Tacos
Taco shells
Cuban black beans (mine were frozen from when my mom made them, but you can buy them canned)
1-2 tomatoes (diced)
1-2 avocados (made into guacamole)
3-4 leaves lettuce (sliced into "shreds")
1/4-1/2 pound shredded cheddar
1 package chick-un
1/2 onion
salsa
I cooked the onion and the chick-un in a pan together, but they weren't anything special and I would just leave them out in the future. Then you just pile each ingredient into your taco shell... so fast and easy and fresh!
Spiral Casserole
1 package whole wheat spiral noodles (cooked per directions and drained)
3/4 pound cheddar cheese
2 veggie sausages
2-3 roasted red peppers (mine were from a jar)
1 small package goat cheese
This dish was inspired my macaroni and cheese, but it has a western twist. I often make my mac and cheese as just that: macaroni and cheese. No other ingredients. This is unusual, as most recipes add a lot of cream, but I feel it is the heart and soul of the dish, and when served hot the cheese melts and you really don't miss the cream (when cold, it is much stiffer).
I decided to add a little kick to the dish. The sausages and peppers gave a little spice, while the goat cheese gave it some tang (and a little more creaminess).
It's pretty easy - just mix all the ingredients together in a very large bowl, then pour into a casserole dish. You can bake extra to get a crispy top, or you can just eat it as it is.
Noodle casserole is great - I froze 2 servings, had 2 servings for lunch this week.
Showing posts with label tomato. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tomato. Show all posts
25.4.10
17.4.10
Friday: Finally Fresh Food
This week was pretty bad. I either had plans or got home so late every night that I didn't end up cooking ALL WEEK! I hate it when that happens. Monday I worked late. Tuesday I went to a kickoff party and basically ate dinner, but went ahead and went out to dinner afterward as well. Wednesday I got together with my family, but we ordered sushi to go. Thursday night I had a civic event (ballot counter at a speech contest), and ate pizza there. And then it was Friday.
Fresh Salad with Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil
As usual, the best ingredients make the best salad. Mixed greens are served with fresh mini-mozzarella, cut up fresh basil leaves (from my potted garden), heirloom cherry tomatoes, and served with aged balsamic, highest quality olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper, and a hint of agave nectar. Divine!
Artichokes
Last time I made artichokes they were undercooked. I wanted to avoid that, but I was also in a hurry. I decided to use the pressure cooker. I put in about an inch of water, dropped in the two perfectly round and aptly named "Globe Artichokes," brought to a "tsk tsk tsk," and then let it cool off until the lock released. They were overdone. Next time I will do the fast release method and see how they turn out. They were edible, but mushy. I served them with melted Earth Balance - fake butter mostly made from vegetable oils, so it still melts nicely. In fact, it is saltier than butter, so I think it makes a better dipping sauce.
Couscous Pilaf
This mix comes from Trader Joe's ready to cook. It has large couscous, orzo, mini garbanzos, and dark quinoa. It's fast and tasty, with a nice texture. I cooked mine with chick-un boulliuon (For ten minutes as package directs). When it was done I added cranberries and pistachios. I served it with an Italian soy-sauge. Delish!
Fresh Salad with Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil
As usual, the best ingredients make the best salad. Mixed greens are served with fresh mini-mozzarella, cut up fresh basil leaves (from my potted garden), heirloom cherry tomatoes, and served with aged balsamic, highest quality olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper, and a hint of agave nectar. Divine!
Artichokes
Last time I made artichokes they were undercooked. I wanted to avoid that, but I was also in a hurry. I decided to use the pressure cooker. I put in about an inch of water, dropped in the two perfectly round and aptly named "Globe Artichokes," brought to a "tsk tsk tsk," and then let it cool off until the lock released. They were overdone. Next time I will do the fast release method and see how they turn out. They were edible, but mushy. I served them with melted Earth Balance - fake butter mostly made from vegetable oils, so it still melts nicely. In fact, it is saltier than butter, so I think it makes a better dipping sauce.
Couscous Pilaf
This mix comes from Trader Joe's ready to cook. It has large couscous, orzo, mini garbanzos, and dark quinoa. It's fast and tasty, with a nice texture. I cooked mine with chick-un boulliuon (For ten minutes as package directs). When it was done I added cranberries and pistachios. I served it with an Italian soy-sauge. Delish!
10.4.10
Friday/Saturday: One Pot...Two Meals?!?
Okay, so how do you cook two different meals in one pot?
10 Bean & Vegetable Soup
1 cup 10 bean soup mix, soaked for 24 hours
5 cups water
3 medium red-skinned potatoes (cut into 1/2 or 1 inch pieces)
3 medium carrots (sliced)
2 bouillion cubes
1/4 cup dried mushrooms (the small broken bits from the bottom of the bag)
1 piece seaweed (I left this whole so I could pull it out later)
1 jalepeno (I left whole so I could remove it)
When I made this, I put all these ingredients in the crock pot and cook for 12 hours. But 12 hours later the beans were still tough! I don't know if they were a little old when I bought them or if cooking them on "low" was not hot enough. Luckily beans sink when they aren't cooked, so I pulled all the rest of the soup off the top and left the beans in with a little bit of broth.
So I was left with a savory, brothy vegetable soup. Served with cheesy toast that crispy almost like giant croutons...mmm! It actually reminded me a little bit of French onion soup for some reason; I think the mushrooms made it really rich in flavor, and the cheesy toast was delicious when it absorbed that broth.
I kept going with those beans...
1 cup 10 bean soup mix, cooked for 12 hours in a small amount of broth
4 additional cups water
2 tomatoes
1 jar heat & serve tomato soup
1 bag alphabet noodles
I added the extra water and the diced tomatoes and left it cooking for another almost 48 hours! Then I added the jar of tomato soup and the noodle and heated those for about 30-45 minutes and served.
Well, to be honest, this second soup did not turn out all that well. The beans were still slightly tough. I think they were old or something. I also cooked the noodles in the crock pot, so they got pretty mushy. I advise you and my future self to cook the noodles on their own and add to the soup just before serving. And toss the beans that don't seem to be cooking - they probably won't.
10 Bean & Vegetable Soup
1 cup 10 bean soup mix, soaked for 24 hours
5 cups water
3 medium red-skinned potatoes (cut into 1/2 or 1 inch pieces)
3 medium carrots (sliced)
2 bouillion cubes
1/4 cup dried mushrooms (the small broken bits from the bottom of the bag)
1 piece seaweed (I left this whole so I could pull it out later)
1 jalepeno (I left whole so I could remove it)
When I made this, I put all these ingredients in the crock pot and cook for 12 hours. But 12 hours later the beans were still tough! I don't know if they were a little old when I bought them or if cooking them on "low" was not hot enough. Luckily beans sink when they aren't cooked, so I pulled all the rest of the soup off the top and left the beans in with a little bit of broth.
So I was left with a savory, brothy vegetable soup. Served with cheesy toast that crispy almost like giant croutons...mmm! It actually reminded me a little bit of French onion soup for some reason; I think the mushrooms made it really rich in flavor, and the cheesy toast was delicious when it absorbed that broth.
I kept going with those beans...
1 cup 10 bean soup mix, cooked for 12 hours in a small amount of broth
4 additional cups water
2 tomatoes
1 jar heat & serve tomato soup
1 bag alphabet noodles
I added the extra water and the diced tomatoes and left it cooking for another almost 48 hours! Then I added the jar of tomato soup and the noodle and heated those for about 30-45 minutes and served.
Well, to be honest, this second soup did not turn out all that well. The beans were still slightly tough. I think they were old or something. I also cooked the noodles in the crock pot, so they got pretty mushy. I advise you and my future self to cook the noodles on their own and add to the soup just before serving. And toss the beans that don't seem to be cooking - they probably won't.
5.4.10
Weekend: Camping Scramble Eggs
When camping, Marshall really likes to make gourmet meals - he cooks more on the camping trips than any other time! But this time we were winging it. We didn't make a huge grocery shopping trip like we usually do, and we mostly packed what we had in the cupboard. This included eggs, and we thought we could make them scrambled (one dish meals always reign since we have only one propane burner).
4 eggs (we really lived it up with 2 eggs each!)
1 Chorizo-flavored soy-sauge
1 tomato
3 mini bell peppers (or 1/2-1 bell pepper would work)
Salt & Pepper
Scrambled eggs are an easy affair. We started with the veggies, cooking them up a little bit before adding the eggs. But then we just cracked the eggs right into the pan, and stirred quickly, then cooked until there was nothing shiny or clear. The chorizo soy-sauge was great, but the other veggies turned out a little bland. I don't know why; sometimes that just happens. So we poured the rest of our salsa on top and it was delicious. Bon appetite!
4 eggs (we really lived it up with 2 eggs each!)
1 Chorizo-flavored soy-sauge
1 tomato
3 mini bell peppers (or 1/2-1 bell pepper would work)
Salt & Pepper
Scrambled eggs are an easy affair. We started with the veggies, cooking them up a little bit before adding the eggs. But then we just cracked the eggs right into the pan, and stirred quickly, then cooked until there was nothing shiny or clear. The chorizo soy-sauge was great, but the other veggies turned out a little bland. I don't know why; sometimes that just happens. So we poured the rest of our salsa on top and it was delicious. Bon appetite!
Weekend: Camping Sandwiches
Sandwiches are always a great meal, especially when you are on the go. We went camping this weekend and made sandwiches two days. We used the same basic "recipe."
Bread (Whole wheat or Rosemary)
Meat (or fake meat, we used Tofurkey slices)
Cheese (havarti and cheddar)
Tomatoes
Mustard (in this case "Moosetard" Alaskan Smoked Lager Mustard)
Olive tapenade
Avocado
Everyone knows how to make a sandwich! You put all the ingredients between two slices of bread and eat. In this case, the sandwiches were a little bland. I think the bread:filling ratio was a little bread-heavy. Also, toasting the bread is always nice, and since we were camping we couldn't do that. This also made the sandwiches kind of "thick" and dry. A little mayonaise would have helped there.
The mustard was delicious, but too mild. On our last sandwich we slathered it on, and they were significantly improved. Also, we had kind of mild cheese and out tomatoes were bland. They looked good, but what can you expect - they were from the mainstream grocery store.
Overall, disappointing sandwiches, despite the ingredient list sounding good. It's all about the ratio, I suppose.
Bread (Whole wheat or Rosemary)
Meat (or fake meat, we used Tofurkey slices)
Cheese (havarti and cheddar)
Tomatoes
Mustard (in this case "Moosetard" Alaskan Smoked Lager Mustard)
Olive tapenade
Avocado
Everyone knows how to make a sandwich! You put all the ingredients between two slices of bread and eat. In this case, the sandwiches were a little bland. I think the bread:filling ratio was a little bread-heavy. Also, toasting the bread is always nice, and since we were camping we couldn't do that. This also made the sandwiches kind of "thick" and dry. A little mayonaise would have helped there.
The mustard was delicious, but too mild. On our last sandwich we slathered it on, and they were significantly improved. Also, we had kind of mild cheese and out tomatoes were bland. They looked good, but what can you expect - they were from the mainstream grocery store.
Overall, disappointing sandwiches, despite the ingredient list sounding good. It's all about the ratio, I suppose.
29.3.10
A Day Off: Frech Toast & Texas Barbeque Tofu Sandwiches
After the Pre-Easter Picnic Brunch, I took home half a baguette, which was left mostly open overnight. This morning I thought I'd better save it by making it into French Toast
French Toast
1/2 baguette, sliced
About 1 cup Milk (I actually used Vanilla Soymilk, Unsweetened)
3 eggs
Cinnamon (optional)
Butter for cooking (or oil)
I never measure when I make it, so I can't tell you exactly how much milk I used, but the basic idea is to mix up milk and egg and dip some bread in it, then fry it (medium-high heat, use a thick pan, and lots of butter helps).
French Toast is really easy, especially once you've made it a few times. The hardest part if getting the ratio of batter to bread accurate. Some people like to lightly dip their bread, but I like my bread to soak up as much batter as possible. I also like to add cinnamon, and usually vanilla extract, too. Today I got the ratio just right - not a drop of batter leftover, and every piece of toast saturated thoroughly. Oh yeah, and I had some "Ambrosia" and strawberries leftover from the brunch so I served those up as well.
After the Pre-Easter Picnic Brunch, I also ended up with a LOT of potato salad! Somehow, I inherited a very large and very full container. I wanted to make something that would go with potato salad. In fact, I think I will be making things to compliment potato salad all week. And what goes better with potato salad than barbeque?
I was really hungry, so I made my quick version. I post it here today with the promise that I will also make my involved version sometime.
(Quick) Barbeque Tofu Sandwiches
1 package baked tofu (terriyaki flavor)
4 slices jalepeno cheese (or jack, cheddar, etc)
1/2 heirloom tomato, sliced
2 foccacia buns (mine had rosemary, which added an interesting flavor twist)
Barbeque sauce
My buns were frozen, so first I heated them up in the microwave to defrost them a bit. Then I sliced them in half. I also sliced the baked tofu into 4 thin slices.
I placed two slices tofu on one half of each bun, then placed two slices cheese on top of that. I put them in the toaster oven, toasted them once, then turned it to broil for 5-10 minutes. Then I added the other half of the bun and toasted one more time.
I pulled out the sandwiches, added the barbeque and sliced tomato, and voila! I served it with a heap of potato salad, 1/2 of a sliced up avocado with slat and pepper, and the leftover brussel sprouts from Friday.
Marshall says: "Yum! That was an amazing sandwich!"
And later he says: "That sandwich was so good!"
Time: 15 minutes
Leftovers: Well, I actually took some of the tofu and cheese I would have put on my sandwich, and put it one piece of bread sliced in half to make a half sandwich for lunch tomorrow.
French Toast
1/2 baguette, sliced
About 1 cup Milk (I actually used Vanilla Soymilk, Unsweetened)
3 eggs
Cinnamon (optional)
Butter for cooking (or oil)
I never measure when I make it, so I can't tell you exactly how much milk I used, but the basic idea is to mix up milk and egg and dip some bread in it, then fry it (medium-high heat, use a thick pan, and lots of butter helps).
French Toast is really easy, especially once you've made it a few times. The hardest part if getting the ratio of batter to bread accurate. Some people like to lightly dip their bread, but I like my bread to soak up as much batter as possible. I also like to add cinnamon, and usually vanilla extract, too. Today I got the ratio just right - not a drop of batter leftover, and every piece of toast saturated thoroughly. Oh yeah, and I had some "Ambrosia" and strawberries leftover from the brunch so I served those up as well.
After the Pre-Easter Picnic Brunch, I also ended up with a LOT of potato salad! Somehow, I inherited a very large and very full container. I wanted to make something that would go with potato salad. In fact, I think I will be making things to compliment potato salad all week. And what goes better with potato salad than barbeque?
I was really hungry, so I made my quick version. I post it here today with the promise that I will also make my involved version sometime.
(Quick) Barbeque Tofu Sandwiches
1 package baked tofu (terriyaki flavor)
4 slices jalepeno cheese (or jack, cheddar, etc)
1/2 heirloom tomato, sliced
2 foccacia buns (mine had rosemary, which added an interesting flavor twist)
Barbeque sauce
My buns were frozen, so first I heated them up in the microwave to defrost them a bit. Then I sliced them in half. I also sliced the baked tofu into 4 thin slices.
I placed two slices tofu on one half of each bun, then placed two slices cheese on top of that. I put them in the toaster oven, toasted them once, then turned it to broil for 5-10 minutes. Then I added the other half of the bun and toasted one more time.
I pulled out the sandwiches, added the barbeque and sliced tomato, and voila! I served it with a heap of potato salad, 1/2 of a sliced up avocado with slat and pepper, and the leftover brussel sprouts from Friday.
Marshall says: "Yum! That was an amazing sandwich!"
And later he says: "That sandwich was so good!"
Time: 15 minutes
Leftovers: Well, I actually took some of the tofu and cheese I would have put on my sandwich, and put it one piece of bread sliced in half to make a half sandwich for lunch tomorrow.
27.3.10
Friday Dinner: Soup & 2 sides
My parents were coming for dinner, and as usual I was already running out of time before I'd even started to make dinner. Also, I wanted something healthy and fresh. And I'd bought some random vegetables a few days before that I needed to use up. Oh, and I had some leftover rice from making sushi, and I wanted to use that, too. But my dad is a little picky - he'll eat what ever someone makes for him, but I actually wanted him to like it, too. Mexican is usually popular, so I wanted to combine the rice into something Mexican... I thought maybe I could mix into some soup, so I went to one of my old standbys: Vegetarian Soup Cuisine: 125 Soups and Stews from Around the World
. I found a couple soup recipes that used rice, but didn't have the ingredients for either one. Instead, I combined them into a Mexican Corn Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Greens.
Mexican Corn Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Greens
2 sweet potatoes
2-3 leaves collards
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 cube buillion
3-4 cups water
1 can corn
serve with rice
Soup is always easy, and I try to make it even easier. Basically, chop the vegetables, boil those that take longer first, then add the others. In this case, cook the collards and sweet potatoes for 10-15 minutes (with boullion & nutritional yeast). Then at the very end add the canned corn. To serve, scoop into a bowl and put some rice on top.
Bean & Tomato Salad
1 very large and wrinkled heirloom tomato
1 container pre-mixed bean salad
6 leaves basil
6 sprigs parsley
I felt like we needed some protein, but as I looked through my canned beans nothing really sounded like ti would go with the soup. I thought about adding some white kidney beans, which would have been fin,e but didn't sound great. I also had a can of bean salad, and thought I could serve that with some herbs and tomatoes.
Basically, open the bean salad and out in a large bowl. Chop the herbs finely, and the tomato coarsely. Add to bowl, and mix everything well. Tada!
Brussel Sprouts
1 small bag brussel sprouts
2 small sweet mini bell peppers
white balsamic
butter
olive oil
brown sugar
I had the brussel sprouts, and those are not good when they are not fresh. For that reason, I wanted to use them up. I also bought them at the regular store, so I was already suspicious that they'd be bitter. (If you think you don't like brussel sprouts, try them fresh from the farm... they are a different vegetable). To make sure they weren't bitter, I decided to add butter and brown sugar :)
I also mixed in some white balsamic and olive oil, just to add some more depth. I cut the sprouts in half (so they'd absorb more in their leaves), added the butter, oil, vinegar, and sugar. Baked for 20 minutes in the oven at 350, covered with foil. In hindsight, I would have left the foil off to let them get crispy.
Everyone says: The brussel sprouts are the big winner.
Time: Maybe 45-60 minutes to prepare everything, plus another 20-30 while they cook.
. I found a couple soup recipes that used rice, but didn't have the ingredients for either one. Instead, I combined them into a Mexican Corn Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Greens. Mexican Corn Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Greens
2 sweet potatoes
2-3 leaves collards
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 cube buillion
3-4 cups water
1 can corn
serve with rice
Soup is always easy, and I try to make it even easier. Basically, chop the vegetables, boil those that take longer first, then add the others. In this case, cook the collards and sweet potatoes for 10-15 minutes (with boullion & nutritional yeast). Then at the very end add the canned corn. To serve, scoop into a bowl and put some rice on top.
Bean & Tomato Salad
1 very large and wrinkled heirloom tomato
1 container pre-mixed bean salad
6 leaves basil
6 sprigs parsley
I felt like we needed some protein, but as I looked through my canned beans nothing really sounded like ti would go with the soup. I thought about adding some white kidney beans, which would have been fin,e but didn't sound great. I also had a can of bean salad, and thought I could serve that with some herbs and tomatoes.
Basically, open the bean salad and out in a large bowl. Chop the herbs finely, and the tomato coarsely. Add to bowl, and mix everything well. Tada!
Brussel Sprouts
1 small bag brussel sprouts
2 small sweet mini bell peppers
white balsamic
butter
olive oil
brown sugar
I had the brussel sprouts, and those are not good when they are not fresh. For that reason, I wanted to use them up. I also bought them at the regular store, so I was already suspicious that they'd be bitter. (If you think you don't like brussel sprouts, try them fresh from the farm... they are a different vegetable). To make sure they weren't bitter, I decided to add butter and brown sugar :)
I also mixed in some white balsamic and olive oil, just to add some more depth. I cut the sprouts in half (so they'd absorb more in their leaves), added the butter, oil, vinegar, and sugar. Baked for 20 minutes in the oven at 350, covered with foil. In hindsight, I would have left the foil off to let them get crispy.
Everyone says: The brussel sprouts are the big winner.
Time: Maybe 45-60 minutes to prepare everything, plus another 20-30 while they cook.
13.3.10
Saturday Lunch: Mom's Huevos Rancheros
So, after a breakfast of tea and banana chips, I felt I needed something homemade and hearty for lunch. My mom ended up making Huevos Rancheros.
Can I count my mom's recipe on my own blog? Is that wrong? These are the kinds of things that keep me up at night, wondering if I have violated some kind of moral law of blogging. I think since I make my Huevos Rancheros really differently, I will include her recipe and then vow to make my own soon, and post that one as well. Plus it was really more of a group effort: my mom and I shopped together, I made guacamole, Marshall chopped something...
Mom's Huevos Rancheros
Oil or butter for cooking
1/2-1 onion
1-2 cloves garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can green chiles (Rotel)
Mexican spices (cumin, garlic, oregano, chile powder, paprika, etc)
eggs (1-2 per person)
First you cook the onion in oil or butter until it is soft. Then you add the canned goods, spices, garlic. Cook that up until it is hot and bubbling. Then bring it a gentle simmer. Add the eggs gently, so they are laying whole on top of the tomato sauce. Cover and cook them for about 5 minutes until the whites are cooked, but the yolks are still soft. This is hard to time; my mom does a great job, but my yolks are always cooked through.
corn tortillas
chopped cilantro
grated cheese (cheddar or similar)
In the mean time, warm some corn tortillas (in the microwave is fine). Once the eggs are cooked, serve on top of the tortilla on a large plate (sauce is runny). Add grated cheese and chopped cilantro on top if you like.
Fast Guacamole
Avocados
Salsa
There are many ways to make guacamole. My fast shortcut to great guacamole is just to take ripe avocados and cut or mash them up (I like mine chunky), and add my favorite salsa to taste. I used 4 small avocados and about 4-6 tablespoons of salsa.
Time: 20-30 minutes total
Serves: Three of us had 2 eggs each
Leftovers: none (not recommended, since egg whites get into tomato sauce, and guacamole turns brown)
Can I count my mom's recipe on my own blog? Is that wrong? These are the kinds of things that keep me up at night, wondering if I have violated some kind of moral law of blogging. I think since I make my Huevos Rancheros really differently, I will include her recipe and then vow to make my own soon, and post that one as well. Plus it was really more of a group effort: my mom and I shopped together, I made guacamole, Marshall chopped something...
Mom's Huevos Rancheros
Oil or butter for cooking
1/2-1 onion
1-2 cloves garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can green chiles (Rotel)
Mexican spices (cumin, garlic, oregano, chile powder, paprika, etc)
eggs (1-2 per person)
First you cook the onion in oil or butter until it is soft. Then you add the canned goods, spices, garlic. Cook that up until it is hot and bubbling. Then bring it a gentle simmer. Add the eggs gently, so they are laying whole on top of the tomato sauce. Cover and cook them for about 5 minutes until the whites are cooked, but the yolks are still soft. This is hard to time; my mom does a great job, but my yolks are always cooked through.
corn tortillas
chopped cilantro
grated cheese (cheddar or similar)
In the mean time, warm some corn tortillas (in the microwave is fine). Once the eggs are cooked, serve on top of the tortilla on a large plate (sauce is runny). Add grated cheese and chopped cilantro on top if you like.
Fast Guacamole
Avocados
Salsa
There are many ways to make guacamole. My fast shortcut to great guacamole is just to take ripe avocados and cut or mash them up (I like mine chunky), and add my favorite salsa to taste. I used 4 small avocados and about 4-6 tablespoons of salsa.
Time: 20-30 minutes total
Serves: Three of us had 2 eggs each
Leftovers: none (not recommended, since egg whites get into tomato sauce, and guacamole turns brown)
11.3.10
Thursday Night: Italian!
I have always wanted to make lasagna, but I always thought it would be hard. Then a friend at work said it was really easy, and I felt inspired. Still, it took me about a year to remember to buy lasagna noodles. I finally got some today! I got home determined to make it, even though I realized I only had half the sauce required (actually more like 2/5), and almost no cheese. Do you think that stopped me? No, it did not. And I was very glad I'd had a stint at veganism in college - I pulled out all the old "fake cheese" tricks.
Healthy Lasagna
1/2 box lasagna noodles (more like 3/5)
1 jar pasta sauce (actually 4/5 of a jar)
I should have used a second jar of sauce, but I didn't have it, so I used 1 small can tomato paste, and about 2-3 cans of water, plus a tablespoon or so of Italian seasoning.
1 small jar olive tapenade (optional)
Mix the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, and olive tapenade in a medium bowl (easier if you just have 2 jars of sauce - no mixing required).
1 package firm tofu (soft, silken tofu would have been better - a little more wet; this replaced 1-2 cups of ricotta or cottage cheese)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup "dry" parmesan (like Kraft)
2 eggs
Crumble the tofu into the bowl. Add the eggs, nutritional yeast and parmesan. Mix well.
1 tomato, slice thin
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
Alternate layers of:
sauce
noodles
cheese mixture
Top with sliced tomato and grated parmesan. Tomato could also go in the middle. Cook for 60-90 minutes, until noodles are soft.
Mini Caprese
Heirloom tomatoes are not quite in season, so I got the heirloom cherry tomatoes instead. I think they grow better in a greenhouse, so are better out of season than the large ones.
1 package heirloom cherry tomatoes
1 package small mozzarella balls in brine (drained)
1 large spoonful of pesto
Mix all ingredients together and let marinate 30-60 minutes. Yum! I also added a tiny bit of extra olive oil.
Marshall says: Well, he didn't say much, except he did warn our neighbors that it was "hippie lasagna." Everyone pretty much liked it, but agreed it could be a little saucier. I think 2 jars of sauce would have done the trick, because the made up sauce was thicker, and so probably got drier from cooking than regular sauce would have.
Serves: a lot of people
Total time: 30 minutes prep, 90 minutes cooking, 2 hours total
Leftovers: We had 4 people eat, and we didn't eat half of the pan of lasagna. At least 4 servings leftover.
Healthy Lasagna
1/2 box lasagna noodles (more like 3/5)
1 jar pasta sauce (actually 4/5 of a jar)
I should have used a second jar of sauce, but I didn't have it, so I used 1 small can tomato paste, and about 2-3 cans of water, plus a tablespoon or so of Italian seasoning.
1 small jar olive tapenade (optional)
Mix the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, and olive tapenade in a medium bowl (easier if you just have 2 jars of sauce - no mixing required).
1 package firm tofu (soft, silken tofu would have been better - a little more wet; this replaced 1-2 cups of ricotta or cottage cheese)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup "dry" parmesan (like Kraft)
2 eggs
Crumble the tofu into the bowl. Add the eggs, nutritional yeast and parmesan. Mix well.
1 tomato, slice thin
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
Alternate layers of:
sauce
noodles
cheese mixture
Top with sliced tomato and grated parmesan. Tomato could also go in the middle. Cook for 60-90 minutes, until noodles are soft.
Mini Caprese
Heirloom tomatoes are not quite in season, so I got the heirloom cherry tomatoes instead. I think they grow better in a greenhouse, so are better out of season than the large ones.
1 package heirloom cherry tomatoes
1 package small mozzarella balls in brine (drained)
1 large spoonful of pesto
Mix all ingredients together and let marinate 30-60 minutes. Yum! I also added a tiny bit of extra olive oil.
Marshall says: Well, he didn't say much, except he did warn our neighbors that it was "hippie lasagna." Everyone pretty much liked it, but agreed it could be a little saucier. I think 2 jars of sauce would have done the trick, because the made up sauce was thicker, and so probably got drier from cooking than regular sauce would have.
Serves: a lot of people
Total time: 30 minutes prep, 90 minutes cooking, 2 hours total
Leftovers: We had 4 people eat, and we didn't eat half of the pan of lasagna. At least 4 servings leftover.
9.3.10
Sunday Night: Another Salad
On Saturday I had gone to the farmer's market. I didn't buy a lot - I only had a little bit of cash. But I bought a few things, including one $4 tomato. It was a large tomato, and it was an heirloom tomato. And after trying to grow my own heirloom tomatoes last summer - which produce just a few, small, flavorless, but pretty tomatoes - I vowed to never complain about the price of heirloom tomatoes again. They are well worth it.
This tomato was also very ripe, so I knew I needed to use it this weekend. I had originally thought it was big enough tomato to make a huge caprese salad for me and Marshall. However, the next day I hadn't done that, and we were heading over to my cousin's house. I had offered to bring a salad. This could have worked out well if it had been just me, Marshall, she, and her husband (and their two very small kids), but in addition to all those people, my dad, both my aunts, my uncle, and another cousin were coming. There was no way that tomato was going to make caprese for all of us. SO I made a caprese-inspired green salad instead.
Caprese-inspired Green Salad
1 very large and ripe heirloom tomato (mine was red) - sliced into thin, small pieces
1/2 or 3/4 bag salad greens, maybe 4 ounces (I used herbal salad mix)
1 small bunch arugala (I cut these into smaller pieces - this gives it a kick like basil)
several spoonfuls green & black olives (pitted!)
1 cup grated mozzarella*
3/4 cup the best olive oil you can buy
1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
*I had wanted to use buffalo mozzarella or another fresh mozzarella in brine, and slice them really really thin, but I was in a rush at the store and all I could find was the usual "dry" mozzarella, so I bought it an grated instead. It worked just fine, and grating it (large grater) actually distributed the cheese better throughout the salad.
Once everything is cut up, you just mix it together in a large bowl - large enough that there is room for further mixing once the dressing (oil and vinegar) is added.
Marshall says: I didn't hear him say anything, but my uncle loved it! He said he could really taste the oil and vinegar and that is was nicer than anything you could get at a restaurant.
Serves: 8
Total Time: 15-20 minutes (grating the cheese took about 5 minutes)
Leftovers: I grated the whole block of cheese, so my cousin lucked out with a tupperware full of cheese for use later this week. The salad was all gone.
This tomato was also very ripe, so I knew I needed to use it this weekend. I had originally thought it was big enough tomato to make a huge caprese salad for me and Marshall. However, the next day I hadn't done that, and we were heading over to my cousin's house. I had offered to bring a salad. This could have worked out well if it had been just me, Marshall, she, and her husband (and their two very small kids), but in addition to all those people, my dad, both my aunts, my uncle, and another cousin were coming. There was no way that tomato was going to make caprese for all of us. SO I made a caprese-inspired green salad instead.
Caprese-inspired Green Salad
1 very large and ripe heirloom tomato (mine was red) - sliced into thin, small pieces
1/2 or 3/4 bag salad greens, maybe 4 ounces (I used herbal salad mix)
1 small bunch arugala (I cut these into smaller pieces - this gives it a kick like basil)
several spoonfuls green & black olives (pitted!)
1 cup grated mozzarella*
3/4 cup the best olive oil you can buy
1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
*I had wanted to use buffalo mozzarella or another fresh mozzarella in brine, and slice them really really thin, but I was in a rush at the store and all I could find was the usual "dry" mozzarella, so I bought it an grated instead. It worked just fine, and grating it (large grater) actually distributed the cheese better throughout the salad.
Once everything is cut up, you just mix it together in a large bowl - large enough that there is room for further mixing once the dressing (oil and vinegar) is added.
Marshall says: I didn't hear him say anything, but my uncle loved it! He said he could really taste the oil and vinegar and that is was nicer than anything you could get at a restaurant.
Serves: 8
Total Time: 15-20 minutes (grating the cheese took about 5 minutes)
Leftovers: I grated the whole block of cheese, so my cousin lucked out with a tupperware full of cheese for use later this week. The salad was all gone.
6.3.10
Saturday Cooking: Quiche, Soup, and Pesto
We were going over to our friends' house. They recently had a baby, and we had offered to bring dinner over entirely, but they insisted on making food as well. It definitely made for a more intimate dinner, but it also made me feel like I couldn't just whip something together last minute. Of course that was exactly what I did anyway.
I often like to make Frenchy things for my French friends. I had considered making the French Egg Rolls, but I'd forgotten to buy more puff pastry. At the point when I actually started to think about making something, I had about 90 minutes before we had to leave the house. It needed to be fast and good. I didn't want them to know that I hadn't thought about this meal until an hour and half before our dinner.
I rummaged around the fridge, wishing I'd been to the store more recently. I had some different veges, but nothing to cook them with. I had even been to the farmer's market that morning, but all I got was vegetables (not surprisingly). Grain standbys like rice or quinoa felt too simple. I did remember I had bought some eggs, so I thought I could make a quiche, which of course had the benefit of being French. I also had some pre-cut butternut squash, which never lasts that long so I wanted to use it. I'd never heard of winter squash in quiche, but it sounded interesting. I decided to go for it, keeping the French theme in mind.
Butternut Squash & Blue Cheese Quiche
1 package butternut squash chunks (could also cut from whole squash, probably about 1/2 a squash)
2 very small onions (or 1/2 large onion)
olive oil
pie pans
Luckily I read the instructions on the butternut squash package, and noticed I would need to cook the squash before I added the eggs. So I put the squash in a couple of tin pie pans (I was making two so we could have one for this week) with a lot of olive oil. I also had some fancy sweet onions from the farmers market, so I chopped two of those up (they are small, like a shallot), and added one to each tin. I baked those for about 20-25 minutes at 400F while I prepared the filling. I didn't even pre-heat the oven (this is less important when roasting veges, but more important for baking things like cookies).
8 eggs (for two quiches I actually recommend 10-12)
1/2 package of blue cheese (more or less to taste, or replace with a milder cheese if you prefer)
Bac-un bits
Salt
Pepper
Mix all the remaining ingredients together. I used a whisk; a spoon would do. I tried to pour this into the tins while they were in the oven, but started to make a mess. So I recommend taking the tins out of the oven, then pouring half of the mixture on each tin. Then back in the oven. I dropped the temperature to 350F at that point, and cooked them for about 20-25 minutes.
Tomato Soup with Dumplings
I saw a recipe to make homemade tomato soup with dumplings. I knew I didn't have time to make such a thing from scratch, but I felt the quiche was going to turn out small, since I didn't actually double the number of eggs in it (see ingredients above). I also had a couple cans of Campbells tomato soup I'd inherited, and I wasn't sure I would use them anytime soon. I decided to make a semi-instant version of the recipe I'd spied. I asked Marshall to help, since I was afraid I'd run out of time. Also I doubled this recipe so I could have some for this week.
2 cans condensed tomato soup
2 cans water
8 tablespoons tiki masala seasoning (paprika, cumin, coriander, ginger, chile, garlic, turmeric, black pepper, etc) or replace with 4 tablespoons of your favorite mixed seasoning (Spike, Mrs. Dash, etc)
1 tomato, chopped up
Add all these ingredients together in a soup pot. Heat until simmering. Considering adding another can of water if it looks thick. (I did not, but I think it would have helped cook the dumplings better.)
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons herbal seasoning (salt, pepper, onion, garlic, paprika, dill, parsley, etc); you can use your favorite all-purpose seasoning (Spike, Mrs. Dash, etc)
4 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons flax meal (optional - it's good for you)
Butter (I used about 1/3 of a stick; next time I'm definitley using more)
6-10 tablespoons milk (I used plain soymilk)
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Then chop up the butter with a knife, add to the dry ingredients, and use your hands to break the butter into small bits and mix with the flour mixture.
Add half the milk, mix by hand. Keep adding tablespoons of milk into the mixture just barely sticks together. Once it does, form small balls of dough by hand. They need to stay together, but don't press on them too hard. I think doing that made ours cook kind of dry (I think the broth couldn't really get inside).
Drop the dumplings into the soup and cook for 20 minutes. Keep temperature low and don't cover the pot - mine boiled over and made a big mess! Also stir frequently and add water if needed - our dumplings stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Pesto
While I was at it, I went ahead and made the pesto I was meaning to make all week. I had bought a large bunch of basil, and it was starting to wilt. Pesto is really easy if you have a food processor. If you don't, a blender will do, but it it takes a little more pushing down into the blades.
1 large bunch basil
olive oil
parmesan cheese
nuts
I rinsed and then used scissors to cut the basil leaves into smaller pieces and take them off the stems. I put those in the small food processor. I poured in oil until it covered the leaves and started to cover the bottom of the food processor. I added a super small handful of pine nuts and a medium handful of walnuts. Then the food processor was really full I blended it up. Then I grated some parmesan off a block... I don't know how much. I grated up a piece the size of half a deck of cards or so. Then I blended one more time in the food processor (it got smaller after the leaves were made into paste, so there was room again). Voila! I divided it into two baby food jars, stuck one in the fridge, one in the freezer.
Marshall says: The dumplings were too dry. The soup wasn't good. Let's not make it again. However, the quiche was good. The friends said everything was good, but they might have been being polite. I thought it was all great, and I am looking forward to the fact that I get to eat all the leftover soup! I do agree the dumplings were dry, but they were flavorful, and if you cut them up and cover them with soup they are moist enough for me.
Serves: 8 (including leftovers)
Total time: 90 minutes (maybe closer to 2 hours if you don't have someone to help)
Leftovers: 2-4 servings soup & dumplings, 1 quiches (2-4 servings, depending on size) - because I double everything knowing we'd only eat half. And of course two jars of pesto!
I often like to make Frenchy things for my French friends. I had considered making the French Egg Rolls, but I'd forgotten to buy more puff pastry. At the point when I actually started to think about making something, I had about 90 minutes before we had to leave the house. It needed to be fast and good. I didn't want them to know that I hadn't thought about this meal until an hour and half before our dinner.
I rummaged around the fridge, wishing I'd been to the store more recently. I had some different veges, but nothing to cook them with. I had even been to the farmer's market that morning, but all I got was vegetables (not surprisingly). Grain standbys like rice or quinoa felt too simple. I did remember I had bought some eggs, so I thought I could make a quiche, which of course had the benefit of being French. I also had some pre-cut butternut squash, which never lasts that long so I wanted to use it. I'd never heard of winter squash in quiche, but it sounded interesting. I decided to go for it, keeping the French theme in mind.
Butternut Squash & Blue Cheese Quiche
1 package butternut squash chunks (could also cut from whole squash, probably about 1/2 a squash)
2 very small onions (or 1/2 large onion)
olive oil
pie pans
Luckily I read the instructions on the butternut squash package, and noticed I would need to cook the squash before I added the eggs. So I put the squash in a couple of tin pie pans (I was making two so we could have one for this week) with a lot of olive oil. I also had some fancy sweet onions from the farmers market, so I chopped two of those up (they are small, like a shallot), and added one to each tin. I baked those for about 20-25 minutes at 400F while I prepared the filling. I didn't even pre-heat the oven (this is less important when roasting veges, but more important for baking things like cookies).
8 eggs (for two quiches I actually recommend 10-12)
1/2 package of blue cheese (more or less to taste, or replace with a milder cheese if you prefer)
Bac-un bits
Salt
Pepper
Mix all the remaining ingredients together. I used a whisk; a spoon would do. I tried to pour this into the tins while they were in the oven, but started to make a mess. So I recommend taking the tins out of the oven, then pouring half of the mixture on each tin. Then back in the oven. I dropped the temperature to 350F at that point, and cooked them for about 20-25 minutes.
Tomato Soup with Dumplings
I saw a recipe to make homemade tomato soup with dumplings. I knew I didn't have time to make such a thing from scratch, but I felt the quiche was going to turn out small, since I didn't actually double the number of eggs in it (see ingredients above). I also had a couple cans of Campbells tomato soup I'd inherited, and I wasn't sure I would use them anytime soon. I decided to make a semi-instant version of the recipe I'd spied. I asked Marshall to help, since I was afraid I'd run out of time. Also I doubled this recipe so I could have some for this week.
2 cans condensed tomato soup
2 cans water
8 tablespoons tiki masala seasoning (paprika, cumin, coriander, ginger, chile, garlic, turmeric, black pepper, etc) or replace with 4 tablespoons of your favorite mixed seasoning (Spike, Mrs. Dash, etc)
1 tomato, chopped up
Add all these ingredients together in a soup pot. Heat until simmering. Considering adding another can of water if it looks thick. (I did not, but I think it would have helped cook the dumplings better.)
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons herbal seasoning (salt, pepper, onion, garlic, paprika, dill, parsley, etc); you can use your favorite all-purpose seasoning (Spike, Mrs. Dash, etc)
4 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons flax meal (optional - it's good for you)
Butter (I used about 1/3 of a stick; next time I'm definitley using more)
6-10 tablespoons milk (I used plain soymilk)
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Then chop up the butter with a knife, add to the dry ingredients, and use your hands to break the butter into small bits and mix with the flour mixture.
Add half the milk, mix by hand. Keep adding tablespoons of milk into the mixture just barely sticks together. Once it does, form small balls of dough by hand. They need to stay together, but don't press on them too hard. I think doing that made ours cook kind of dry (I think the broth couldn't really get inside).
Drop the dumplings into the soup and cook for 20 minutes. Keep temperature low and don't cover the pot - mine boiled over and made a big mess! Also stir frequently and add water if needed - our dumplings stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Pesto
While I was at it, I went ahead and made the pesto I was meaning to make all week. I had bought a large bunch of basil, and it was starting to wilt. Pesto is really easy if you have a food processor. If you don't, a blender will do, but it it takes a little more pushing down into the blades.
1 large bunch basil
olive oil
parmesan cheese
nuts
I rinsed and then used scissors to cut the basil leaves into smaller pieces and take them off the stems. I put those in the small food processor. I poured in oil until it covered the leaves and started to cover the bottom of the food processor. I added a super small handful of pine nuts and a medium handful of walnuts. Then the food processor was really full I blended it up. Then I grated some parmesan off a block... I don't know how much. I grated up a piece the size of half a deck of cards or so. Then I blended one more time in the food processor (it got smaller after the leaves were made into paste, so there was room again). Voila! I divided it into two baby food jars, stuck one in the fridge, one in the freezer.
Marshall says: The dumplings were too dry. The soup wasn't good. Let's not make it again. However, the quiche was good. The friends said everything was good, but they might have been being polite. I thought it was all great, and I am looking forward to the fact that I get to eat all the leftover soup! I do agree the dumplings were dry, but they were flavorful, and if you cut them up and cover them with soup they are moist enough for me.
Serves: 8 (including leftovers)
Total time: 90 minutes (maybe closer to 2 hours if you don't have someone to help)
Leftovers: 2-4 servings soup & dumplings, 1 quiches (2-4 servings, depending on size) - because I double everything knowing we'd only eat half. And of course two jars of pesto!
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