Greens, Cannelini Beans, and Stuff

Hi!

I was absolutely NOT in a cooking mood last night, and my cupboard stood me in good stead!  Ha!

We liked this so much that I wrote it down, and I thought I'd share it here, too!

I am still cleaning out parents' boxes, so I still open a box, look inside, and if I feel like I'll start a crying jag, I close it and shred something, instead.  I appreciate the time "off," and I appreciate being able to return to this.  Sometimes, the fact of cooking saved my sanity!  I am very grateful for that!!  I hope you enjoy this very easy main-dish recipe!!  Marlyle


Greens, Cannelini Beans, and Stuff

1 Tbs. coconut oil or butter
1 large onion or leek, quartered and thinly sliced
2 cloves minced garlic
12-16 oz. bitter greens, rinsed and drained  (I used a mix of kale and Romanesco.  And if I didn't have fresh stuff, I would use frozen, chopped spinach.)  Chop into fairly large pieces.
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes  (If I'd had ripe tomatoes, I'd have used fresh, I think.  2 lbs.?)
16 oz. can large white beans--cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
1/3-1/2 cup raisins, currants, cranberries (dried, sweetened), chopped dried figs, or any other dried fruit    you like.
Salt and pepper to taste


Melt the coconut oil, or butter, in a large skillet.  Add the onion/leek, and sauté until wilted, or about 5 or 6 minutes.  Add the garlic, and saute until soft and fragrant, another 2 minutes, or so.  Add the chopped greens, and cook until wilted (or melted, in the case of frozen!  Ha!)

Add the tomatoes, beans, and fruit.  Cook, covered, on low heat until the fruit is softened and swollen.  Add water if you need to.

Steve liked a little Parmesan sprinkled across it; I liked it plain.

Chile Rellenos Casserole

I made this a couple of nights ago, but we had a last-minute glitch, so we didn't eat it until last night. It was good, but while I was making it (and confirmed last night), I was thinking that salsa instead of chiles would add a lot of flavor. I really think that, now! Ha!

So, here's what I did, along with the salsa suggestion and a guess as to quantity!

Serves 4

2 cans, 7 oz. each, whole green chiles, rinsed and seeded

1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

8 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 bunch cilantro, leaves chopped

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Opt.: 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with canola oil (or olive oil) spray. Lay opened and cleaned chiles in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle the bell pepper, shallot, and minced garlic over the chiles. Sprinkle the cheese over everything!

In a large bowl, mix eggs, milk, paprika, salt, and pepper with a fork or a whisk. Pour this mixture over the cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 40 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned. Remove from oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes to make cutting easier. Top each serving with cilantro, green onion, and optional tomatoes.

OPTION: Instead of using chiles, red pepper, shallot, and garlic, substitute 1 cup--this is the "guess" part!--of salsa. I think medium would be good--a little zip mitigated by the eggs, milk, and cheese. Finish the dish as directed above, and top with cilantro and green onions. I think this would taste great! AND it would be a lot easier than chopping stuff! Ha! Enjoy, either way!

Shrimp and Quinoa with Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Dinner from Trader Joe's!

Some nights I am too lazy - I mean, BUSY, to cook something that requires a recipe, but I really want some “real” food. On those nights, a frozen dinner just won’t do. This is a recipe I discovered when I was trying to clean out my fridge at the same time that I was trying to get out of cooking anything that required thought. As it turned out, it was really good!

All ingredients can be found at Trader Joe’s, too – so if you live near one, it’s a one-stop-shop!

The Recipe
Serves 6

1 package Trader Joe’s quinoa (about 2 ½ cups)
1 1-lb package Trader Joe’s frozen, cooked shrimp (any size), tails removed
1 jar Trader Joe’s Julienned Sun-Dried Tomatoes (undrained)
2 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese (for topping)

Prepare the quinoa according to the package directions. (This will require about 15 minutes of unattended cooking time.)

While the quinoa cooks, thaw the shrimp. (I put them in a bowl of water and put the bowl in the microwave on the “defrost” setting. Works like a charm.)

Add the cooked, thawed shrimp to the quinoa, along with the jar of tomatoes, the olive oil, basil, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.

If you’re feeling dedicated, serve over cooked vegetables (green beans or broccoli would be good). When I want comfort food, I just spoon some of the shrimp/quinoa mixture into a bowl, top it with Parmesan cheese and eat it. YUM. Good-tasting and good for you! Woo-hoo!

(Yeah, the picture isn't great. It tastes better than it looks, though! ;D)

Whipped Cream Fruit Salad

I love this salad now, and I loved it when I was a kid! My brother was diagnosed with diabetes when he was 3 (I was 6), so we didn't get to eat sweet stuff! And my parents are from the midwest, so when we visited our extended families, there was always a picnic! And always, always, someone would bring Ambrosia, the sweet salad with marshmallows, jello, and canned fruit! I'm sure there's other stuff in it, but I never got to eat it, either, so I don't know! (My mother fed us only what Mark could eat. A serendipity was that I didn't get cavities, so there's always an upside! Ha!)

This is my mother's version of a diabetic "Ambrosia."

1 15 oz can unsweetened pineapple bites, or tidbits (rings cut into bite-size pieces), drained

1 14 oz. can unsweetened peach slices, drained and cut into bites

1-2 (depends on the size) bananas, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/8"-1/4" slices

1-2 cups whipping cream, whipped and sweetened (my mother used saccharine) with Splenda or xylitol, if you don't want to use sugar!

Mix the drained fruit and bananas. There will still be juice on them, so mix in 1 cup whipping cream, whipped and sweetened. This should be plenty for a dressing! The 2nd cup is for people like me, who like the whipped cream more than the fruit! Ha!

I've actually tried this with fresh everything. Ironically, I think this is the only fruit salad that I like better with the canned fruit. I wondered if it has something to do with the canned juice! I may try it again with fresh, because it goes against my "grain" to recommend canned anything! Ha!

Also, I've been dealing with my dad's failing health and heart for quite a while now, and "easy" is almost my middle name! The last few salads have been what I think of as "refrigerator salads," which means open the fridge and see what one can add to lettuce to make it at least more interesting! Also nutritious! Also tasty! Sleep is out, so I'm using food for energy these days!

Happy eating!

AMERICANIZED Taco Salad!

My mom fixed us a version of this when I was a kid! I loved it when she did! Typically, she fixed it in the summer--my family ate hot food exclusively in the fall and winter--but I fixed it all year round. Everybody liked it, including whatever drop-in guests that we had! And I usually had all the "fixings" hanging around, so it was no big deal! And what an impact!

And even I know that this bears absolutely NO resemblance to the current taco salads--or any Mexican food, period! It's great-tasting, though, if you're in the mood for a fun-food lunch or dinner! I usually made it without the meat, although my mom's version had 1 lb. ground beef or turkey, fried until it was done. She didn't add any seasonings to it, other than salt and pepper, and it made this salad very filling!

If you're in the mood for spicy, you can add Tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper to the dressing or to the soy meat. The addition of spices to the soy meat, or meat, is more contained than the dressing addition. Also, I've tossed in stray bits of jicama and/or corn I have sitting around, which adds sweetness and crunch. This is good, but the original version, left alone, is better! Ha!

For the salad:

Optional: 12 oz. package soy meat, plain

Optional: 1/4 tsp. salt

Optional: 1/4 tsp. pepper

1 head romaine or iceberg lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces

3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2"-3/4" dice

1 medium brown, white, or red onion--it depends on what I have!--chopped or diced

1 15-oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or more, if you like)

1 small can chopped ripe olives (Jenna won't remember this; I hate olives, so I never added them!)

1 6-8 oz. package good quality yellow corn chips, crushed, but not pulverized!

If you're using it, brown the meat with the salt and pepper, or the soy meat with the pepper.

You can cut stuff up during this time, or you can do it later, while the meat is chilling. To chill the meat quicker, put it on a paper towel on a plate in the freezer. Check it every 20 minutes, or so, because it actually will start to freeze fairly quickly! I learned this the hard way! Ha!

For the dressing:

You can make your own, or you can just buy 8 oz. (we like more) of thousand island dressing.

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup catsup

1/3 cup sweet pickle relish

Optional: few drops of Tabasco sauce

Optional: 1/8 tsp. or more cayenne pepper

Mix everything together in a container. For best results, refrigerate it for a couple of hours. On the other hand, I never plan that far ahead, and I generally use it immediately. Nobody's ever complained! Ha!

To assemble:

Put the lettuce in a large bowl--large enough to toss everything without spilling! Put the meat, or soy meat--if you're using it, obviously!, tomatoes, onions, kidney beans, cheddar cheese, and olives in pie-slice-shaped wedges around the salad. Put it on the table, so everyone can see your artistry! Now, pour the crushed chips over the top. Add the dressing, starting with about half the above recipe, and toss it to coat everything. I think this is a bit dry, so I add more dressing--like, the rest of it! I'm the type who likes a little salad with her dressing! Ha! Serve IMMEDIATELY, since the chips will absorb the dressing and get soggy pretty quickly!

To serve later: do the lettuce and the "pie wedges," cover, and refrigerate until you're ready to eat. Add the chips and dressing, and toss!

This is so good; I'm really looking forward to dinner! Ha! MMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Green Beans, Mushrooms, & Sweet Potatoes

I'm sure these dishes will publish in reverse order:  "steaks" after Green Beans & Sweet Potatoes.  They do go together, however!  If this is too much cooking, try adding Rosemary potatoes instead, published on 4-8-09, which are easier, since they bake in the oven after shorter prep time!  The sweet potato dish will go better with the eggplant, but the potato dish would be good, too!

This is the other part to my "comfort food" dinner, one that at least looked like my childhood memories!  Ha!  If I add a salad, I even have my "3" sections on my plate!  (And, although this goes better with a salad and citrus dressing, published at the bottom of the Eggplant Steaks recipe, have I mentioned recently that I love Balsamic Vinaigrette?  1/3 c. balsamic vinegar, 2/3 c. olive or canola oil, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper gives you a great dressing!  If it's too tart--all balsamics are not created equal, so to speak!--add 1/4-1/2 tsp. sugar or xylitol.  Costco sells a balsamic that's sweet and smooth and imported from Italy!)

I fed the eggplant steaks and the green bean/sweet potato dish to my carnivorous father and brother, and there were no leftovers!  Ha!

You can use yams, but sweet potatoes are more easily digestible than yams for most people.

Serves 4-6, depending on the appetites.

1 large sweet potato or yam, or 10-12 fingerling sweet potatoes or yams

1 Tbs. canola oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 lb. fresh green beans, cleaned, or 1 lb. frozen

6-8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 Tbs. fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried leaves, crushed when adding (dried leaves will be added earlier in the cooking process than fresh, so they have a chance to soften!)

Heat water under a steamer in a large saucepan or soup pot.  Quarter the large sweet potatoes or yams lengthwise, and cut them into 1/2"-3/4" pieces.  (Similar size allows for even cooking.)  Or cut the fingerlings into 1/2"-3/4" pieces, halving them if the pieces are fairly large.  Place them in the steamer basket, and steam until fork tender.

Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a large skillet.  Add the garlic, and cook a minute or two, or until the garlic is fragrant.  Add the green beans (and the dried thyme, if you're using it--do not add the fresh yet!), and cook until the beans start to become a brighter green, just a few minutes.  Add the mushrooms, and cook until most, if not all, of the water has evaporated from the pan.  Add the cooked sweet potatoes and fresh thyme, and stir until well mixed.  Continue heating over low heat, stirring occasionally to avoid burning, until the sweet potatoes begin to break down, coating the green beans and mushrooms with a little color.  Immediately remove from heat; you don't want complete mush!

To serve with the eggplant steaks:  put the eggplant on a plate, spoon a little sauce over them, put the green beans, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes on the side, and enjoy!  MMMMMM!  Comfort food!!!

Taco Chili Souper Salad

I’m not a big chili fan. Something about the texture weirds me out. But I made chili using coarse ground beef (instead of regular) the other night, and it was FANTASTIC! I was so excited! Plus I’m using up the beans in my pantry, which I don’t tend to eat, so this was a win-win, as far as I’m concerned. :)

This is also a fairly healthy dish. There is a little bit of fat in the beef and the sausage, and of course if you add guacamole, cheese and sour cream, you’ll increase the fat a LOT, but even still it’s not too bad. (And the avocado fat is even good for you! Actually, I think it’s all pretty ok, unless you’re allergic to dairy, but different studies say different things about that, so I’ll just sing the praises of the avocado, ok? Everyone seems happy with plant-fats.)

I’ve been trying to incorporate more vegetables into my diet though, so I also didn’t really want to just eat a big bowl of chili. I started thinking about serving it over salad, and ta-da! Taco-chili Souper Salad! (Cutesy name, huh? I can’t decide if I like it or not.) The cold, crisp texture of the lettuce, tomatoes and onions contrasts really well with the warmth of the chili. AND since the chili has some juice in it, you don’t even need dressing! (No, really. Trust me. I’m the dressing QUEEN. I promise you don’t need it here, though. ;D)


The Recipe:
Chili only: 6-8
Chili over salad: 8-10

The Soup:
nonstick spray
1 pound coarse ground lean ground beef (ideally 10% fat or less)
2 Italian sausage links (optional)
1 medium onion, chopped (approx. 1 cup)
1 15-oz can black beans with juice
1 15-oz can white beans (also called cannellini or Great Northern beans) with juice
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 14.5-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice
1 4-oz can diced green chilis
1 package taco seasoning

Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray and add the ground beef. Cut the sausage casings open and put the meat into the skillet with the ground beef. Add the onion and cook the whole mixture until the meat is browned.

Beginning with the meat (if you’re using 10% fat or less, don’t drain the fat), add the ingredients to the crockpot, and stir to combine.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

(*Alternatively:
Saute the onions in a large pot. Add the beef and sausage and cook through. Add the remaining ingredients, and allow to simmer until heated thoroughly. This will produce a slightly thicker chili than the crockpot.)

The Salad:
3 romaine hearts, chopped/shredded/whatever
16 oz cherry or grape tomatoes
sliced red onion
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly (optional – I did not include it in mine)
1 14-oz can corn (optional – I did not include it in mine)

On the side (optional):
guacamole
salsa
sour cream
shredded cheese

On a plate, pile up the lettuce. Spoon some hot taco-chili over the lettuce, and top with the remaining salad fixings. (Because there will be juice in the chili, you won’t need dressing.)

Perfect: healthy, comforting and refreshing, all at the same time. Who knew? :)

(Veggie) Sausage and Grilled Onion Breakfast Casserole*

*with a healthier version below! ;)

Serves 6-ish

When I was growing up, every Christmas morning we had some sort of breakfast casserole (well, until I was about 12, and Mom got sick of making the same freakin’ thing every year; then we started having stuff like Shrimp fra Diavolo – for brunch!). There are 5 components to a breakfast casserole: meat, cheese, bread, milk and eggs. The varieties you use of each are interchangeable, and you can add whatever else you feel like adding, but those 5 things are the backbone of the recipe.

They’re also practically the definition of what’s wrong with the American diet. Not a fruit or veggie in sight! But if you grew up with some variation of the Standard American Diet (does anyone else notice that the acronym for that is SAD?), breakfast casseroles evoke either pleasant, warm, comforting feelings or the gag reflex. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. I fall into the former, though, and I needed some comfort food recently, so this is my version of the breakfast casserole. (And for good measure, I altered the recipe to make a frittata below – no bread, less milk, WAY healthier. But not QUITE as comforting on the nostalgia scale. I’m just sayin’.)

The Recipe (1):
1 Tbs canola or grapeseed oil
1 large white onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 croissants OR 6 slices of white bread (Don’t even bother with using whole-grain bread for this; it tastes weird. Just make the frittata below if you can’t bring yourself to buy white bread.)6-8 cooked sausage patties, chopped (I use Morningstar Farms veggie patties, just because I like them and they’re easy.)
2 cups grated jack-and-cheddar cheese blend (or 1 cup each, if you’re grating your own)
12 eggs
1 ¼ cups whole milk
½ -1 tsp hot sauce (Frank’s Red Hot is my favorite in this, although I’ve been known to use Sriracha sauce from the Asian food aisle.)
1 Tbs fennel seeds (optional: they add a lot of flavor, but it’ll still be good if you don’t have any on hand)
Salt and pepper

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the onions, breaking them up as you add them. Add a light sprinkle of salt, stir, and reduce the heat to low.

Spray a 8 ½ x 11 casserole dish with nonstick spray, and then shred half the bread of your choice into the bottom. You want pretty small pieces: maybe ½ an inch or so.

(Stir the onions. They should be getting soft by now, so turn the heat up to medium.)

Chop the sausages if you haven’t already, and add them to the casserole dish.

(Stir the onions. Continue to stir them whenever you have a minute. We want them to get really brown and soft. Altogether they’re going to spend about a half-hour on the stovetop, just FYI.)
In a LARGE bowl, crack the eggs. Whisk them together, then add the milk, hot sauce, fennel, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.

When the onions are done (read: pretty brown), spread them over the sausage in the casserole dish. Top with half the cheese. Shred the remaining bread over the mixture, then pour the egg mixture over THAT. Top with the remaining cheese and set aside.

Now. If you’re going to cook this within an hour or so, I’d just leave it on the countertop. (Note: that is NOT recommended by the food safety folks, so proceed at your own risk. No one in my family has ever gotten sick doing that, but we’re pretty blasé about these things.) Otherwise, put it in the fridge and let it sit for a couple of hours. Take it out of the fridge about 40 minutes before you want to cook it, so it can come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the casserole covered for about 30 minutes, take the cover off, and bake it for about 15 more, so the cheese on top is melted. Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes so it sets before you cut it up.

This is great on its own, but if I’m serving it to guests, I usually put out extra cheese, some sour cream, ketchup, salsa, guacamole, cheese, whatever I can think of that I have on hand. Pretty much EVERYONE feels the need to mess with their eggs (including me).

Um, usually I have a picture here. But I had guests, and I served it before I thought about it. Oops.


The Recipe (2):
Serves 4-6

This is a little healthier. The key to the preparation on this is to use an oven-safe skillet. Otherwise it’s a HUGE pain. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

1 Tbs canola or grapeseed oil
1 large white onion, halved and thinly sliced
6-8 cooked sausage patties, chopped (I use Morningstar Farms veggie patties, just because I like them and they’re easy.)
1 cup grated jack-and-cheddar cheese blend (or ½ cup each, if you’re grating your own)
6 eggs (8 if you have a BIG pan)
½ -1 tsp hot sauce (Frank’s Red Hot is my favorite in this, although I’ve been known to use Sriracha sauce from the Asian food aisle.)
1 Tbs fennel seeds (optional: they add a lot of flavor, but it’ll still be good if you don’t have any on hand)
Salt and pepper

Prepare the onion the same as above.

While the onion cooks, chop the sausages, and set aside.

When the onion is done, add the sausages to the pan and heat through. Spread the mixture out evenly over the pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, ½ the cheese, hot sauce, fennel, salt and pepper together. Pour the mixture over the sausage mixture in the pan, and allow to set – DON’T STIR IT. When the eggs start to solidify around the edges (it will still be liquid in the middle), sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, remove the pan from the heat, and put it (uncovered) into the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. The cheese will be melted, and the frittata will get nice and puffy-looking. (It’s actually pretty impressive.)

Vegetable Curry

I ran across a blurb (Better Homes and Gardens) about research on bone health done at Tufts University.  It seems that, as you get older, your kidneys don't excrete acids as efficiently, so bones release alkaline stuff--including calcium--to restore the chemical balance.  When you eat fruits and vegetables, your body creates bicarbonate, which counteracts the high acid levels.  So, your bones are more likely to retain their calcium and stay stronger if your eat more produce!  Yet another reason for my being a vegetarian!  Ha! 

Here's a recipe for Thai curry that's mostly vegetables.  I looked up a bunch of curry recipes online to figure out the main ingredients, excluded the ones I couldn't buy here, and included the ones I could buy and liked!

We liked the result--except for Marste, who hates coconut milk!--and so did our neighbors!

I've used zucchini instead of mushrooms, and I've used zucchini with the mushrooms, but I like this combination best!  I haven't yet tried green beans, broccoli, or any of the other myriad vegetables, but I intend to!  Broccoli, in particular, interests me because of its stronger flavor!  So, broccoli and zucchini....

I hope you try this.  It's easier than it looks!

1/2 cup brown basmati rice

1 cup water

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 can unsweetened coconut milk (not fat-free!*), shaken before opening to recombine the milk and the fat

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped**

1 Tbs. micro-grated, or finely minced, ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. eggplant, unpeeled, cut into even pieces

1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced

1 Tbs. canola oil

3/4 c. green onions, sliced

1 Tbs. curry powder

Small pinch of red pepper flakes (We thought 1/8 tsp. made it too hot, but we don't like a lot of heat!)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cup grape tomatoes

1/4 cup cashews (you can also use peanuts, if you don't like cashews!)

1 lime, quartered

Rice:

Combine rice, water, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on lowest heat for 45 minutes.  In a blender, or food processor, put 1/2 cup coconut milk, cilantro, 1 tsp. ginger, and 2 cloves garlic, and buzz until it's smooth.  When the rice is cooked, stir this mixture into the rice.  Set aside, and keep it warm.

Vegetables:

Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Cook the eggplant over medium high heat.  Turn the pieces occasionally, until they're all brown on every side.  (I usually do "almost" every side; I'm learning not to be perfectionistic!  Ha!)   Add the mushrooms, and cook until they're soft and all the water has evaporated.  In other words, the pan is dry!  Add the green onions, curry powder, pepper flakes, salt, 1 clove garlic, and 2 tsp. ginger, and cook until green onions are slightly softened, about 1-2 minutes.  Add the remainder of the coconut milk (about 1 1/4 cups), and stir it in.  Add the tomatoes, and heat through.  

To serve:

Spoon some rice on a plate, and ladle some of the vegetables and sauce over it.  Sprinkle a few cashews over the top.  If it's needed, add salt and pepper to taste.  Add a lime quarter to the plate, so each diner can squeeze as much as s/he likes.  Enjoy!

*Coconut milk with the coconut fat will mitigate the heat of the red pepper flakes, in case you get heavy-handed.  Also, the coconut fat is a plant fat, as opposed to animal fat, and it's considered good for you!

**More nutrition trivia:  cilantro is a very cleansing herb.  There are studies (that I read online) that say it helps the body release toxins, including heavy metals.  It also has many beneficial nutrients.  I consider these a bonus; I'd eat it anyway, because I just like it!  

Make Your Own: Marinara Sauce

Every once in a while I come across a recipe (or two or three) for something I take for granted. And when I realize how simple it is to make my own (ok, it’s not always simple, but it is in this case), I stop buying ready-made altogether. So this is my homemade Marinara Sauce. It’s FANTASTIC, if I do say so myself. ;)

The Recipe
Makes 3 cups

1 tsp, plus 2 Tbs olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1 28-oz can (or 2 14-oz cans) petite diced tomatoes*
¼ tsp sugar (don’t omit this; it keeps the garlic from tasting sour or overpowering)
3 Tbs chopped fresh basil

In a saucepan, sauté the garlic in 1 tsp of olive oil until golden. Add all the tomatoes, and the juice from the can, along with the sugar. Stir well, cover, and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Uncover and stir again, using your spoon to break up some of the tomato pieces against the side of the pan (this will thicken the sauce a little). Add the basil, stir, and re-cover. Cook over low heat for 10 more minutes. Take the pan off the heat, add the remaining 2 Tbs of olive oil and stir gently to combine.

**Variations:
If you like a spicier sauce, add 1/8 – ¼ tsp red pepper flakes when you add the sugar.
If you’d like a creamier variation, add 1 cup of half and half when you add the olive oil, and heat through.

*If you prefer, you can use canned, peeled, whole tomatoes and crush them in your hands. This will give you a thin sauce with large chunks, whereas petite-diced tomatoes will give you a thicker sauce with more uniform chunks. Either way will work; it’s just a matter of preference. (In the picture below I used whole tomatoes, but only because I couldn’t find petite diced San Marzanos. Normally I use the petite diced ones for convenience.)

Random info: traditional Italian cooking usually involves adding the olive oil at the end of the dish, so that the flavor of the oil isn’t compromised. Also, if you’re serving this with pasta, do NOT rinse the pasta after you’ve drained it, and do NOT add oil to the boiling pasta water. Both of those things prevent starch from clinging to the cooked pasta noodles, and that starchy coating is what will absorb the sauce into the pasta. If you add oil to your pasta pot, or if you rinse the pasta, you wash away that starchiness, and the sauce won’t stick.

Ta-da! That’s it! SO. GOOD.

Sort of Asian Soup!

This is for Nezu, who asked me for something without eggplant, tomatoes, or pepper of any kind.  Okay, this has red pepper flakes, but you could certainly delete them and substitute more ginger!  I'm sure, Nezu, that you have other ideas for spicing things up, since you've lived with this forever!  Might horseradish work?  If you use this, I think I'd omit the thyme, but you'd have to taste it to know!)  As for me, I really love this soup! And I buy a large head of my vegetable choice, and I use the rest for Kung Pao, as in "Kung Pao Cabbage," e.g.  MMMMM! 

1 Tbl. canola oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, diagonally sliced

1 bunch green onions, sliced into 3/4" - 1" pieces

4 cans vegetable broth (I use Swanson's)

1 Tbl. freshly grated (or finely minced) ginger--about 1 1/4" - 1 1/2" of a 1" diameter root (Marste introduced me to a microplane grater!  Boy, does this make life easier!  Ha!)

1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves (or 1 1/2 tsp. fresh!)  (I know this sounds odd--just trust me!)

3 Tbl. soy sauce

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (mild; 1/4-medium; 1/2 hot!)

1 small head bok choy, Chinese cabbage, or green cabbage, cleaned and thinly sliced

1 lb. frozen vegetarian meatballs

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

OPTIONAL:  1 8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained (adds crunch)

1 15-oz. can baby corn, drained (adds color and fun!)

Heat oil in a soup pot.  Add the onion, and cook over medium heat until it's soft.  Add garlic and celery, and continue cooking until the celery is soft.  Add the green onions and broth.  Add the ginger thyme, soy sauce, and pepper flakes (or other spicy seasoning, Nezu!  :)).  Simmer until it's fragrant.

Add the cabbage-family vegetable, and cook until it's crisp-tender.  Add the meatballs, and cook until they're thawed and heated through--if the broth is bubbling, it's heated!  Turn off the heat, and add the oil and cilantro, stir them in, and serve.

This is a thick soup because of the vegetables and meatballs.  If you like a thinner soup, add a can, or two, of broth!

Vegetable Chili

This recipe is for my daughter, Chelsea, who is now on her own with no Mom to make it for her!  She requested it!  Ha!

I arrived at this recipe after I became a vegetarian, because my family loves chili, and they mourned its passing without taking into account that chili is also one of my favorites!  This is the end result, and we all agree that it tastes great and feels like "regular" chili in your mouth!  (I served it to my meat-and-potatoes dad, and he insisted I was wrong and that it had meat in it.  He wasn't kidding, which made it really funny!)

I highly recommend a food processor for this, if you're as impatient as I am!  On the other hand, my brother, Mark, and his wife, Kathy, happily chop together as they talk to each other!  They do this, they told me, because they love this chili, and they make it often.  

Like many of us, they're looking for tasty ways to include more vegetables in their diet, and they say that this is a favorite, not only of theirs, but also of friends and neighbors with whom they've shared it.

1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 Tbl. salt

1-2 Tbs. olive oil

2 medium-to-large onions, finely chopped

4 zucchini, finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced (or 1 frozen cube, 1 tsp. jarred, or 1/8 tsp. garlic powder)

1 28-oz. can peeled, diced tomatoes, undrained (or 2 14.5-oz, cans)

2 c. tomato, or V8, juice

1 c. vegetable broth

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 Tbl. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

Cayenne pepper:  1/8 tsp.--mild, 1/4 tsp.--medium, or 1/2 tsp.--hot!

2 Tbl. dried basil

1 Tbl. dried oregano

1 tsp. ground black pepper

3 tsp. unprocessed (gray-colored) sea salt, OR 1 1/2 tsp. regular salt

Garnishes:  shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chopped green onions

Chop the eggplant and soak it in water with 1 Tbl. salt for 20-30 minutes.  Drain and rinse. 

In a large soup pot, sauté the eggplant in the olive oil over medium heat until it's tender.  (You might need to add a bit more oil during cooking.  The higher the cooking heat, the less oil is absorbed.  If you're willing to stand there and watch and stir it constantly so it doesn't burn, this is a great way to go!)  With a slotted spoon, transfer eggplant to a plate.

Add olive oil to the pot, if it's dry.  Toss in the onions, zucchini, and garlic, sautéing until tender.  Add the eggplant.  Add everything else except the garnishes.  Simmer for 30-60 minutes, or until the chili tastes great!

CAUTION:  Since vegetables can become mush, you don't want to cook this chili all day!  An hour is about right, not only for the taste, but also for the mouth feel, which I think is important!  I cooked it all day once, thinking it needed cooking like regular chili, and I served it to guests!  Ha!  Nobody asked me for the recipe that time!  LOL!

Serve topped with the garnishes!  Enjoy!  

Back to Basics: Risotto

Risotto gets a bad rep. It’s really simple, but it’s one of those things that so many people I talk to think is complicated and time-consuming, when nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a quick side dish, or an impressive main dish (if you add protein and other ingredients), and you can probably make the basic version with what’s already in your cupboard/fridge. (Ok, you might have to buy Arborio rice the first time out. Trust me on this: it’s the best with Arborio rice. Other rice will work, even pearl barley can be prepared with this method, but nothing will have quite the smooth creaminess of Arborio rice. I’m just sayin’.)

Just FYI, except for the bacon and wine, the recipe below is SUPER basic. I added the pancetta/bacon because I had some, and you can use 2 cups of stock instead of a mixture of wine and stock.

The Recipe:
Serves 4 as a side dish, or 2 as a main dish

1 Tbs olive oil
½ large onion (or ½ cup frozen chopped onion)
4 oz pancetta or bacon, chopped (if using bacon, about 4 thick-cut strips)
½ cup Arborio rice
½ cup white wine
1 ½ cup low-sodium chicken stock*
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs cold butter (if you’re using bacon or pancetta, use unsalted butter)*

*The low-sodium part is important, because as it reduces, the salty flavor will intensify in the rice. Same for the butter.

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and the onion, and sauté until the onion becomes translucent and the bacon begins to crisp. Add the rice and continue to sauté for a few minutes more, until the rice is translucent around the edges, and the bacon is crisp.

Add the wine to the chicken broth and microwave the mixture until it’s hot. Reduce the saucepan heat to low, and add the hot broth/wine mixture to the pot, about 1/3 cup at a time. After each third of a cup, give it a good stir and continue to stir it every few minutes, letting the rice absorb the liquid before adding any more.

When most of the liquid has been absorbed, leaving behind only a vague, saucy-looking bit and the rice is chewy but not mushy, take it off the heat. Add the Parmesan cheese and butter and stir.

If you want to garnish it, sprinkle a little extra cheese on top, like the picture below.

Serve ASAP – this is not a dish that gets better sitting on the counter. ;)

Rosemary Potatoes

Easter is this Sunday, so I thought I'd offer this potato dish to accompany your ham, turkey, or other meat dinner.  Since I'm a vegetarian, and since I dislike cooking the same blasted "holiday meal" every year--it's boring!--we're probably going to have chili, which my youngest daughter, Chelsea, asked me to post.  I'll do it next week!  In the meantime, I'll take this dish over to my dad's, who hates it when I DON'T cook the regular stuff!  LOL!  Poor Dad!

We all like this very much, and my daughters actually ask for it periodically--usually when they need comfort food!  AND it's really easy!

It's actually an adaptation of a fried potato dish, which I thought took too long to prepare.  This is equally great-tasting, my oven does the work, and clean up is a lot easier!

6 medium red, white, or brown potatoes, thinly sliced (I used my food processor) and rinsed

1 Tbs. fresh rosemary, or 1 1/2 tsp. dried, either of them finely chopped

3 Tbs. butter

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Lay the potato slices in a 9 x 13 casserole dish, which has been sprayed with canola oil spray.

Melt the butter.  (In a 900-watt microwave, one minute at 30% power melts it without causing it to overflow.)  Stir in the rosemary, salt, and pepper.  Pour this over the potatoes, and toss them to distribute the butter mix.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

If you're using this as a main dish, it goes well with garlic bread and steamed brussel sprouts with Veggie Dressing.  Enjoy!

Veggie Dressing

One of my favorite quick meals is a Boca burger and a side of vegetables, all microwaved.  I really like vegetables!  I like them steamed, baked, boiled, etc., and without anything on them!  I just LIKE them!

Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with me.  Ha!  And my husband and daughters were all in agreement:  vegetables were "yuckie!"  I used to let them dip everything in mayonnaise, so they'd eat vegetables!  I didn't care that I was developing a bad habit; I figured they could deal with that when they got older!  And in the meantime, they'd at least have a few vitamins and minerals!

It finally occurred to me to make a "dressing," like I used for salad.  Even I think that lettuce needs dressing!  Ha!

So, here is my vegetable "dressing," which we all could eat with a spoon and no vegetables!  Ha!

Vegetable Dressing

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

*1 tsp. dried thyme leaves

2 Tbs. water

**1 c. olive oil

**1 c. canola oil

In a 2 cup container with a lid, combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme leaves, and water.  Shake, or let it sit for a few minutes and then shake, until the salt and the powdered stuff are dissolved.  Add the oils, and shake to combine.  (I like the combination of oils, because I think olive oil has a sharp taste.  If you love olive oil, just use that!  Or just use canola oil for a stronger herb taste!)  Refrigerate.  To use, shake well and pour it on!

*I've also used oregano leaves, rosemary leaves, and other herbs.  I like thyme best; it seems to go well with all the vegetables I've tried.  (Oregano, for instance, makes green beans taste spoiled to me!  Ha!)

**If you're using a 2-cup container that leaves no room for extra stuff, then just add oil until it's full.  I use a 16-oz. container that used to hold honey.  It works great, because I have to squeeze it out, and I have less of a tendency to just keep pouring!  Ha!  

In the above "meal," I feed Steve a piece of already-cooked chicken (like Tyson's mesquite chicken available at Costco) and vegetables with this dressing, and he's a happy camper.  You should understand that his favorite meal is a Hungry Man Fried Chicken dinner!  Mmm--grease and salt!!!  Ha!

This dressing is also great on Boca burgers, chicken pieces, fish, etc.  It's just good!  Since there's no acid component, it's not so great on salad!  Ha!

I hope you enjoy it!  

Green Sauce Enchilada Casserole

I use La Victoria green enchilada sauce, because I can get it in all the places I travel in the U.S.  It has a sour taste, so I add "sweet" vegetables--onion, carrots, and corn--to offset this.  I usually top another enchilada casserole I make with tomatoes, green onions, and sour cream, but the tomatoes and onions don't taste great with this!  I didn't think that was possible!  Ha!

1 Tbl. canola or olive oil

1 medium-large onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced (or 1 tsp. jarred, 1 frozen cube, or 1/8 tsp. garlic powder)

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced into "coins"

1 lb. package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed

1 14.5 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained (or 1 cup frozen, thawed)

1 29 oz. can La Victoria's green enchilada sauce

6 corn tortillas

*Grated cheddar cheese

Sour cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low.  Add the chopped onion, garlic, and carrots.  Sauté until onion is tender.  Add the spinach.  Continue cooking about 15 minutes, then add the corn.  Pour about 1 cup of the enchilada sauce into the spinach mix, stir, and heat until bubbling.

Break the corn tortillas in half.  In a 9x13 baking dish, place 3 tortillas, each whole tortilla with its halves slanted and offset.  (The 6 halves should cover most of the bottom of the pan.)  *See possible alteration below.  Pour the spinach mix evenly over the tortillas.  *See possible alteration below.  Place the 3 remaining tortillas, arranged as above, across the top of the spinach.  Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the tortillas.  Add enough grated cheese to make an opaque cover over the sauce.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through.

Let it sit for 10 minutes before you cut into it.  Serve it with a dollop of sour cream on the side.

MMMMM!

*Another option, if you'd like a cheesier casserole, is to sprinkle cheese over the 1st layer of tortillas, again over the spinach and before the last tortilla layer, and finally, on top of the final sauce layer.

Vegetable Pot Pie from Marlyle

Ok, kids, this one is from Mom. She had to take Grandpa to the ER tonight (no word on what's wrong, but she said they'd been waiting a while, which is actually a GOOD sign: it means they don't think he's going to drop dead in the next few minutes), and she called me in a panic and asked me to post for her! She told me where the draft was and which draft to use, so this one is from Mom, long-distance, via me! ;)
Marste

1 Tbl. olive or canola oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 frozen cube, 1/8 tsp. powder, or 1 tsp. jarred)
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed as adding
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
8 oz. (about 2 cups) frozen green beans, cut to bite size--1 1/4 inch, or so
6 cups (about 1 1/2 lbs.) frozen mixed vegetables
3 Tbl. butter
3 Tbl. flour
1 14.5 oz. can vegetable broth
1/4 cup milk

Filo topping: 7 sheets filo dough
2 Tbl. butter, melted

To make a filo topping, unwrap packaged filo sheets. For 7 sheets: take each one, brush melted butter on half the sheet (or, if you don't have a brush--as I don't!--drizzle a teaspoon or two of the melted butter on half the sheet), fold the sheet in half, and lay it over the top of the casserole dish. Repeat 6 more times! I didn't top it with butter; I'd run out! It's much lighter this way than with the biscuit topping.

Biscuit topping: 2 cups flour
1 Tbl. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. butter
1 c. milk

Mix the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter until the mix looks like coarse crumbs. Add all the milk. Quickly stir with a fork until the dough is mixed. (You can make the biscuits with a food processor, following the steps as far as adding and mixing goes! Don't tell Marste!) Drop the biscuits by spoonfuls--small ones, if you want full coverage, and large ones, if you want actual biscuits!--over the top of the vegetables. See below for baking directions!
(Alternatively, you could use refrigerated, prepared biscuit dough - you'll just have to flatten them out a little before you put them on top of the casserole!)

Casserole:
In a large skillet or pot, heat the oil. Add the onions, and cook them until they're barely cooked, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add the rosemary, salt, and pepper, and stir until the spices are mixed into the onion.

Add the green beans, and cook to thaw. Add the mixed vegetables, stir, and cook until heated through.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter. Whisk, or stir, in the flour, and cook until the flour is lightly tanned. Stir in the broth until the mix is smooth. Continue to cook and stir until the broth bubbles gently. Stir in the milk. Pour this sauce into the vegetables, and stir until everything is mixed. Pour it into a sprayed, 9x13 baking dish. Top with either filo or biscuit topping. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes, or until the top is browned. MMMMM!

Mistakes and Leftovers Casserole!

I accidentally opened a can of stewed tomatoes and didn't want to waste them (my dad's Depression era influence is showing!), so I opened my fridge and found a few leftovers that would work together! Woohoo! Dinner!

1 Tbl. olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 bell pepper (mine was red; they're the ripest), sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced (or 2 frozen cubes, 1/4 tsp. powder, or 2 tsp. jarred)
1 small zucchini, quartered and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbl. water
1 poblano pepper, de-seeded, washed, and sliced horizontally (for smaller pieces) (Plastic gloves are a good idea. If the pepper isn't completely ripe, the juice might burn your hands where it touches. If this happens, use a mix of 1/2 water and 1/2 apple cider vinegar—doesn't have to be exact--and submerge the burned parts. This is my mother's first aid, and I've found that it works better than any commercial product or any medical advice I've ever used, seen, or heard! You may have to do it a few times, but it DOES work! A little aloe gel afterwards keeps it from blistering, if the burn is minor.)
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. oregano leaves, crushed when adding
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1 14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes (my "oops" moment!)
Juice of 1 lime
6 eggs (4 would work, too, but it makes less!)
1 Tbl. milk or water
Cheddar cheese, grated

OPT: sliced green onions and/or sour cream for garnish (Sour cream will lessen any heat intensity in the event of rogue seeds or an extra warm poblano pepper!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large skillet, sauté onion until slightly cooked. Add pepper and garlic, and cook until pepper is softened. Add the zucchini and water, cover, and steam for a couple of minutes (I was in a bigger hurry than I had time to sauté the zucchini!). Add the pepper and spices, and mix everything together. Let it cook for a minute, so the spices are fragrant. Add the tomatoes, stir, and cook for 3 or 4 minutes.  Add the lime juice, and again, mix everything together. Pour into an oil-sprayed 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.

Crack eggs into a mixing bowl; add liquid. Beat with a whisk or a fork until it's smooth. Gently pour over vegetable mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top, using a lot if you like things cheesy!

Cover and bake it for 30 minutes. The melted cheese will make this creamy, and the small amounts of spices make it interesting without being overwhelming! Garnish with sour cream and green onions, if you'd like. MMMMMM!

Broccoli Divan

2 heads broccoli crowns, cut into florets (or 1 1 lb. package frozen broccoli florets)

4 Tbl. butter (1/4 cup)

4 Tbl. flour (1/4 cup)

2 cups milk or vegetable broth

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Kraft)

1/16 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Steam or microwave the broccoli until it's crisp tender.  (Steam for 8 minutes, or microwave on a dinner plate in 2 batches, each with 1 Tbl. water added and zapped for 4-5 minutes.)  Lay it in a 9 x 13 baking dish.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour, and sauté it until it's lightly browned. Add the liquid slowly, whisking as you pour, so that you end with a smooth consistency.  Cook and stir until the liquid has thickened.  (If it's bubbling in the middle, even a bubble or two, that's probably as thick as it's going to get!)  Turn off the heat.

Stir in the mayonnaise until the consistency is smooth.  Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon juice.  Pour over broccoli.  Sprinkle cheese over top.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.  

This is good with garlic bread and field greens dressed with vinaigrette.

Crab Dip Casserole

In our family, we have a fantastic crab dip recipe. I was trying to figure out a way to convert it into a casserole, and came up with this variation. YUM.

The Recipe
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 cups mayonnaise
4 cups crab (or imitation crab), shredded (equal to one whole 16-oz package of imitation crab, flake style)
1 package frozen cauliflower
1 package frozen beans, green or white (I used the Brittany Blend from Trader Joe's: a mix of green beans, wax beans and baby carrots, and it was FANTASTIC - AND pretty!)
1/4 cup bread crumbs (optional)
2 Tbs Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix all ingredients except bread crumbs and Parmesan in a large baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until you can hear it sizzling when you open the oven.
*You might find that it needs salt and pepper to taste. I didn't add it to the recipe, because it's such an individual preference.

Fresh from the oven:


Served up in a bowl:

It takes about 10 minutes to assemble, and this should feed 6-8 people.
DEFINITELY serve salad with this. It's really rich, and you'll need something to cut the richness.