Polenta with Mushroom Sauce

The kiddo has become addicted to mushrooms, which means that we are eating way more mushrooms than before. You simply can't turn down a three year old asking for healthy food! This recipe uses dried mushrooms since that's what I had, but fresh mushrooms would be just as yummy. If you want a vegetarian version, omit bacon, and use vegetable stock.


Polenta with Mushroom Sauce
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup chicken stock
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 tblsp tomato paste
2 tblsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup sherry
15 oz crushed tomatoes
polenta
1 tblsp butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Warm stock in microwave for 1 minute. Add mushrooms to warmed stock and cover with plastic wrap for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, brown bacon in large saucepan. Remove mushrooms from stock. Chop mushrooms. Strain and reserve broth. Add tomato paste, olive oil, and garlic to bacon. Stir and cook until tomato paste melts with olive oil and browns slightly. Add sherry. Reduce by half. Add reserved broth and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine, cover, and simmer while preparing polenta. Prepare polenta according to package directions. Add butter and parmesan and stir until butter is melted. Serve polenta topped with mushroom sauce.

Stir Fried Noodles and Veggies

I pretty much default to making garlic ginger noodles whenever I make "Chinese" food for dinner, but since Natty doesn't really eat them, I thought I'd try a different sauce. I combined a few recipes I found and came up with this one. Natty still didn't eat them... Maybe he just doesn't like rice noodles? 


I'm pretty lost with any style of Asian cooking. What are your favorite sauces/dishes that I should try?


Stir Fried Noodles and Veggies
2 tblsp peanut oil

1 small head broccoli, cut into bite size chunks

1 bunch thin asparagus, cut into bite size chunks

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tblsp fish sauce

1 tblsp sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced

pinch crushed red pepper

2 tblsp rice wine vinegar
1/3 package thick rice noodles, soaked
1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped
Heat peanut oil in wok over high heat. Add veggies and cook for about 2 minutes. Mix all ingredients except noodles and cilantro in a small bowl. Add sauce to veggies and stir to coat. Add noodles and toss again to coat. Add cilantro and serve.

Po-chilis?

We've always made potacos, but it's equally delicious to slop up a potato with some leftover chili as well. It's lacking in the cute nickname department... Kevin calls them phillies, but that reminds me of cheesesteaks, so it's not really working.


Po-chilis
4 baking potatoes
olive oil
salt
4 cups warmed leftover veggie chili
1 tblsp butter
1 tblsp flour
3/4 cup whole milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
plain yogurt
Poke potatoes repeatedly with a fork or knife. Microwave on high for 15 minutes. Coat with olive oil and salt and place in 400 degree oven or toaster oven for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and bring together a light roux. Whisk in milk and heat over medium heat until milk thickens. Remove milk from heat and stir in cheddar cheese. Cut open the potatoes, top with chili, cheese sauce, and yogurt. 

Veggie Chili

So, after the arrival of baby girl, people brought us food that somehow, always included a can of corn. I'm totally grateful for all the delicious food that people brought, so if it sounds like I'm poo-pooing the arrival of corn in our house, please know that's not the case. Anyway, I ended up with a few cans in the pantry and remembered this recipe from our friend, Rachel. She always downplays her cooking skillz, but this was a good recipe. 


Veggie Chili
2 tblsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup banana peppers, chopped (I used banana peppers because I have a ton of them left over from an overproductive garden. If I had jalapenos, I would have used those instead.)
2 1/2-3 cups black beans, soaked overnight (or 2 cans black beans for a faster recipe)
2 cans sweet corn
1 can chopped tomatoes and the juice
2-3 cups additional veggies (I like zukes, carrots, broccoli, but use whatever you like)
chili pepper
cayenne (probably not necessary if you use a pepper more powerful than banana)
garlic powder
salt and pepper
Heat oil in a soup pot (if you're switching to a crock pot, use a smaller pan) over medium high heat. Sweat onions and peppers and then season with salt and pepper. If you're switching to a crock pot, now's the time. Add beans, corn, tomatoes, and additional veggies. Season to your taste. You'll have to come back a few times to get it right because the heat will bring out the spices. If you're going for a quick cook, bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let it come together for 30 minutes. If you're using the crock pot, cook everything on high until the beans are tender (around 4 hours) and then reduce to low until you're ready to eat. I let the whole thing go for about an additional 3-4 hours. Serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese.  

Butternut Pasta Revisited

I made this recipe again tonight, but omitted the bacon for meatless Monday. I have to say, it was delicious even without the bacon. I've been trying to stop thinking about the leftovers for the last hour.

Mushroom Sandwiches

This is inspired by a Jamie Oliver recipe that Kevin found years ago. It strikes me that it's an odd recipe for Kevin to have discovered since he was definitely a meat and potatoes guy at the time. Anyway, thanks to Jamie and Kevin for this one! This is the most basic version of it that I've ever made and experimenting with the compound butter ingredients is definitely good stuff!


Mushroom Sandwiches
3 portabella mushrooms
1/2 stick butter, softened
5-6 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
1/4 cup cheese (fontina or cheddar are my favorites)
3 ciabatta or hamburger rolls
Clean mushrooms and place on broiler tray. In a small chopper or blender, combine butter, garlic, salt, and pepper until garlic is well chopped. Top each mushroom with a third of the butter. Place under boiler until mushrooms are browned and butter is melted (it should melt through the mushrooms and leave delicious flavor throughout). Top mushrooms with cheese and return to broiler until cheese is browned. Serve on rolls - open faced or as a sandwich.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

This was supposed to be our Meat Free Monday dinner, which ended up being meat free Tuesday, which ended up being way to chaotic to accommodate anything that was going to take an hour in the oven, so it ultimately became our regular old Thursday night dinner. Thanks to Amanda for the idea! 


Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
1 package boil in bag brown rice
4 cloves garlic, chopped
handful basil, sliced
4-5 small/medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 large zucchini, chopped (and sautéed in olive oil)
1/4 jar leftover pasta sauce
3 large bell peppers
1/4 cup grated provolone cheese
Mix all ingredients up to the bell peppers together. Stuff peppers with rice mixture. Place in baking dish in a 350 oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Top with cheese. Cook until cheese is melted and lightly browned (15-20 minutes). Enjoy!

Quick Goulash

After being totally stuck for something to make for dinner, I turned to Facebook for some suggestions. When I got "ground beef and peas," I was inspired to make goulash. I had actually set out to make goulash last week, but couldn't for the life of me remember what it was called and had to ask my mom over the weekend. So, it was a perfect suggestion. I ended up looking up a few recipes and settling on a variation of Rachel Ray's.


Quick Goulash
1 lb ground beef
2 small carrots, sliced
2 cups cut up orange peppers (I had these delicious little guys, so I just sliced them in half and then into strips)
1 small onion, chopped
3 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tblsp flour
1/2 box elbow macaroni
1 cup chicken stock
1 large can whole peeled tomatoes
salt and pepper
Brown ground beef and carrots in a soup pot over medium high heat. (If you're using lean beef, drizzle a bit of olive oil in as well.) Add peppers, onion, and spices. Stir to combine. While that is cooking, start cooking elbow macaroni to package directions. Sprinkle flour on beef and veggies. You might need a little more than a tblsp depending on how much fat is in your mixture. Add stock and deglaze pan. Add tomatoes with their juices to the pot. Break up tomatoes. Bring to boil and let sauce thicken. Add macaroni and let it soak up the sauce for a few minutes.

Eggplant and Squash Sandwiches

Now, in addition to an abundance of squash and banana peppers, I find myself with an abundance of eggplant. Desperate for something new to try, I found this recipe and modified it based on what I had on hand... And, of course, added squash! 


Eggplant and Squash Sandwiches
1 large squash, sliced lengthwise
1 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise
olive oil, salt, and pepper
4 oz soft (spreadable) goat cheese
handful basil and parsley
1 tomato, sliced
3 sandwich size ciabatta roles
Brush sliced squash and eggplant with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill until tender. Meanwhile, add basil and parsley to a small mixer and chop lightly. Add goat cheese to mixer and combine with herbs. Spread goat cheese mixer on both halves of the ciabatta rolls. Top with two slices each (or whatever works for your sandwiches) of the squash, eggplant, and tomato.

Veggies in Foil

This is a great side dish for any grilled meal. I made it to accompany chicken breast marinated in raspberry walnut vinaigrette. Try that once. Tasted delicious, but it was kind of, umm, pink. Anyway, onto the veggies...


Veggies in Foil
3 cups chopped veggies (I used pattypan squash, a handful of cherry tomatoes, a banana pepper, and some weird sweet orange peppers)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
couple of shakes of tabasco sauce
Mix together all ingredients and let sit for 20 minutes. Wrap in a foil pouch with a small opening at top to vent. Cook over high heat on the grill for 15-20 minutes.

Gruel

Gruel is basically what I call any dinner made out of the assorted leftovers in the house. The basic formula is fresh or frozen veggies + cooked meat + something to create sauce + rice product. It's also nice since it uses only one pan and combines all your major food groups. I'm sure it's not worthy of posting, but since it was quite tasty, I figured, what the heck! This variation leaned Italian, which isn't surprising since basically everything that sounds appealing to me during this pregnancy is Italian, but you can make it take on whatever flavoring you are in the mood for by adjusting the sauce you create and the seasoning.


Gruel
olive oil
1/2 lb browned turkey
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large can chopped tomatoes
Handful fresh basil and parsley, chopped
Crushed red pepper
1 batch brown rice (I go for the boil in bag variety since I have some sort of block about cooking rice)
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and brown turkey. Add zucchini, onion, and garlic and let brown lightly. Add tomatoes, stir to combine, and let simmer for a few minutes. Add basil, parsley, red pepper (to taste), and rice. Stir to combine and adjust seasonings.

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

I got two lovely eggplants from the CSA this weekend. Since I was being assisted by a two year old, I thought a traditional parmesan preparation would be a little too much to manage, so I opted to grill the eggplant instead. I was going to make this on the grill outside, but the dark clouds hovering over my house made me retreat inside to the stovetop grill instead. 


Grilled Eggplant Parmesan
Two medium eggplants, peeled and sliced in 1/2" slices
1/2 batch or jar tomato sauce
1 cup shredded provolone cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper
Generously salt eggplant slices and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Dab eggplant dry with a paper towel. Wipe grill grates with olive oil. Grill eggplant on both sides. Place a layer of eggplant in a medium casserole dish. Top with tomato sauce and provolone. Layer remaining eggplant, sauce, and cheese. Use parmesan cheese on top layer. Cook in 425 degree oven until cheese is lightly browned.

Orzo Salad

This was inspired by Ina Garten's Roasted Shrimp and Orzo Salad and the orzo risotto recipe from my cooking class. It can be served hot or cold. It was quite tasty hot and I'll be having it cold tomorrow for lunch. I served it with some roasted beets and kale chips. 


Orzo Salad
olive oil
2 small carrots, sliced
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 handful peas
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup orzo

1 handful parsley, finely chopped

1 sprig oregano, finely chopped

5 basil leaves, finely chopped

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper
1/2 cucumber chopped
1/2 block feta cheese, crumbled
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, broccoli, and peas and sweat for 3 minutes. Add water and bring to boil. Add orzo and cook for 8-10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Put orzo in a serving bowl. In a small bowl, mix herbs, vinegar, and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Add dressing, cucumber, and feta to orzo. Stir to combine and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Kale Chips

One of the ladies at the community garden gave me this recipe. I was completely surprised when Natty actually ate a few!


Kale Chips
1 bunch kale, cut into bite size pieces
olive oil
salt
Toss kale in olive oil and salt. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until crispy.

Roasted Veggie Salad

While eating this, Kevin said, "If this salad was served at a restaurant, it would be a restaurant known for its salad." What can I say? That man knows how to complement the person cooking for him! 


Roasted Veggie Salad
2 kohlrabi, cut into 1/2" chunks
6 small red potatoes, cut in half
3 spring onions, cut in half
2 zucchini, cut into 1/2" chunks
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite size chunks
1 tomato, chopped
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
dressing of your choice, I went with pepper parm because I ran out of time to make my own.
Toss kohlrabi, potatoes, onions, and zucchini in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 350 until tender. While the veggies are cooking, divide lettuce, tomato, and cheese into two large salad bowls. Top with veggies and dressing. Serve while roasted veggies are still warm.

Mom's Zucchini Bread

Well, it's kind of mom's zucchini bread. I was a little taken aback by how much sugar was in it, so I made an adjustment and swapped out some sugar for applesauce. I also ran out of cinnamon and ended up using some nutmeg instead. And, finally, I halfed the amount of raisins and added some craisins since Natty loves them and I was looking for a selling point. I'm providing the original recipe and my modifications. It turns out if I cook veggies into bread, Natty will eat it and ask for more! What other veggies can I cook into bread? Spinach bread? Broccoli bread? Nah... I'll guess there's no easy way to get a toddler to try spinach.


Mom's Zucchini Bread
1 large zucchini, grated and drained
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar (original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cup sugar and no applesauce)
3/4 cup applesauce 
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon (original recipe calls for 3 tsp cinnamon and no nutmeg)
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisins (original recipe calls for 1 cup and no craisins)
1/2 cup craisins
1 cup chopped walnuts (I omitted these)
Stir together zucchini, eggs, oil, sugar, applesauce, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix zucchini mixture with flour mixture. Stir in raisins, craisins, and walnuts. Pour into two loaf pans and cook at 375 for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Super Simple Casserole

I admit it. I totally stole this idea from the woman who runs our community garden. It's super simple and a great way to get the veggies in at dinnertime. Kevin said he liked the casserole so much it must go deep into his ancestry. He had to explain this to me several times, but the gist of it is that he really liked it a lot. I served this with our first fresh tomatoes of the season sprinkled with salt and pepper. Yummy!


Simple Chicken and Veggie Casserole
1 package chicken breast, cooked
1 medium head broccoli
1 small head cauliflower
1 kohlrabi
1 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tblsp chicken seasoning
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup swiss cheese
Blanch veggies. Put chicken and veggies in casserole dish. In separate dish, mix yogurt, mayo, and chicken seasoning to taste. Pour over chicken and veggies and stir to combine. In a separate dish, mix breadcrumbs and cheese. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake in 400 degree oven until top browns and veggies cook to desired tenderness.

Veggie Soup

I feel like the beginning and end of CSA season leave me thinking, "So, I have this bag of greens. Now what?" Even though I've been trying to steer away from getting mass quantities of greens and I've been freezing a bunch for the winter, I still seem to end up with a bag full of greens at the end of each week and I'm tired of eating them sautéed in olive oil. This time I went for a nice veggie soup. I make most of my soups the night before I want to eat them since I've never met a soup that doesn't taste ten times better on day two. I served it with a couple of slices of fresh baked honey whole wheat bread.


Veggie Soup
2 tblsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped 
1/2 medium head cabbage, chopped
4 cups mixed greens, chopped (I had kale, chard, and broccoli greens)
1 quart homemade veggie stock
1 large handful fresh parsley, chopped
3 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
5 small pattypan squash, sliced
salt and pepper
crushed red pepper
water, if necessary
Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium heat. Sweat onions and carrots. Add garlic, cabbage, and greens. Cook until cabbage and greens wilt. Add veggie stock, parsley, and oregano. If you want more broth in the soup, add water 1/2 cup at a time until the amount of broth is appropriate. Bring to boil. Adjust seasoning and spice with red pepper to taste. Reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. On day two or 15 minutes before serving, add pattypan squash. Serve as soon as the squash gets tender.

Kevin's Special Cole Slaw

I believe that cole slaws made with vinegar are called Carolina slaws. I'm not sure. All I know is that my husband can't stand anything in a "mayonnaise bath" and I can't stand a summer without cole slaw and potato salad next to my burgers and dogs. This is the middle ground I came up with. Happily, Kevin loves it!


Kevin's Special Cole Slaw
1 medium head cabbage, sliced thin or shredded
3 large carrots, shredded
1 cup vinegar
2 tblsp spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
Toss cabbage with 1 tblsp salt and let sit for 1 hour. Drain liquid and rinse and dry cabbage. Put cabbage and carrots in serving bowl. In a separate bowl, mix vinegar, mustard, and sugar. While whisking the vinegar mixture, drizzle in olive oil. Pour mixture over cabbage and carrots. Mix thoroughly and salt and pepper to taste.

Cheesy Veggie Casserole

As usual, during the early days of summer as the CSA season begins, I find myself with a bunch of greens and no ideas. Tonight I decided to combine it with potatoes, turnips, and cheese sauce - you can't go wrong with cheese sauce! The only bummer was that the greens are a little too wet and caused the sauce to separate a little. Oh well. Still tasted great.


Cheesy Veggie Casserole
4 cups mixed greens, chopped (I used broccoli, chard, and mustard)
3 medium potatoes, sliced
3 medium turnips, sliced
1 tblsp butter
1 tblsp all purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
Boil greens in salted water for about 15 minutes. Drain. Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour and cook until lightly browned. Add milk and cook over medium heat until thick. Add cheese and parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Layer potatoes, turnips, and greens in a greased casserole dish. Top with cheese sauce and breadcrumbs. Cook in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until top is lightly browned.