Tomato Provencal

       
   Tomato is my favorite thing. Therefore, stuffing tomatoes with other delicious ingredients, is a very good thing. So, tonight's quick and easy dinner went like this...

Ingredients:
3-6 Medium tomatoes
salt and pepper
gruyere, parmesan, or other good melting cheese
1-2 small garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
herbs- Chives, green onion, parsley, oregano or basil
breadcrumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the top off each tomato and set aside. Scoop out the insides and the seeds into a bowl. Set the tomato shells into a baking dish.
In a small sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the garlic and herbs and sauté. Melt the cheese into the mixture.
Pour the hot mixture into the tomato shell, sprinkle with the bread crumbs, the salt and pepper, and a bit of olive oil. Set the tops into the dish with a little olive oil and cook those too, for about 25 minutes.

Chicken/Chik'N Dijonnaise: a Flexitarian recipe!

One of my favorite fall recipes from back in my meat-eating phase was chicken dijonnaise. Ryan has also made it with pork, too. I've tried it with tofu, but something about the mustard and the jus didn't work quite right- so this time, I used some frozen seitan "chicken breasts", to much better result! I'm not the biggest fan of the smeats, but sometimes, they are necessary additions to meals!! Whether you make it with real chicken or not... enjoy!

Ingredients:
dijon mustard- about 2-3 tbsp
a grainy mustard- 2 tbsp
a third- spicy, champagne, etc- optional, 1 tbsp
white wine- a healthy pour
chicken (veg) stock- about 1/4 cup
fresh/dried herbs- thyme, sage, rosemary, chopped finely
salt & pepper
1/2 tbsp butter
heavy cream- for sauce


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a bowl, stir together the different mustards, the butter, herbs, stock, wine, and salt and pepper.
3. Pour the mixture over the chicken/Chik'N and turn several times to coat
3. Bake 30-40 minutes.
4. When done, remove chicken/Chik'N pieces to a baking dish and put in low oven to keep warm. Carefully pour juices and scrape mustard mixture from baking dish into saucepan over low heat. Pour some heavy cream into mixture, and a little more wine. Reduce over medium heat, salt and pepper to taste. You will know it's good to go when it turns a darker color, and by the smell. You should be able to smell the wine cooking through the cream.

Serve with green beans and red new potatoes or other sides and pour the sauce on top!!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

So, after I cooked up a whole pumpkin, I had... whole lot of pumpkin. I used some of it for pie, I used some of it Curried winter squash soup (check it out here), and I still had some leftover. So I did the only other pumpkin-y thing I could think of. I made bread!!

You can use any squash or sweet potato in place of the pumpkin!! Preheat to 350 degrees.

In a medium-sized bowl combine & whisk, then set aside:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice

In a separate bowl combine and set aside:
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Cream in a large bowl by beating until fluffy:
3/4 stick of butter (6 tblsp)
1 tsp mayonnaise (seriously- keeps it moist for-ev-er!)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar

Beat in one at a time:
2 large eggs

Then beat in:
1 cup pumpkin or other squash puree

Then add in the flour mixture slowly, and drizzle in the milk each time. Fold in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips at the very end.

Bake in a loaf pan, about 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean!

apple ginger spice cookies

I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but I really did follow it right out of vegetarian times!! I highly recommend their publications- many of my recipes are inspired from them!!

Makes 20 4-inch cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1/2 cup turbinado for rolling cookies
1 large apple, peeled and finely diced (1 cup)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter baking sheets.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl.

3. Whisk together oil, applesauce, and molasses in separate large bowl. Whisk in 3/4 cup sugar. Stir in flour mixture with spatula. Fold in diced apple.

4. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Roll 1/4 cup dough into ball, then roll ball in sugar. Repeat with remaining dough. Place balls on prepared baking sheets. Don't be sugar shy- this makes the cookies less tacky and easier to roll, in addition to tasting deeeeelicious.

5. Put baking sheets in oven, and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops of cookies are dry and bottoms are golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Apple Pie

Ah, apples. What other symbol of fall is more awesome or delicious?? And apple pie... well that's just heaven, isn't it?

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
5-6 tablespoons ice water

Combine flour & salt with a whisk. Add in butter and combine with a fork until crumbly. Drizzle water and shape into a ball. Refrigerate in Saran wrap for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (My oven runs HOT. Some folks do this @ 425)

Filling:
5-6 large apples, peeled and cut into wedges (about 2 lbs)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tblsp flour
squeeze lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch brown sugar, too

Roll out dough, add filling to center, and top with dollops of butter. Then complete with lattice crust. Place a baking sheet under the pie and Bake @ 400 for about 30 minutes, checking crust to make sure it is not burning.

Turn down to 350 degrees for an additional 30 minutes. Basically, over an hour, let the pie cook, removing the baking sheet for the last 20 minutes or so if the pie is not yet bubbling, turning the heat down farther if the crust starts to burn. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar on the top right before the end of baking.

Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream!!

Concord Grape & Pear Pie

Our latest CSA pickup included some concord grapes, which I decided to turn into a pie. I thought about jelly, but then figured... I have some pears, and a dinner party to go to... so... why not pie?

The process has a few extra steps, but it's well worth it!!


Crust:
1 1/2 cups pastry flour
1 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
5-6 tablespoons ice water

Combine flour & salt with a whisk. Add in butter and combine with a fork until crumbly. Drizzle water and shape into a ball. Refrigerate in Saran wrap for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (My oven runs HOT. Some folks do this @ 425)

Filling:
5-6 bunches concord grapes*
4 pears
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tblsp cornstarch
squeeze lemon juice
Generous Sprinkle of Cinnamon

*First, separate the skins off the grapes. A light squeeze at the end opposite of the stem should be enough to pop out the pulp. Keep each in a separate bowl. Heat the pulps in a small pot, until boiling, for about 5 minutes. Then, mash in a strainer to remove the seeds. Combine the mashed pulps with the skins.

Add in the pears, and then add the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon to this mixture, let sit in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

Roll out dough, add filling to center, and top with dollops of butter. Then complete with lattice crust. Bake @ 400 for 20-30 minutes, checking crust for burning. Some folks brush butter or milk on top of the crust, this works too. Then turn down to 325 degrees for an additional 30 minutes. Basically, over an hour, let the pie cook, and turn down the oven when the crust burns at that degree. This is an art and not a science, and so I suggest checking the pie about every ten minutes!

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, and garnish with sprigs of mint!!

Krispy Kale

I have no love for kale. Well, let me rephrase that. I HAD no love for kale. Bitter and chewy, the first time I cooked it at home, it tasted like rubbery, scratchy seaweed. (Yuck!!) However, I have recently learned to turn this hardy green from yuck to yum- and even Ryan likes it! I wouldn't bother so hard, but in winter, it is in all of our CSA boxes, and one of the few greens at the markets, so Kale, we're all yours.

Cut the leaves from the stems and discard the stems.
Rinse well under water to get rid of any sand, and do NOT dry. Let the water drops stay- this will help with the cooking and the krisping.
In a pan, pour in a bit of olive oil, and dice up a clove of garlic. Once the garlic sweats into the oil, add in the kale, sprinkle with sea salt, and cook down. Once Kale begins to wilt, splash with a capful or two of vinegar- red wine, cider, or balsamic will all work well- and season with pepper. Turn up the heat, and take another, smaller pan, and use it to crush the leaves. Gather them all under the bottom of the pan, and press down so leaves start to crisp. Do this until leaves brown a bit on end and reach desired "krispy" consistency!!

Curried Roasted Winter Squash Soup

My house smells fabulous right now. I am a huge fan of cooking by my nose- there is such a strong connection between the sense of smell and taste, and I find my best cooking happens when I trust my nose to know what my mouth will like. Tonight's creation- like so many- relied on my nose. If you are looking to move away from cookbook recipes and further into your own tastes, I recommend following your nose to this tasty delight!!

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, acorn squash, sweet potato, or pumpkin, seeded (about 3 cups of puree)
olive oil
3 tblsp butter
3 shallots, or 1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
small piece of ginger, peeled and grated (about a tblsp)
1 can coconut milk
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 tsp curry powder
dash cayenne
salt & pepper
cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash down the middle, stab all over with a fork, and rub with olive oil. Roast 30 minutes to an hour, until the squash is tender and begins to peel from the skin.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat. "Sweat" the onions and garlic, allowing them to turn translucent but not to brown, stirring. Grate the ginger after a while, once the garlic and shallot aroma is strong. Allow to cook a few more minutes.

3. Season onions, garlic and ginger with curry, cayenne, salt and pepper. Stir in stock and coconut milk.

4. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

5. Scoop the squash out of the peels and add to soup. Allow to cook an additional 15-20 minutes.

6. Puree in a blender, taste, adjust flavors, and garnish with cilantro to serve!

Homemade apple sauce!

Ryan and I decided to go apple picking while visiting Western Mass for a wedding. It was a beautiful day, and the apples were calling our name.




We scored a nice variety of red delicious, granny smith, and Macintosh.




Ryan came in handy- with his height and long arms- to get the good ones at the top.



So, the question soon became what to do with our apple bounty? We decided to make some applesauce!



Ingredients:
Apples (I think we ended up using a hearty 6 cups or so)
Water (Apple juice or cider- we used cider, it gave the apples all the sweetness they needed!)
cinnamon
brown sugar (if needed)
pinch salt (always)



Wash, core, and cut up the apples. No need to peel if you plan to use a sieve and grinder to mash them up.
Put them in a pot, and cover with water/juice/cider.
Cook the apples down until they get nice and sticky-season to taste.
Pour into a jar, and refrigerate or can properly to keep on the shelf!!




Happy Apple picking & eating!!

Purple Kale: A cooking extravaganza!

A few veggie-minded friends & I decided to take a cooking class from the fabulous Ronna Welsh of Purple Kale Kitchenworks- an amazing woman who founded a company that teaches at-home cooks how to improvise and 'play' like the pros. Check out Ronna & her website here at:
http://www.purplekale.com/

We decided to treat ourselves to a private cooking lesson- there were four of us, and so we received tons of personal attention from our chef-teacher. Not to mention the feast we ate!

Ronna came up with a fall produce menu- featuring 3 vegetables: kale, kuri squash, and fennel. Now, I am by no means a fan of fennel OR kale, and so I have to admit that though I went in with an open mind- I had some reservations about whether ANY recipe could make me love these fall/winter foods.

Well, of course, Ronna blew my socks off!! First off, she made me LOVE kale- 2 ways- sauteed and crispy with garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar (the vinegar really balanced off the bitterness of the kale), and also with garlic, lemon, and salt.

Ronna also got me to taste some fennel that I didn't hate, braised in a little white wine and garlic- and also with mustard. Can't go so far as to say I was converted, but came close. There are a few items I am permanently adding to the repertoire- super-slowly carmelized onions, herb and garlic butters, freekeh grains (pronounced 'freak'), and kuri squash, garlic butter, and gruyere on toast. (Can I get a hell yes to this!!) We also learned how to make a fabulous vegetable stock which we then turned into two kinds of soup: kale, freekeh and onion, and onion soup with gruyere and fresh croutons!!

I can't wait to learn more from Ronna- and I highly recommend taking her classes if you live in the NYC area!!

An Ode to Squash: The Red-headed Stepchild of the Produce Aisle

Why has that *other* everyday staple of traditional american cultures, the squash, become the unloved stepchild of the produce section? It's brothers- corn and potato- are rocking the world, one recipe at a time- but poor little unloved squash is relegated to the 'gourmet's and snob's only" column? Since when? And why?

Now, I will admit that I myself had never had squash probably until I was an adult- which is a tragedy. It is soooo good, and easy to make- and cheap, to boot. I suspect that the fact that it cannot be eaten raw might work against it, but then again, corn and potatos need to be cooked too, and nobody looks at you like you have three heads when you say they are on the menu for dinner...

I have used yellow squash and zucchini in many recipes now and love them all- and as summer turned to fall, the time for heartier squashes- acorn, butternut, spaghetti, and buttercup- made me want to find new recipes and ways to enjoy this odd-looking, yet delicious fruit.


Spaghetti Squash:

This squash, named for the stringy flesh that comes out after cooking- is slightly sweet. My favorite way to serve it is with red onion, cheese, fresh black pepper and salt. I know a lot of folks who like butter and cinnamon- not my personal taste, but if you are a fan of sweet/savory combos with cinnamon, highly recommended. The most fun way, perhaps, is to top with mozzarella cheese, basil, and tomato sauce- just like real spaghetti!



Butternut or Acorn Squash

I love roasting either of these squashes with a bit of butter and brown sugar in their "bowls"- and then spread this over the finished squash!!


Pumpkin:

Last but not least, good ol' pumpkin. I have not yet made this at home- but always look for curried pumpkin soup on menus in the fall.

What's fa Supper?

Supper is a classic NYC restaurant in the fall for me- and one of those spots that is just all about memories. Good memories. And good food. We came here with Ryan's mom & aunt, my grandparents, and lots of our friends. We've had date night here- sat outside when it was chilly with our coats on- inside by the kitchen (and then I spilled water ALL over my friend)- in the back, and in the front.

What's so good at Supper? Ryan is a devotee of the priest stranglers- a handmade pasta that is long and skinny, with fresh tomato sauce and soft ricotta on top. I have tried many different dishes- ravioli with pumpkin and sage, and most recently- a grilled vegetable platter that was just soooo amazing. Everything was super fresh. Roasted beets, red peppers, tomato, eggplant and zucchini. I am also a huge fan of the wine selecetion and the bread and canneloni beans that they serve before your meal. The last time I also tried the grilled polenta with sweet gorgonzola cheese, totally awesome.

I've also had some darn good tiramisu here- this place is what memories and good food are made of!!

watermelon, lime and jalapeno salad

Before the summer season completely fades from memory, I wanted to share this recipe. I made it for our labor day party- and though the picture shows pink watermelon, I used a yellow melon instead. Ryan declared the salad to taste like a "lime-lemon ice pop"- and indeed it was extremely refreshing! A great palate cleanser or interesting side for a picnic!

Ingredients:
3 tbs. lime juice
2 tbs olive oil
2 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
1 jalalpeno chile, seeded and sliced
sprinkle salt
basil

Whisk together the lime juice and oil, and set aside.
Place watermelon cubes in a dish and pour lime mixture over top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Place 5 jalaoeno rings at the bottom of serving dish. Place watermelon on top, and divide marinade. Garnish with a sprinkle of salt, and a piece of basil.

Apple Ladybugs

I just had to share this adorable recipe that I made with my students. This month, we are celebrating apples as our fruit of the month. I did a 'cooking demo' class for them, and the girls loved it! This treat- while being cute, also is quite tasty.

Ingredients:
1 red apple per 'ladybug'
thin pretzel sticks
peanut butter, other nut butter, or honey
raisins


Directions:
Cut the apple in half and remove the seed and core.
Dab the peanut butter on several spots on the back of the apple.
Place a raisin on each peanut butter spot.
Stick some peanut butter on the end of each pretzel, add a raisin, and attach to the front of the ladybug.

Snack away!!

Roasted Pears

Pears are not my favorite fruit- you wait around for days until they are ready to eat, and then in what seems like a minute, they are over-ripe and gross!! I had a batch of too-ripe pears, and thought I'd try this recipe to save them. After all, it only requires 2 other ingredients, so it seemed fairly no-risk. Well, what came out of my oven tasted more like candy than fruit, took no time at all to prepare and make, and was delicious hot and cold!! I could imagine pearing (haha, get the pun?) them with a peppery arugula salad and a little goat cheese, or in a sandwich with brie and a splash of truffle oil. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Pears- as many as you want, I used 3 slightly over-ripe ones
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut pears in half and core them.
Place pears in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and salt and pepper generously.
Bake about 30 minutes, until pears are soft.

Eat hot or cold!