I recently found a 1/2 dozen packages of udon noodles on sale at my local natural market. Of course I bought them all, not knowing when I would need them, but knowing I would certainly find a use for them. And I did. In our recent CSA shares we've been lucky enough to get wonderful veggies like bok choy, broccoli (lots and lots of lovely green broccoli), peppers, shallots, and of course my 1lb of weekly mushrooms. With all these fresh vegetables and those packages of udon noodles, I knew what we had to have for dinner Tuesday night. I spiced up the grown-up bowls after I mixed it all together so the kiddos wouldn't burn their mouths.
Spicy Veggie Noodles
1 green pepper, sliced (I leave mine big so the kids can pick them out)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot (or 2 depending on size), sliced
1 head bok choy, leaves ribbon sliced and stalks chopped - keep them separate
1 C broccoli, chopped
1/2 lb of mushrooms, chopped
2 T butter
2 T oil (sesame if you have it, but any type works)
1 package of udon noodles
1/3 C soy sauce
1/4 C rice vinegar
1 T corn starch
1/3 C water
Sweet chili paste
Boil water for udon noodles and cook according to package. Rinse and set aside. In skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter and add mushrooms. Cook until soft. Set aside. In large skillet or wok add oil over medium-high heat. Add peppers and shallots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often so they don't burn. Add chopped broccoli and bok choy stems and cook, stirring often, until they are soft. Add bok choy leaves and mushrooms and cook until leaves are wilted. Meanwhile whisk soy sauce, rice vinegar, corn starch and water together. Add udon noodles to veggies with sauce and toss quickly and carefully. Serve in warm bowls with a teaspoon of chili paste and enjoy!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Cottage Pie
Cottage Pie is a traditional british food, but too often mixed up with Shepherds Pie. The difference between the two is that Cottage Pie is made with ground beef, and Shepherds Pie with ground Lamb. Not being a fan of lamb, besides the fact that its not that locally available, I decided to make up some Cottage Pie the other night for dinner. We had about a 1/2 lb of ground beef from Caldwell Farms left-over from some lasagna I made for my mom's birthday, so the boys and I decided to make some comfort food. I had woken with a stomach flu that morning and by evening was feeling much better, but in need of something that would stick to my ribs. This is now my new favorite comfort food! Forget Chicken Noodle Soup when you're sick, this Cottage Pie will give you the vim and vigour you need to get better.
Cottage Pie
1/2 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 head cauliflower
2 potatoes, quartered
1/2 lb of green beans, chopped into 1" pieces
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
6T butter
1/4 C milk
3 T ketchup
1/2 C shredded cheese
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease deep 8x8 casserole dish or pie dish. In skillet over medium heat cook ground beef for 10 minutes, or until brown and crumbly. Add onions and green pepper and saute another 5 minutes. Mix in ketchup, set aside. Steam potatoes and cauliflower separately, until they are soft. Mash and set aside. Steam carrots and green beans together until they are cooked through, but retain a bit of firmness - you don't want them smooshy so they hold up to the baking. In a saucepan melt butter and add milk to warm. Add to potatoes and cauliflower mash, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then mix in cheese. In pie dish or casserole dish add beef mixture, cover with green beans and carrots, then cover the whole thing with mash potato mixture. Dot with butter and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with warm rolls and a small side salad.
**NOTE: you can use any type of vegetables you may have on hand, such as peas or corn. That's the wonderfulness of this meal!
Cottage Pie
1/2 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 head cauliflower
2 potatoes, quartered
1/2 lb of green beans, chopped into 1" pieces
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
6T butter
1/4 C milk
3 T ketchup
1/2 C shredded cheese
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease deep 8x8 casserole dish or pie dish. In skillet over medium heat cook ground beef for 10 minutes, or until brown and crumbly. Add onions and green pepper and saute another 5 minutes. Mix in ketchup, set aside. Steam potatoes and cauliflower separately, until they are soft. Mash and set aside. Steam carrots and green beans together until they are cooked through, but retain a bit of firmness - you don't want them smooshy so they hold up to the baking. In a saucepan melt butter and add milk to warm. Add to potatoes and cauliflower mash, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then mix in cheese. In pie dish or casserole dish add beef mixture, cover with green beans and carrots, then cover the whole thing with mash potato mixture. Dot with butter and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with warm rolls and a small side salad.
**NOTE: you can use any type of vegetables you may have on hand, such as peas or corn. That's the wonderfulness of this meal!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Mango Quinoa Salad
I had a vision of quinoa and mango's to go with my Citrus BBQ Pork Kabobs. I did some online snooping and found a recipe: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/quinoa_mango_black_bean_salad.html. I doubled the servings and made some changes. I used Purslane instead of cilantro, because it's what I had from my CSA. Purslane is considered a weed, but is a hub of nutrients. Instead of pulling it and tossing it out of your garden, harvest it and use it in the same ways you use spinach and other light greens. It has a very mild lemon flavor. Discard stems (or save for stocks), and use leaves and flowers. Here's my version of a Mango Quinoa salad with Purslane..
Mango Quinoa Salad
1/2 C dried blackbeans
3 C broth
1" piece of Kelp/Kombu (helps make the beans less gassy & cooks them faster)
1 C quinoa
1 1/2 C water
1 large scallion, sliced
1 bunch of purslane, chopped
1 mango, diced
1/2 C orange juice
4 T apple cider vinegar
4 T walnut oil
1/2 t salt
pepper to taste
Soak beans overnight if you can. If not, start beans about 3 hours before the rest of the recipe. Place beans in stock with Kelp/Kombu, cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer until tender (but not mushy so they can withstand being mixed into a salad). Once beans are done, strain and rinse then set aside. In saucepan add quinoa and water, cover and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes. While that's cooking, whisk cider vinegar, oil, salt and pepper, orange juice and purslane. Add in beans, scallions and mango and stir thoroughly. When quinoa is done, add that and mix. Refrigerate and serve at room temp or cold.
Mango Quinoa Salad
1/2 C dried blackbeans
3 C broth
1" piece of Kelp/Kombu (helps make the beans less gassy & cooks them faster)
1 C quinoa
1 1/2 C water
1 large scallion, sliced
1 bunch of purslane, chopped
1 mango, diced
1/2 C orange juice
4 T apple cider vinegar
4 T walnut oil
1/2 t salt
pepper to taste
Soak beans overnight if you can. If not, start beans about 3 hours before the rest of the recipe. Place beans in stock with Kelp/Kombu, cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer until tender (but not mushy so they can withstand being mixed into a salad). Once beans are done, strain and rinse then set aside. In saucepan add quinoa and water, cover and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes. While that's cooking, whisk cider vinegar, oil, salt and pepper, orange juice and purslane. Add in beans, scallions and mango and stir thoroughly. When quinoa is done, add that and mix. Refrigerate and serve at room temp or cold.
Citrus BBQ Pork & Veg Kabobs
Our family has been trying to include more sustainable meat in our diets, but have found that after being vegetarian for so long, our likes and dislikes of certain meats are very distinct. Last night was a home-run! I bought some local pork chops and cubed them up for kabobs. Mixed with a yummy quinoa salad (recipe to follow), these were a huge hit with the hubby & the kids.
Citrus BBQ Pork & Veg Kabobs
1 lb pork (not ground), fat cut off and cubed
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
12 crimini mushrooms, stems removed
1 C BBQ sauce (and some for basting)
1/2 C orange juice (I had fresh squeezed
2 T honey
12 kabob sticks, soaked in water so they don't burn
Whisk the BBQ sauce, orange juice and honey until thoroughly mixed - then add pork to it and marinate for 2 hours at least. Once kabob sticks have soaked and pork is marinated (always discard meat marinade immediately - do not use for anything else), it's time to put together the kabobs by adding the zucchini, summer squash, pork and mushrooms. Mine went: pork, zucchini, pork, summer squash, zucchini, pork, summer squash, mushroom. Once the kabobs are made, either preheat broiler or grill. Place kabobs on broiling pan (for oven method), or directly on the grill and baste with BBQ sauce. Cook about 5 minutes, flip, baste and cook another 5 minutes. Meat should be cooked through and vegetables should be soft, but still retain a crunch to them.
Serve immediately with rice, quinoa, potatoes or just a salad.
Citrus BBQ Pork & Veg Kabobs
1 lb pork (not ground), fat cut off and cubed
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
12 crimini mushrooms, stems removed
1 C BBQ sauce (and some for basting)
1/2 C orange juice (I had fresh squeezed
2 T honey
12 kabob sticks, soaked in water so they don't burn
Whisk the BBQ sauce, orange juice and honey until thoroughly mixed - then add pork to it and marinate for 2 hours at least. Once kabob sticks have soaked and pork is marinated (always discard meat marinade immediately - do not use for anything else), it's time to put together the kabobs by adding the zucchini, summer squash, pork and mushrooms. Mine went: pork, zucchini, pork, summer squash, zucchini, pork, summer squash, mushroom. Once the kabobs are made, either preheat broiler or grill. Place kabobs on broiling pan (for oven method), or directly on the grill and baste with BBQ sauce. Cook about 5 minutes, flip, baste and cook another 5 minutes. Meat should be cooked through and vegetables should be soft, but still retain a crunch to them.
Serve immediately with rice, quinoa, potatoes or just a salad.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Stuffed Zucchini
It's that time of year where we're filling up on zucchini's and summer squash, lots of basil, and tons of spinach. I decided to combine them all to make a yummy summery meal that even the kids would like. I'm a big fan of winter stuffed squash meals, with rice and beans and thick heavy sauces. But since it's summer, I didn't want to make anything too heavy. I searched through the fridge and found some ricotta cheese that was just screaming to be used with the big fat zucchini I had gotten.
Green on Green
2 large zucchini, halved and seeds scooped out
1 16oz container of ricotta cheese
1/4 C parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
4 T chopped fresh basil
1/2 C chopped spinach
2 T butter
1/3 C bread crumbs
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450. Prepare zucchini and set inside baking dish, cut side up. In a mixing bowl add ricotta, basil, spinach, and nutritional yeast and mix thoroughly - if you did it in a food processor it would be best, but don't overwork the ricotta and make it runny. Add salt and pepper to the mixture and spoon into zucchini halves. Melt butter in a skillet and add bread crumbs. Cook over medium heat until starting to brown just a bit. Sprinkle over zucchini. Bake for about 20-30 minutes until zucchini is cooked, but not soft. You want it to still have a bit of snap to it to compliment the gooey cheesiness of the filling. Serve warm with pasta and a salad.
Green on Green
2 large zucchini, halved and seeds scooped out
1 16oz container of ricotta cheese
1/4 C parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
4 T chopped fresh basil
1/2 C chopped spinach
2 T butter
1/3 C bread crumbs
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450. Prepare zucchini and set inside baking dish, cut side up. In a mixing bowl add ricotta, basil, spinach, and nutritional yeast and mix thoroughly - if you did it in a food processor it would be best, but don't overwork the ricotta and make it runny. Add salt and pepper to the mixture and spoon into zucchini halves. Melt butter in a skillet and add bread crumbs. Cook over medium heat until starting to brown just a bit. Sprinkle over zucchini. Bake for about 20-30 minutes until zucchini is cooked, but not soft. You want it to still have a bit of snap to it to compliment the gooey cheesiness of the filling. Serve warm with pasta and a salad.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Homemade Pasta Sauce
I was going to make pasta for dinner this week and got the sudden urge to not buy sauce, but instead make my own. Sadly, I still have not received tomatoes in my CSA, so I went and bought some organic ones at the market. I had some yummy basil from my CSA and I couldn't wait to use it up!
Homemade Pasta Sauce
2 lb Plum tomatoes, peeled*
1 red onion, chopped
1 head garlic, roasted**
3 small carrots, peeled and chopped
1 C fresh basil, chopped
2 T dried oregano
2 T olive oil
2-3 C Vegetable Stock
1/4 C red wine (optional)
1 small bunch of basil
2 garlic scapes
1 T olive oil
2 T Nutritional Yeast
In large sauce pan heat oil over medium heat, then add onions and carrots and saute 5-7 minutes. Add basil tomatoes (whole), and garlic cloves, then cover with stock - don't make it too liquidy, just enough to cover tomatoes. Add red wine and stir thoroughly. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, drop down to low and simmer as long as you can until the tomatoes break down. Ideally you would slow simmer for 6 - 8 hours, stirring often and breaking apart the tomatoes. Once the sauce is done, set to cool for an hour. In a food processor, add scapes, basil and olive oil, then process until smooth. Add 1/2 the sauce and process on low just until smooth, not completely though, with small chunks. Place in bowl. Add rest of unprocessed sauce to processor and nutritional yeast and process on medium until a bit smoother than the last batch. Add to bowl and mix together thoroughly. Reheat when ready to use.
*To peel a tomato, place them in boiling water for about 10 minutes until skin starts to crack. Shock them with cold water and peel off the skin with your hands.
**Slice off the top of garlic exposing the tips of the cloves. Place in baking dish and drizzle with oil. Bake 15 minutes at 400 until garlic tops turn golden brown. Remove from oven and using a fork or some other small point, pop out the roasted garlic cloves
Homemade Pasta Sauce
2 lb Plum tomatoes, peeled*
1 red onion, chopped
1 head garlic, roasted**
3 small carrots, peeled and chopped
1 C fresh basil, chopped
2 T dried oregano
2 T olive oil
2-3 C Vegetable Stock
1/4 C red wine (optional)
1 small bunch of basil
2 garlic scapes
1 T olive oil
2 T Nutritional Yeast
In large sauce pan heat oil over medium heat, then add onions and carrots and saute 5-7 minutes. Add basil tomatoes (whole), and garlic cloves, then cover with stock - don't make it too liquidy, just enough to cover tomatoes. Add red wine and stir thoroughly. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, drop down to low and simmer as long as you can until the tomatoes break down. Ideally you would slow simmer for 6 - 8 hours, stirring often and breaking apart the tomatoes. Once the sauce is done, set to cool for an hour. In a food processor, add scapes, basil and olive oil, then process until smooth. Add 1/2 the sauce and process on low just until smooth, not completely though, with small chunks. Place in bowl. Add rest of unprocessed sauce to processor and nutritional yeast and process on medium until a bit smoother than the last batch. Add to bowl and mix together thoroughly. Reheat when ready to use.
*To peel a tomato, place them in boiling water for about 10 minutes until skin starts to crack. Shock them with cold water and peel off the skin with your hands.
**Slice off the top of garlic exposing the tips of the cloves. Place in baking dish and drizzle with oil. Bake 15 minutes at 400 until garlic tops turn golden brown. Remove from oven and using a fork or some other small point, pop out the roasted garlic cloves
Mushroom Bacon
I opted for a CSA of mushrooms this summer. I did this on a whim since my husband does not like mushrooms, but I promised him that 1 pound of mushrooms a week would help change his mind. The key has been trying to find different ways of cooking mushrooms. This recipe does just that. He devoured these delicious little strips eagerly at dinner last night and insisted I put the recipe on my blog for others to enjoy. Being a vegetarian 95% of the time, bacon is something we miss eating. Why is there something so special about bacon? Well, whatever the reason, here it is....the best vegetarian bacon I've ever had.
Mushroom Bacon
1 lb King Oysters, thinly sliced in strips
4 T butter (at least...it's not healthy, but either is bacon)
salt and pepper (lots of these, too!)
Preheat oven to 375 and oil a baking sheet. Meanwhile, melt a tablespoon of butter in a heavy cast iron skillet and add a 1/4 of the strips of mushroom. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until bottom is dark brown (but not burnt). Flip and cook until dark brown. Set on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mushrooms. Bake for 5 minutes and serve hot!
These would be excellent in omelets, or on BLT's (or MLT's as they would be called), or on any type of breakfast sandwich. We had them as a side to baked eggs and cheese. Delicious!!!
Mushroom Bacon
1 lb King Oysters, thinly sliced in strips
4 T butter (at least...it's not healthy, but either is bacon)
salt and pepper (lots of these, too!)
Preheat oven to 375 and oil a baking sheet. Meanwhile, melt a tablespoon of butter in a heavy cast iron skillet and add a 1/4 of the strips of mushroom. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until bottom is dark brown (but not burnt). Flip and cook until dark brown. Set on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mushrooms. Bake for 5 minutes and serve hot!
These would be excellent in omelets, or on BLT's (or MLT's as they would be called), or on any type of breakfast sandwich. We had them as a side to baked eggs and cheese. Delicious!!!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)