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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Cauliflower Pie and Cornbread

I froze some of the wonderful veggies I had coming to me this summer from Hatchet Cove Farm and then I just started receiving my winter CSA from Wolf Pine Farm so I decided to combine summer with winter and make this yummy pie. And the cornbread was inspired by the 5lb bag of cornmeal we received from Morgan Mills (right here in Maine) from the Wolf Pine CSA. FANTASTIC! I have recently come to admit that I may have an addiction to CSA's...but I guess there are worse things I could be addicted to.

Cauliflower & Leek Pie
3 large potatoes, shredded
1 small onion, shredded
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper
1 T cornmeal
1-2T oil

1 small head of cauliflower, chopped & steamed
1 leek, sliced thinly (just white and light green parts)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T oil
1 1/2 C shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/4C milk (as usual, I used almond milk)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix potatoes, onions, cornmeal, egg and salt and pepper thoroughly. Press into pie plate firmly to make a crust. Bake for 30 minutes, then pull out and brush oil over crust. Bake another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in large pan over medium-low heat. Add leeks and garlic and saute 5 minutes. Add steamed cauliflower and saute for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Pull potato crust from oven and layer pie as such: 3/4 C cheese, veggies, 3/4 C cheese. Beat eggs and milk together and pour over top. Bake 35-40 minutes. Serve with cornbread for a hearty fall meal.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Thanksgiving Pot Pie

Since we are vegetarians, Thanksgiving is an adventurous holiday for us. I have to whip up our own gravy and stuffing, since those are my two favorite parts and are usually made with some sort of meat product, and I have to come up with a main course. I usually buy the Quorn Turk'y Roast because my boyfriend likes the idea of something resembling turkey. I could care less, but the Quorn company does make a good alternative to everyone's favorite white meat - it tastes almost exactly like the white meat of a turkey breast. But I like something different. This time of year is filled with luscious root vegetables, and since Thanksgiving is supposed to be about celebrating the harvest, this a great time of year for me to experiment with rutabagas, parsnips and sweet potato. My favorite thing to make is a veggie pot pie. When I was a kid my parents used to buy those terrible frozen pot pies in the freezer section, and I was traumatized by them. Last Thanksgiving, though, my step-daughter requested pot pie for our meal and I trusted her. Thankfully. It was delicious and I couldn't wait to make it again, served with sweet potato soup, it was the perfect fall meal.

Fall Veggie Pot Pie
2 9inch pie crusts (store bought or home-made, or get creative and try something different altogether!)
1 large parsnip, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 large potatoes, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 handful of greens
1 1/2 C gravy
3/4 C vegetable stock
3 T butter
salt and pepper
2 T oil

Make pie crust or pull out of package and put bottom layer in pie pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, parsnips, carrots, and potatoes and saute for 10 minutes, until tender. Add 1/2 cup of stock and simmer gently over medium high heat until most of stock is gone. Add garlic and greens and mix thoroughly. Add gravy and stir to coat everything. Add last 1/4 cup of stock to veggies then pour into pie plate. Place 3 T of butter, over top of veggies then cover with other crust. Cut a few small slits into top crust (or make a decoration with it if you're crafty), then place on baking sheet. Bake in oven about 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit 5-10 minutes in order to set before cutting and serving. Enjoy with stuffing, sweet potatoes and gravy for a full Thanksgiving meal.

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

I got my Thanksgiving holiday CSA share from Little Ridge Farm and was overwhelmed with all the beautiful squashes. Most exciting was the 2 beautiful spaghetti squash because I knew those would be a giant hit with the kids - I just tossed in greens (their favorite) and made a quick alfredo sauce for a hearty, healthy meal.

Spaghetti Squash
1 large spaghetti squash, halved

Heat oven to 400 degrees and place squash, cut sides down in a baking dish with a little water. Bake 30 minutes, flip over and bake another 15, until center is soft. Remove from oven and scoop out seeds, then use a fork to scrap insides into a bowl.

Braised Greens
1 clump of greens - I used swiss chard, stem removed and diced, leaves roughly chopped
1 small onion, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
5 cloves garlic, chopped
3 T oil (use something with good flavor like Safflower or Olive or Grapeseed)
Salt & Pepper

Heat oil in pan over medium heat, then add onions, garlic, and diced chard stems and saute 5 minutes. Add leaves, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and stir thoroughly. Let cook 3-5 minutes until leaves are wilted. Add some water, maybe about 3 T, cover and gently simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and keep covered until alfredo sauce is ready.

Not-Alfredo Sauce
1/2 C butter
1/2 C milk or cream (I used almond milk and it added a nice sweetness to the sauce)
3/4 C nutritional yeast (you could also use parm cheese, but this is what I had on hand)
1/2 t salt
pepper

Melt butter with milk in pan over medium heat (careful not to boil), stirring constantly. Add nutritional yeast, salt and sprinkle with pepper.

Serve piles of spaghetti squash on each plate, top with a large helping of greens then pour alfredo sauce over it all. Add a nice salad or a hearty roll and voila, a healthy alternative to pasta!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Root for the Veggies!

I love this time of year - the weather is crisp and refreshing, the colors are beautiful, and the eating is good. Sure, gone are the days of fresh luscious tomatoes and cucumbers, but I am just as happy with big bright squash and vibrant turnips. My latest CSA share from Hatchet Cove Farms was full of root vegetables and I couldn't wait to chop up a bunch and roast them. Here was the first of many yummy root vegetable roasts at our house.

Roasted Root Veggies
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 small turnips, peeled and cubed
6 or 7 small carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 small bulbs fennel, sliced thin
3 small beets, peeled and cubed
1 large shallot (or onion), sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped into large chunks
olive oil
fresh rosemary
fennel sprigs
salt & pepper
3 T butter

Side Dish:
1 C Quinoa (I used Inca Red, our fave!)
1 1/2 C water/stock
1 small onion, chopped
1 bunch turnip greens
1/3 C white wine
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and chop all veggies and put in a baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, rosemary and fennel sprigs then pour olive oil over (4T should be good, but all depends on how many veggies you have). Mix thoroughly and roast in oven until soft, about 45 minutes to an hour. Pull out of oven and add butter to it and stir.

20 minutes before the veggies are done, boil water/stock in a saucepan and add quinoa. Cover and cook about 15 minutes or until liquid is evaporated.

Once quinoa is going, heat 1T oil in skillet over medium heat and add onions and turnip greens. Stir thoroughly and add wine and cover for 2 minutes. Remove from heat when wilted and set aside.

To plate, put down greens, put some quinoa over the top and spoon roasted veggies over everything. Enjoy!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Stuffed Squash Delight

I have squash, squash and more squash and I LOVE IT! This week will be an experiment in how many ways I can cook squash without hearing any complaints from the kids. This one was a hit with both of them. I re-used the Autumn Quinoa Salad from the phamily dinner (see recipe below) and the pumpkin soup (also see recipe below) and came up with the yummiest stuffed squash I've ever had. Without further ado...

Stuffed Squash Delight
2 delicata squash, halved and seeded
1 C autumn quinoa salad
1/3 C black beans
1 cube bean puree (previously I had boiled a batch of white beans and pureed them and froze them in a cube tray)
parmesan cheese (to sprinkle over the tops)
1/2 C pumpkin soup
2 T butter

Heat oven to 350 and place squash cut side down in large baking dish with water. Bake 30 minutes until soft when pierced with a fork. Meanwhile, melt butter in skillet and add quinoa salad, black beans and bean puree and stir until warmed. When squash is done, take out of oven and fill with quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and spread pumpkin soup over tops. Put back in oven for 15 minutes until warmed through. Serve with a side of veggies.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Pureed Pumpkin Soup

Got a wonderful little pie pumpkin in my CSA share from Hatchet Cove Farm and since I'm not a pumpkin pie fan, I thought I would make a soup for my phamily dinner. This was simple and yummy for a cool autumn day.

Pureed Pumpkin Soup
1 pie pumpkin (see directions below about preparation)
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 C milk (I used almond milk)
spices - I used a mix of cinnamon, pumpkin spice and curry
salt & pepper
2 T oil
3 C water/broth

Cut pumpkin in half and put cut side down in a baking pan with a little bit of water in it. Bake at 350 degrees until soft, about 45 minutes.

Heat oil in pot and saute onions until translucent. Scoop pumpkin into pan and stir thoroughly. Add water/broth to cover pumpkin/onion mix. Bring to a boil and simmer gently. Add apples and spices and continue to cook an hour or 2 until flavors are mixed and everything is soft. Remove from heat and process in blender until smooth. Return to heat in pot and add salt and pepper and milk and stir. Taste and adjust spices as needed. Warm soup without bringing to boil. Serve with crusty bread.

Autumn Quinoa Salad

For my harvest party I needed some protein and tucked in the back of my cupboard was a cup of Quinoa...heaven. And then I thought, why not bake those pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin soup, and the squash seeds from the Pesto Potato Squash Salad, then add them to the quinoa. The rest is history.

Autumn Quinoa Salad
1 C Quinoa (I used Inca Red)
1 1/2 C water (less liquid makes the quinoa chewier)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 handfuls of roasted pumpkin seeds (see directions below)
1/2 C diced cooked squash
2 T oil
salt & pepper

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds - clean off seeds and rinse thoroughly. Spread out on baking sheet and drizzle lightly with a tiny amount of oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, stirring often until they are toasted.

Place quinoa and water in a pot and bring to boil, lower to a simmer and keep covered about 15 minutes until water is gone. Put in a big bowl and toss with chickpeas and olive oil. Add squash and pumpkin seeds, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss until thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate until serving.

Fall Potato Salad

Started getting my fall CSA share from Hatchet Cove Farms last week while I was in Vermont for School, and I couldn't wait to get home and have at all the wonderful squashes. We had planned a phamily dinner for the day after I came home and I had to whip up some food with whatever was in my pantry (which was bare since I had been gone for 9 days). I'm not usually a potato salad fan, I don't really like mayo, but something about this fall weather wanted me to fill my gullet with potatoes. I still had a bunch of potatoes from the last week of my summer CSA, and they looked so nice next to my sweet dumpling squash, that I had to do something with them. The fall potato salad was born!

Fall Potato Salad
(amounts don't need to be exact)
6 large potatoes
1 squash
1 jar of pesto (or homemade)
1 large shallot, chopped (if they are the small ones, several of them)

Peel and cut potatoes into cubes and steam until soft, but not mushy. Set aside. Cut squash in half and steam until soft. Peel and cut into cubes. Mix with potatoes, pesto and shallot. Refrigerate to incorporate flavors. Serve at room temp.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Secret Veggie Potato Pancakes

I haven't been making posts recently because I don't have a camera to take pics of all my yummy food. But you know what, that's not going to stop me anymore. Until I get a new camera, you'll just have to use your imagination!

I was scrounging around the house for food and trying to make something we all would enjoy. I was too lazy to go shopping and our food on hand was pretty limited, but with a little creativity I came up with a yummy meal my kids devoured! It's a new spin on an old recipe - potato pancakes. I was trying to pack in as many veggies as I had on hand, without them noticing, and thought these were the perfect way to do it. It's no secret at this point my kids love kale, and I don't usually have to hide it for them to eat it, but I thought it would just be a fun twist to do so...keeps them on their toes! So without further adieu, here is the recipe.

Irish Pancakes
4 medium sized potatoes, cut into chunks
1 C kale, ripped into pieces
1 large carrot, peeled
1 small onion, chopped
2 eggs
3 T flour
salt and pepper
Oil, for frying

Toss potatoes into food processor and process until broken into tiny pieces (or shred them with a cheese shredder). Place in bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Process kale and carrot together until desired texture, then toss in bowl with potato. Add onions and stir thoroughly. Beat 2 eggs until fluffy and add to veggies with flour. Stir thoroughly to incorporate into the veggies. Heat some oil in a cast iron skillet and when ready, spoon mixture into pan in desired shapes and sizes. Cook 2-4 minutes on each side, until brown and crispy. Keep cooked pancakes warm in oven until all are ready.

I served this with a small dollop of sour cream, a side of greens and dressing and some sauteed cauliflower. Right before we devoured the entire plate of food, we realized that everything on it (except the sour cream & dressing) had come from our CSA at Hatchet Cove Farms. A great meal that only traveled 30 miles to our plate!!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Power Orzo

I had some kale inspiration today! I got a giant bag of kale from my wonderful CSA farm - Hatchet Cove - and I began blanching and freezing it for the winter. But as I was cutting it all up, and nibbling as I went, I had the inspiration for dinner. I sent the kids to the backyard to pick green beans, and started working on a super nutrient packed dinner for us all.

Power Orzo
1 bunch of lacino kale, chopped
2 C orzo pasta
2 carrots, peeled & chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 handful green beans, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 C nutritional yeast (OR you can use cheese)
1/4 C cheddar cheese
3 T butter, unsalted
1/4 C stock
1T oil
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil and drop in Orzo and cook for 5 minutes, then drop in Kale. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat and saute onions, carrots, zucchini and green beans for 5 minutes. Add stock to veggies and stir thoroughly. Let simmer for 2 minutes then add nutritional yeast, butter and salt and pepper and stir thoroughly. When pasta and kale is done strain thoroughly and toss into veggie mixture. Stir thoroughly and add salt and pepper to taste, and more nutritional yeast if you want. Plate meal and sprinkle cheddar cheese over top.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Oranges & Greens

I bought a couple of sweet potatoes the other day at the Bath Natural Market and for some reason last night, my body was craving their orange goodness. I combined that craving with the desire to use up my wonton wrappers and to finally bust out that delicious basil I got in my last CSA share from Hatchet Cove Farms. Voila. Sweet Potato Ravioli with a Basil Goat Cheese sauce, plated on top of wilted spinach and graced with a side of homemade garlic bread.

Sweet Potato Ravioli
24 wonton wrappers
1 large sweet potato, cubed and steamed until soft
1/2 C arugula, chopped
1 large Shallot, chopped
1 T oil
2 T Nutritional Yeast (or you can sub Parm. Cheese)
1 T butter (unsalted)

While sweet potatoes are steaming, heat oil in pan over medium heat and saute shallots and arugula for 5-10 minutes until soft. When potatoes are done put in a bowl and mash with butter and nutritional yeast. Stir in arugula and shallots. Place a dollop of mixture in the center of a wonton wrapper and fold into a triangle by taking one corner and folding to touch opposite corner. Wet sides of wrapper with water on your finger and smoosh down firmly to seal. Then take left and right corner and fold in, then take top corner and fold in until they all meet - this makes it like an envelope. OR you can keep as a triangle or do it any way you feel works for you. This is just how I do them for my Gyoza and it always stands the test of cooking! When all ravioli are ready put enough water in a pot to cover ravioli and bring to boil. Turn to a gentle rolling boil and drop in 1/2 the raviolis at a time, carefully making sure they don't bump into each other. Cook for about 2 minutes and scoop out into a strainer (cover it with a dishcloth to keep warm while rest is cooking and you are making the sauce - OR you could turn the oven on VERY low and put them in their on a plate).

Basil Goat Cheese Sauce
1/2 C chopped basil
3.5ozs Goat Cheese
1 C milk (we don't use cows milk in our house so I made this with Original Almond Milk)
4 T butter (unsalted)
1 T cornstarch
2 T COLD water

Melt butter over medium heat in a sauce pan then add basil and stir thoroughly. Add goat cheese and milk and whisk until it's all mixed nicely. Mix cornstarch and cold water together and then stir into sauce and whisk until thickened.

Wilted Spinach
1 large bunch of fresh spinach leaves

Put leaves in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Heat a pan to medium heat and place spinach in pan. Stir gently until spinach as wilted.

To serve:
Place spinach on plate and put 5 ravioli's around it and 1 in the center then pour a bit of sauce over it all. Serve with some crusty garlic bread, and enjoy all the wonderful flavors and colors!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Potato Leek Soup

I got some more red potatoes in my CSA share this week and bought some leeks at the Bath Natural Market with the hopes of soup...My 4 year old saw these and put 2 and 2 together, and voila, Potato Leek Soup for dinner! Here's the recipe I used because it's what I had on hand, but feel free to make changes and additions based on what's in your fridge. And next time I make this, I think I will saute the potatoes in oil before adding the water/stock in order to roast out some flavor...oooh, or if it's not hot out, maybe I will actually roast them in the oven!

Potato Leek Soup
4-6 large potatoes, cubed
2 large leeks, sliced thinly (I use the green & white parts)
2 cloves garlic (or more if you like), minced
1 large carrot, sliced
4-6 C stock/water
1 T butter (unsalted)
1/4 C heavy cream
1 T oil

Add potatoes and water/stock to a soup pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer at medium heat until potatoes are soft. Take a potato masher and smash away - or leave potatoes as is - my family likes the smashed potato consistency. Meanwhile, saute leeks in oil over medium heat until soft and starting to brown lightly, about 10 minutes. Add to potatoes. Toss in carrots - again these were an afterthought for me, so if you want, add them to the leeks and saute first. Stir in garlic and simmer soup for about 10 minutes to incorporate flavors. Add butter and cream and stir thoroughly - do not allow soup to boil once cream is in or else it will curdle. Ladle into bowls and serve with biscuits or bread and a light salad for full hearty meal.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Everything But The...Casserole

My family is weary of casseroles...the lovely boyfriend isn't a fan and the kids think I'm trying to serve them mush disguised as dinner. Maybe I love torturing them, or maybe I really like to see their faces as I plop a casserole on the table...either way, it was a casserole type of night. We had a plethora of veggies from our lovely CSA at Hatchet Cove, some fresh stock from last night, and some golden split peas that have been collecting dust in the back of the cupboard. I decided to try my hand at casserole one more time, and boy am I glad I did. I got rave reviews from the kids and the boyfriend...in fact, my 6 year old requested I make it again next week!

Everything But The...Casserole
1/2 C uncooked Basmati rice
2-4 C vegetable stock
1 C golden split peas
1 T coconut oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh tomato, chopped
1/2 C fresh green beans, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
2 C chopped swiss chard
1 C marina sauce
salt and pepper
5 scallions, sliced

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook rice in 1 cup of stock and set aside. Cook split peas in 3 cups of fluid - I used 1 cup of stock & 2 cups of water because that's what I had on hand. Set aside with rice. Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions, zucchini, carrots, green beans, swiss chard and tomato for 5 minutes, just until soft. Remove from heat and mix in rice and split peas, add marinara sauce, salt and pepper, garlic and scallions. Place in baking dish and cover with tin foil. Bake for 30 minutes.

Not Burgers

I made some savory muffins, with shredded zucchini and carrot, and after devouring one straight from the oven, I got an idea to use them for dinner, as a burger bun! So the first line of business was making a decent and flavorful veggie burger. I had bought some dry aduki beans and finally had made some up - but I had left the house with them on the stove and when I came home, they were WELL done. I threw them in the fridge and figured I'd find a use for them. And I did - veggie burgers!

Bean & Tofu Veggie Burgers
1C cooked & mashed aduki beans
1/2 lb firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 small onion, chopped
4 large leaves swiss chard, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
1 T mustard
3 T flax meal
2 T hemp powder
1 T Bragg's Amino Acid (or soy sauce/nama shoyu)
1 T oil
pepper, to taste

Heat oil over medium heat in a skillet and saute onions for 2 minutes. Add tofu, sprinkle with pepper and 1/2 of Bragg's and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic and swiss chard, more pepper and rest of Bragg's and saute another 5 minutes. Mix with beans, egg, mustard, flax meal & hemp powder. Form into patties and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until done, flipping once 1/2 way through cooking.

These were so flavorful and not heavy at all, and serving them on a savory muffin with a little cheese was perfect. My 6 year old devoured every bite, which is a big accomplishment in this house! These are on the must make again list.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Frittata!!

The other day when I was passed out with Strep, my lovely boyfriend decided to make dinner for me and the boys. Since he isn't much of a cook, he whipped up some pasta and sauce - simple yet satisfying. Sadly, he put WAY too much pasta in to cook and we ended up with a ton of left-overs. I decided we needed to find a better and creative way to use them up - hence, the birth of the pasta frittata. I searched through the fridge for some yummy veggies and found a plethora of zucchini from my CSA. I thought, what goes better together then pasta and zucchini? Here is a yummy, and easily adaptable, recipe for pasta left-overs.

Zucchini Pasta Frittata
2 C left-over spaghetti, chopped
4 eggs
2 C cheese (I used mozzarella)
1 medium zucchini, 1/4 lengthwise and sliced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 C milk
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 T olive oil



Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in oven proof skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and zucchini until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, salt and pepper and saute 1 minute. Toss in spaghetti and mix thoroughly. Beat eggs until fluffy, then add milk and cheese and stir. Pour into pan and spread evenly over spaghetti mixture. Turn pan down to medium low heat and let eggs set for about 5 minutes. Place pan in oven and cook 20-25 minutes, until eggs are cooked through. Pull from oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

My kids love quiche, and now they love Frittata!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Green Goblin

My oldest son loves soups. And my youngest loves kale. So we put the two together and made this yummy kale & potato soup.

Green Goblin
1 T butter
1 head of dino/lacinato kale, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 red potatoes, cubed
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 ears of raw corn.
1/4 C Bragg's Amino Acid
salt and pepper
water (enough to cover, about 3-4 cups)
1/2 C cream (I used half & half because I had it on hand, but you could use any type of cream)

Saute onions in melted butter in pot for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add potatoes and pour 1/2 of Bragg's over it and cook for about 5 minutes. Add enough water to cover and bring to boil. Once it boils, simmer for about 10 minutes, until  potatoes are soft. Take potato masher and mash away. Add kale. Stand corn on end and using knife slice off cob. Add to soup. Cover with more water and rest of Bragg's, then bring to boil. Drop to a simmer and cook 5-10 minutes until kale is soft, adding garlic 1/2 way through. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper as needed. Take 2/3 of soup and blend in food processor or blender until smooth. Add back to soup, keeping on a low temp, and add in cream. Stir thoroughly and serve!

This was hands down some of the best soup I've made. So yummy and flavorful. Adding the garlic towards the end makes sure that all the garlic flavor isn't boiled out. And processing it was the best last minute idea. Kids each ate 2 bowls! Adding this to the must have list for rainy and snowy days.

Bon Appetit!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Ratatouille

I just got an eggplant from a friend and the only way I can get my dear Papa to eat it is the best peasant dish ever invented - ratatouille. When I mentioned to my kids were having this for dinner, they both thought I meant the movie and got excited. Needless to say they were a little let down when I informed them otherwise. But, once the dish was served they both gobbled it up without argument. I was also very lucky that my CSA share which came in today had some luscious tomatoes and zucchini's to throw in as well - actually, all the veggies except the eggplant were from my CSA. Yummy!!!

Ratatouille over Rice
1 medium eggplant (quartered lengthwise and sliced into thick chunks)*
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 large tomatoes, chopped into big chunks
1-2 T dried parsley
1/2 C water (this is optional, I like my ratatouille more like a stew)
1/4 C Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper
1T walnut oil

*Usually eggplant needs to be salted, but I didn't have time to do this. If you want to eliminate some of the bitterness, cut eggplant as instructed, put in strainer and sprinkle with salt then weight down with a plate. Let sit for 20 minutes, pat down eggplant with towel and then it's ready to use.

Pre-heat oven to 350. Heat oil over medium heat in a big skillet with tight fitting lid, then saute eggplant, onions and garlic for 5 minutes. (I like to add garlic at the last minute because it enhances the flavor the less it is cooked). Remove from heat and toss in rest of vegetables, salt and pepper. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and parsley. Cover with lid and put in oven. Bake for 45 minutes, removing lid for last 5. If you want it to be more soupy, add water 1/2 way through cooking by pouring it gently around the edges so as not to disturb the cheese on top. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each serving.

I serve this dish over rice, but you can also use pasta or just eat it as is with a chunk of bread to sop up the juices. Bon appetit!

RAW Curry Noodles

I am loving all my fresh veggies from my CSA with Hatchet Cove! And as much as I like to cook up something yummy with them, I'm a huge fan of RAW foods. When you cook vegetables they tend to lose a great deal of their nutrients, so making a RAW dish keeps all those nutrients in tact, making for a yummy and healthy new food option. I've done RAW cleanses off & on for the last 2 years and it always does wonders for my health, energy and body. I lost 15 pounds in 2 weeks once, just slipped right away, because of the RAW diet. It's not for everyone, and it can be difficult to manage, but I definitely think everyone should include more RAW foods in their everyday diets to reap the benefits. So, without further ado, here is my take on something I crave every day - curry! I saw a few curry noodle recipes on GoneRaw and I thought I would whip one up of my own. This makes 2 servings, so find someone to share the curry love with.

RAW Curry Noodles
2 T Sunflower Seeds
1 T black sesame seeds
2 T walnut oil (or any other light cold-pressed oils)
1/4 C shredded unsweetened coconut
salt & pepper
curry powder - as much you like - this all depends on brand and desire for curry hotness
water - used to get a creamy substance, so add until desired consistency
1 small zucchini, sliced thin with a veggie peeler
1 small summer squash, sliced thin with a veggie peeler
1/2 tomato, diced

Blend sunflower seeds & sesame seeds in food processor until they are a fine powder. Add oil, coconut, salt and pepper, curry powder and small amounts of water until desired consistency - process until smooth. Toss of zucchini and summer squash noodles. I let mine sit over night in the fridge, but it can be eaten immediately. To serve, add tomatoes then sprinkle with salt and curry powder.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Peanut Butter Carob Balls

I made this recipe from GoneRaw, but I substituted peanut butter for the almond butter. These are decadent!

Snowballs:

Summer Squash & Green Bean Risotto

Risotto is my favorite meal to cook and eat. I love the creaminess of it, and the rich flavors of whatever veggie I use to flavor it. My absolute favorite is mushroom risotto, but alas, my man does not like mushrooms. Even though I still cook it and make him eat it, I have to play nice and cook up one that he likes every once in a while. Don't get me wrong, he'll eat the mushroom risotto because even with the mushrooms, it's his favorite dish. Now that summer is ending and I'm filling my fridge with summer squash and green beans, I came up with this recipe.

Summer Squash & Green Bean Risotto
1 C Risotto (Arborio) Rice
4-6 C stock/water
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T oil
1 small summer squash, halved length-wise and sliced
1 handful green beans, chopped into 1" pieces
1/4 Parmesan Cheese/Nutritional Yeast
2 T butter
Salt & pepper

Place stock in a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent then add rice and stir to cover with oil and onions. Cook 2-3 minutes until rice starts to brown. Slowly ladle stock into rice, one ladle full at a time. Stir rice constantly until stock is soaked in. Continue this process, stirring constantly. (You can opt to only stir every few minutes, but the rice will be creamier and taste like traditional risotto if you stir constantly). When rice is almost cooked, add squash and green beans. Cook rice until it is al dente - tender to bite, with a bit of firmness in the center. When this is achieved, add butter, salt, pepper and Parmesan Cheese/Nutritional Yeast and stir thoroughly.

I forgot to take a picture of the risotto until I had eaten most of it, but here it is in all its creamy glory!

Homemade Stock

Every weekend I take my scraps from the kitchen - vegetable peels, ends of onions, etc. - and make my own stock. By Saturday I usually have a decent sized bowl of raw veggie scraps just waiting for a purpose. I usually heat a bit of oil in a big pot (one with a tight-fitting lid) and toss in the veggies and roast them up a bit, stirring occasionally. Then once they are smelling nice, I fill the  pot with water, toss in some spices like salt and pepper, a bay leaf if you have it, and maybe a good squirt of Bragg's Amino Acid. I bring it to boil, then drop it to a simmer for a few hours. If I boil too much out, I add more water a few more times until I've squeezed every bit of life out of those veggies. Once I feel it looks good and tastes like stock, I strain out the veggies, pushing gently on them to push out all the "juice." Let the stock cool and put it in the fridge for your weekly cooking. I usually get about 2 cups worth.

Enjoy!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Summer Pasta

I had a plethora of zucchini and summer squash from my last couple of bags of CSA veggies so I decided to whip them up with some pasta tonight. The boys devoured this meal, which they usually do when there are chickpeas involved.

Summer Veggie Pasta
1 box of pasta
2 zucchini, sliced thin with a peeler
2 summer squash, sliced thin with a peeler
1 carrot, sliced thin with a peeler
1 onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 can chickpeas (I use dried & cook them)
1 bunch of fresh basil, chopped
1 stick butter
1 T walnut oil (or any other type of light oil)
1 lemon, juiced
salt & pepper

Cook pasta according to box. Meanwhile, heat oil in pan and saute onions and garlic until brown on medium heat. Melt butter (reserving 2 T) in a separate pan and add basil and lemon juice. Add remaining 2 T of butter to onions & garlic then toss in zucchini, squash and carrots until covered and warm. Toss pasta with basil butter mixture and add beans, and veggies. Toss and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

This was yummy and light and the kids devoured every bite. I know what I'll be making again!! Enjoy.

Cool as a Cucumber Soup

With the hot August weather, today I was craving something cool and refreshing. Here it is! A raw soup that's a snap to make with a blender.

Cucumber Soup
1 large cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 avocado
1 small clump of fresh basil
1 small fennel bulb
water
salt & pepper
curry powder
small amount of diced tomatoes
dollop of vanilla Greek yogurt

Process cucumber, avocado, fennel, and basil in blender until smooth, adding water until you get the consistency you want (I used about 1 cup). Dump into bowl and stir in salt and pepper. Put soup in fridge and let sit 1 hour to combine flavors. Serve with a sprinkling of curry powder, tomatoes and yogurt. YUM!

NOTE: All these veggies came from my CSA share at Hatchet Cove Farms in Warren, ME and that makes all the difference! SO much better than store bought veggies. Thanks Bill & Reba & crew!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Marinated Swiss Chard

I was up at my brother's house the other day and their garden has an over-abundance of swiss chard, so I lopped off a few leaves and brought them home. Sunday night, I started this RAW salad.

Marinated Swiss Chard w/ Cilantro Dressing
Cilantro Dressing
6 leaves swiss chard
1 carrot, peeled & diced

Remove stems from chard and shop leaves coarsely. Add a decent amount of dressing and massage leaves for 5 minutes. Add carrot and toss thoroughly. Set aside in refrigerator for 1-2 days (I did 2 and it was yummy). Stir and add another tablespoon of dressing. Eat.

You could add other salad type veggies if you wanted, or replace the chard with any other type of greens. We don't eat enough greens in our diet, so this is how I started getting more of them - RAW is always better because when you cook food it takes away most of the vital nutrients and taste. I love to do this with Kale, too. The key is to massage, massage, massage! It breaks down the green, naturally wilting it to a cooked consistency. This is a yummy go to lunch or toss it in a lettuce/cabbage leaf and make it a wrap. I was thinking some avocado slices and tomatoes would be yummy, too. I have some left over so maybe tomorrow I'll spice it up a bit. Think of it as a base and go from there!

Enjoy!!!!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Summer Veggie Tofu Pot Pie

With the rainy day I thought it would be a good time to turn on the oven and cook us up a warm summer veggie pot pie.
2 pie crusts
3 medium red potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, peeled & sliced
1 zucchini, peeled & cubed
1 handful fresh green beans, chopped into 1" pieces
1/2 lb firm tofu, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3T butter
3T flour
2 C broth
1 T walnut oil
1 T bragg's amino acid
Preheat oven to 400

Steam potatoes, zucchini, carrots and green beans and set aside. Toss tofu into bragg's. Heat 1 T oil on medium heat then toss in tofu and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often to keep from sticking. Add onions and saute for a few minutes until translucent. In a smaller pan, add 3 T butter and melt over medium heat. Add 3 T of flour and whisk until brown and bubbly, about 5 minutes, making a roux. Slowly add broth into roux and whisk until well blended. Add steamed veggies, tofu and onions and combine. Put in a pie pan with bottom crust, then cover with top crust and cut slits for steam vents. Bake for 30 minutes, then let sit 10 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Re-Runs Re-Vamped

I was "cooking" for myself tonight because Papa was at work and the kids wanted eggs. So, I took the left-over tomato avocado sauce from last night's meal (see previous post for recipe) and the pesto, and made something new!


Creamed Tomato Pesto Soup
1 C Creamy tomato/avocado sauce (ingredients & directions in previous post)
2 T Pesto (ingredients & directions in previous post)
2 T Fennel bulb, fresh
1/8 t cumin
salt & pepper, to taste
2 T water
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 tomato, diced

Process fennel in food processor until finely minced. Add pesto, tomato avocado soup & cumin, to fennel and process until smooth, adding water a little bit at a time until desired consistency is reached. Spoon into bowl and top with cucumbers, tomato, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Raw Zucchini Veggie Rolls

The kids were away, and since they aren't overly fond of elaborate raw food meals, I decided to make the Papa and I something yummy and raw to celebrate being kid free for one night.

*all our veggies for this meal (except the pepper) were straight from our CSA share with Hatchet Cove Farms in Warren - http://hatchetcovefarm.com/


Zucchini Veggie Rolls:
1-2 Zucchini's
1 small carrot, shredded or shaved with vegetable peeler
2-3 broccoli, florets, chopped

Basil Pesto:
handful of fresh basil
2 T pine nuts
1 clove garlic
1/4 C oil (I used Walnut)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Creamy Tomato & Avocado Sauce:
2 tomatoes
1 avocado
1/2 small onion
1/3 small orange pepper
couple of basil leaves
salt & pepper to taste

Make pesto first by putting all ingredients in a food processor and blending until desired consistency, adding more oil, or even a teeny bit of water if needed.

For Zucchini Rolls, peel zucchini and then take the peeler and shave off long thin slices, as many as you can. The center area will be difficult so if you can't get slices from there, use a 2nd zucchini to get desired amount. Save unused zucchini for something else - don't waste it! Lay 3 pieces of zucchini (or however many to get desired width), overlapping each other on a plate, like if you were building lasagna. Spread a dollop of pest over the zucchini and at one end put chopped broccoli. Then spread carrots over rest of layer. Starting at the broccoli end, roll zucchini - I had to use a butter knife to slide under the edge and get it going nice and even, without dropping any zucchini slices. Place zucchini roll on plate. Do as many as desired. 3 is very filling.

For sauce, place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Adjust seasonings until desired taste. You may want to add a clove of garlic. I didn't, but I think it would add a nice zing. Any other Mediterranean type herbs and spices would be great, too. I didn't have any on hand, but Parsley and perhaps a bit of thyme would of been nice. Once sauce is blended, spoon over zucchini rolls.

*Any left-over sauce would also make a lovely cold soup, like a creamy gazpacho, maybe with some cucumbers or fennel chopped up in it for texture. Or, add a bit of apple cider vinegar and make a salad dressing out of it.

Serve zucchini rolls with a light mixed green salad. I used the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette recipe from Goneraw.com for mine: http://goneraw.com/recipe/cilantro-lime-vinaigrette-dressing

Enjoy with a nice glass of wine. We drank a red from Argentina that was medium-bodied, not too robust or oakey, but not too fruity. It paired very nicely with the flavors of the meal.

Bon Appetit!