17 posts tagged “vegetable”
We've eaten out a lot this week, and not on purpose. It just happened. So it was only natural that we felt like we needed to have a healthy meal last night. Why is it we stuff our bellies at restaurants, but not so much at home? Anyway, thanks to my Mom and Dad's garden (shame on us, we did not even attempt to grow our own food this summer), we were able to have a meal with six, yes six different vegetables.
I was lucky enough to find Crisp Tomato, Zucchini, and Eggplant Bread Gratin in the Sept. '08 Food and Wine Magazine (This month's issue is full of great recipes. I've already made three of them this past week). With this recipe, I'd use up some vegetables and the inside of the bread from the salami sandwich. When I was making the sandwich, I couldn't bring myself to throw out the extra bread taken from it's middle. Here was my solution.
I followed the techinique of the recipe, but not so much the ingredients to the letter, so I guess I should write out my version instead of theirs. You may get a different product with their recipe...although I'm sure it would be very good, maybe even better. I didn't have eggplant and I used summer squash instead of zucchini. I also used dried herbs instead of fresh. (Oh, the horror).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a colander, toss 1-2 small-medium sliced yellow squash with 1/2 t. salt and let stand for 20 minutes. Drain well and gently squeeze out any excess liquid.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together 2-3 T olive oil with 2-3 smashed cloves of garlic. Brush a bit of the garlic oil into an 8x8 inch square baking dish. Tear one 7-oz loaf or rustic bread with crusts removed into 2-inch pieces and line the bottom of the baking dish with bread, fitting the pieces tightly together. Brush the bread with more of the garlic oil. and season with salt and pepper. Crush some dried basil over the bread.
In a medium bowl toss the squash with some of the garlic oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 2 small-medium tomatoes, sliced, with salt and pepper. Arrange squash and tomatoes over bread, overlapping if necessary. Sprinkly with dried thyme and basil. Drizzle with remaining garlic oil.
Bake the gratin for about 40 minutes, until the vegetables begin to brown and the bottom of the bread is golden brown. Remove the gratin from the oven and let stand until colled slightly, about 10 minutes. Serve.
I love beets! I always have. It wasn't one of those foods I had to grow into, like sour cream. Honestly, I'm quite surprised how many people don't love this vegetable. Compared to most vegetables, I believe they have a much higher natural sugar content. Who doesn't like sweets? I'm not a dietician, so I'm basing this knowledge on two things:
1. My zone-diet friend will not eat these.
2. Jessica Seinfeld, author of Deceptively Delicious, gets away with adding beet puree to many of her desserts.
Unlike zucchini, beets so delicious, you don't have to try to hide their flavor. Add a bit of of vinaigrette and DELISH!
I ROASTED the BEETS according to the Joy of Cooking:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Leaving the rootlets, trim all but 1 inch of the stems, then wash:
1 lb. beets
Place them in an 8x8 baking pan and add 1/2 cup. water. Seal the pan tightly with foil and bake utnil the beets are easily pierced with a thin skewer or knife tip, about 45 mintues for small, 1 hour for medium, and 1 1/4 hours for large beets. Slip off the skins when ready to serve. Leave the beets whole or slice into rounds or wedges.
Vinaigrette
Whisk together and toss with sliced (still warm) beets:
1/4 c. sherry vinegar
1/4 c. oil (typically, vinaigrettes have 2-3 parts oil to vinegar, but I love vinegar, so I use the 1 to 1 ratio)
1 t. dijon mustard
snipped chives
salt and pepper
Husband is not a fan of the chicken breast, so I've been trying to incorporate a little dark meat onto the menu. I've discovered, unlike Husband, that I prefer the dry flavorless taste that is the chicken breast. Dark meat is so chicken-y. Here's a couple of meals where I've marinated the chicken thigh, grilled them, and glazed them with the cooked/reduced marinade.
Citrus-Glazed Chicken Thighs. This was a very tasty marinade/glaze. I think I subbed quite a bit of lime juice for part of the orange juice, so there was a mixture of the two citrus flavors.
Green Bean Spinach and Beet Salad. Delicious! I've made this once before, and both times were winners. It's a perfect summer dish, and would be a great salad to take to a BBQ or picnic.
Meal number two: not so tasty. Even the picture is a bit sad. It might have been because I refused to put both honey and brown sugar in the chicken marinade. I love sugar, especially in dessert!, but two sugars in a chicken dish I couldn't do.
If you'd like to try the original recipe, here it is: Balsamic Chicken Drumettes.
Although it received mostly rave reviews, Orzo with Peas, Dill and Pancetta was a little disappointing too.
I think I've mentioned, and I'm sure you'll agree, that using up leftover ingredients can be hit or miss. Last night, all the stars moved into alignment in my leftover universe (refrigerator). It was a delicious salad!
Here were the odd ingredients that I mixed with a few staples to create Thai Lettuce Salad:
lime juice
cashews
ground turkey
cilantro
small bit of lettuce
small bit of green cabbage (I wished I had napa cabbage)
1 carrot
Though I didn't follow any particular recipe, and I did use Lettuce Wraps and Hot and Sour Dressing from Food of the World: Thailand for guidelines and proportions.
Thai Lettuce Salad
serves 2-3
For the Meat:
1/2 T veg oil
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1 carrot, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Thai chile
1/2 lb. ground turkey or pork
2 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. brown sugar
1/4 t. green curry paste
1 T. cilantro, chopped
Heat oil in wok and stir-fry onion, carrot, garlic, and chile for 30 seconds. Add the ground turkey and stir-fry for 8-10 minutes, until browned and crisp. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, curry paste, and cilantro, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Let rest while you make the dressing.
For the Dressing:
Whisk together:
2 T. veg. oil
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. lime juice
1/2 t. soy sauce
1/2 t. sesame oil
1/4 t. fish sauce
1/4 t. green curry paste
Assemble the Salad:
Toss meat mixture with a salad of lettuce, cabbage, cilantro, cashews, and rice. Toss salad with dressing and serve immediately.
Husband was required to take lunch into the office today. I've been told there's some sort of summer lunch rotation schedule. I live for these type of activities! As much as I enjoy it, it is a bit stressful. In a group of 12 or so people, there's bound to be a picky eater or two. Luckily, I'm not used to dealing with a finicky eater on a daily basis (it was one of my must-not-have's in a husband).
We decided on vegetable pizza as one of the menu items. Who doesn't love this pizza? It's basically a cheese ball on a croissant with a few veggies thrown in to make it appear healthy. I guess if you're not a vegetable person this could be a problem. Just shake them off. Or seriously, learn to like them! Vegetables are good for you. (Stepping off soap box).
In addition to making the huge pizza for the office, I made a personal size one for myself. It is a bit large for one person. I'd like to think it's not all going to be eaten today, but when you're home by yourself these types of things can happen...
Vegetable Pizza
(This recipe came from my Mom. Not sure where she found it).
(makes one 10x15 jelly roll pan, plus a little extra)
2 cans crescent roll dough
2 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese
1/3 c. mayo (or miracle whip if you like that tang)
1/3 c. sour cream
1 t. dill weed
2 T minced green onion
1 t. garlic salt
1 c. shredded chedder cheese
assorted vegetables chopped finely (I think I had about 4 cups)
Spread out crescent dough in the bottom of a jelly roll pan. Press seams together, so that the entire bottom of the pan is covered and there are no cracks. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. Cool.
Mix together cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, dill, onion, and garlic salt. Spread out evenly on baked/cooled dough.
Top with cheese and vegetables. Press lightly to set into the cream cheese.
Serve.
I love shish kabobs! I always have. I don't know what it is about skewered meat and veggies, but I'll ask say "yes!" to this dish everytime. After a little online research, I found the real spelling for kabobs is kebabs. Excuse my error. Can you really trust the internet for factual information? More research may be needed.
I have a couple of memories of kebabs in my past that I think of everytime I have them. One was at the home of my double cousins. Yes, I have double cousins. No, incest is not involved. My dad's brother married my mother's sister. It's completely legit. So, I spent a week or so at their home one summer when I was a child. It was a fun week, and I remember eating shish kebabs one night for dinner. There's no funny story, just that I remember eating kebabs, oh, and many games of Operation, their babysitter wasn't too fond of me, and that I interrupted a very important business phone call my uncle made. Kids!
So last night, I marinated pork tenderloin for the kebabs and skewered them with scallions and mushrooms. It was pretty good, surprisingly good.
I based the marinade on this recipe from www.Allrecipes.com. I added a little wasabi paste for heat and didn't add as much oil as called for.
It's been a couple of weeks since husband and I have eaten a meal together. Our schedules have been so crazy and so opposite too. When I'm home, he's not, and vice versa. I really haven't cooked at all.
Husband has been eating a lot at work lately, so I'm not quite sure what he's been putting away, but I've resorted back to my single graduate school days. There were a couple of regular lunches that I used to have quite often. It's neat how food can bring back memories. One such meal you see to the left. A turkey or ham sandwich with pepper jack and avocado.
Check out the chips, they are a recent discovery. Flat Earth Chips are so delicious! They're a veggie chip, so they've got a nice earthy flavor along with the 1/2 serving of vegetables in every ounce of chip. Mmm. My favorite flavor: Tangy Tomato Ranch. (It must be everyone else's favorite too, as the store was sold out. Farmland Cheddar is featured in the photo).
Besides the sandwich, my other old-time lunch favorite is a salad of greens, canned tuna, grape tomatoes, feta cheese and a vinaigrette dressing.
I hope you are enjoying meals with your loved ones. I miss them with mine.
Whenever red bell peppers are on sale, I think, "Stuffed Peppers. What a great idea!" I return home, make them, and then, no matter what the filling, I always leave the table a little dissapointed. It's not that they weren't tasty, it's that they turn into just another weeknight dinner. I don't know why I always think they're going to be spectacular.
What a way to start a post: "The food's good, but not that good."
Really, it was good. I promise.
So, in case you're feeling the stuffed peppers:
Stuffed Peppers
1 t. olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8-1/4 t. dried basil
1/8-1/4 t. dried thyme
1/8-1/4 t. paprika
splash Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. cooked rice
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, divided
1/2 beaten egg
1/2 lb. ground meat (I use 93% lean beef, but you can sub. any turkey, hamburger, whatever)
2 bell peppers, stemed, cleaned and halved
grated mozzerella cheese
375 degrees. Heat oil in a skillet. Add onion, carrot and garlic. Saute until softened. Add basil, thyme and paprika stir and cook for 30 sec. Place in a mixing bowl and let cool. Add worcestershire, rice, 1/2 c. diced tomatoes, egg and ground meat. Mix well. Place the rest of the can of tomatoes in a baking dish. Stuff peppers with meat mixture and place on top of tomatoes in baking dish. Top with cheese. Bake 30-45 minutes*.
*Forgot to look at the clock, so not sure how long I left them in. Probably closer to 45 minutes.
This week has whizzed by! I, honestly, can't remember off the top of my head what we've even eaten for dinner all week. I do know that I only cooked one night. And that's because I was able to take 5 minutes in the morning to throw a roast in the crockpot. (Really, if you don't own a crockpot, you should invest. They are real time savors).
This particular evening, I took an extra 10 minutes to put together Asparagus, Tomato, and Green Pea Saute to go with my crockpot roast. This is a side dish we've been eating for years and love it.
Asparagus, Tomato, and Green Pea Saute
adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks At Home
6 sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) (if I don't have these, I leave them out)
1/2 c. boiling water
1 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
3/4 lb. fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 c. dry white wine (I've use white, red, chicken broth, and even vinegar with good results)
1 large tomato, diced (about 1 cup)
1 generous T finely chopped fresh tarragon (1 1/2 t. dried) (I always use basil)
1/2 c. fresh or frozen tiny green peas
salt and pepper to taste
crumble mild chevre (I've also used parmesan or feta)
In a small heatprrof bowl, cover the sun-dried tomatoes with the boiling water, and set aside.
Prepare all ingredients and have them within easy reach before you begin to stir-fry.
Heat the oil in a large skillet or a wok on high heat. Swirl the garlic in the oil for just a moment and then add the asparagus. Stir-fry for half a minute. Add the wine, cover, and let steam for a couple of minutes. Uncover and add the tomatoes and tarragon. Cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes to reduce the liquid. Drain and chop the sun-dried tomatoes, and then add them along with the peas. Stir-fry until the asparagus is crisp tender and the liquid is reduced to a sauce. Season.
Serve immediately, topped with cheese.
Caught a mouse. We assume he had been living with us for about a week and a half. We know because we saw it run across the kitchen floor. Eek! After a couple of different types of traps and a few days later, he was caught. Husband had left for work super early that morning, and didn't check the traps. I woke to find little mouse legs peeking out of the trap, much like the Wicked Witch of the East under Dorothy's house without the striped socks. I had two cups of coffee before I was able to do anything about it. It wasn't so bad. I was a big girl. I disposed of his body, and couldn't help but think of the cute little rat from last year's hit movie, Ratatouille. I wonder if our little intruder had been helping me out in the kitchen, just like Remy helped Linguini. Somehow my situation didn't seem as endearing.
Have you lost your appetite yet? This Ratatouille Tart from Food Network's Ellie Krieger was delish! Of course, I made a few minor adjustments. Had a whole wheat/oatmeal pizza crust in the freezer that I had previously made, so I used that instead of making a new crust. I also mixed up the veggies a bit. I used, eggplant, summer squash, tomatoes, garlic, red onion, and marinated artichoke hearts. It was light and tasty.
