Brussels and Beyond!

This past weekend we visited friends in Pittsburgh and as usual when away from home, we ate out quite a bit and we were both feeling it.  All I wanted was a bowl of lentils and vegetables!  So that is what I did...and maybe it wasn't as great as what I visualized but it was pretty good for making dinner quick!

Got the brown rice going (2 parts water to 1 part rice, bring to a boil, cover, and turn down heat to low until done).  Before all the way done I added some red lentils since they cook much faster than ordinary lentils.  After the lentils I added frozen vegetables.  I added frozen Brussels sprouts...however I do not recommend this!  Was not that tasty.  Spinach, peas, corn, or any fresh veggies you have would be good. 

When it was done, it just seemed lacking to me at the moment.  Although you certainly could eat that alone as a meal with some flavoring agents.  I felt I needed some more good protein and threw in a can of tuna that I drained!

To season this, lemon, dill, and some mayo would be nice.  Sort of like a tuna salad theme.  I felt I wanted tamari (soy sauce) and sriracha.  Salt and pepper of course.  Not bad.  It was healthy and that is what I wanted.


Last night I realized I still had 4 russet potatoes.  So I put them in the oven first and thought about what to do with them later (since they take quite a while to bake). 

My method of baking potatoes is easy and sure-fire: 
scrub them.
pat them dry a little.
pierce each one with a fork a few times
cover each one in olive oil
put straight in oven, no pan or foil necessary (set around 400-420 degree range)

If you are going to bake potatoes, always bake more than you need because you can re-heat for lunch the next day and baking them takes so long (some people believe you can microwave a potato to bake them... I have never had much luck with this, or at least it isn't the same as baking in the oven.  But, go for it if you like!).

I looked at my leftover rice/lentil/tuna mixture with frozen corn (I had eaten out all the Brussels sprouts), and threw it in a sauce pan with a can of Amy's tomato soup (I like Amy's because it is one of the only soups without any 'bad stuff' ie. autolyzed yeast extract, etc), with some frozen peas to add a little green to the mix!  Figured I'd ladle this on top of a buttered and peppered baked potato (didn't need salt since most soups have plenty of salt already).  I like to add cayenne pepper to mine.  It was good.  Filling and healthy.

Today for lunch there was just a little left and 1 baked potato.  I microwaved both and put sliced avocado on top.  Very good. 

Amazing how far some lentils, rice, and a can of tuna can take you!

 not sure why this picture wont turn...

Not much time to make dinner tonight.  I knew I still had half the block of tofu in the fridge.  Also found half jar of pasta sauce from last week.  I figured a 'beefed up' spaghetti would be perfect!  For vegetable, I had nothing fresh that would go with 'tofu marinara,' so looked in the freezer...spinach.
I sauteed onion with the tofu in olive oil and added some spices-- some garlic powder, black pepper, cumin, cayenne, whatever you like.  Then poured the sauce and spinach in. When heated through and pasta cooked, pour the tofu sauce on top!  Done and done :)

As you can see, I had a small amount of bow tie pasta left that I threw in there!

I rue today.. Carrot Au Gratin

Wasn't sure if Mom was going to stay for dinner after I picked her up from the airport so I wanted to make something gluten-free again just in case. 

As for fresh produce, I had carrots and 2 zucchini I bought for Henry's next taste test.  My first thought was this 'carrot au gratin' that a line cook and foodie made once on a farm I worked at in North Carolina.  I don't at all remember what he did but know it was baked carrot au gratin of some kind!  I thought this also worked well because I still had Tara's milk left in my fridge.  More milk and rue it is!

Au gratin to me, means a rue sauce with cheese!  Not sure if it is correct, but it works.  My next thought was, what for protein?  I had a package of tofu that needed used.  My mom always makes this delicious stuffed shells/lasagna type thing using tofu almost as the ricotta, or mixed with the ricotta?  Anyways, I decided it would be fine mixed in the rue sauce! 

People generally freak out when you even whisper the first syllable of  'tofu.'  However, it's worst offense is only lack of flavor.  Tofu has no taste, which is perfect because you can make it anything you want!  And there are so many different types that you can also make it the consistency you want.  Silken tofu would be perfect for this dish.  I had firm, that will work too.
Personally, when it comes to soy, I buy organic.  Two reasons:  I know it won't be genetically modified and I know it won't have hexane residue from protein isolation.

Like tofu, rue sauces are also nice in that you can choose your flavor.  You should add to the rue the flavor you want the dish to be.  I made my rue and added chopped fresh sage and fresh ground black pepper.  I love black pepper with cream dishes.
 I left it a little thicker this time because I knew the vegetables and tofu would give off some water.

I chopped my carrots and zucchini diagonally to increase the surface area.  Think of this as a type of super easy vegetable lasagna type thing...  I buttered the baking dish, just in case, and layered all the carrots in the bottom.  Put some tofu rue sauce over that then layered the zucchini slices on top.  I poured the rest of the tofu rue on and topped it off with sliced onions.  Make sure you oil the onions a little so they don't burn.

If  in doubt bake at 350 degrees.  Most things use this temperature.  I thought I'd go a little higher.  I think it was 370 or something.  I set the timer for 20 minutes to check on it.  It needed about 45 minutes total.

I toasted 2 pieces of ezekial bread and we ate the pretty little au gratin squares with our bread. :)   A salad and a baguette would be ideal (but I was done chopping vegetables and I didn't have lettuce anyways!).

Dine on!

 

lentils and rice over arugula

Still had some arugula left, perfect amount for a salad for 2.  That is about all I had for perishable produce, except for carrots but those can last a little longer.  Next thought; protein.   I had considered crispy tofu, but even that seemed too heavy for how I was feeling. 

I believe lentils are one of, if not the, most healthful food.  Not only are they packed with vegetable protein, but they have loads of fiber, they are rich in iron, magnesium, folate, and many other vitamins and minerals.  Not to mention the antioxidant-rich phytochemicals that are present in most all plant foods.

Lentils and rice it is!  I looked up a recipe for mujadara once and it was so simple; basically lentils and rice cooked together with lots of cumin and garlic powder with caramelized onions on top.  So usually now when I make rice and lentils I add those 2 spices. 

Lentils are also really nice because they don’t take long to cook, about exactly the same time as brown rice!  If you have the time, soak both for an hour or so before you start cooking.  This helps make the nutrients more available to your body.  If you don’t have the time, it is very much alright!

Lentils are also like rice in that it is a 2:1 ratio for water.  Bring to boil, cover and turn down to simmer until done.  Usually about 25-35 minutes depending on how long you soaked or did not soak.   

After I drained the soak water I simmered the lentils and rice with some olive oil and the spices (garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper and whatever else you want!) just for a short time before adding the water.  I used roughly 1 cup rice and 1 cup lentils and since I soaked for at least 1 hour, I added just over 3 cups of water (vs. 4 if you didn’t soak) and this was plenty. 

I have never, in all my life, made rice ‘correctly.’  Where you don’t lift the top until the exact minute the rice is done and then you just fluff with a fork and all the beautiful little grains are separated, light, fluffy, and perfect.  Nope!  I check on mine.  And if the rice is done before the water has been soaked up, I will leave the top off for a while and let it evaporate.  Or worse yet, if I have really over estimated the amount of water, I will drain some excess off!  Remember, anything goes. It’s just rice.  It will taste fine.

I dressed the arugula greens in a little balsamic vinaigrette (use anything you have or make one) and placed in my bowl.  Then I added the hot lentil/rice mix on top.  It was pretty and the heat of the rice and lentils perfectly wilted the arugula.  Add some wedges of lemon from the one zested last night and the leftover bread and you have yourself a delightful little meal!

btw; chocolate coconut milk with Kahlua is delicious.  Just sayin…

broccoli pesto alfredo and friends

Very tasty!  And with a very empty green pot in the sink I’d say everyone agreed J  But I’m now going on two nights in a row of rich food and cheese…I don’t always do well with dairy so I will have to cool it tomorrow.

Lots of dishes this one!  But a good meal for a group and worth it.   I had 6 wonderful friends sitting and standing around my kitchen counter.  I had most of it made before anyone arrived, just boiled the noodles when they got here and that was all I had to do.  I really don’t focus well on cooking when friends are around. 

The idea with this meal is as it sounds; a broccoli pesto mixed with an alfredo sauce over pasta.

I started with the broccoli pesto: Pesto can be made out of many different ingredients.  The main idea is some kind of green (usually basil but arugula seems to be gaining popularity), some kind of nut (usually pine nuts but these can be very expensive so walnuts are a good option), olive oil, parmesan cheese, and garlic.  Salt and pepper to taste.  My dad always puts a little lemon zest in his.  All the pesto ingredients are food processed and that’s it.  Put it over some pasta and you have a wonderful meal!

For my green I mainly used steamed broccoli with some arugula and basil.  I had some leftover pine nuts in my fridge from when a friend lived with us, which I toasted a little in a sauté pan.  Not many, a small handful.   I love garlic so I put in 5 big cloves, but use however much or little you want.  I started food processing and adding olive oil as needed to make it move smoothly.  At the end I added some grated parmesan, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. 

The alfredo sauce:  Used my biggest pot because I knew everything would end up in here at the end.  Start with a rue (see resource pages—still to come).  Which is basically equal parts butter and flour cooked, then milk slowly added, lastly grated cheese.   I sautéed about half an onion with the butter then added the flour (maybe 2 Tbs of each?).   I slowly added some milk (I never have milk around so Tara let me use some of hers J), I would normally use my almond milk, I just didn’t realize they put flavor in it.  Use about as much milk as the amount of cream sauce you want.  After that had simmered a little, I added the grated cheeses (seriously, any cheese you want will work), and let it melt as I stirred.  Season as you wish.  Some more salt and pepper.  A lot of people like to add Dijon mustard or mustard powder to their rue sauces. I dumped the pesto into the cream sauce.  At this point turn off the heat and you can wait as long as necessary before boiling the noodles.

I usually use half whole wheat and half ‘regular’ noodles.  I used linguine tonight.  I added the noodles to the pesto cream sauce and viola!   Even Brent who hates cooked broccoli claims to have loved this.  Success! 

Lots of dishes in the sink…I will tackle them tomorrow…

Goodnight and good eating!

Mom's quiche

My mom was in town for dinner last night!  And tonight, some friends are coming over.  So I did some planning ahead for these two nights earlier in the week.
Mom does not eat wheat, and we don't really eat much meat.  My first thought was quiche with a potato crust, and mom actually said she felt like that- perfect! 
My friends are meat eaters, but are also fairly open.  I wanted to make sure everyone would be happy and most importantly, full.  I went through my recipe journal (where I sometimes jot down what I made if I don't want to forget) and came across a 'broccoli pesto alfredo' pasta I made several years ago when I had too much broccoli!  I also noticed that I had also added some arugula.  I thought everyone would like that.  I asked Kate to bring bread and Tara, of course, will bring dessert :)

For the quiche I decided on arugula (because I can use it both nights) and...figured I'd be inspired at the produce department for the other ingredient.  If not, I always have onion!
When I went to the store Tuesday (in the pouring rain, with a 6 mo old, and no umbrella...seriously, every time I think I might be getting this 'mom' thing...) I made sure to pick up a little more cheese (I chose some parmesan because I wanted it for the pesto and knew it would be fine for the quiche as well.), I already had some kind of gruyere, I think it was, from when Cody went grocery shopping with me and couldn't resist buying the sample at Whole Foods!...  Anyways, I was inspired; I bought a leek to go with the arugula for the quiche.  I always buy organic greens (one of the 'dirty dozen') but I splurged on the packaged and pre-washed stuff...really just because it was all they had!

With any quiche, all you need are eggs, any kind of cheese, desired filling, and some kind of dairy product in the way of cottage cheese, plain yogurt, sour cream, or a mixture of any of those.  Please note, this is my way of doing quiche--and it works!  I'm sure there are many respectable and scientifically tested opinions out there about exactly what kind of cheese, dairy, and eggs, and how much, and how long it should be cooked, etc.  But I don't worry about that.
With my mom sitting in the kitchen with me last evening, I started cooking.  I first got the potato crust made and put in the oven for a few minutes.  I think I only needed one russet sliced thin with a mandolin (or a knife if you don't have one).  And then I spread them out in the bottom of a pie dish that was oiled.  If you slice the potatoes really thin you can make an impermeable crust, but I didn't mind if the egg mix snuck underneath a potato or two.  As with putting any type of potato in the oven, I first poked it a few times with a fork.   I never know exactly what temperature to do quiches on, but I know it is a higher temperature, usually in the 400's.  So I settled on 410 and put the crust in for 5 minutes. I just wanted to make sure the potatoes cook a little before they are covered in egg. 
I started on the egg mix.  I like quiche because it's another one dish meal, everything goes into a bowl to mix it and then into the pie dish (alright, 2 dishes I suppose!).  I used 8 eggs but you can use however many you want, a few big dollops of cottage cheese, some grated cheeses, a chopped leak, and a handful of arugula.  I seasoned it with salt and pepper of course, and some basil leaves (just because I have it), and a heavty sprinkling of dried dill.  I feel like dill always goes really well with eggs.  And basil was a softer herb, unlike sage or rosemary which were my other options.   They seem too harsh for a quiche... Although, now that I think of it, I pair rosemary and potatoes, so that probably would have been really good!
Anyways, I beat all that up with a fork and dumped it into the potato pie dish.  I sprinkled a little more grated parmesan on top for good measure and back in the oven.  I think I set the timer for 25 minutes or so to remind me to check on it then.  But I wouldn't have been able to forget about it because it started smelling so good!  I think it was done around 25 minutes.  You can tell when it gets puffed up a bit and golden brown.  And you can double check by toothpick testing, or jiggling it.
Ahhh, redemption.  It was delicious.  I really didn't make anything else to go with it except white wine :)  But some arugula leaves for a salad would be nice and easy.  Or, a piece or two of the cornbread from last night-- because as I have found, you can make any sub-standard bread item scrumptious by toasting it with butter!!
Broccoli pesto to come...
Dine on!

diggin deep...bad week to start blogging??

So something happened tonight, something that does happen on occasion, albeit rare occasion (or maybe Cody and I just have lower standards!) that makes me wonder; how honest do I need to be on this blog?  haha  ...I made a bad, a REALLY actually bad, really bad dinner tonight!!  Luckily my husband is awesome and ate it anyways, and we both got into a couple laughing fits about it...about how bad it was..
So...I invited you into my brain, I suppose I should give it to you.  If it is too scary you can look away!
I need to back up to last night.  Last night was the end of a weekend long of feeding friends (anyone who knows me understands this is something I LOVE!  feeding friends and family in my farmhouse).  So we were lower on food, it was grocery store time. I knew this in the morning so I gave it a little forthought...dig deep!  I pulled out some dried pinto beans and pearl barley I had leftover from making a pot of butternut squash chili a few weekends ago.  I started soaking both (separate since beans take longer to cook than barley).  I didn't know where I was going to go with this, but it was a good protein source to start planning around. 
For lunch I tried eating this vegetable thai curry bowl from Trader Joe's my mom had brought up when we were sick.  I quickly realized it needed rice, or something, to eat with it.  It was basically coconut curry sauce with vegetables and pretty spicy.  Perfect!  I will save it for dinner and add some beans and barley!  Dinner is planned.
After they soaked all day (just as good as soaking overnight), I drained and rinsed both.  I added enough water to cover the beans a few inches in the pot and turned it on medium high to start a little boil.  Once boiling I turned it down and put a lid on tilted.  After a while (I don't know..maybe 30-60 minutes?  Just check them) when it was tender enough to be edible but still a little hard, I added the barley and some more water.  Barley needs about 20-30 minutes usually but just keep checking until it is at desired tenderness.  Then I just drained both using a pasta colander.  I am sure there is a way to be exact about the water and use just enough so that both soak up the water and it is perfect like when you make rice...but I don't worry about it because draining is fine for me.  Then I took some of the beans and barley out and left how much would be right for dinner that night.  Thought I could use some for next day, either lunch or dinner.  And I added the can of curry to the rest.  It was really good.  If you like meat, it would be easy to add chicken or anything you like.  Bread and/or a salad would be nice.  It was a wierd day for us and I got home late so we just ate that.  My favorite kind of meal: ONE POT!!
Then today rolled around...maybe it was the new and somewhat scary feeling of having this blog, of someone looking over your shoulder, when you know how to do something and you do it all the time except when someone watches you all of a sudden you mess up!  Well, maybe there was some of that or something, because I MESSED UP!  lol 
This is what I had in my fridge that needed used: a small amount of beans and barley, half can of pumpkin (leftover from making super delicious pull apart cinnamon sugar pumpkin bread!  http://www.sunnysideupsd.com/2011/09/pull-apart-cinnamon-sugar-pumpkin-bread/ ) and some tempeh I had not used yet.  I let these things simmer in my mind throughout the day and came up with this:  Add the beans and barley to this tetra pak carrot ginger soup I had in the pantry, marinate the tempeh in the pumpkin somehow, and make some easy cornbread... 'Yes!' I thought, this will work, and it will be so impressive!...
And maybe it could have worked.  Maybe if I had more tamari to add to the pumpkin and I had also added some nutmeg, maybe a little cinnamon, some ginger to pull in the soup flavor... And maybe if I had rememebered to put the melted butter into the cornbread batter...and maybe, just maybe if the ginger carrot soup hadn't tasted like **s... then, I could have had a somewhat pleasant dinner.  But this was not the case...  It was bad.  I think Cody and I both had moments of jealousy over Henry's mashed sweet potato with breastmilk that he was smearing all over the high chair...  However!  We ate with laughter and our bellies are full :)
There you have it.  The whole truth.  Because sometimes, dinner doesn't taste good, and that is OK!  Most importantly you got to sit down with your family.  Even if everyone had to eat a bowl of cereal later!
Dine On!