Nacho Cheese Sauce

Wondering why my posts have been few and far between?

It's NOT because I've lost interest in blogging about food. I've just been too tired to photograph and write about what I've been eating.

In fact, my interest in food has become all-consuming as of late. I don't know for sure if what I have been feeling are cravings, but I will borrow the words of my friend Sarah when I say that these days I am "very susceptible to suggestion". If I see an ad for a food, or someone tells me about a food, chances are, I'm going to need to find a way to buy or make that food soon, because I won't be able to stop thinking about it until I do. And when I do eat that particular food, it will be the best (insert-name-of-food-here) that I've ever had. It's like all my taste buds are heightened and my usual obsession with food has been taken to the next level.

To illustrate my point, the woman who rang up my groceries at the Co-op told me about a tuna sandwich she made that sounded so fantastic I made it myself the very next week. It was just plain tuna, but she added a slice of smoked mozzarella and topped it with a quick slaw made out of just kale and apple cider vinegar. It was incredible!

I haven't been eating any weird food combinations like pickles and ice cream or anything like that, but lately I've been going for things that I never used to eat very often, like chicken Caesar salad, tuna sandwiches, cottage cheese and pineapple, and orange juice. I even had a Pepperoni Hot Pocket the other day (now there's a blast from the past which I hope does not become a regular occurrence. They used to be my breakfast almost every day in high school). Strawberry lemonade has become a new obsession as well.

Have you picked up on my little hints? Well, here's a big hint that explains my lack of posts and sudden extreme obsession with food.

Yep, that's right, we're having a baby! I'm so excited to finally share this news on my blog. I'm about 4 months along now, so that means we'll get to meet this little one sometime in mid-October. I'm officially taking suggestions for adorable Halloween costumes for a two-week old infant.

So why am I posting about nacho cheese sauce?

Well, that's been another favorite food lately. My workplace is a mere five minute stroll from the university dining hall where they serve up huge portions of delicious nachos, covered in that classic oh-so-good-for-you cheese sauce. For awhile there in the first trimester I went ventured over to get my nacho fix once a week, but after a few weeks of that I decided I wanted to try to make my own cheese sauce at home, so I could control my portions better and know exactly what was in the sauce itself. As it turns out, making nacho cheese sauce is just like making any other kind of cheese sauce - easy. This is actually really delicious served over steamed mixed vegetables as well!

Nacho Cheese Sauce
adapted from - Kitchen Simplicity

4 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk, divided
2 teaspoons hot sauce
Salt to taste

In a medium saucepan, toss together the cheeses and cornstarch until evenly coated. Add 1 cup of the milk, the hot sauce, and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until thickened and smooth. Once it's hot and bubbling, check the consistency and add more milk if you'd like it thinner. Otherwise, taste and season with more salt if needed, and serve immediately. 

Turnips in Mustard Sauce

This is one of our favorite side dishes. This time we used turnips, but you could use carrots, radishes, onions, beets, parsnips, or a combination of whatever you have. As the root vegetables cook, they become a little bit sweet, which blends very nicely with the tangy Dijon mustard. It goes great with chicken or beef. This particular night we had it alongside some delicious tender elk meat over noodles (thanks, Donna!).

Turnips in Mustard Sauce
adapted from Mark Bittman - How to Cook Everything
serves 4

2 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds turnips (or other root vegetable listed above), peeled and cut into pieces about the size of radishes (about 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
About 1 cup chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, or more to taste (I measure pretty hefty tablespoons; we like mustard)
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Use a medium saucepan that is large enough to hold the vegetables in a single layer. Add the butter or oil and heat over medium heat. When melted and hot, add the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every so often, until the vegetables start to brown.

Add the sugar and enough stock to just cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil and cook for 20-30 minutes, pretty much undisturbed, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are tender and brown. You know they are done when they are sitting in a puddle of syrupy liquid. Reduce the heat, add the mustard, and stir until it's dissolved in the sauce.

Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Add more mustard too if you think it needs it. Garnish with the parsley and serve hot or warm.

Pasta with Black Kale, Caramelized Onions, and Parsnips

Trying to eat more vegetables? This pasta dish is packed with eight cups of kale, a pound of parsnips, and an onion. It's so good it doesn't even feel like it's healthy.

Pasta with Black Kale, Caramelized Onions, and Parsnips
adapted from Cooking Light - October 2010
serves 4-6

Notes: According to the magazine, this recipe yields six servings, but each serving is only about 325 calories, which was not enough to make me feel satisfied by itself. Both Joe and I wanted seconds. If this is all you're making, and you are feeling pretty hungry, I would say it serves 4. Black kale is dark green and has leaves that are a little flatter and not as crinkly as regular kale, but if your store doesn't have it, regular kale is fine.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 cups (1/3-inch) diagonally cut parsnip (about 1 pound)
2 1/2 cups sliced onion (about 1 large)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 cups trimmed chopped black kale (for me that was about 2 bunches)
1/2 cup organic vegetable broth
8 ounces uncooked penne pasta, whole wheat or regular
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add one tablespoon of the oil. When hot, add the parsnip to the pan. Cook until tender and slightly browned, about 12 minutes, stirring every now and then. Place into a large bowl, cover with foil and keep warm.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same pan, turning the heat down to medium-low. Add the onion now, and cook until tender and golden brown, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Set aside

Sprinkle the thyme and garlic over the onion and cook for a couple of minutes; it will become fragrant. Add the wine and cook for a few more minutes, or until the liquid has almost evaporated. Add the kale and broth and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the kale has wilted a bit and starts to become tender. Uncover and cook a few more minutes, or until the kale is very tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the drained pasta and parsnips to the kale mixture. Stir in a little of the cooking liquid (start with 1/4 cup and keep adding as needed to moisten), 1/4 cup Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste (start with 1/2 teaspoon of each and go from there as needed). Cook for a minute or so to thoroughly heat everything. Top each serving with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan.

Citrus Beet Salad

So I know next week is Valentine's Day, and I know I'm supposed to be anxiously awaiting what expensive gift my husband is going surprise me with so I can post a picture of it on Facebook (gag), but honestly, February 14th is just going to be a regular Tuesday in this house, so the deep red color of the beets in this salad is about as festive as it's going to get on this blog.

Sure, back when Joe and I started dating in college we did the whole gifts/flowers/nice dinner hoopla. But it's been eight years now, and it just feels so artificial to go all out on just one day of the year. It's money we don't need to spend, more stuff we don't need, and sweets we are trying to avoid.

I don't need a gift on some arbitrary day to know that my husband loves me.

I know he loves me because of the million little awesome things he does all year long, such as:

...getting up much earlier than any graduate student should to make me scrambled eggs for breakfast before I dash out the door to work.

...sending me links to cat videos he knows will perk up my day.

...making me a cup of tea after dinner.

...noticing when I have the hiccups and then sneaking up and scaring the crap out of me to make them go away.

...when I get visibly angry and frustrated about something, he yells, "We'll do it live! F*ing thing sucks!" just like Bill O'Reilly because he knows it will make me laugh and thus lighten my mood (I do it to him too, it works every time!).

That's what passes for love in my house, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Oh, and if you haven't seen the video of O'Reilly flipping out, you really should: 

Now that I'm done ranting about Valentine's Day, let's get back to this beet salad. I didn't stray much from Rachael Ray's version, except that I chose to roast the beets instead of boil them. We just really like roasted beets. After roasting, the peel just comes right off (and the beet juice stains on your hands will come right off too with a little soap and water, so no worries there!).

You could serve this salad just like it is as a side dish, or pile it over some quinoa or other grain like we did for a complete meal. Makes a great lunch the next day too!

Citrus Beet Salad
adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine - June 2009
serves 4

4 large (or 6 medium) beets
5-6 tangerines or clementines, peeled and separated into sections
1 small red onion (use 1/2 if you don't like a lot of raw red onion), finely chopped
handful fresh mint, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash the beets, then wrap individually in foil and put them on a cookie sheet or in a roasting pan.

Bake, undisturbed for 45 to 90 minutes. They are done when you can pierce them easily with a knife (don't bother unwrapping them, just stick the knife right through the foil). The large range of time is because they may cook at different rates, especially if they are not all quite the same size. Just remove them as they are done. Unwrap them and set them aside to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, peel them (it comes right off so easily, just use your fingers) and chop them into 1/2-inch pieces.

Put the beets, tangerine segments, onion, mint, and oil into a large bowl and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with the goat cheese. Serve on its own as a side or over a grain like quinoa for a complete meal. 

Braised and Glazed Butternut Squash

It's a crime that I've never blogged about this recipe before. It's one of our go-to, favorite side dishes during the fall and winter months. We like to use butternut because it's the easiest to peel, but any winter squash (except spaghetti) will work. It's quick, delicious and goes with just about any main dish.

Braised and Glazed Butternut Squash
adapted from Mark Bittman - How to Cook Everything
serves 4

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 pounds butternut or other winter squash, peeled and cut into 1/2- to 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup stock or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Using a large deep skillet with a tight fitting lid, add the oil and garlic and heat over medium heat. After about two minutes, or when the garlic begins to color, add the squash, stock, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the squash is tender, stirring a couple of times.

Remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, until all the liquid has evaporated away and the squash begins to turn brown Shake the pan every so often and stir once or twice during this time. Try not to over-stir because it will break up the squash too much. Keep it cooking until the squash is browned and crisp to your liking. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed, garnish with parsley, and serve.

Rava Dosas with Potato Chickpea Masala

I remembered that I promised I would blog about an Indian dish that I mentioned back in August, so here you go!

Rava dosas are savory crepes made with semolina and rice flours. You can buy just the amount you need of these flours in bulk if you don't cook with them very often. The filling is a hearty mixture of potatoes, onion, peas, chickpeas, and lots of delicious spices. I didn't change a thing about this recipe.

This will be my last post until after Christmas. Thank you for reading my blog and I wish you all a very happy holiday season, however you choose to celebrate it!

We bought Sid some festive holiday attire - he was not amused:

Pinterest, you little devil of a website, continually giving me new ideas! Take your wedding invitation, cut it up into ribbons, curl them around a pencil, then stuff them into an ornament. Fun memory!

Rava Dosas with Potato Chickpea Masala
adapted from Gourmet - November 2009
serves 4

Notes: The masala filling, without the coconut and cilantro, can be made up to 6 hours ahead of time and chilled. Reheat before stirring in coconut and cilantro.

For the filling:
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup dried grated unsweetened coconut
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 (3-inch) fresh jalapeno, coarsely chopped, including seeds (or not, if you want it to be less spicy)
1 (2 1/2-inch) piece peeled ginger, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups water, divided
1 large onion, chopped (about 3 cups)
1 (15 to 19 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup frozen peas (do not thaw)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

For the Rava Dosas:
1/2 cup semolina flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
Vegetable oil for brushing

Put the potatoes into a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside.

In a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, toast the coconut, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until toasted. Transfer to a small bowl and wipe out the skillet. Now toast the cumin seeds in the same skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently, for about 30 seconds, so that they are just a shade darker. Transfer to another small bowl and set aside. Reserve skillet.

In a blender or small food processor, puree the jalapeno, ginger, garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, turmeric, oil, 1/4 of the water, and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth. Transfer this puree to the skillet you were using earlier and cook over medium-high heat for about one minute, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Drain the potatoes, then add them to the onion mixture, along with the toasted cumin seeds, and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are barely tender.

Add the chickpeas and the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet. Heat the mixture up to a brisk simmer and cover. Cook for another 16-20 minutes more, or until the potatoes are tender.

While the potatoes cook, make the dosas. Whisk together the flours, cumin seeds, salt, and water in a bowl. Generously brush a 12-inch nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Pour 1/2 cup of the batter into the skillet, swirling the pan until it evenly coats the bottom. Cook, undisturbed, for about 2 minutes, until the dosa is set and the edges are golden brown. Using a rubber spatula, flip the dosa and let the other side cook for about a minute, so that the underside becomes golden in spots. Transfer to a plate. Continue making dosas with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the skillet each time. Stack the dosas on a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

When the potatoes are tender, add the peas and cook until just tender, another 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in the toasted coconut and cilantro.

To serve, spoon masala filling into dosas. 

Autumn Beet Salad with Toasted Caraway Vinaigrette

After a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend where we got to enjoy delicious meals with both of our families, I was looking forward to getting back home and eating healthy again. We got a little behind on CSA boxes with the holiday so this salad uses cabbage from week 25 and the beets from week 26, aka, the future, which I hope to blog about soon.

Also, I'm only about 75% sure I actually used caraway seeds in this dressing. It may have been some other seed. When I checked to see if I had any, I found two plastic bags with slightly different looking seeds in each, unlabeled of course. They smelled the same to me, so I went with the darker one.

We ate this salad as a big side salad. To add some carbohydrates and protein to the meal, I roasted some sweet potatoes (not the ones from this week, but next week), and bought some really good spicy pork meatballs, hot and ready straight from the Co-op. Totally random assortment of food, but it works for us.

CSA Week 25:

In the box: 1 head cabbage, 3/4 pound broccoli, 1 pound tomatoes, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 onion, 2 bell peppers, 2 pounds sweet potatoes, 2 pounds red potatoes, 2 pounds Liberty apples

I tried a new recipe for sweet potato casserole from Skinnytaste. I was intrigued by the fact that it called for crushed pineapple and agave for sweeteners, and I liked the idea that it contained no butter whatsoever. The verdict? Good, but we didn't think it had enough "wow" factor to bring it to Thanksgiving dinner. Joe wasn't a fan of the raisins.  Overall it was very healthy and easy. It made a great weeknight meal. We baked some ham to go with it, rubbed with dry mustard and brown sugar and glazed with apricot jam (recipe from Taste of Home). We scaled the recipe way down for our "perfect for two" 1 1/2 pound ham from Niman Ranch and it was delicious.

The next morning we sauteed the bulk of the CSA veggies (bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, onion, and a bit of cilantro), plus the leftover ham to make some rocking breakfast burritos. We only had two eggs in the fridge so the addition of ham and a big pile of veggies bulked it up enough for two huge burritos.

Note to self: don't leave pans on the stove that smell like ham for days at a time - your cat will eventually take notice and help himself to a tasty - albeit two day old - snack. He did not seem phased at all when I caught him on the counter licking the pan, leading me to believe this is business as usual for him. I really need to be better about doing dishes in a timely manner.

I discovered a really low maintenance lunch this past week: layer leftover rice, beans (drained/rinsed canned, or in my case we happened to have leftover beer-glazed black beans), and chopped raw broccoli in a microwave-safe Tupperware container. The broccoli will steam itself while you heat up the rice and beans, and you will have a very filling and delicious lunch for work.  If the beans had been plain, I would have added Yumm! Sauce.

Another new recipe I tried was Dijon Roasted New Potatoes from Weight Watchers. We really liked these. They took a bit longer to cook than it said, but I also had 2 pounds of potatoes to cook rather than 1 1/2 pounds like it calls for. Very little oil and lots of mustard, herbs and spices. We were out of Dijon so I substituted Sierra Nevada Stout mustard. We had these potatoes with some elk steak and sauteed kale and red bell pepper (another preview of next week's CSA).

WW Dijon Roasted New Potatoes

I used half the cabbage, some tomatoes, plus carrots and celery from last week's CSA to make a big pot of Weight Watcher's Fresh Vegetable Soup. I also found a bag of frozen Romano beans from a previous CSA in the freezer so I threw those into the pot as well. I usually just use what I have on hand rather than all the vegetables it calls for, and I always add canned kidney beans for more protein. I ate this every single day for lunch during the week of Thanksgiving in hopes that it would offset the damage from two Thanksgiving dinners.

Speaking of offsetting damage from Thanksgiving, help yourself to this cleansing and refreshing salad!

Autumn Beet Salad
adapted from Cuisine At Home - October 2008, Issue 71
serves 2 generous side salads, or 4 small side salads


Note: A mixture of golden and red beets would be pretty, if you can find them. Our CSA newsletter said that because the beets they gave us were small and organic, we didn't need to peel them, so we just scrubbed them well under running water.

1/2 pound beets (about 5-6 small) peeled and halved or quartered if large so they are all about the same size
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon apple juice
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Salt to taste
4 cups savoy or green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced or shaved
handful fennel fronds, torn

Fill a large pot with about 1 inch of water and place a steamer basket on top, making sure the water does not touch the steamer basket. Arrange the beets in the steamer basket. Cover and let them steam until tender, 35-45 minutes. Make sure the water doesn't evaporate completely. Remove the beets and let cool for a few minutes, then cut into wedges.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette by whisking together the oil, vinegar, juice concentrate, mustard, caraway seeds, and salt until combined.

In a large bowl, toss the cabbage, fennel, and fronds with about half of the vinaigrette until coated. In a second bowl, toss the beet wedges with the other half of the vinaigrette (mixing them separately keeps the beets from staining the entire salad).

To serve, divide the cabbage mixture among plates and top with the beets. 

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Butternut squash, curry powder, and apples are a classic combination and this soup is perfect for a chilly fall day! I thought it paired nicely with grilled cheese.

An added bonus when making this recipe is that I got to use my new food mill! I thought sure this would be one of those kitchen purchases that would only see the light of day once a year to make apple butter, so I was super excited to find a use for it so soon. Don't have a food mill? Not to worry, you can use a food processor, an immersion blender, probably even a potato masher. You're not looking for a velvety smooth texture with this soup.

It's so delicious, even Forest wanted a taste.

But a moment later he became extremely interested in a deer who was foraging in the backyard. Lots of deer and wild turkeys up here.

And let's not forget the cat, Lucky. He's older than dirt but still wants nothing more than to snuggle with you all day long.

CSA Week 24:

In the box: One bunch radishes, one bunch carrots, one head celery, one head cauliflower, 3/4 pound broccoli, 1 pound Sweet Girl tomatoes, 1 Delicata squash, 3 heads garlic, 1 basket strawberries, 2 pounds Jonagold apples

Same story as last week: still house/pet-sitting (see adorable animals above), so we split up the box again.

One night for dinner I cooked up some pasta and tossed it with a jar of my roasted summer tomatoes. I found a bag of fully-cooked, frozen meatballs in the freezer at the house where I'm staying, so I baked a few of those to go on top for protein. They were not good at all, but at least the pasta and sauce were delicious. I roasted the broccoli to go alongside, one of my favorite ways to eat broccoli. If I were smart I would have roasted the tomatoes we got this week for the sauce, because when I stopped in at home on my lunch break a few days later I noticed that they had gone bad. Darn! They must have been really ripe when we received them.Too bad I wasn't home to notice it.

I used some of the celery to make Yumm! Tuna Salad, which I ate two ways: on top of a big bed of salad greens, and on top of a toasted English muffin with cheese. I sliced a few stalks into short sticks for dipping in hummus as a snack. I gave the rest to Joe and hinted that maybe he could make a batch of beef stock this week.

Joe also got the cauliflower, delicata squash, and the carrots. He said he peeled and sliced the squash and then sauteed it in a pan with some oil until tender, and had it with rice. Apparently that the basic recipe from How to Cook Everything and there are a ton of variations. He says he's going use the cauliflower to make the Test Kitchen curried skillet cauliflower we made a few weeks ago. I haven't heard anything about the carrots.

Local strawberries in fall, whaaat? I was very surprised. Aside from being a little white in the middle, they were actually pretty sweet! They made a tasty snack just as they were.

I roasted the radishes in the oven while I baked a Cousin Jack's Pasty. They needed a little more time to cook than the pasty did though, and eventually I got impatient and took them out, even though they could have gone longer. I washed and chopped the radish greens and steamed them in the microwave for a couple of minutes, then tossed with salt and olive oil (no pepper because they are already pretty peppery).

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
adapted from Ina Garten
makes 3 1/2 quarts

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
2 tablespoons mild curry powder
5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh or Jonagold (about 4)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups water
2 cups good apple cider or juice (not from concentrate, no sugar added)

Add the butter, oil, onions, and curry powder to a large stockpot. Cook over low heat, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, until the onions are tender, Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot as you do.

Meanwhile, peel and seed the squash. Cut into chunks (I cut mine into approx. 2 inch pieces). Peel and core the apples, then cut them into chunks of similar size.

Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through a food mill fitted with a large blade (or other method producing similar results, such as a potato masher, a few pulses in a food processor, or immersion blender).

Return the soup back to the pot. Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot. 

Winter Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice, Kale, and Yumm! Sauce

This week's meal uses the Sunshine squash from last week's CSA. I thought it would be fun to experiment and see how Yumm! Sauce and winter squash would go together. As I expected, they go together quite nicely. If you've been reading this blog for awhile you know this girl likes her Yumm! (See examples of my obsession here, here, and here).

For this recipe, I baked the squash until tender, then scooped out the flesh and tossed it together with a mixture of cooked wild rice and sauteed veggies (kale, red bell pepper, shallot). I mixed in a generous portion of Yumm! Sauce, then stuffed this mixture back into the shell of the squash and baked it a little longer. Before serving I drizzled on a bit more sauce. Filling and delicious!

CSA Week 22:

In the box: 1 lettuce, 1.5 pounds Sweet Girl tomatoes, 1 head cauliflower, 1 1/4 pounds broccoli, 1 Delicata squash, 1 bunch kale, 1 bunch fresh ginger, 1 pound grapes.

It's great having friends who hunt and are generous enough to share a small piece of their bounty with us. A friend from work gave us a couple packages of elk and venison steaks, and another friend brought over some venison from recent hunting trip and together we made Jacques Pepin's recipe for venison steaks in sweet-sour sauce. The sauce went perfectly with the steak. The recipe called for current or raspberry jam, but we substituted apricot because that's what we had. To go with, I roasted some miscellaneous veggies (one potato from a previous week's CSA, a couple remaining carrots from last week, and the broccoli from this week).

Tomatoes: we wanted to make that tart again, but they were starting to get pretty ripe and it didn't look like I would have time to fit it in, so I roasted and froze them for later. Looking forward to lots of pasta topped with chunky tomato sauce for dinner this winter.

The lettuce was used for side salads for lunch and dinner. Grapes for snacks.

We used up a whole mess of CSA veggies in one night with these two delicious dishes: Red Lentils and Kale with Coconut, Ginger, and Crispy shallots and Curried Skillet Cauliflower with Cilantro. I love recipes where I can just tick off the ingredients I want to use up right in the title. Both of these dishes were really good, you should check them out. I'm a little picky when it comes to cauliflower, so it's a good sign when I recommend a recipe that uses it.

Winter Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice, Kale, and Yumm! Sauce
serves 2-4

Note: I chose a squash that looked like a small pumpkin so I only sliced off the very top to make a deep bowl and stuffed the squash that way. But if you have other shapes of squash it would work just as well to slice them in half lengthwise and fill them - it will be more open but just as delicious.

1 large (or a few small) winter squash (such as Sunshine, Delicata, Acorn, Butternut, etc.)
1 cup uncooked wild rice (or brown or white or whatever you have)
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, chopped
1/2 cup Cafe Yumm! Sauce, more or less to taste, plus more for drizzling.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Depending on you and your squash, you can either slice the top off and scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh before baking, or bake it whole and do that step after it's tender. The first way is a little more difficult since you are trying to cut something that is very hard, but the second way involves working with a hot squash. Either way, place it in a baking dish and bake until tender and a fork pierces the skin easily, which could be 30 minutes, or it could be an hour, depending on the size of your squash.

Meanwhile, cook the rice according to package directions, which is probably something like 2 1/2 cups water or broth, plus 1 tablespoon oil or butter (optional), brought to a boil and then simmered, covered, for about 30 minutes.

In a large nonstick skillet, saute the shallot in the oil for a minute or so, then add the bell pepper and garlic. After about 5 minutes, add the kale, and cook until wilted. Add to the pot with the rice. Don't bother mixing it together, you are just moving it for now so you can use the skillet in the next step.

When the squash is tender, remove from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. If you haven't already, slice off the top of the squash (or slice in half lengthwise if using an oval-shaped squash), and scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh. Once you've done that, scoop out most of the remaining flesh, without compromising the stability of the shell, and place it in the skillet. Add a bit of oil and saute for a few minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Add the rest of the veggies and rice to the skillet and toss to combine. Add a heaping portion of Yumm! Sauce (I did about 1/2 cup). Season with salt and pepper.

Scoop the rice mixture into the squash shell(s), packing it down and overflowing over the top a bit. Bake for about 20 more minutes.

Just before serving, drizzle with more Yumm! Sauce.

Tomato and Tapenade Tarts

These were fun little tarts to make with the late-season tomatoes we've been getting in our CSA. The ones in the box this week were so tiny and cute I thought they would be perfect for this.

Just cut puff pastry dough into rounds, spread on a thin layer of olive tapenade, and place a pile of tomatoes on top (cherries or small regular). As you do all this you leave a border around the edge, which puffs up when you bake it to create a rim around the tomatoes. Then you dot it with a little more tapenade and a dollop of marscapone cheese and bake it for a little longer, until the creamy cheese has melted into a delicious sauce spreading out over the tart. Yum!

Joe said he would have liked it with or without the cheese, and the more tapenade for him, the better. I personally liked how the creamy flavor of the cheese complimented the salty olive tapenade.

These can be made into small or large tarts. Ours were pretty good sized, kind of like a personal pan pizza. We also made roasted delicata squash in the shell, topped with butter and brown sugar. I ended up eating only half of my tart, and the other half reheated very well and made a great lunch the next day.

CSA Week 21:

In the box: 1 lettuce, 2 pounds Sweet Girl tomatoes, 1 bunch French Breakfast Radishes, 2 pounds carrots, 1 leek, 1 1/4 pounds broccoli, 2 pounds red potatoes, 1 Sunshine squash, 4 Sweet Italian peppers, 2 pounds Liberty apples

The lettuce made great salads all week to go with dinner or lunches. Some of the tomatoes and carrots were used as toppings. We haven't had salad greens for a few weeks so it was a nice change of pace.

We ate the radishes with hummus (found some great single serving packages at Costco - very handy to take to work AND the hummus is actually quite tasty).

I stir-fried the red peppers, broccoli, and some of the carrots to go with potstickers (another great Costco buy). Super easy meal. 

Joe saw the leek in the box and immediately claimed it to make one of our favorite fall/winter meals: baked sweet potatoes with leeks and Gorgonzola (actually, the cheese I bought this time was a local one called "Oregonzola", haha).

I used the Liberty apples to finally make a batch of apple butter this year. I had been trying to make time to do it for weeks. I used the recipe from Canning for a New Generation. I love the flavor and texture of this batch compared to the one I made last year. The only disappointing thing is that even though I doubled the recipe (and thus making an already time consuming task even more so) for some reason I was only able to fill six half pint jars instead of twelve like I was expecting. I must have let it cook for too long at some point in the process so it reduced way too much. The directions in general were a little vague for me, a person who gets so freaking paranoid when it comes to preserving food that half the time I just scare myself out of doing it altogether. It sucks because I was hoping to have enough to give it to friends and family for the holidays. I don't know if I will have time to make another batch. Pity party for me. :-(

We didn't get to the Sunshine squash yet. They last a long time so I wanted to focus on using up the produce that would spoil sooner.

Tomato and Tapenade Tarts
adapted from Best Ever Three and Four Ingredient Meals
serves 2-4

Notes: I bet this would also be good with basil pesto in place of the tapenade. Feta instead of marscapone would be good too, though it wouldn't be as creamy when it melts.

1 package puff pastry, thawed if frozen (I used Pepperidge Farm brand, one package was 1.1 pounds)
1/4 cup black or green olive tapenade
1 1/4 pound small or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Light oil a large baking sheet and sprinkle it with water.

Lightly flour a clean counter top and roll out the puff pastry. Cut out rounds of dough, using a bowl or plate as a guide. I found it was easiest to make two tarts using an 8-inch plate as my guide. The original recipe suggests making four 6 1/2 inch rounds, but their package of puff pastry was larger than mine (1 1/4 pounds, or 500 grams). I am not experienced enough with puff pastry to know if it would work to take the extra scraps and just form them into another tart.

Transfer the pastry rounds to the prepared baking sheet. Using the tip of a knife, mark a shallow cut 1/2 an inch in from the edge of each pastry round to form a rim (Basically you are drawing a smaller circle inside the round that will mark the area you will place the filling. The border will puff up as the tart bakes).

Reserve half of the tapenade for a later step. Divide the rest evenly among your tarts and spread it out into a thin layer, staying inside the marked rim.

Slice about half of the tomatoes in half or quarters, depending on how large they are. Cherry tomatoes just need to be sliced in half. Pile all the tomatoes, whole and halved, on the pastry, again keeping them inside the marked border. Season with salt.

Bake for about 20 minutes. The pastry should be well risen and golden. Divide the remaining tapenade among the tarts, doting it randomly over the tomatoes, Spoon a dollop of mascarpone onto the center. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Bake for another 10 minutes, until the mascarpone has melted into a sauce.

Serve warm. 

Corn and Salsa Tortilla Soup

It's getting colder and rainier here in the Pacific Northwest, but the corn is still coming in strong. Eight more ears for week 17 of the CSA. I've made corn chowder before and love it, but seeing as the poblano plants in our garden were finally starting to ripen, we felt like something with a little more south-of-the-border flair. I chose this recipe that I'd cut out of a magazine a few years ago because it called specifically for poblanos and I just liked all the toppings. It's very prep-intensive, but the actual cooking part is very quick.

I would like to point out that I tried something new this week: liver. We had a package of beef liver that came with our quarter of cow. I followed a Julia Child (i.e., traditional) recipe for liver and onions. The raw meat smelled weird, but I pressed on. After lightly dredging the pieces of liver in flour, salt, and pepper, I pan fried them in a mixture of butter and oil for about a minute on each side, then I added caramelized onions, vermouth, and broth to make a quick pan sauce. I served it on a platter and garnished with parsley. I made mashed potatoes, cucumber sauteed in butter, and poured glasses of red wine. The verdict? It looked great, but it tasted AWFUL. I ate two bites and wanted to puke. Never again...::shudders::...never again.

Have you ever tried liver? What did you think?

My mom hates liver because she used to have to eat it every Tuesday growing up, so she never served it to us as kids, but my dad likes it. I guess I just had to try it for myself and decide what I thought of it. I really liked the idea of using the whole cow, so I was really hoping I would like it. But unfortunately I couldn't get past the texture and taste, and it reminded me a little too much of the tissue samples I process at work. Oh well, live and learn, right?

CSA Week 17:

In the box: 1/2 pound spinach, 2 cucumbers, 1 bunch carrots, 1.5 pounds Heirloom tomatoes, 8 ears corn, 2 pounds White Rose potatoes, 1 yellow watermelon, 2 pounds Abate Fatal pears

I made a pot of delicious pumpkin oatmeal for Joe, Jamie, and Doug for breakfast, but I had to open a huge can of pumpkin to do it. So, later in the week I made some delicious pumpkin polenta with spinach and white beans using the spinach from the CSA, and a Rachael Ray recipe. This recipe also has a version that uses chorizo and black beans that I've already blogged about.

The cucumbers were sauteed with butter and the potatoes became mashed potatoes - side dishes for the liver fiasco I mentioned above.

I made a colorful appetizer to nibble on while cooking dinner one night using the heirloom tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper:

We brought the watermelon to a friend's BBQ and ate the pears for snacks throughout the week.

The carrots are still in the fridge so they will be included with week 18.

Corn and Salsa Tortilla Soup
adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray - August 2008
serves 4

Note: I think a great variation to try next time would be to grill the corn, peppers, and onion first, then add them to the soup.

3 poblano chiles
6 corn tortillas, halved then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick strips
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt
6 ears fresh corn, kernels scraped from the cob (no need to boil first), or two 10-ounce boxes frozen corn kernels
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Pepper
One 32-ounce container (4 cups) vegetable broth
One 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted diced or crushed tomatoes
1 avocado, chopped
1 lime, quartered
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
1/4 cup sour cream (optional, we skipped it)

Preheat the broiler. Place the poblanos on a baking sheet and broil until blackened, about 10 minutes, turning partway through. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover. Check them after about 5 minutes. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel, seed, and chop them.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. On a large baking sheet, toss the tortilla strips with one tablespoon of the oil and the cumin. Spread them out into a single layer on the pan. Bake for about 10 minutes, then sprinkle with salt. Set aside, and try not to munch on too many.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet (a dutch oven would work too), heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the corn, cook for about 10-12 minutes, until looking charred around the edges. Next add the red onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes more, until the onion is softened. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, and poblanos. Bring to a boil to warm everything through and cook the tomatoes a bit. Now it's ready whenever you are.

Ladle the soup into bowls, top with tortilla strips, avocado, cilantro, sour cream if using, and a squeeze of lime juice. Grated cheddar cheese would also be great. 

Marinated Bean Salad

The recipe I am going to share in this post is a marinated bean salad from The World's Healthiest Foods. Very simple; you just combine the ingredients, stick it in the fridge, and you have lunch all week long. I love making things like because it makes my lunch prep very easy. Most days I put this salad in a wrap along with some spinach. You could also just eat it plain on the side of something else, like a sandwich or soup.

As I've said before, my dad generously volunteered to stay at our house while we were in Greece, and during that time he picked up our CSA box from week 15 (and even took a picture of it for me, thanks Dad!). He also finished up what was left of the produce from week 14 and a bunch of tomatoes from our garden that ripened while we were gone. He even took photos of some of his meals!

Here is one meal he made using tomatoes from our garden. He cored the tomatoes, sliced them into wedges, and arranged homemade tuna salad in the middle.

Photo by Dad

The day after we got home it was time to pick up another CSA box. So we basically had two full CSA boxes to work with.

At one point I had 16 ears of corn in my refrigerator. That is frightening.

Step one: Do not panic.

Step two: Get your shit together and cook. A lot.

Step three: Enjoy all the delicious food you made!

Since there was so much overlap between the two boxes, I'm going to combine them into one post. This makes it easier for me to get caught up on blogging as well.

CSA Week 15:

Photo by Dad

In the box: 1 head lettuce, 2 cucumbers, 1 basket grape tomatoes, 2 pounds Sweet Girl tomatoes, 8 ears corn, 1 1/2 pounds summer squash, 1 basket blackberries, 1 melon (yellow watermelon), 2 pounds Gala apples

CSA Week 16:

In the box: 1 pound spinach, 2 cucumbers, 1 bunch carrots, 1 basket cherry tomatoes, 2 pounds Sweet Girl tomatoes, 8 ears of corn, 1 pound Romano beans, 1 melon (cantaloupe), 2 pounds Gala apples

We made taco salads one night for dinner (and lunches the next day) using the lettuce, kernels from the first eight ears of corn, some of the grape tomatoes, ground beef, and tortilla chips.

The spinach made a great addition to Mark Bittman's Pasta Carbonara, because apparently I'm always trying to find ways to add veggies to things. Just toss hot cooked pasta with a couple of lightly beaten eggs and 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan (the hot pasta will cook the egg). Then stir in cooked crumbled bacon and lightly steamed chopped spinach and dinner's done. I even took a picture I liked it so much:

We had my sister and her boyfriend over for dinner one night and we made quite the feast. The best part for me was the cucumber, an unusual change of pace for me. I used a Julia Child recipe: just peel and slice the cucumber into matchsticks, then saute in a tablespoon or two of butter for a few minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste. It was amazing! I'd never had cooked cucumber before.  We also cooked up the rest of the corn, and made chicken saltimbocca using this recipe.

By the way, if you happen to make that chicken saltimbocca recipe, don't use pancetta thinking it will be the same as prosciutto, even if the whole reason you chose this to make this recipe was because you thought you had prosciutto in the fridge, when it turns out you actually had pancetta. It won't work well. The pancetta seemed to completely disintegrate into the pan, and kind of burned. That made the cheese melt away too. Kind of defeats the whole point. But, if you have been drinking as much as I was while cooking it, you won't care (because who doesn't love My Drunk Kitchen?).

I used the bulk of the cherry/grape tomatoes (including a bunch more from our garden) to make another batch of roasted tomatoes to add to my collection in the freezer. The rest I brought to work for snacks. They are a perfect portable snack for walking home from work.

Joe used all the Sweet Girl tomatoes from both weeks for a batch of his homemade tomato sauce!

The Romano beans obviously went into the bean salad.

We used the cantaloupe for the appetizer I wrote about last time. We didn't do anything special with the watermelon, but it was fantastic! Inside the flesh was bright yellow, so it looked like you were eating pineapple, and it was so, so juicy! We loved the apples too; I brought one to work with me everyday along with a wedge of sharp cheddar cheese for a mid-morning snack.

I froze the blackberries, and I've started using them in smoothies which I drink on the way to work in the morning. I've been doing about 1 1/2 cups of milk, a couple tablespoons of ground flax seed, a heaping cup of frozen mixed berries, and a scoop of pumpkin puree (I had some extra in the fridge). You can't even taste the pumpkin, but it adds fiber and thickens the smoothie. The berries are pretty sweet already so I haven't felt like it needs any extra sweeteners.

Marinated Bean Salad
adapted from The World's Healthiest Foods
serves 4

Note: I didn't have lima beans on hand so I used chickpeas instead.

2 tablespoons minced onion
3 medium cloves garlic, pressed
2 cups fresh green beans or Romano beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch lengths
2 cups or 1 (15 ounce) can lima beans (or substitute chickpeas like I did), drained and rinsed
2 cups or 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 large ripe fresh tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steam the green beans until crisp tender. I used the microwave, but you could also use a steamer basket on the stove.

Meanwhile, mix all of the other ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the green beans and toss to combine.

If you have time, marinate at least 15 minutes before eating. It will only get better as it sits and will keep in the fridge for several days.

Cantaloupe with Gruyere, Honey, and Thyme

One of my favorite parts of our trip to Greece was the food. I realize that we had a very limited experience since we spent most of our time in Athens, but we were still really impressed.

Honestly, I was a little worried about the fact that we would be eating restaurant food for ten days straight. Usually when I have to eat out at restaurants for several meals in a row, I get sick of it very quickly. American restaurant fare can be so heavy that I just can't take it for more than a couple of days in a row without feeling completely drained physically and mentally. I didn't really feel that way in Greece though. I'm not really sure why. We ate some combination of bread, cheese, olive oil, and meat with almost every meal. Maybe it was that the portions were usually smaller than they are here. Maybe it was that everything was prepared with fresh ingredients. Maybe it was because they didn't rush you and in fact expected you to sit for hours savoring your meal. Regardless of the reason, I never got sick of Greek food, and I even made an attempt to replicate one of my favorite simple meals the minute I got home!

Before I get to that, here are some highlights of our trip, as promised:

Temple of Zeus.

View of the Acropolis from the Temple of Zeus.

Arch of Hadrian

Panathenaic Stadium

Parthenon

View of Athens from the Acropolis.

Sometimes we got lost in the labyrinth of tiny streets so we took some photos while we got our bearings.

We went on a day cruise to a couple of islands. Our favorite was Hydra.

Many sleepy stray cats on Hydra.

We got some beach time on Aegina.

Gorgeous sunset on the ride back.

Warning: Here comes the food porn...

Feta cooked with sliced tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions.

Moussaka - one of my favorites.

Fresh, hot loukoumades - drizzled with honey and topped with cinnamon and chopped nuts.

Fried feta topped with honey and sesame seeds. Tzatziki and pita bread. 

Tomatoes stuffed with rice and meat.

Pies: one filled with cheese, the other tomato sauce and olives.

Grilled sea bass with vegetables.

Salad with sun-dried tomatoes, croutons, and mizithra cheese from Crete.

Souvlaki

Pita gyro.

Koulouri - slightly sweet sesame bread. Made a great mid-morning snack and street carts everywhere were selling them.

Boiled greens with olive oil and lemon.

Gruyere with melon, drizzled with honey and thyme.

Ok, back to the recipe I tried to replicate at home. You can probably guess it based on the photo.

Our first CSA box after we got back contained a perfectly ripe cantaloupe revealing bright orange, juicy flesh. I used a melon baller to make some melon balls. Deciding to make it an appetizer, I cubed the gruyere, stacked the cheese and melon and skewered them with toothpicks, and placed them on a plate that I first drizzled with honey. After taking the photo I decided that was not enough honey so I drizzled a bit more over the top before eating. You could also forego the pretentious fanciness and just put all the ingredients in a bowl and dig in with a fork. It's just a wonderful combination of ingredients, you really can't go wrong.