Vegan Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

Hello out there! Thank you so much for sticking with this blog during my 1 year hiatus (or maybe you just forgot to delete me from your reader - either way, thanks!)

It's been quite a year and I'll skip the details but we moved away from Idaho in August and landed in Michigan! I definitely left a huge piece of my heart there and vow to one day have an 208 area code once again. However, we're close to family now and west Michigan really is a treasure trove of beautiful nature and some amazing produce. We have truly enjoyed settling into life here and I feel fortunate and comfortable calling it home.

My cooking and eating habits have also evolved a bit more over the last year and I'm leaning much more toward vegan. I hope to take the leap soon and become 100% vegan at home with small variations for eating out, but it's a work in progress. I've also been in therapy for my eating habits (as many of you might remember, I'm maintaining an 85-90 lb. weight loss). Most of the time I'm in a healthy place where I don't over analyze each morsel of food that I consume. It's quite freeing to not be in a "constantly dieting" mindset. If you have an eating disorder, whatever it may be, I cannot tell you how beneficial therapy is. I'd also be happy to chat with anyone with questions, feel free to email me!

So I'm sure in the coming months I'll delve more into Michigan, veganism, EDs, our amazing travels out west and more. I recently accepted a part time job as my baby is now in pre-k and my hope was to be part time once she started kindergarten. I'm trying to slow down a bit and be more mindful of what I devote my time to. My blog brings me happiness, a creative outlet, so I decided it was time to resurrect it!

So on to this recipe! For the last 8 months I've subscribed to an organic produce delivery and almost every week there is a head of cabbage in my green box. I love slaw salads, but my husband and daughter do not. I googled cabbage recipes and of course stuffed cabbage was most common. Making stuffed cabbage rolls can be daunting, so I decided to do a deconstructed casserole version. And since I made it the first time, I've made it with a few variations, such as quinoa for the rice (we prefer rice) and quorn or beyond meat crumbles for the tempeh (we prefer tempeh). I also have found a great use for leftover Chinese take-out rice - this casserole! It's very hearty, filling and comforting and can take as little as 15 minutes to make, depending on your ingredients (quick rice, no bake-off). I top mine with a vegan "parm" made with walnuts and nutritional yeast (hence the green looking topping), but we've also had it dolloped with goat cheese or parmigiano reggiano. You can truly customize this with pantry staples and your taste.

**I'd love to be more active in the blogging community. If you'd like to leave your blog in the comments, I'll be sure to add you to my reader and start some conversations**

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

Veggie by Season original recipe

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 head of cabbage, about 3 lbs., diced 

1 large onion, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 28 oz. can tomatoes (I prefer whole San Marzano with basil)

2 c. prepared brown rice (or quinoa, I use short grain brown)

1 package of tempeh, crumbled (or faux beef crumbles)

2 tbsp. dried oregano

1 tbsp. fennel seeds

Salt and pepper

Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Parmigiano-Reggiano, Goat Cheese, or omit for vegan

Preheat oven to 400*

Preheat large, deep, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil.

Add cabbage and onion, toss and cook frequently until vegetables begin to caramelize, about 8-10 minutes. 

Add garlic and a heavy pinch of salt and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes. 

Add tomatoes (if whole, squish by hand or use a blender to reach desired consistency), rice, tempeh, oregano, fennel, crushed red pepper flakes and fresh ground black pepper. 

Turn heat to low, stir well to distribute, taste and add salt as necessary.

Top with cheese, if desired, and place skillet into the oven. 

Bake for 20 minutes, or until edges crisp and mixture is bubbly.

Serve immediately with additional pepper flakes and cheese. 

Tomato and Mozzarella Risotto

This past week, I did something that I haven't done in a few months, probably since we were living in Jacksonville. I went through some of my favorite websites and blogs (cookbooks are in storage, I'm really missing the Moosewood ones!) and printed out dozens of recipes and put them in a folder. On Friday, I went through the recipes and picked out six to make for dinner each night this week (we leave for a weekend trip on Friday!) It has been so nice to have a new variety of things, especially this risotto.

I made a few small changes from the original, a Cooking Light recipe, specifically adding some wine, using diced canned tomatoes, and a grate of Parmesan to finish the dish.  The flavors were delicious, basically a caprese salad, but warm and comforting, a nice way to taste the best flavors of summer in the cooling fall weather!

Tomato and Mozzarella Risotto

slightly adapted from Cooking Light

1 tsp. butter

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 small yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 c. arborio rice

1/4 c. dry white wine

1 c. canned, diced tomatoes

3 c. vegetable stock, warmed

2 c. fresh baby spinach leaves

1 dozen basil leaves, roughly chopped

2 oz. fresh mozzarella, chopped

1 oz. fresh grated parmesan cheese

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Heat a shallow skillet over medium heat.

Add butter and olive oil, melt together, then add onion and garlic, saute for 5 minutes.

Add rice, stir to gently toast for 2 minutes.

Add white wine, when liquid has reduced to half, add tomatoes and about 1/2 c. stock.

Once stock is absorbed, add another 1/2 c., continuing to stir rice every minute or two and adding more stock, as needed.

After about 20 minutes of adding stock and stirring risotto, turn heat off.

Fold in spinach and basil leaves, then add mozzarella and parmesan and gently fold.

Taste and add more salt, if necessary, it might be salty enough, season with black pepper.

Serve immediately.

Basil Summer Rolls

 One of my favorite quick service restaurants is Mama Fu's, we just call it the Fu, and whenever we're thinking about where to go for lunch, the Fu is always mentioned. It is very healthy (if you order the right thing - steamed veggies, brown rice, sauce on the side), there are tons of vegetarian options, and it's fast. When dining with a temper-tantrum prone one and a half year old, getting food on the table as fast as possible is key. The basil summer rolls are one of my favorite dishes there because they're so fresh tasting, full of herbs and peanuts, and they hit the table in a minute or less after you order. The only downside is the price, $8 for 4 rolls, which isn't terrible, but I can make them at home for pennies. So I did!

Rather than just use rice noodles in the filling, I sliced up some napa cabbage from the CSA to bulk up the noodles and add even more veggies to the dish. The combination of fresh mint, basil and cilantro gives these rolls a ton of flavor, the bean sprouts and peanuts add some crunch, and the peanut dipping sauce takes them over the top. I like to give my peanut sauce a hefty squirt of sriracha for spice!

Basil Summer Rolls

inspired by Mama Fu's, sauce from chow.com

rolls:

12 rice paper rolls

1 oz. cellophane rice noodles

2 c. thinly sliced napa cabbage

1 c. fresh bean sprouts

1 large carrot, shredded

2 tbsp. fresh chopped mint

2 tbsp. fresh basil, julienne

2 tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

1 tbsp. sesame oil

2 tbsp. chopped peanuts

2 tbsp. peanut dipping sauce (recipe follows)

peanut sauce (I quartered this)

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter

1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. water

3 tbsp. hoisin sauce

2 tbsp. fresh lime juice

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. chile-garlic paste

1 garlic clove, pasted (I used 1 tsp. dried garlic)

1/2 tsp. sesame oil (omitted)

First, make the sauce by whisking together all ingredients.

Next, make rice noodles according to package, drain, roughly chop and toss in a large bowl with sesame oil.

Chill noodles, toss with remaining ingredients except rice paper rolls.

Dip rolls in warm water for 10 seconds, place on a cutting board, fill with 1/4 c. noodle mixture, roll. 

Continue until you run out of rice paper wrappers or filling, it should be close! 

Serve with dipping sauce and sriracha on the side.

French Onion Soup Risotto

After thoroughly enjoying the Dirty Cauliflower Risotto I made a few weeks ago, I've been dying to make another red wine based risotto. Once again it was a Friday night, the eve of grocery shopping, and I had to scrounge around the fridge and pantry to make dinner. I was in the mood for French Onion Soup, but we had no bread in the house. I contemplated making bread, but it was already seven o'clock and I was hungry! I had pasta, rice and potatoes on hand, and decided risotto would be fantastic.

This risotto was absolutely delicious, very creamy and flavorful. If you're not vegetarian, you could certainly use beef stock as that's a more traditional way to make French Onion Soup, but I love the Rapunzel vegetable stock cubes with herbs. This would be a great side dish for a dinner party, but it's quite substantial on it's own. To make it a complete meal, I'd serve it with a nice salad, some crusty bread and add cannelini beans to the risotto (stir in just before serving). But for a smaller meal, it's perfect as is.

French Onion Soup Risotto

Veggie by Season original

2 tbsp. butter

2 small or 1 large yellow onion, peeled, quartered and sliced

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 c. arborio rice

1 tbsp. cognac

1 c. dry red wine

1 bay leaf

2 fresh sprigs or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

2-3 c. vegetable stock

1/2 c. shredded Gruyere cheese

Heat a deep skillet over medium-low, melt butter and add onion.

Stir occasionally, and allow onions to caramelize for about 10 minutes.

Add rice, stir and allow rice to toast.

Season with kosher salt and black pepper.

Add cognac and red wine, turn heat to medium-high and allow wine to reduce by half, stirring as it reduces. 

Turn heat back to medium-low, add bay leaf and thyme.

Add ladles full of stock every few minutes as it is absorbed by rice, stirring well after each addition. 

After the rice is plump and isn't absorbing stock, turn heat off, stir in 1/4 c. of the Gruyere.

Dish into individual bowls, sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve.

Roasted Cauliflower Dirty Risotto

I always forget about risotto, and I don't know why. Every time I make it, I must say, "oh my gosh this is soooo good!" about ten times before I finish. It's also one of my favorite dishes to get in restaurants. When I received two heads of cauliflower in this week's CSA share, I remembered seeing a recipe for a cauliflower risotto float around the blogospehere a few months ago. On a lazy Friday night, nothing sounded better than a warm bowl of creamy risotto. Friday's are always a little tricky for us dinner-wise. I pick up the CSA share on Thursday, and go shopping Saturday, so I'm inundated with produce, but don't have a stocked pantry or fridge to cook with until after I shop. I surveyed the fridge, but didn't have white wine or parmesan cheese for a traditional risotto, so I improvised.

Dirty risotto is a concept I've seen on cooking shows, where you use red wine rather than white. Luckily we always have a bottle of red in the wine rack, so that was covered. We had blue cheese in the cheese drawer, which pairs well with cauliflower, some thyme from the previous week's CSA share, and a sole onion in the vegetable bowl, so this recipe came together out of fridge scraps, but you would never have known! It may look a little funny with the purple-ish tint, but this risotto was so full of flavor, creamy, pungent, earthy and comforting. I would definitely serve this at a dinner party, or make it again just for myself. Even my non-cauliflower-loving husband thought this was delectable. And once you've opened a bottle of wine for 1/2 c. in a recipe, you must also pour yourself a glass to drink while cooking, maybe one more to enjoy with dinner!

Roasted Cauliflower Dirty Risotto

Veggie by Season original

1/2 head of cauliflower or 1 small head

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 c. arborio rice
1/2 c. dry red wine
1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried
2 - 2 1/2 c. vegetable stock, warmed
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese

Preheat oven to 400*
Drizzle a rimmed cookie sheet with 1 tbsp. olive oil.
Cut cauliflower into small florets, toss with oil on cookie sheet, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the risotto.
Melt butter over medium heat in a shallow saute' pan.
Add onions, season with salt and pepper and saute' for 5 minutes, until softened and edges begin to caramelize.
Add rice, toast for about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add red wine, bring to a simmer, once reduced by half, add about 1/2 c. stock, stir well.
Continue to add stock 1/2 c. at a time, stirring with each addition, until rice is plumped and cooked, about 20 minutes.
Remove cauliflower from the oven, chop the florets into small, bite sized pieces and stir into risotto.
Turn heat off, taste risotto and season, if necessary.
Add 1 oz. blue cheese, stir well.
Spoon risotto into a bowl, top with remaining blue cheese and chopped cauliflower.
Serve - makes 2 large main servings or 4 sides.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

When it comes to food blogging, I see it as 4 parts. First, recipe creation or selection. This part is always fun, dreaming up combinations of food, or spotting a recipe in a magazine or on a blog that you just can't stop thinking about. Next up, cooking. I love the cooking part, definitely the best part. Next, the photography... we'll get back to that. And finally, blogging the recipe. I love the blogging portion because I get to tell stories about the dish, or talk about why I thought it was so delicious, or how I came up with the combination of ingredients. It's effortless to me.

But the photography. Oh do I struggle. I try, I really do... it's just not a strength of mine. You give me my dogs or my baby and I can take photos all day long! They give me funny faces, movement and life. My food, well it's all up to me. To style it, to get the right light, to pick the prettiest plates and silverware. To angle it correctly, cut a perfect slice or portion a scoop that is aesthetically pleasing. It's a lot of pressure! It's also why my blog has been quieter lately. When I can't get the perfect photo, or even something semi decent, I just move on with eating my dinner.

So since my dirty little secret is out, I'll get to the silver lining. What I can continue to do is try to show a decent photo, but bring the dish to life with my words, and use them to make you crave it! And this dish really has it all! It can be hard to find a one pot, comforting vegetarian casserole. You know, the kind of thing you take to a friends house who just had a baby, or to a pot luck at church. The kind of dish that you can make ahead of time and not worry it will turn to vegetable mush. It's also great for when you're in the mood for classic stuffed peppers, but don't have the time to fidget around with making the rice filling, then stuffing the peppers and roasting them.

I have made this dish three times since I came up with it, each time with a different cooking method. They all work as well as the next. There's the "20 Minute Speed Faux-Casserole", the crockpot "Set It and Forget It" method, or the somewhere in between where I precooked the rice, "Throw it all in a casserole dish and let it cook while you work out/put the kids to bed/catch up on some work" method.The "20 minute speed casserole" is my method of choice. 

Stuffed Pepper Casserole 

Veggie by Season original

1 cup short grain brown rice

4 cups water

1 tbsp. EVOO

2 bell peppers (I use 1 green, one yellow)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
2-3 cups prepared marinara (I make a big batch of this and freeze in 2-4 c. portions)
1 block of tempeh (I've been loving Lightlife's 5 Grain Tempeh)
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Bring the water to a boil in a small pot, add the brown rice, cover and turn to medium-low. 

Stir every 2-3 minutes, and continue to cook for 20 minutes.

Preheat broiler to high.

In a deep skillet over medium, heat olive oil.

Add peppers, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. 

Saute' for 5 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften.

Turn heat to low, add oregano, marinara, and crumble in tempeh.

Stir to combine ingredients, and cover to heat through.

Drain any water off rice once it's finished cooking, then pour into skillet with vegetable mixture, mix well.

Pour into a casserole dish, cover with mozzarella cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is golden brown.

Serve immediately. 

*Also makes for delicious leftovers and this casserole can be frozen (before broiling) and reheated at a later time.

Vegetarian Cubana

Two weeks ago, my husband and I went out to dinner to celebrate with some friends; their engagement and our pregnancy. Since they live in Daytona, we decided to meet in St. Augustine for dinner. My husband was born and raised in St. Augustine, and knows the restaurants well, so we had a hard time deciding where to go. We finally settled on The Columbia. We had an absolutely delicious meal, and I am hoping we can make it back there again soon! They specialize in Spanish, Cuban, and Mexican food, and since we're in Florida, the seafood is top notch. We each ordered something different: the paella, ropa vieja, mariscos diablo (spicy pasta dish with the entire ocean of seafood), and the vegetarian cubana.

The Vegetarian Cubana was simply listed as yucca, black beans, rice, plantains and sauteed fresh vegetables. It wasn't as intriguing as the other vegetarian dishes, but it had all of my favorite ingredients, and I knew The Columbia would put their twist on it. The meal was a bed of soft white rice topped with simply seasoned, tender black beans, two tostones, two maduros, a piece of steamed yucca topped with a spicy tomato relish, sauteed snap peas with strips of bell pepper, and the dish was sprinkled with diced raw onion. Though each element wasn't very complex, when it was all together it made a complete, delicious meal. Each individual component was perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, and complimentary of one another. 

I couldn't get the meal out of my head since we left the restaurant, and knew I'd have to recreate it at home. After all, it costs only pennies to make (but wasn't too expensive at $16.95 in the upscale-restaurant). While I loved the yucca and two kinds of plantains, I decided to skip them this time to make this meal weeknight-friendly with less cooking time and preparation. A few other options are to make your rice ahead of time (I prefer brown rice, which takes 30 minutes to cook, sometimes I make a big batch on the weekends) and to use your slow cooker to make beans (dried beans are cheaper and cans don't contain BPA, organic is easily available as well!). 

While scouring recipes for tostones and maduros, I found there were no baked versions, but I was determined to not fry them. If you'd like to see authentic fried tostones, I've made them here. Instead I opted for Maduros made in the oven in a foil packet, they still caramelized and were tender and sweet with a crisp coating, very similar to the fried version and my new go-to for plantains! I hope you try this meal out and enjoy it, it's simple but fancy-looking and absolutely delicious!

 Vegetarian Cubana

black beans, rice, roasted maduros, vegetable saute'   

2/3 c. brown rice blend

1 1/3 c. water or vegetable stock

2 c. black beans (or 1 15 oz. can drained)

1/2 c. water or vegetable stock

2 garlic cloves

1 bay leaf

Salt

2 very ripe plantains

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 tsp. turbinado sugar

2 c. sugar snap peas

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced in thin strips

1 tsp. EVOO

1 tsp. adobo seasoning or chili powder

Salt and pepper

Diced raw onion, if desired

Preheat oven to 425*

In a small stock pot, bring water to a boil, add rice and turn to simmer.

Cook covered for 30 minutes, or how long package directs.

In another small stock pot, bring beans, water, garlic, bay and salt to a boil.

Turn to low and simmer uncovered while rice cooks.

Place a piece of foil on a sheet pan. 

Peel plantains and cut 1" rounds on a bias.

Place on half the foil, drizzle with EVOO and sugar, toss to coat.

Bring the other half of the foil over and pinch closed, making a packet.

Place in the oven, bake for 15 minutes, open, flip and close, baking for another 10 minutes.

Heat a saute' pan over medium heat, add EVOO, snap peas, peppers and adobo.

Toss and cook for 5-7 minutes, until vegetables are just softened. 

Plate rice, top with black beans, arrange plantains and snap peas on the side and sprinkle the dish with raw onion. 

Roasted Squash and Wild Rice Salad

A few posts back, I admitted that I'm not a huge rice fan and don't make it very often. I usually tend to pass rice recipes by in magazines and cookbooks. However, in my last Vegetarian Times magazine, I saw an ad for Lundberg Family Rice's Roasted Squash and Wild Rice Salad. It looked so good! So I got online and googled the salad, and found not only the Lundberg version, but another recipe on 101 Cookbooks. I decided to kind of combine the two and add a few of own ideas. 

I used a large kabocha squash to make this salad, but any variety will work! I loved the idea from 101 Cookbooks using whole roasted shallots, so I added those as well. For protein, I almost fell back on my old stand-bys, garbanzo or tofu, but I decided to try something different. Since I was making a rice dish, I felt like Black-eyed Peas would be a great pairing. Though all beans taste relatively the same, these were delicious in this dish. Finally, I sprinkled the dish with cranberries and cilantro for some sweetness and a bright punch of flavor. It was a very balanced dish, and I can finally say my rice came out great! 

Roasted Kabocha and Wild Rice Salad with Black-eyed Peas 

inspired by Lundberg Family and 101 Cookbooks

2 c. prepared Wild Rice blend cooked in vegetable stock

*I used 2/3 c. rice and 2 c. stock and it came out perfectly

2 lbs. kabocha, peeled and cubed

10 small shallots, peeled

1 tbsp. EVOO

Kosher salt and pepper

2 c. black eyed peas, cooked, or 1 15 oz. can drained and rinsed

1/4 c. dried cranberries

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp. honey

Preheat oven to 400*

Line a baking sheet with foil, add squash and shallots, drizzle with EVOO, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss well.

Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, until tender and caramelized.

While roasting squash, cook rice.

When rice is tender and fluffy, add lemon juice and honey, toss to distribute.

Add black eyed peas, gently fold in to heat through.

Scoop half of the rice into a serving dish, layer with half the kabocha, then the rest of the rice, then the kabocha and shallots.

Sprinkle with cilantro and cranberries, serve warm.

FYI - Look for details coming soon about a blogger bakesale hosted on Veggie by Season. If you would like to bake something for the cause (injured, stray dog I found and will be taking to the vet Saturday), please email me at veggiebyseason@gmail.com

Porcini Mushroom and Mixed Grain Pilaf

Last thursday night, I was thinking about what I'd make for dinner Friday because I had no plans. I decided to soak some lentils, wheatberries, barley, and brown rice overnight and figure something out after work the next day. When I got home, I browsed through the pantry and found a box of dried porcini mushrooms, and decided their earthiness would pair well with a wheatberry and lentil based pot. Then I looked in the refrigerator for some vegetables, and found roasted red peppers and carrots. I also grabbed my staples - garlic, onions, parsley, stock and a lemon. And since it was Friday, I cracked open a bottle of white wine. Literally, this meal was a clean out the fridge, empty the pantry, made from staples meal, but you'd never know. It was absolutely delicious, so flavorful, light, but hearty. This meal is vegan, however feel free to top it with some crumbled goat cheese or feta crumbles. I ate this with a salad, which will be my next post.

Porcini Mushroom and Mixed Grain Pilaf

(Serves 1 large portion)

1/4 cup dried lentils

1/4 cup dried pearled barley

1/4 cup wheatberries

2 tbsp. brown or wild rice

1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms

1 tbsp EVOO

1 garlic clove, minced

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 large or 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup dry white wine

1-2 cups vegetable stock

1 roasted red pepper, minced

Handful of parsley, minced

1 lemon, zested and half of juice

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Add lentils, barley, wheatberries and rice to a mixing bowl, add water, cover and soak overnight.

Add porcini mushrooms to a glass measuring cup, pour in 1 cup of boiling water, soak for 15 minutes.

Heat a pot over medium-low, add EVOO, garlic, onions, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper, saute' for 5 minutes, until tender.

Add white wine, reduce by half.

Drain grains and add to the pot, add 1 cup vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, turn to low and cover.

Drain mushrooms through a coffee filter, reserve stock.

Add mushroom stock to the pot, bring to a simmer, cover and turn to low.

Cook for 10 minutes.
Rinse mushrooms, chop, add to the pot, stir and cover.
If the pilaf needs more stock, add about 1/2 cup.
Cook covered for another 10 minutes, until grains are tender.
If not tender, add more stock, stir and cover again.
Turn heat off, stir in roasted red pepper, zest, lemon juice, parsley and crushed red pepper flakes.
Spoon into a bowl, serve.

Apple Pecan Wild Rice Pilaf

I've had a package of TJ's Maple Apple Sausage in the freezer for a few months now, and I've been in clean out the fridge/freezer mode, so I had to use it up. I also had some TJ's wild rice blend, and thought an apple pecan wild rice pilaf sounded interesting and would use up both!
This meal was delicious, I think I should have chopped the apples a bit finer and chopped the pecans, and maybe added some dried cranberries for a sweet burst...maybe next time!

Apple Pecan Wild Rice Pilaf

1/2 c. wild rice blend

1 1/4 c. vegetable stock

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 red onion, diced

1 green apple, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 sprigs of thyme leaves, about 1/2 tsp.

salt and pepper

1/4 c. pecans

1 tbsp. butter*

Bring stock to a boil in a small pot, add rice, stir and turn to medium heat.

Cover and cook for 40 minutes, or until rice is cooked.

While rice cooks, heat a pan over medium-low.

Add EVOO, onions, apples and garlic, season with salt and pepper.

Sautee for ten minutes, or until softened, add thyme.

When rice is cooked, add to apple mixture, stir to combine.

Add butter, adjust seasonings and plate.

Serve with asparagus and chicken sausage.

*omit butter for vegan option

Manchego and Porcini Risotto

I felt like our Spanish dinner wouldn't be complete without paella, but I don't like seafood. I decided to still make some sort of rice dish. Risotto is always a favorite of my husband, so I went with it and made it with Spanish add-ins. What I love most about risotto is the versatility. Basically you can add any cheese and fruit or vegetable, and you get a totally different dish each time.
I found some dried porcini mushrooms, which are Italian, but have great flavor. I looked at the Spanish cheese section and found manchego, so Manchego and Porcini Risotto was born.
Porcinis are pretty expensive, about $10 for 1 oz. I used .5 oz. and utilized the rehydrating liquid (stock) as well.
The manchego was very similar to parmesan at first, it's somewhat crumbly and dry, but then it begins to melt in your mouth as it heats up. It was delicious, but far more expensive than parm.
Because there were so many elements to the entire meal, and especially this dish, I cooked the risotto ahead of time, about 90% through, and then reheated it in the oven. It came out perfectly!

Manchego and Porcini Risotto

.5 oz. porcini mushrooms, reconstituted in 2 c. boiling water

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 1/2 c. arborio rice

1/2 c. dry white wine

2 c. warmed vegetable stock

about 20 saffron threads

4 oz. Manchego cheese, grated

Salt and pepper

Bring 2 c. water to a boil, add mushrooms.

Let them sit for 5 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon.

Drain stock through a coffee filter, set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, add EVOO and butter.

Sautee onion for a minute, add rice and sautee for 2-3 minutes, or until toasted.

Turn heat to high, add wine and reduce, turn to medium-low.

Every 2-3 minutes, add 1/4-1/2 c. stock (porcini and vegetable).

Stir well after each addition.

Add saffron with one of the stock additions.

Cook for about 25 minutes, or until rice has a little bite to it.

Mince the reconstituted mushrooms, add to risotto.

Add most of the grated cheese, stir well.

Serve or portion into ramekins.

If cooking ahead and warming later:

Place ramekins into a baking dish, fill 3/4 the way up with water.

Add 2 tbsp. stock to the top of each ramekin to keep the risotto moist.

Cover the dish with foil, place in the oven at 300 for 30 minutes to warm through.

Coco-Peanut Noodle Salad

I absolutely love Asian flavored Peanut noodle salads. Since I was not going to be eating the 2 other dishes, I decided to make one of my favorite and fill my plate! I added a few different things, like coconut milk and lime. It was delicious as always, full of veggies and very filling!

Coco-Peanut Noodle Salad

12 oz. wide rice noodles

8 oz. snow peas, roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper, sliced

2 c. shredded cabbage

1 c. shredded carrots

4 scallions, sliced

Sesame seeds, for garnish

Sauce:

1/2 c. light coconut milk

1/2 c. creamy organic peanut butter

1/3 c. light soy sauce

2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp. light brown sugar

1 tbsp. Thai chile paste

Juice of 1 lime

1 garlic clove, grated

In a large bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients.

Cook noodles accoring to package.

Add noodles, snap peas, bell pepper, carrots and cabbage to mixing bowl.

Toss to coat everything in sauce.

Top with sesame seeds and scallions.

A Year Ago: Dark Chocolate Sorbet

Summer Rolls

I saw a photo of summer rolls on the cover of a cookbook last week when I was at the library, and I instantly put them on the menu. They are so easy to make, so fresh tasting, and very healthy. I made mine with tofu and vegetables, but you can use crab, shrimp, fish, or any other protein. I also made a big bowl of steamed veggies tossed in TJ's Island Soyaki, which I love. It has big chunks of fresh ginger, sesame seeds, pineapple juice, and is very fresh tasting. It is a bit sweet for me, so I don't use too much.
After I made my rolls, I did have issues with them sticking together, anyone have advice on how to keep the rice paper from sticking?

Summer Rolls

Makes 8

8 rice paper wrappers

1 oz. rice noodles, cooked

1 block of thai marinated tofu, sliced

1 yellow pepper, julienned

1 english cucumber, julienned

2 carrots, julienned

1/2 avocado, julienned

Dipping Sauce:

1/4 c. soy sauce

1 tsp. Chinese Mustard

1 tsp. Thai Chile Paste

Prepare all vegetables, set on a cutting board.

Dip wrappers one by one in a bowl of warm water.

Place on parchment paper, add noodles, tofu, carrots, cucumber, peppers, and avocado.

Roll up like a burrito. Repeat.

Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Mix all dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

A Year Ago: Irish - Chicken with Bacon, Cabbage and Cider, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

and, I absolutey LOVE these: Rolled Carrot Cake Bunny Cookies

Black Beans and Rice Stuffed Poblanos & Creamy Corn and Avocado Salad

I haven't made any tex-mex food lately, and I had a craving. I saw some gorgeous poblanos at Kroger, so I decided to make stuffed poblanos. Again, keeping it vegetarian, I stuffed them with a black beans and rice mixture. Since the poblanos and rice had a kick, I served a cool corn and avocado salad on the side. This dinner is very healthy and flavorful!

Black Beans and Rice Stuffed Poblanos

and

Creamy Corn and Avocado Salad

Poblanos:

4 poblanos, 3 sliced lengthwise and gutted, 1 diced

3/4 red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 12 oz. can diced tomatoes (mine were chipotle lime flavored)

1 c. chicken stock

1 c. quick cooking rice

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

Dash of hot sauce

Salt and pepper

1 can black beans, drained

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Corn Salad:

1 c. frozen corn kernels, defrosted but cold

1 avocado, diced

1/4 red onion, minced

1 tbsp. minced cilantro

1/4 jalapeno, minced

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Place 3 of the peppers in a baking dish, put in the oven while you prepare rice.

In a pot over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. EVOO, red onion, garlic, 1 diced poblano, salt and pepper. Saute vegetables for a few minutes, until slightly softened.

Add tomatoes, stock, spices, and bring to a boil.

Add rice, stir, bring back to a boil, cover, turn to low and simmer 15 minutes, or until rice is cooked.

Stir in black beans.

Take poblanos out of the oven, spoon beans and rice mixture into pepper cups, top with cheddar cheese, place back in the oven and cook for another 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and peppers are soft.

To make corn salad: Add corn, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, salt and pepper to a bowl. Mix well.

Add avocado, gently fold in avocado, do not break it up too much.

Keep chilled until serving.

A Year Ago:

This Argentinean dish is one of my favories of 2008 - Polenta Rellena con Jamon y Queso (Polenta with Ham and Cheese Filling)

And TWD Snickery Squares - these were also delicious!

Spicy Thai Coconut Tofu Soup

A few weeks ago my sister sent me a recipe for Thai Shrimp Soup that she created with her friend, Kelly. I thought it sounded great, but I don't eat shrimp. I decided to sub in tofu. I also wanted to bulk up the veggies, so I added in the snap peas. This was very spicy and delicious! There was much more broth, but to see the veggies and noodles, I strained it a bit for the photo, then re-plated it with more broth.

Spicy Thai Coconut Tofu Soup

1 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 yellow onion, minced
4 tsp. ginger paste
Crushed red pepper
4 cups chicken stock

1 15 oz. can light coconut milk
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 c. sliced snap peas

1/2 package thin rice noodles
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. hot red curry paste
2 tsp. honey
1 block extra firm tofu, diced

In a large pot, heat olive oil, sautee onion, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper (to taste, about ¼ tsp.) till fragrant, about one minute.

Add chicken broth, coconut milk and carrots.

Bring to a gentle boil and cook for about 10 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Add the noodles and snap peas.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and warm water.

Add slurry, curry paste, honey and tofu.

Cook for about 5-10 more minutes.


Serve the soup with a lime wedge. It adds great extra flavor. (I didn't have one, so I added scallions)

A Year Ago: Sausage and Peppers Rustica Pizza and Country Challenge - Argentina

Vegetarian Gumbo

With Mardi Gras on my mind, I was craving gumbo... but I don't eat seafood, and I've made a chicken and andouille gumbo, so I decided to go vegetarian. I added an element that is southern, but not normally in gumbo - sweet potato! It makes the dish a little more hearty, which could get lost with the lack of meat. This was absolutely delicious, spicy and hearty.

Vegetarian Gumbo

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 large sweet potato, diced (I leave the skin on)
1 green bell pepper, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper
2 tbsp. flour

1 c. beer

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp. hot sauce

1 tsp. gumbo file seasoning (which is ground sassafras leaves)
1 tsp. smoked paprika

2 c. frozen okra

Sour cream, for garnish (optional)

Prepared brown rice

Heat a dutch oven over medium heat.

Add olive oil, sweet potato, pepper, onion and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper, sauté for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle in flour and stir to coat.

Cook for 2 more minutes, turn to high and add beer.

Allow alcohol to cook off, turn to low add tomatoes, hot sauce, and seasoning.

Stir to combine, cover and simmer for an hour.

Add okra, stir to combine, bring back to a simmer.

Serve over brown rice.

Top with sour cream.

A Year Ago:

Mediterranean Pizza

My Inaugural Country Challenge - Thailand

Red Curry with Chicken & Bamboo Shoots (Gaeng Phed Kai Sai Nawmai)

Pumpkin Risotto

I'm so happy it's September, fall food is acceptable now!!! I am so happy to break out my pumpkin and squash recipes and ideas, as pumpkin is one of my favorite foods and ingredients. It's so easy to incorporate pumpkin into all kinds of dishes. The health benefits of pumpkin are astounding - 300% of the daily recommended Vitamin A intake and 5 g of fiber per serving!

I decided to have someone very special taste test this risotto before we ate it, and she gave it a wagging tail! She even waited for me to take a picture - I think we've got stay covered!

(Pumpkin Spice being patient...)

(...and finally, digging in!)

Pumpkin Risotto

1 tbsp. butter

1 small yellow onion, minced

salt and ground black pepper

1 c. arborio rice

1/4 c. dry white wine

2 c. warmed chicken stock

3/4 c. canned pumpkin puree

2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar reduction

2 links of Maple Apple Chicken Sausage (Trader Joes)

1 lb. roasted asparagus spears

In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper. Toss to begin cooking. Add rice, toast for 2 minutes. Add white wine and cook until the liquid is evaporated.

Add 1/3 c. chicken stock, stirring in between additions, about every 3 minutes.

After all of the stock is absorbed, add the canned pumpkin. Turn heat to low and let the rice cook and pumpkin absorb into the rice.

Add parmesan cheese, stir, and plate with balsamic reduction.

Chicken and Rice Tortilla Soup

After the party on Sunday, we had a good amount of leftovers. My favorite way to jazz up leftovers and make something new is to make a big pot of soup/stew/chili. This one was a no-brainer, there! I diced up the chicken and some veggies, added some chicken stock and the rice, and it was delish! JJ and I have both been fighting sinus infections, so the hot and spicy soup was delish!

Southwest Chicken and Rice Tortilla Soup

2 c. diced marinated and grilled chicken breasts

2 c. southwest spiced rice

1 zucchini, cubed

1 green bell pepper, cubed

4 c. chicken stock

1 c. leftover tomato sauce or salsa (I had leftover zesy marinara from friday)

Salt and Pepper

1 tsp. cumin

Garnish:

Guacamole

Sour Cream

Cheddar Cheese

Tortilla Chips, crushed

Place all soup ingredients in a crock pot on low for 8 hours, or high for 3. Ladle into a bowl and garnish with lots of toppers!

Southwest Spiced Rice

4 c. quick cooking rice (brown or white)
3 1/2 c. chicken stock
2 poblanos, grilled and diced
1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes with green chiles
1/2 red onion, grilled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
Salt and Pepper


Mix all ingredients in a casserole dish, bake at 300 for 40 minutes.

Rice and Garbanzo Beans

Tonight we had another Cuban dish for dinner. I've had many variations of rice and beans, but never with garbanzo beans. They were really good! They have a much different texture than a black bean or kidney, they have a nice bite to them. I used a poblano instead of a green bell pepper, and smoked paprika instead of Spanish, so this dish had a nice bit of spice to it. Next time, I might add some sour cream or monterey jack cheese on top just for a little something extra. It was very warm and comforting, definitely something i'll make again.

Rice and Garbanzo Beans

1 lb. garbanzo beans
2 c. diced onions
1 c. diced red pepper
1 c. diced green pepper
½ c. EVOO
6 garlic cloves
2 c. parboiled rice (I used fair trade organic brown basmati)
½ tsp. Bijol powder
3 c. chicken stock
½ c. white wine
1 chorizo link, diced (omitted)
½ c. tomato puree
1 tsp. Spanish paprika
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 c. diced roma tomatoes

Sautee onion, red and green peppers in EVOO over low until onions are translucent.
Add garlic and chorizo, cook a few more minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients, except fresh roma tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce to low, simmer for 20-30 minutes until rice is cooked.
Fluff rice, top with tomatoes.