I love doing my saturday marketing, but it kills me when I can’t use everything before it spoils.   So this week I took sunday to cook up some things that I knew would get me through the days… Read the rest of this post

I love doing my saturday marketing, but it kills me when I can’t use everything before it spoils.   So this week I took sunday to cook up some things that I knew would get me through the days where a fresh dish just wouldn’t happen between work and swimming and other activites.

A few loaves of bread had been getting stale, so a bread pudding came to mind.  I’d had a rosemary bread pudding a few months ago at a fantastic local restaurant, and the memory is still in my taste buds.  For this one I used my market zucchini and a few sprigs of my window-box tarragon, and fresh Cherry Glen chevre  to top it off.

I know this will be a great lunch later this week, maybe with a bit of the arugula salad I have sitting on the top shelf of the fridge.

Savory Zucchini and Goat Cheese Bread Pudding

One pound of stale bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups milk
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound zucchini
about 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan or casserole with nonstick cooking spray or grease with butter.

In medium bowl, whisk together the milk, broth, eggs, salt, pepper, and tarragon, until combined.

Cut the zucchini into half rounds about 1” wide.  In a large sauté pan, heat a thin film of olive oil.  Cook the onion and garlic  for 2 minutes, until softened, then add the zucchini.  Let sit to brown, the turn occasionally, cooking for 5-6 minutes.

Set the stale bread into the milky mixture, and fold to coat.  Then add in the zucchini, and stir to coat.

Pour the bread pudding into the prepared baking dish.  Crumble the goat cheese on top.  Bake for about 40 minutes until browned and liquid is absorbed.  Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Part of my late fall routine is to clean out my freezer.  Anything that’s been collecting frostbite for a season, or that I cannot at all identify, has to go.  And that is how I unearthed the box of… Read the rest of this post

Part of my late fall routine is to clean out my freezer.  Anything that’s been collecting frostbite for a season, or that I cannot at all identify, has to go.  And that is how I unearthed the box of frozen artichoke hearts.

I cannot remember what I bought them for…maybe it was a whim?  But I was determined to use them.  And so out came the parchment paper, and my newly bought celtic sea salt.

There is nothing to this recipe, really.  But the result is these perfect buds of roasted crispness.  I dipped some in hummus, others in a nice mayonnaise.  They would make a perfect appetizer with cocktails, or chopped after roasting and added to a pasta.

Roasted Artichoke Hearts
Prep – 10 minutes.  Total – 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:
2 packages frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
3 tablespoons olive oil
coarse salt to taste

How To:
Preheat oven to 400F.  Rinse and pat dry the artichoke hearts and place in a large bowl.  Add the oil and salt to the bowl, and toss to coat.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spread the artichokes in an even layer on the pan.  Roast until brown and crispy, tossing occasionally, for 45-60 minutes.

I’m  not much a fan of the cold, but there is one thing I do love about when the days get shorter and the temperatures drop – roasting.  Especially roasted vegetables.  Everything tastes better with that crackly brown crust… Read the rest of this post

I’m  not much a fan of the cold, but there is one thing I do love about when the days get shorter and the temperatures drop – roasting.  Especially roasted vegetables.  Everything tastes better with that crackly brown crust that time in an oven at 400 degrees gives.

And then there are roasted potatoes.  These are my favorites – I’ll often make a meal with just these, and some wilted greens, and maybe an egg.  The tiny fingerlings aren’t as easily available anymore, but any small potato, sliced in halves or quarters, makes for a fine bite sized crunchy bite.  Rosemary is a classic for roasting, as long as it’s chopped quite fine to avoid any tough bits.  And by roasting the garlic on the tray with the potatoes, you save time, space, and add the flavor of the garlic to the air around the potatoes, imbuing them deeply with that rich, slightly sweet flavor.

Read on for the recipe

Roasted Garlic Potatoes
Prep – 10 minutes, Total – 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 pounds fingerling or small red potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt (like kosher salt)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped very fine
1 bulb garlic

Equipment:
baking sheet, parchment paper

How To:
Preheat the oven to 400F.  Wash the potatoes and split them into halves or quarters.  Pour the olive oil in a large bowl, and add the potatoes.  Toss until well coated.  Add the salt and rosemary and toss to coat.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spread the potatoes in an even layer.

Remove the outermost paper from the garlic, but keep the bulb intact.  Slice off the pointed top so all the cloves show.  Wrap the garlic in tinfoil and set it on the baking sheet with the potatoes.

Bake in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the potatoes are crisp and browned, tossing occasionally.  Remove the garlic and set aside until cool enough to handle. Squeeze the pulp out of the cloves and into a bowl, and mash the garlic up with a spoon.  Add the cooked potatoes and stir them around to coat them with the garlic.  Enjoy!

(Inspired by a recipe from A Veggie Venture)

I enjoy going to the farmers market on Saturdays – the ritual of packing my shopping bag, browsing all the stalls to see who has the best zucchini this week, or peaches.  But sometimes, I get a bit overzealous,… Read the rest of this post

I enjoy going to the farmers market on Saturdays – the ritual of packing my shopping bag, browsing all the stalls to see who has the best zucchini this week, or peaches.  But sometimes, I get a bit overzealous, and end up with vegetables still sitting in the fridge most of the week later.  I can safe the slightly softening ones by roasting them until crisp. And what’s a better counterpoint to the warm, buttery flavor of a roasted vegetable than nutty quinoa?

This is a great side, or add some cubed firm tofu to fill out a summer meal.

Oh, and if you have extra quinoa?  Make them into patties.

Read on for the recipe…

Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables

2 cups water or broth
1 cup red quinoa
5 cloves garlic
3 small summer squash
3 japanese eggplant
(or whatever combination of vegetables you might have)
olive oil
salt
pepper
dried thyme
juice of one lemon

1. Bring the water or broth to a boil. Add some salt and the quinoa, stir, cover, and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400F. Chop the garlic finely. Slice the squash and eggplant lengthwise into long quarters. Then slice into 1 inch chunks.  Toss the garlic and vegetables with the olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme.  Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the vegetables in an even layer.  Roast until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

3. When the quinoa is done, toss it with the vegetables.  Squeeze some lemon juice over it all, and enjoy!

A little leftovers magic today – I made a bunch of quinoa earlier in the week, and while it is tasty stuff all on its own, I was craving a change. So combining some of the quinoa with goat… Read the rest of this post

A little leftovers magic today – I made a bunch of quinoa earlier in the week, and while it is tasty stuff all on its own, I was craving a change. So combining some of the quinoa with goat cheese and spinach, and frying it all up into little patties was just what I was craving for my lunch!

These would be great as appetizers – I’m thinking that some kind of yogurt-y dip, maybe with some chili would make a nice accompaniment.

Quinoa Cakes with Spinach and Goat Cheese
makes about 20 small cakes

ingredients:
2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked quinoa
4 ounces goat cheese
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper
olive oil for frying

how to:
1. Wash and chop the spinach, pat dry. Mince the garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon
of olive oil in a small skillet. Cook the garlic until lightly browned, about a minute, then add the spinach. Cover, and cook until wilted. Set aside and let cool.

2. In a small saucepan, mix the quinoa and the goat cheese over low heat (to help melt the cheese). Remove from heat when well combined.

3. Chop the cooked spinach finely, mix with the quinoa and goat cheese. Beat the egg and mix in until everything is combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Heat a layer of olive oil in a non-stick skillet.  Form the quinoa into 2″ patties about 1/2 inch thick. Drop into the oil and cook until well browned on one side, 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, then set on paper towels to drain.

Baked pasta and cheese – not much better than that!  But add some glorious sauteed leeks and the dish becomes an entirely different and more wonderful creation.

The Comfort Foods issue of Bon Appetit has had me craving casseroles,… Read the rest of this post

Baked pasta and cheese – not much better than that!  But add some glorious sauteed leeks and the dish becomes an entirely different and more wonderful creation.

The Comfort Foods issue of Bon Appetit has had me craving casseroles, and the combination of leeks and cheese is one of my favorites.  Adding nutty whole wheat penne and substituting lowfat milk for whole made me feel a little better about myself, and I thought a combination of gruyere and cheddar would give it a nice twist.

Served with a green salad and some light red wine, it’s a simple and comforting meal.

Continue after the break to read the recipe:

Baked Mac and Cheese With Leeks
4 servings
Adapted from Bon Appetit, March 2009

prep: 35 minutes total: 55 minutes

equipment: glass baking dish, saucepans

ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large leeks, chopped
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups lowfat milk
1 cup grated Gruyere
1 cup grated extra-sharp white cheddar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
dash hot sauce
1 large egg
1/2 pound whole wheat penne pasta

how to:

1. Cut the leeks lengthwise, and then crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces. Put in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Pat dry. Set a pot of salted water to boil.

2. Melt the butter in a deep saute pan over medium heat. Add the leeks, stir to coat and cover the pan.  Let cook, stirring occasionally until leeks are tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and add the flour. Stir to coat  and cook for about 2 minutes.  Add the milk, bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add all but 1/4 cup of the cheese, mustard, and hot sauce.  Stir until the cheese melts. Remove from the heat and season with salt to taste, then set to cool while the pasta cooks.

3. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook about 10 mintues until al dente. Drain, put back in the pot.

4. Whisk the egg in a medium bowl. Slowly add about 1 cup of the cheese sauce. Stir this portion back into the rest of the sauce.

5. When the pasta is done, pour on the cheese sauce and stir to coat. Grease your baking dish, and pour in the pasta. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top.

6. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.