli, pressing rows of squares. Cut rows with pastry cutter or knife. In large pot of boiling water, cook ravioli until just al dente. Drain and serve with sauce of your choice.

Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil and Brie

Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil and Brie

4 large (1 pound or more) heirloom tomatoes in an assortment of colors
1 pound Brie, rind removed, torn into irregular piece
1 cup cleaned fresh basil leaves cut into strips (use both red and green if you have them)
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds pasta in your favorite shape to hold the juices of the sauce

Combine tomatoes, brie, basil, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large serving bowl. Prepare at least 2 hours before serving and set aside, covered, at room temperature. Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 tsp. salt. Add the pasta and boil until tender but al dente. Drain pasta and immediately toss with the sauce. The hot pasta will melt the brie and bring out the aromas and flavors of the tomatoes and garlic. Serve and pass the pepper mill.

Hot Brie Pasta

Hot Brie Pasta

½ lb. ripe Brie
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup fresh basil, julienned
1- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tomatoes, seeded and cubed
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ lb. pasta (fettucine, linguine, or capellini all work well)
½ cup peas
Parmesan

Remove rind from Brie and cut into irregular pieces. Combine with next 6 ingredients and let stand 2 hours at room temperature. Cook pasta al dente, drain, and add raw peas (frozen are acceptable, but of course must be thawed first). Toss hot pasta with Brie sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve at once.

Sheet Pan Suppers: Herbed Goat Cheese & Zucchini Tart

Sheet Pan Suppers: Herbed Goat Cheese & Zucchini Tart

tart1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
All-purpose flour, for rolling out the dough
½ cup ricotta cheese
1 roll (4 ounces) herbed goat cheese, at room temperature, crumbled
4 or 5 medium-size zucchini
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center position. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Carefully unfold the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface. Use a flour-dusted rolling pin to gently roll the puff pastry into a large rectangle roughly 12 by 16 inches; it should be just smaller than your sheet pan. Carefully transfer the puff pastry to the prepared pan. Use a sharp knife to score a ¾-inch-wide border around the puff pastry; do not cut all the way through. Use a fork to prick holes inside the border of the rectangle, poking the dough every inch or so. Place the sheet pan in the fridge or freezer to harden the pastry dough, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, stir-mash together the ricotta and goat cheese in a small bowl until fully combined. Set aside. Trim the ends off the zucchini and, using a vegetable peeler, cut them lengthwise into long, thin strips. (Alternatively, you could use a sharp chef’s knife to cut them into ¼-inch rounds.) Place the zucchini in a large bowl and sprinkle with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss to distribute the seasoning. When the dough is good and chilly, place the pan back on your work surface. Spread the chese mixture evenly over the pastry, leaving the border bare. Arrange or pile the zucchini atop the cheese either haphazardly or in your favorite pattern, until the cheese is completely covered. Drizzle the olive oil over the zucchini. Bake the tart until the crust is puffed and deeply browned and the zucchini has softened and browned at the edges, 45 to 50 minutes. Allow the tart to cool slightly before cutting into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes: To thaw puff pastry, remove it from the package, keeping it wrapped in plastic, and leave it in the refrigerator overnight or on your work surface for about 30 minutes. Pastry sheets come folded up like a letter – don’t try to unfold them when they’re frozen or they’ll tear! After the pastry has thawed, you’ll be able to easily unfold it. Wrapped well in plastic, thawed pastry will keep for about 2 days in the fridge.

Sheet Pan Suppers: Pizza Bianca with Scamorza and Shaved Celery Root

Sheet Pan Suppers: Pizza Bianca with Scamorza and Shaved Celery Root

celery

¼ bulb Celery Root, peeled and very thinly sliced
2 T. EVOO, plus more for baking sheet
Salt and Pepper
8 ounces prepared Pizza Dough, room temperature
6 oz. scamorza or mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
½ small Red Onion, very thinly sliced
½ C. grated Parmesan
1 T. fresh Oregano, plus more for serving
1 T. Capers, chopped
Flaky Sea Salt (such as Maldon)

Place rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 500degrees. Toss celery root and 1 T. oil in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper; set aside. Gently stretch dough into a 16 x 12 inch oval and transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet. If dough springs back, cover and let rest 10 minutes, then stretch again. Brush with 1 T. oil and bake until dry and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven; top with cheese, celery root, onion, parmesan and 1 T. oregano. Bake pizza, rotating baking sheet halfway through until cheese is melted, celery root is tender, and crust is golden brown, 12 -15 minutes. Top with capers and more oregano; season with salt and pepper and serve.

Sheet Pan Suppers: Spaghetti Squash Puttanesca

Sheet Pan Suppers: Spaghetti Squash Puttanesca

outt1 large spaghetti squash (3 1/2–4 pounds)
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
Nonstick vegetable cooking spray
1 oil-packed anchovy fillet, drained, finely chopped (optional)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
12 ounces cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups)
1 pint shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, quartered (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup pitted oil-cured black olives, chopped
1 tablespoon drained capers
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, divided
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley, divided
1/2 cup ricotta

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Season inside of squash with salt and pepper. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray; lay halves cut side down on sheet and bake 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine anchovy (if using), garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, capers, red pepper flakes, and 2 T. oil in a large bowl. Remove baking sheet from oven and transfer tomato mixture to sheet alongside squash. Return to oven and cook until squash is tender and shell is easily pierced, about 15 minutes more. Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a dry small skillet over medium-low heat, tossing often, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Immediately transfer to a plate; set aside. Remove sheet from oven. Scrape squash crosswise to pull strands from shells into a medium bowl; discard shells. Using the back of a fork or spoon, gently push down on tomatoes on sheet to break them up and release their juices. Scrape tomato mixture and any accumulated juices into bowl with squash. Add remaining 1 T. oil, then toss with half of basil, parsley, and reserved pine nuts. Divide among bowls and dollop with ricotta. Garnish with remaining basil, parsley, and pine nuts.

Sheet Pan Suppers: Baking Sheet Quesadillas

Sheet Pan Suppers: Baking Sheet Quesadillas

ques

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
12 rectangular tortillas or wraps (available in the deli section of most grocery stores)
½ cup salsa
12 ounces shredded cheddar or Jack cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
Sour cream, as needed for serving
Salsa, as needed for serving

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the butter. Arrange half of the tortillas in the prepared pan, overlapping them as needed to fully cover the base. Spread the salsa in an even layer on top of the tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the salsa. Arrange the remaining tortillas on top of the cheese, overlapping as needed to fully cover the pan. Spread the remaining 2 tablespoons butter evenly over the tortillas. Bake until the tortillas are golden and the cheese is fully melted, 9 to 12 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro and green onions. Serve immediately, warm, with sour cream and salsa on the side

Caramelized Shallot Tartes Tatin

Caramelized Shallot Tartes Tatin

tartin4 Tbsp. salted butter, melted
12 medium shallots (about 12 ounces), peeled and halved lengthwise
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
All-purpose flour, for rolling
1 pound puff pastry, thawed and chilled
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 ounces Gorgonzola, crumbled
Sea salt, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400° and arrange racks in middle and lower third. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, shallots, and sugar, and toss to coat. Arrange shallots cut-side down on prepared baking sheets. Scrape any remaining sugar mixture onto shallots. On a floured surface, roll puff pastry to a 15″ square. Using a 2 1/2″ round biscuit cutter, stamp out as many circles as possible. If necessary, gently press scraps together and freeze until firm, then reroll and cut out more rounds. Place pastry rounds over shallots, and top each pan with a sheet of parchment and another baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, switching position of pans halfway through. Carefully remove top baking sheets and parchment paper. Return tartes tatin to oven and continue to bake until pastry is golden, 15 to 20 minutes more, switching pans again halfway through. Working quickly, using a spatula, invert tartes tatin onto a serving platter. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, boil balsamic vinegar until reduced to 2 Tbsp., about 5 minutes. Dot tartes tatin with Gorgonzola and drizzle with balsamic reduction. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Mac n Cheese on a Sheet Pan

Mac n Cheese on a Sheet Pan

This came up in a search for sheet pan meals — I was wondering how pasta would work there, but instead it is a way to cook Mac and Cheese so you get more of the delicious crispy bits on top; its not really a one pan sheet pan meal.  Ah well, still sounds like a great idea =)

Sheet pan mac n cheese3/4 pound elbow macaroni
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup flour
2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 oz fresh bread to be pulsed into crumbs (3 cups once pulsed)
parsley, a medium to large bunch
2 to 3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (4 ounces) Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1 cup (8 oz) Fresh Mozzarella, diced into small cubes

Preheat oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of kosher salt. Boil macaroni for about 5 minutes or for 2 minutes less than the box’s suggested al dente time. (For example, my macaroni box said ‘al dente perfection’ in 7 to 9 minutes. I boiled mine for 5.) Drain. Do not rinse. Set aside. In the same large pot, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add flour, whisking constantly for about a minute. Add milk and water, whisking to remove any of the flour-butter mixture from bottom of pan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and gently simmer. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until mixture begins to thicken, about 20 minutes. Note: the mixture will not get super thick, but it will coat the back of a spoon, and if you run your finger through the coating, the trail should stay — see photo. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter stovetop or in microwave. Pulse bread in food processor to make crumbs. Measure 3 cups and place in a mixing bowl. Add parsley (it’s ok if the tender stems are included — use the top 3/4 or so of the bunch) and garlic to food processor. Pulse until fine, then add to bowl with breadcrumbs. Season with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Pour butter over top and mix with spatula until combined. In a large mixing bowl, toss macaroni with grated Parmigiano Reggiano — it’s ok if the noodles are sticking together; they will separate once the béchamel is poured over top. Line a jelly roll pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Spread macaroni mixture over top. Distribute mozzarella cubes over top. Scatter breadcrumb mixture evenly over top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is golden and the macaroni is bubbling. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Aloo Gobi Tart Recipe

Aloo Gobi Tart Recipe

sheet2 cup Cauliflower florets
2 Potatoes (medium size)
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1/2 cup finely chopped Onion
1/4 cup finely chopped Tomato
3 teaspoon Canola Oil (or any cooking oil)
1/4 teaspoon Cumin Seeds / Jeera
2 Cardamon pods
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder or red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder
1/2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1/4 teaspoon Garam masala
2 teaspoon Yogurt
2 cup + 4 teaspoon Water
Salt to taste
1 Puff Pastry Sheet (preferably Pepperidge farm), substitute with home made or store bought pie crust
1/4 tablespoon Butter (Optional)
2 tsp Dried fenugreek leaves / Kasuri Methi (Optional)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking tray with wax/parchment paper or foil. Brush it with butter/oil. Place 1 frozen puff pastry sheet on it and allow it to thaw. Wash cauliflower florets. In a sauce pan, add 2 cup of water, 1/2 tsp salt. Bring it to boil. Turn off and add the cauliflower florets. Let it stand for couple of minutes. This step will cleanse the cauliflower. In another sauce pan, boil Potatoes until it is 95% cooked (fork tender). I prefer to steam the potatoes. I cut them into equal size chunks and put it in my steamer for 5-6 minutes. In a wok/kadai, add oil. When it is hot add cumin seeds and allow it to sizzle. Add cardamon, finely chopped ginger. Add onion. Sauté until it turns translucent, for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.
Then add tomato, 1/2 tsp salt and sauté for another 3 minutes or until it becomes mushy. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, kashmiri chili powder, sauté. Add 2-4 tsp water to prevent it from sticking. Add cumin powder, coriander powder and sauté. Add 2 tsp yogurt, potato and cauliflower. Mix well. Adjust salt as per taste. Then add garam masala, mix and close the kadai with a lid and let it simmer for couple of minutes. This will allow the flavors to marry well. Do not forget to stir in between to avoid sticking to the pan. Open the lid, if there is any liquid left cook for couple of minutes until the water evaporates. Turn off and allow it to cool.
Place the baking tray in oven and bake the puff pastry sheet for 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350 F. Spread the Aloo Gobhi Masala on the tart. Add few swirls of butter and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Serve it hot.

Baked Polenta with Braised Wild Mushrooms

Baked Polenta with Braised Wild Mushrooms

2 leeks, minced
4-6 shallots, minced
8 tsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. yellow cornmeal (fine or medium granulation)
2 C. cold water
2 C. milk
1/2 C. + 1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 lb. total wild mushrooms (a variety — pleurottes, shiitakes, portobellos, cepes, chanterelles)
1/2-1 tsp. minced garlic (to taste)
1/4 C. Madeira wine
1 C. chicken stock
1/4 tsp. chopped fresh thyme, or a pinch of dried thyme
1/4 tsp. chopped fresh sage, or a pinch of dried sage

To make the polenta: In a large sauce pan or stock pot, sauté the leeks and shallots slowly in 2 tsp. butter (reserve the other 2 tsp. butter). When the leeks are soft and translucent, add the milk, 1 C. water, and 1/2 tsp. salt, and bring to a boil; while the milk is heating, combine in a bowl the remaining water and the cornmeal to make a very loose paste. When the milk boils, whisk in the cornmeal paste. Bring back to the boil, stirring rapidly to avoid lumps. Turn heat to low, and allow the polenta to simmer. Stir occasionally. After approximately 10 minutes, start to test the polenta by spooning a small amount onto a counter or plate. When cool, the polenta should be firm and set. Finish by stirring in 2 tsp. butter and 1/2 C. cheese. Pour into a lightly buttered mold or cake pan and allow to set. While the polenta is cooling, preheat the oven to 450°F. To make the braised mushrooms: Clean and slice the mushrooms. In a sauté pan over medium heat, sauté garlic in 2 tsp. butter. Add mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms have become soft. Add Madeira and chicken stock, and cook until reduced to a light syrup; then add thyme and sage and finish with the remaining 2 tsp. butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, cut polenta into 8 equal pieces, place on a buttered baking dish and top with the remaining 1/4 C. cheese. Bake for 15 minutes at 450°F. Serve polenta on warm plates, topped with the wild mushrooms. Garnish with a fresh thyme sprig.

Caramelized Shallot and Crispy Sage Macaroni and Cheese

Caramelized Shallot and Crispy Sage Macaroni and Cheese

carmelized-shallot-and-crispy-sage-macaroni-and-cheese-cake-batter-and-bowl-blog-kerstin-sinkevicius1 lb orecchiette pasta
2 T. olive oil
2 large shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 T. butter
1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C. buttermilk
1 C. heavy cream
2 C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 C. Gruyere cheese
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 C. chopped fresh sage

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook 15-17 minutes, stirring frequently until deep golden brown. Add the garlic and cook 1 additional minute. Set aside. Meanwhile, melt 4 T. of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth and until mixture starts to brown, about 1 minute. Whisk in the buttermilk and cream, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and mix in cheeses and salt. Cook 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Melt remaining 1 T. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add sage, sauté 1 minute and turn off heat. Mix pasta, shallots, cheese sauce and sage in a large bowl and enjoy!

White Bean Soup with Red Pepper Coulis

White Bean Soup with Red Pepper Coulis

whitebeansoup1 shallot
1 T. olive oil
1 can 15 oz white beans (450 gr)
1 C. chicken broth
1 tsp. thyme
Red Pepper Coulis

Chop shallot. Drain and rinse beans. Heat oil in medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until transparent. Add beans, chicken stock and thyme, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove 1/4 C. of chicken stock and puree the rest, either in blender or with wand blender. Check for consistency, add as much of the removed stock as you like (or more) to get desired consistency. To serve: Ladle soup into bowls. Carefully drizzle 2 T. of Red Pepper Coulis in a pattern or all in the center and use a warm knife to draw a pattern. It should float on top of the soup. Serve.

Red Pepper Coulis

1 red pepper no need to peel
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 T. olive oil
1/3 C. chicken stock
1 T. tomato paste

Clean pepper and cut into big pieces. Sauté shallot in olive oil in a small saucepan until tender. Add pepper chunks, thyme and chicken stock. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until pepper is very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and puree, using as much chicken stock

Easy Asian Dumplings with Sesame Hoisin Dipping Sauce

Easy Asian Dumplings with Sesame Hoisin Dipping Sauce

35 wonton wrappers
2 cups shredded carrots, roughly chopped
2 cups sliced, shittake mushrooms
4 cups shredded napa cabbage
1 large garlic clove (two if you love garlic like me!)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sirracha (or more, depending on your spice tolerance)
1 teaspoon hoisin
4 tablespoons olive oil

Hoisin Dipping Sauce
½ cup hoisin
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sirracha

Garnish
½ teaspoon sesame seeds
1 green onion, sliced

Easy-Asian-Dumplings-with-Hoisin-Sesame-Dipping-Sauce-8In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil over a medium-high heat. Add carrots, mushrooms, cabbage and garlic. Saute 2-3 minutes until veggies start to wilt. Add soy sauce, sirracha and hoisin. Once veggies are completely cooked, set aside to cool. For assembly: Place one heaping teaspoon of filling on the corner of wonton wrapper. Using water, wet the sides of the wrapper. Fold corner over to form a triangle. Seal edges, making sure there are no air bubbles. Fold corers over each other, use water to seal. Repeat for remaining filling. Working in two batches, heat a large non-stick skillet to a medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add dumplings, brown on both sides until crispy and golden. Once brown on both sides, add ¼ cup of water. Cover and let set until water has evaporated, about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Repeat with remaining batch. For the sauce: Combine all ingredients.

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup

6a00d8341c63d853ef00e5502e2e1c8833-800wi2 T. butter
3 carrots, finely diced (about 1 cup)
2 leeks, (white and light green part) finely diced. (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 stalks celery, finely diced (about 1 cup)
1/4 C. all-purpose flour
2 quarts chicken broth
3/4 C. wild rice
1/2 tsp. salt–or to your taste
3/4 C. hot cream (I used 1/4 cup, plus 2/4 C. 1% milk)
3 T. dry sherry
1/4 C. minced chives
3 T. parsley

Heat butter in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, leeks, and celery and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and add the flour. Cook this for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the stock to the flour and vegetable mixture, slowly, whisking to avoid lumps. Bring the soup to a simmer and then add the wild rice and salt. Simmer for 45 minutes until the rice is tender, but still a little chewy. Add the heated cream, sherry, and chives. Season with salt, if necessary. Serve in bowls garnished with parsley.

Quesadillas with Roasted Poblanos & Onions (Rajas)

Quesadillas with Roasted Poblanos & Onions (Rajas)

40559848bd75cdab4e59113540445f5e2 small fresh poblano chiles
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 large white onion, thinly sliced lengthwise (about 1-1/2 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Four 8-inch flour tortillas
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 8 oz.)
1/2 cup sour cream

Roast the peppers: Turn a gas burner to high and char the poblanos directly over the flame, turning them with tongs as soon as each side becomes fully blackened, about 6 to 8 minutes per pepper. (If you don’t have a gas stove, you can char poblanos similarly over a hot grill fire or lay them on a foil-lined baking sheet and char them under a hot broiler, turning them with tongs). Immediately after roasting, put the poblanos in a bowl, cover, and set aside to steam and loosen the skins. When they’re cool enough to handle, peel the charred skin off with your hands or a small paring knife. Pull out and discard the stems and seed clusters. Slice the peppers into 1/4-inch-wide strips and put them in a small bowl. Put a baking sheet in the oven and heat the oven to 150°F (or its lowest setting).

Make the rajas: Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a 10- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the poblano strips, season with a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are heated through, another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and wipe the skillet clean.

Make the quesadillas: Heat 1/2 tsp. of the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add one tortilla and scatter over it a quarter of the cheese, a quarter of the poblano mixture, and a quarter of the cilantro. When the tortilla smells toasty and the bottom is browned in spots, in 1 or 2 minutes, fold it in half, pressing it with a spatula to flatten it. Transfer to the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make three more quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve with the sour cream on the side.

Millet Chili

Millet Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 (15 ounce) can of corn kernels
1 (15 ounce) can dark kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can light kidney beans
2 (15 ounce) cans of vegetable broth
1 cup millet
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
Optional: Shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream as garnish

Warm olive oil in large saucepan. Sauté onions, peppers, garlic, salt, and pepper for 4-5 minutes until the onions become translucent. Add in corn, beans, broth, spices, and bring to a low boil. Add millet and stir. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove lid, add diced tomatoes and tomato paste, and stir. Chili is ready to serve, but additional simmering will improve flavor. Serve with shredded cheddar or sour cream on top.

Yield: 8 servings
Calories: 210
Fat: 2.5g
Fiber: 7g

Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tartlet

Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tartlet

HeirloomTomatoBlack-Pepper Crusts (recipe follows)
Pesto (recipe follows, or use your favorite)
3 cups heirloom tomatoes, cut in half
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (4-ounce) package goat-cheese crumbles
Garnish: fresh oregano and micro basil

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place prepared Black-Pepper Tartlet Crusts on baking sheet. Spoon about 3 T. Pesto into bottom of each crust. Fill each tartlet with tomatoes, and season evenly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese over tomatoes, and bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is slightly browned. Garnish with oregano and micro basil, if desired. Serve immediately.

Black Pepper Tartlet Crusts

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup sour cream

In the work bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and pepper; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until crumbled. Add sour cream, and pulse until mixture comes together. Remove mixture and form into a disk; wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut 6 (5-inch) rounds from dough. Place a round in bottom and up sides of each of 6 (4-inch) tartlet pans. Line tartlet crusts with parchment paper to cover bottoms and sides, and top with pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven; cool slightly. Remove pie weights and parchment paper. Return to oven, and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, and cool.

Pesto

3 cups fresh basil leaves
3 T. fresh oregano leaves
3 T. fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup grated fresh Asiago cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

In the work bowl of a food processor, combine basil, oregano, lemon juice, garlic, cheese, and pine nuts; pulse until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add salt, pepper, and olive oil; pulse until smooth. Prepared pesto can be stored, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Balsamic Roasted Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts

Butternut Squash Risotto with Balsamic Roasted Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts

bnq1 head of cauliflower
2 pints of brussels sprouts
4 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper

4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 medium butternut squash, chopped into cubes
2 T. olive oil
3 T. butter (cut in two pieces)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut cauliflower into bite sized florets and cut trimmed brussels sprouts in half. In a mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower and brussels sprouts with the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast on a foil-lined sheet pan for 20 minutes, stir the mixture, and then roast for another 10 minutes. While vegetables are roasting, bring 2 cups of broth to a boil in a large sauce pan. When boiling, put a steamer basket in the bottom and layer in the butternut squash cubes, cover and steam until fork tender, about five minutes. Mash or puree the butternut squash (I mashed this time and left some bite sized pieces but decided I prefer the smoother texture when I pureed the squash in the past). To the saucepan with the steaming liquid, add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of broth and squash. Simmer to warm on low heat. Meanwhile, in a large dutch oven or pot, heat olive oil and melt in half of the butter. When butter is melted, sauté chopped onion and garlic, until the onions are translucent. Add the rice and stir until rice is translucent. Add the white wine and stir until evaporated. One cup at a time, add warm stock to rice pot. Deep stir until most recent cup of stock is absorbed, follow up with another ladleful until the rice is tender. Stir in remaining butter and half of the parmesan cheese before enjoying.

Spicy Potato Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives

Spicy Potato Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives

tagine2 pounds red potatoes
1 small onion, grated and squeezed dry, plus 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 C. grated tomato (discard skin)
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. hot Hungarian paprika
Pinch of ground cumin
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 bay leaf
1/4 fresh lemon
2 T. chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
Salt
4 to 5 dry saffron threads, crumbled
24 juicy purple or tan olives
1/2 preserved lemon

Peel the potatoes and thickly slice into a bowl of cold water. In heavy saucepan set over moderate heat, cook the grated onion in olive oil until melting, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato, ginger, paprika, cumin, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Drain the potatoes and add to the pan with the thinly sliced onion, the bay leaf, and the fresh lemon quarter. Toss to coat the potatoes, onion, and lemon quarter with the parsley, cilantro, and salt to taste. Add the saffron and 1 1/2 C. hot water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes. Use a slotted spatula to transfer to a covered serving dish to keep warm. Discard the lemon. Add the olives to the liquid and boil until the pan juices are reduced to a thick sauce. Correct the seasoning, pour over the potatoes, and garnish with the preserved lemon. To grate tomatoes: Halve and gently squeeze to remove the seeds. Grate the tomato halves, cut side facing the coarsest side of a box grater or flat shredder. You will be left with just the tomato skin on your hand; discard. Wolfert recommends cooking this dish the way Moroccans traditionally do: in a clay pot such as a Mexican cazuela or Moroccan tagine. The porous clay absorbs liquid from the dish, then slowly releases steam as it heats, which results in a more flavorful, juicy dish. Moroccan tagines are available at www.tagines.com. A note of warning: Clay pots are sensitive to rapid temperature changes, which can cause cracking. Don’t put anything hot in a cold tagine or anything cold in a hot tagine. Consider investing in a flame-tamer or heat-diffuser (a metal plate that’s placed over the burner) to distribute heat evenly.

Spinach and Cheese Strata

Spinach and Cheese Strata

strata3 T. unsalted butter
1½ C. onion, finely chopped
2 (10 oz.) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tsp. salt, divided
½ tsp. pepper, divided
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
8 C. cubed French or Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 oz. coarsely grated Gruyere (about 2 C.)
2 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about 2/3 C.)
9 large eggs
2¾ C. milk

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add ½ tsp. of the salt, ¼ tsp. of the pepper, and the nutmeg, and continue to cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the spinach, remove from the heat and set aside. Butter the inside of a 2½-3 quart baking dish. Layer the bottom of the dish with one third of the bread cubes. Top with one third of the spinach mixture and one third of each of the cheeses. Repeat these layers twice more with the bread, spinach and cheese. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, milk, the remaining ½ tsp. of the salt and ¼ tsp. of the pepper. Whisk together until blended. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread and spinach layered in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours or up to 1 day. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Bake uncovered until puffed, golden brown and cooked through, 45-55 minutes. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.