Chick Pea & Quinoa Soup

It's that time of year again when soup is- and should be- a mainstay in everyone's diet. It's quick and easy to make, warming and filling, and just plain yummy. Soups in general are one of those things that I don't understand why people buy the canned stuff. I mean, it's probably one of the easiest things to make and is definitely one of the most flexible "recipes" to play with... you can make as much or as little as you like, and it usually holds up well as leftovers.

Chick Pea & Quinoa Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 sm. onion, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
2 med. carrots, diced
1 tsp. herbes de Provence
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. tomato paste (feel free to use any other form of tomatoes; I've made this soup with diced tomatoes which turned out quite well)
1/2 cup quinoa
1/4 cup red lentils *optional
1 (14-ounce) can chick peas, drained & rinsed
2" piece of Parmesan rind
2 cups veggie broth (feel free to use chicken broth if you're so inclined, also feel free to use more liquid- I like a thicker finished soup)
1 cup butternut squash, diced
1 sm. bunch of kale, shredded

Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, saute the onion/celery/carrots in olive oil until slightly soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add in all of the spices and tomato paste, stirring to coat, and continue to cook for another minute before adding the quinoa, red lentils (if using), chick peas, Parmesan, and broth. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes before adding in the butternut squash and kale. (Note: I like to wait to add these so they retain some shape and color in the finished soup, but by all means, add them with all the other vegs if you'd prefer.) Continue to simmer until the quinoa has bloomed, and the kale has wilted down, another 10 minutes or so. Fish out the bay leaf and Parmesan rind before serving.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage, tough outer leaves & core removed (rinse and save the outer leaves to line the bottom of your baking dish... prevents the cabbage rolls from burning while in the oven)

(for the filling)

1 slice of bacon, diced
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, diced finely
1 rib of celery, diced finely
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
2 tsp. sweet paprika
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
2 Tbs. flax seeds
1/4 cup quinoa
1 cup liquid of choice (I used veggie stock)

(for the sauce)
24 oz. tomato sauce or marinara (dealer's choice)
1 cup liquid of choice (I used more veggie stock)
1  Tbs. brown sugar (I actually used Splenda brown sugar blend)
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs. sweet paprika
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot over high heat, bring 1" of salted water to a boil and drop the whole head of cabbage in, core-side down. Cover and steam for 1 minute before using tongs to start removing the leaves and laying them out flat on a large cutting board to cool. I was able to remove 2 leaves at a time, would cover and steam for another minute, then repeat until I had 12 good sized leaves. Remove the remaining bit of cabbage (mine was softball sized by this time) and set aside to chop later and serve with finished cabbage rolls. (I read quite a few recipes, and many of them said to boil the entire the head of cabbage, but I liked the thought of steaming instead because the leaves retained good color and I wasn't losing all the nutrients in the water.)

Next, add the diced bacon and olive oil to a large saute pan THEN turn the heat to medium, allowing the bacon to slowly render out its fat, about 5 minutes. Add in the vegs and spices and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the vegs start to soften. Stir in the ground chicken, stirring often to break up the meat and coat it in the vegs/spice mix. Continue to cook over medium heat until the meat is slightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the flax seeds and quinoa, then add your liquid of choice, cover the pan, and simmer over medium-low heat until the quinoa starts to bloom, about 10 minutes. Feel free to add some more liquid if the meat mixture starts to dry out. Remove from the heat and let the meat mixture cool slightly.

In a large bowl, mix together your tomato sauce/marinara with all other sauce ingredients. Adjust the seasoning as you like.

To prepare the cabbage leaves: Remove the tough part of the stem from each leaf with a paring knife, leaving the rest of the leaf intact.

Now that all of the components are ready, time to assemble...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a glass baking dish with nonstick spray (makes for easy clean-up) then line the dish with the reserved outer leaves of the cabbage. (I tore mine to better cover the entire bottom of the dish.) Pour on just enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the dish.

To assemble the rolls: Lay out each leaf and spoon a mound of the meat mixture in the center. Fold the sides in, then wrap the longer bits of the leaf around the filling. Think egg roll or burrito making technique... but really, if the meat mixture is covered by the cabbage leaf, you've met the goal, no matter how you get there.

Lay each cabbage roll seam-side down in the prepared baking dish (they should fit rather snugly) then pour over the remaining tomato sauce, making sure to completely cover the rolls. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. Uncover the dish and bake for another 30-45 minutes or until the top is slightly caramelized. Best if you can allow the cabbage rolls to rest for 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Lentil & Sausage "Stew"

"stalking" his prey...

Yes, I realize that the last recipe I posted was another lentil favorite... but this time of year, the produce available just screams to paired with lentils of any variety. ;)  Besides, if you don't like it, you can just go read something else... lentil hater. *shakes head sadly*

I suppose this would work well as a soup if you added much more liquid than I used, but I really like the texture of this dish as is; just enough liquid that you need to use a spoon instead of a fork. Maybe "stew" isn't quite the right word, but I'm going to stick with it unless someone has a better suggestion.

Even Micha was desperate to get his face into my bowl, so I must have done something right with this particular lentil recipe... because everybody knows that a cat has an incredibly discerning palate, um, right?

Lentil & Sausage "Stew"

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 rib of celery, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced (canned with the juice would be good too)
2 links hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed, crumbled
1/2 cup of lentils (I used just plain ol' brown lentils)
2 cups of liquid (I used chicken stock 'cause I already had an open carton)
1 cup butternut squash, diced (pulled straight from the freezer this time)
2 cups of kale, torn (I usually have this in the freezer, too, but used fresh today)
splash of acid of choice (lemon juice, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar) *optional
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

... going in for the kill...

In a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, saute the vegs (except kale & squash) in olive oil until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the turkey sausage and cook for another 4-6 minutes or until the sausage is mostly browned and the vegs have softened further. Stir in the lentils and liquid of choice, cover, and reduce heat to a low. Simmer on low until most of the liquid has absorbed, about 20-25 minutes, before adding the butternut squash, kale, salt & pepper. Cover slightly, and simmer for another 8-10 minutes. By this time, nearly all of the liquid should be absorbed. Add a splash of something to brighten the flavor- I used a shot of red wine vinegar- remove from the heat, and allow to stand, covered for at least 10 minutes before diving in... licking the bowl clean is definitely recommended, but optional I guess.

Enjoy!

*Cook's Note: These lentils were even better the next day! The remaining liquid had all but completely absorbed, making the lentils super creamy in texture. Yum!

Turkey Bolognese

This is my version of a classic ragu alla bolognese which is basically just a meat sauce served over pasta. In this case, the sauce is the star of the dish and because it's so thick and rich, I tossed it with just enough pasta to round it out and make it a meal in and of itself. And, while the list of ingredients is fairly long, it's a basic chop-and-drop-then-simmer method of cooking.

Turkey Bolognese

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 rib of celery, diced
1 lb. of ground turkey (really, you can use any meat or combination of meats here, though beef is classic)
2 tsps. garlic powder (as always, feel free to use fresh if you'd prefer)
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1 Tbs. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
1 large zucchini, diced
2 (14-ounce) cans of diced tomatoes
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. sugar (yes, I said sugar- it balances out the acidity of the tomatoes)
1 cup of liquid (water, stock, wine- dealer's choice here)
1/4 cup fat-free half & half (yes, cream is the classic, but this is the only dairy I keep in my fridge and soy milk just doesn't cut it here)
1/2 lb. short-cut pasta, cooked to al dente (I used whole wheat shells but penne or rigatoni is great here)
grated Parmesan, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil to finish

Directions:
In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, saute the onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil until slightly softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the ground turkey and all spices, continuing to cook over medium heat until the turkey is browned, another 7-9 minutes. Stir in the zucchini, tomatoes, tomato paste, and liquid of choice. Drop the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for at least 15-20 minutes. (The beauty of this dish is that the longer you cook it, the better it gets; just keep it over low heat and add more liquid for longer cooking times.) Stir in the half & half, letting it heat through before tossing in the cooked pasta. Finish with Parmesan, fresh basil, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Enjoy!

Quinoa & Chick Pea Salad

Another no-recipe recipe coming at you... the beauty of this particular dish is that you can use whatever fresh produce you have on hand and make as much or as little as you want. (I made enough for 1-2 servings, depending on whether you count it as a side-dish or entree.) This "recipe" lends itself beautifully to swap outs so you can make it with just about anything in your pantry if you don't like quinoa: couscous, bulgar wheat, wheat berries, barley, brown rice, or any short cut pasta.

Quinoa & Chick Pea Salad

Ingredients:
quinoa
cooking liquid of choice (water, vegetable stock, chicken stock... whatever floats your boat)
carrot, diced
shallot, diced
cucumber, diced
roasted red pepper, diced
cherry tomatoes, diced
chick peas, drained and rinsed
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
any combination of fresh/dry herbs (I used parsley, thyme, basil, pinch of oregano)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
In an appropriately sized pot, cook the quinoa in your liquid of choice, adding the carrots about half through the cooking time. (For my single entree serving, I used 1/4 cup quinoa + 1/2 cup veg stock.)

Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. (I like to make my vinaigrette with 1 part vinegar to 2 parts oil.) Stir in the quinoa once it's absorbed all of the liquid and then cooled slightly. Finish with fresh herbs and enjoy at room temperature or, if you have the patience to wait, it's even better after it's been refrigerated for a couple of hours.

Enjoy!

(My) Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

Another comfort food classic, you really can't go wrong with good ol' chicken noodle soup...

(My) Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried dill
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
6 cups of chicken stock (and yes, I actually used homemade stock)
2 cups of previously cooked chicken, shredded or diced
1 cup of corn (you guessed it- pulled straight from the freezer!)
8 ounces of egg noodles (I like to use the extra broad kind)

Directions:
In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute the vegs and all spices in olive oil until the vegs start to soften, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the chicken (this is how I cooked mine, and I used mostly dark meat in the soup while saving the white meat for another dish) and corn, then pour in the chicken stock. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat and dump in the noodles before lowering the heat once more to medium and simmering the soup until the noodles are tender, about 6-8 minutes.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

I think I've mentioned before that I grew up in a household where my mother was home every night and had dinner on the table for the family promptly when dad got home from work. Usually that dinner consisted of good ol' budget-friendly American classics and- at the time, unfortunately for me- that included stuffed peppers.

I hated those nights!

Why, you ask? Well, when my mother made stuffed peppers, it was always the same recipe: green peppers stuffed with a mixture of ground beef and white rice, baked in/topped with tomato sauce. First of all, I despise green peppers. It's only been in recent years that I've been able to use them in my own recipes, mainly as a base flavor component rather than as a main ingredient. Pretty much, when I cook with bell peppers I prefer to use the sweeter and more mellow red, yellow, and orange ones as opposed to the sharper green ones. Also, I'm not a big fan of white rice, generally preferring to use brown rice. The ground beef I could've lived with... if it hadn't been so damn greasy. *shudder* And what could I possibly find objectionable about tomato sauce? Eh. It was always straight up tomato sauce, no spices or herbs added. Actually, come to think of it, I'm fairly certain salt and pepper were the ONLY seasoning added to the entire dish. Really, can you blame me for not being a fan?

So don't think I don't see the irony in the fact that stuffed peppers make a fairly regular appearance on my dinner table some 25 years later (albeit not quite as often as back in the day)... but rest assured that I enjoy the hell out of the seemingly endless variations that do appear these days!

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1/2 zucchini, diced
1/2 yellow squash, diced
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried basil
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup orzo
1 Tbs. parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tbs. goat cheese
2 bell peppers, halved (I used yellow and orange)
1 cup of marinara (plus a couple of halved cherry tomatoes)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a saute pan over medium heat, cook the vegs and spices in olive oil until slightly softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the stock and raise the heat to bring the mixture to a boil before adding the orzo and reducing the heat once more to medium. Cook the orzo and vegs until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan and goat cheese.

Meanwhile, pour the marinara on the bottom of an 8"x8"glass baking dish and nestle the pepper halves down into it. Fill the peppers with the orzo and veg mixture, drizzle on some olive oil, then cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees until the peppers are tender, about 35-45 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes or until the orzo is lightly browned.

Enjoy!

(Sunday being my only day off this week, I did a bunch of prep work in the kitchen so I could get ahead of my weekday meals. In this case, as I put together the Italian Tortellini Soup I set aside some of the diced vegs used in THAT dish to go into THIS one. Work smarter, not harder... right?)

Italian Tortellini Soup

It's Sunday night and time once more to clean out my crisper drawer; what better way to do that than in a soup, right? Quick and easy to put together, you can really throw any sort of fresh (or frozen, for that matter) vegetable you've got on hand into the pot and let er rip.

Italian Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 links of hot Italian sausage, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/2 zucchini, diced
1/2 yellow squash, diced
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, diced (you can always use canned tomatoes, but I was cleaning out the crisper drawer, remember?)
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1 Tbs. dried basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I actually had open cartons of each in the fridge and used the last of both)
1 (8-ounce) bag of dried tortellini (I had the plain cheese kind in my cabinet)
6 ounces of baby spinach (fresh or frozen- I used fresh that was a little too wilted for a salad)

Directions:
In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage, vegs, and spices in olive oil until the sausage is mostly cooked through and the vegs are slightly softened, about 6-8 minutes. Add in your stock of choice and bring the soup to a boil before dropping in the pasta, cooking until the tortellini are al dente, about 8-9 minutes. Stir in the spinach just before serving.

Enjoy!

Hearty Vegetable Barley Soup

It's that time of year again when everybody and their mother is getting sick or just plain feeling run down as all get out. The weather is flip flopping around from cold, to not-so-cold, to frigid; people are coming down from their holiday high's, and the winter blahs are settling in. Right now, I fall somewhere in between run down and sick, while many of my co-workers aren't as lucky and are firmly stuck in the SICK category. So. What's the best thing to make everybody feel better? Soup, of course! I made a big ol' pot of this hearty vegetarian delight to bring to work tonight to share, so here's hoping it's just as good as the proverbial Jewish Grandmother's chicken soup to cure what ails us. ;)

Hearty Vegetable Barley Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced (1/2 a can of diced tomatoes would work if you don't have any fresh ones on hand)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. Italian herbs (or just use oregano- dealer's choice)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
8 cups of liquid (I used veggie stock to make it vegetarian, but go ahead and use chicken stock if you want)
1 cup of pearled barley
1 (15.5 ounce) can of beans, drained and rinsed (dealer's choice)
2" piece of parmesan rind
8 ounces of frozen mixed vegs (yes, straight from the freezer)
1 Tbs. soy sauce *optional (I like this because it adds a salty savoriness you really can't get with just plain salt)

Directions:
In a large soup pot over medium-low heat, saute the onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil for 3-5 minutes before stirring in the tomatoes and all spices. Continue to cook until the vegs start to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Pour in your liquid of choice as well as the barley and bring the soup to a boil. Stir in the beans and parmesan rind, cover the pot, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45-55 minutes or until the barley gets nice and tender and fluffy. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add in the frozen vegs and soy sauce (if using), and adjust seasoning as desired.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but I hate mushrooms; it's not so much the flavor, but more so the texture. I've had a life-long aversion to them and it's only been in recent years that I've learned to (mostly) appreciate what they have to offer... even though I still don't really like them. Weird, I know.

So why do I cook with them? Well, they really do add an earthy flavor to vegetarian/vegan dishes that would normally be played out by some kind of meat, and I'm given to understand that for people that actually like them, they have a "meaty" texture that gives substance to an otherwise meat-free dish. Oddly, I really enjoy the smell of mushrooms as they are cooking- and I DO like the flavor they impart- but I just can't deal with their texture. *shudder* Why then did I make stuffed mushrooms today? Well, I actually made dinner for 2 of my co-workers and THEY like mushrooms. Simple, right? AND, this is sort of another no-recipe recipe because you can make as many as you want; I had 2 mushroom caps so I just made a small amount of stuffing, but this could easily translate to feed a larger crowd of fungus lovers.

Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Ingredients:
portabella mushrooms, wiped clean of any dirt, stems removed and diced
olive oil (although I'm sure butter would be mighty tasty here)
onion, diced
carrot, diced
celery, diced
dried parsley
dried thyme
garlic powder
poultry seasoning (usually includes sage, marjoram, thyme)
salt & pepper, to taste
veggie stock
dried bread cubes or packaged stuffing mix (whatever you have on hand- I had cornbread stuffing mix leftover from Friendsgiving in my cabinet)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large saute pan, cook the vegs and spices in olive oil (or butter) until slightly softened, about 4-6 minutes. Add in the veggie stock and bring to a boil. (The amount of liquid used depends on the amount of stuffing mix you use. I used about 1-1.5 cups of liquid to about 3/4 cup of dried stuffing mix.) Add the stuffing mix, stir, cover with a lid, and remove from the heat. Allow the stuffing mix to stand for about 5 minutes, or until it has absorbed the liquid.

Meanwhile, in a glass baking dish, drizzle a small amount of olive oil in the bottom before placing the mushroom caps inside, gill side up. Pile on the stuffing mixture in a heaping mound, then drizzle the tops with more olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and browned around the edges.

Enjoy!

Lentils Primavera

Okay, so here's another non-recipe recipe. I've already posted my preferred method for cooking lentils here, so I'm not going to do it again. I've mentioned before how versatile lentils are, and this is just another of the many ways I like to use them.

Lentils Primavera

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry lentils
2 cups liquid of choice (water, veggie stock, chicken stock)

olive oil
onion, diced
carrots, diced
zucchini, diced
squash, diced
snap peas, diced
tomatoes, fresh or canned, diced
preferred combination of spices/herbs: basil, herbes de provence, garlic powder, lemon pepper
splash of red wine vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
While the lentils are cooking, saute the veg and spices in olive oil until tender crisp, about 7-9 minutes. Once the lentils have absorbed most of the cooking liquid (about 30-40 minutes), add them to the sauteed vegs and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning to your taste and there you go.

Enjoy!

Veg & Tofu Shepherd's Pie

Okay, so I'm not going to post exact measurements with this particular recipe because you can really make as little (personal size casserole) or as much as you want so the quantities I used today aren't important. Also, the combination of veggies can be switched up depending on your taste and/or whatever you have on hand. I usually reach for the bag of frozen mixed veg straight from the freezer (a convenience that can't be overstated!) but today, I actually pulled fresh vegs from the fridge and supplemented with a few frozen staples like the peas and corn.

Today's version was baked in an 8" x 8" dish which made enough for 4 generous portions.

Veg & Tofu Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
olive oil (or butter, if you prefer)
mixed veg, fresh or frozen, diced (I used onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, sun dried tomatoes, snap peas, peas, and corns)
herbes de provence
garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
AP flour
vegetable stock
crumbled tofu, previously baked
mashed potaotes to top everything

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute the veggies in olive oil until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle on the spices and flour (basically, you want to use as much flour as oil) and cook for another minute before adding the veggie stock, stirring until thickened to desired consistency. Transfer the veggie mixture to a casserole dish and cover with mashed potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Happy Friendsgiving!!!

Thanksgiving is, by far, my favorite holiday of the year. Why? The food, of course!

Having ditched my birth family years ago, I don't have "family obligation" holiday meals to suffer through which means I get to cook everything myself, exactly the way I like it. Now, despite the fact that I had to work on Thanksgiving Day and was too tired to come home and cook anything- let alone the full monty- this year was probably the best Thanksgiving I've had in years because I was able to share it with friends... and my friends are more important to me than pretty much any of the folks out there with whom I share a genetic link. You see, I am of the opinion that family is what you make of it... and I have a pretty cool family, if I do say so myself. And I'm pretty sure Kailan would agree with me since he had an awesome time playing- and begging for food- with his friend Tater Tot. :)

So what did we eat? Well, I spent a chunk of Saturday getting a jump start on the Friendsgiving Day feast I had planned, so to that end, I made a salted caramel apple pie (mostly) from scratch which was a first for me. Because I really don't enjoy making pastry dough, I see nothing wrong with using the pre-made, refrigerated pie dough. However, that doesn't mean I can't make the filling myself (no canned pie filling here!) and it was surprisingly easy.

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

salted caramel apple pie... all that was left

Peel and core 6 cups of apples (I used a mix of granny smith and golden delicious) and slice into 1/4" pieces before tossing them with 2 Tbs. of fresh lemon juice. Meanwhile, in a large heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium-high heat, cook 2/3 cup of sugar until it melts and turns dark amber, swirling occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 6 Tbs. of butter and 1 Tbs. of heavy cream, swirling to combine. Return the sauce pan to the stove over medium heat and add the apples, stirring to coat in the caramel. Cook the apples until softened, about 3-5 minutes and remove from the heat once more before stirring in 2 Tbs. of AP flour and 1 tsp. of sea salt. Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the pie dough from the fridge and bring to room temperature while the oven is preheating, about 15-20 minutes. Once the dough is room temperature, press one crust into a 9" glass pie dish before dumping in all of the apple mixture. Top with the remaining crust and cut several slits in the top to allow the steam to escape during baking. Now, I like to put my pies on a baking sheet for easier handling as well as to catch any drips if the pie bubbles over while it's baking... but you don't have to. Although, I'm pretty sure you're an idiot if you don't, but whatever. Put the pie on the middle rack and lower the heat to 375 degrees. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until the pie is golden brown. You may need to cover the pie crust with foil in the last 10-15 minutes of cooking to prevent over-browning, but surprisingly, I didn't need to this time. Cool the pie for at least an hour before cutting into it and enjoying the salty sweet goodness. Mmmmm....

In addition to the pie, I also made (vegan) sweet potato gnochi which was a first for me. Because I wanted to make sure they would be a success, I needed to do a trial run with them first so once I made the dough, I cooked up a small batch- definite success!- and ate them for dinner. Again, these were surprisingly easy to make, although I have to admit that I'm not a fan of working with sticky dough and these certainly fell under that heading.

(Vegan) Sweet Potato Gnochi

vegan sweet potato gnochi dough

Bake 2 pounds of whole sweet potatoes (2-4 potatoes, depending on size) in a 425 degree oven for 45-55 minutes until fork tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle then slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out all of the flesh into a large bowl, discarding the skins. While the potatoes are still warm, mash them (I just used a fork) with 1 tsp. of salt, 1 tsp. of nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp. of black pepper. Once the sweet potato mash has cooled, stir in 3-4 cups of AP flour in 1/2 cup increments, stirring after each addition until the dough reaches a rather sticky consistency but comes together to form an actual dough. (I think I used a little more than 4 cups, actually.) Once the dough comes together, divide it roughly into 6 parts. On a floured surface, roll out each part of the dough into ropes about 10-12 inches long and about 1/2 inch in diameter. I can't stress this part enough: Make sure you've got plenty of flour on your work surface AND your hands because this shit is sticky! Flour a knife and cut the ropes into 1 inch pieces, pressing each piece gently with the tines of a (floured!) fork to make decorative ridges.

... sauteed in vegan butter

Once the gnochi are formed, you can either cook them right away or store them in the fridge (for up to 3 days) or in the freezer (for up to 1 month). To cook them, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Dump in about 20 gnochi at a time and reduce the heat to a simmer, cooking the gnochi until they float to the top, about 4 minutes. Transfer the floating gnochi to a separate pan over medium heat and saute them in butter (or vegan butter as the case may be) with your favorite herbs (I used sage and thyme), turning them every minute or so to brown/crisp all sides. It's a bit of a process having to cook them in batches, but it's totally worth it...

So the rest of the meal, I put together on Sunday. To ease myself into it, I started with my favorite cranberry sauce which is more like a relish or chutney: Bring to a boil 1 bag of whole cranberries + 1 cup each of sugar and water (I actually use apple juice) and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Once the berries start popping, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thickened, about 15-20 minutes. Cool before serving.

roasted turkey breast, already carved

Keeping in mind that I had carnivores, vegetarians, AND vegan guests coming, I only had to make a few small adjustments to keep the majority of the dishes suitable for everyone. Of course, there's no way to veganize actual meat, so the herb roasted turkey breast and whole roasted chicken were the (tasty) exceptions to that rule. Oh, and my traditional sausage-bread stuffing with dried cranberries was the other exception, but I also made a vegan version with mushrooms and pecans which turned out pretty damn good if I do say so myself.

sausage stuffing, green bean casserole, vegan stuffing

In addition to the stuffings (yes, I still call it "stuffing" instead of dressing even though the only thing it's stuffed in is a casserole dish), I also made chunky mashed potatoes (skins still on- I don't peel potatoes) with parsnips, veganizing them with vegan cream cheese and butter, plus a whole bunch of fresh herbs. There was also a green bean casserole (not vegan) as well as the more vegan friendly version of sauteed green beans with mushrooms and onions. To round things things out, I also roasted some chunks of butternut squash and fresh Brussels sprouts, both simply dressed with a little vegan butter and salt & pepper. Nothing terribly difficult to make, but juggling the timing of everything was a little challenging and dinner started about 45 minutes later than I had originally planned.

Eh. No big.

(vegan) sweet potato gnochi, roasted butternut squash

roasted Brussels sprouts, vegan sauteed green beans, vegan mashed potatoes & parsnips

And, because I was feeding a dozen people, it was easier to just put all the dishes out buffet-style so everyone could help themselves before getting comfortable and settling in the living room to eat while watching football. See? And you thought Friendsgiving wasn't the same as Thanksgiving...

vegan mixed berry crisp... again, all that was left...

After food and drink, there was even more drink and games (Apples to Apples and Scattergories) before we dove into dessert: salted caramel apple pie, (vegan) mixed berry crisp, and pumpkin cheesecake (an oft-requested specialty of one of my guests).

A good time was most definitely had by all... the only downside being that there weren't nearly enough leftovers for me to enjoy the rest of the week! ;)

Veggie Pot Pie

Pot pie is another one of those comfort foods that I like to make every couple of weeks. Not only is it yummy, but it's easy to switch things up flavor-wise and make it with pretty much any vegetable and protein combination I've got on hand. Plus, it's pretty hassle-free because I like to use refrigerated pie crust... which also makes it easy to throw together either a full-size dish to share, or a single-size casserole like today's version. Truth be told, I kind of prefer making this smaller version because the crust just seems to turn out better, and you're pretty much guaranteed a bite of crust with each forkful. ;)

Veggie Pot Pie

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. onion, diced (you guessed it- straight from the freezer!)
1/2 tsp. herbes de provence
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
pinch of garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
4 ounces mixed vegs (again, straight from the freezer)
1 Tbs. AP flour
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
protein of choice, pre-cooked: chicken, turkey, beef, tofu, beans
1 refrigerated pie crust

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove pie crust from the fridge and set aside to come to room temperature, about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium-low heat, cook the onion and all spices in olive oil until slightly softened, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the mixed vegs and continue cooking for another 2 minutes or so until defrosted and starting to warm. Sprinkle on the flour and cook for another minute before adding the vegetable stock. Bump the heat up to medium and stir the veggie mixture until thick and bubbly, about 7-9 minutes. Stir in your protein of choice (I went with cannellini beans today) and set aside to cool slightly.

Unroll the pie dough and cut it to fit the casserole dish of your choice. (Because I decided to use an individual-size dish, I cut the rest of the dough into strips, sprinkled it with cinnamon & sugar, and spread them out on parchment paper to bake alongside the pot pie.) Spoon the veggie mixture into the casserole dish, cover with pie dough, making sure to cut several vent slits in the top to allow the steam to escape. Bake at 400 degrees until the crust is golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before breaking into the creamy goodness.

Enjoy!

Vegetable Beef & Barley Stew

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love this time of year! When the weather turns cool, all I want to do is make soup because, hello?!, who wouldn't?! As much as I enjoy standing over a simmering pot of something on the stove top, nothing beats the convenience of using a slow cooker... that's if you've got the patience to actually WAIT for the final product some 6 to 8 hours later. Beef stew is really one of those soups that is best when done in the slow cooker, mainly because the cut of meat traditionally used in beef stew is a cheap cut which translates to a very tough cut of meat that benefits from slow cooking at low heat. I suppose if you want to make a quick version of beef stew, you can always use a more tender cut of meat... but why bother? It just won't taste the same. 

Vegetable Beef & Barley Stew

Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes with their juice
1 lb. beef stew meat, cut into slightly larger than bite-size pieces
2 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 lb. red new potatoes, diced
3/4 cup barley
4 cups beef or vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup of peas

Directions:
Okay, so I know it's an incredibly looooong list of ingredients, but it really is easy to put this stew together and here's the breakdown:

Step 1: Get your slow cooker out from wherever you keep it hidden.
Step 2: Dump the onions, carrots, celery, and parsnips in the bottom of the slow cooker then cover them with the tomatoes.
Step 3: In a large bowl, toss the beef together with the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until well coated.
Step 4: In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, quickly brown the beef on all sides.
Step 5: Dump the beef into the slow cooker then add in all the rest of the ingredients (except the peas), making sure that there's enough liquid to mostly cover the ingredients.
Step 6: Put the lid on the slow cooker, plug it in, set in on LOW for 6-8 hours, then walk away. Works well overnight.
Step 7: Unplug the slow cooker, stir in the peas, and dish up a big ol' bowl of beefy goodness.

Enjoy!

Veggie Stir Fry

Veggie Stir Fry

veggie stir fry with tofu

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. cold water
1 1/2 tsp. corn starch
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. dry sherry or orange juice
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. ginger (ground or fresh)
1/2 tsp. garlic (powder or fresh)
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 (10 ounce bag) mixed veggies (gotta love those frozen vegs! I had a bag of "Asian Vegs" in the freezer that included onions, carrots, broccoli, green beans, red peppers, and water chestnuts)
protein of choice

Directions:
Combine the corn starch and cold water, whisking until the corn starch dissolves. Yes, it really needs to be COLD water, otherwise the corn starch will just clump up on you. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, sherry/orange juice, and spices then set aside.

In a large saute pan (or wok) over medium-high heat, cook the veggies in the oil until heated through yet still crisp. (If you use a bag of vegs straight from the freezer like I did, start the vegs in a dry pan- no oil- and put a lid on it to steam the vegs for about 3-5 minutes before uncovering, adding the oil, and commencing the actual "stir fry" process.) Once the vegs are tender-crisp, move them to the outside edges of the pan to create a well in the center. Pour the sauce into the center of the pan, stirring until thickened, about 1 minute. After the sauce has thickened, go ahead and pull the vegs back into the mix and toss to combine. Add your protein of choice (chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or tofu) or keep it as is.

Enjoy!

Veggie Lentil Soup

Veggie Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 rib of celery, diced
4 ounces of spinach (fresh or frozen)
1 cup par-cooked lentils
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried dill
salt & pepper to taste
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups V-8 juice (plain tomato juice or even tomato sauce would work)

Directions:
Saute the vegs in the olive oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until slightly softened before adding in all spices and continuing to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Pour in the veg stock and V-8 juice, reduce heat to low, add the *par-cooked lentils and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Enjoy!

*For the par-cooked lentils, in a separate pot, boil 1/4 cup of lentils with 1 cup of water for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 15 minutes. The lentils won't be completely cooked at this point, but they should be not quite al dente. Better yet, if you make a pot of lentils and have leftover, just toss those into the soup at the last minute.

Creamy Vegetable, Chick Pea & Dumpling Soup

While I am fully aware that the classic dish is usually chicken (or even turkey) and dumplings, in this instance, however, I didn't think ahead to pulling some chicken breasts out of the freezer so I fudged things a little and improvised. But you know what? Some of my best dishes come from just these sorts of situations, and this one was a delightful success. Not as thick as the traditional chicken and dumplings, this particular version had a rich base without being too heavy, thus "soup" instead of a stew. AND, because I don't make dumplings very often, I actually follow the recipe straight from the Better Homes & Garden New Cook Book that I've had since my college days. [insert nostalgic sigh]

Creamy Vegetable, Chick Pea & Dumpling Soup

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried dill
8 ounces of mixed vegs (I've said it before, and I'll say it again- you NEED to keep this stuff in your freezer!)
1 cup tomatoes, diced
2 Tbs. flour
1 cup milk (yes, I used plain soy milk)
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2" piece of Parmesan rind
1 (15.5 ounce) can chick peas, drained and rinsed

2/3 cup AP flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. dried herbs (I used a combination of parsley and dill)
1/4 cup milk (yes, it was soy again)
2 Tbs. vegetable oil

Directions:
In a large soup pot over medium-low heat, saute the onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil until slightly softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in all of the spices and cook for another 3-5 minutes before adding the tomatoes and mixed vegs. Continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes then sprinkle on the flour, stirring to coat the vegs. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly. Raise the heat to medium-high, continuing to stir as you add in the stock and drop in the Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the soup reaches a boil, you'll notice it thickening slightly; turn the heat back down to medium-low, stir in the chick peas, and allow the soup to simmer gently for 10 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and herbs. Pour in the milk and oil, stirring just until combined. Once the dough comes together, immediately spoon it by the tablespoonful (you should get 4-6 dumplings out of it, depending on how generous your scoops are) to float on top of the simmering soup. Cover the pot and walk away for 20 minutes. NO PEEKING!

After 20 minutes, test the dumplings for doneness just like you do with baked goods- a toothpick inserted in the center blah blah blah. Like most soups, this one tastes just as good, if not better, the next day.

Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Soup

Anytime I have leftover marinara in the fridge- usually loaded with all kinds of vegs (this one had onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, squash, and eggplant)- I either toss it in the freezer for another day, or make creamy tomato soup with it. It's as easy as reheating the sauce on the stove top and then using my immersion blender to buzz it til it's smooth and creamy. It makes a great simple supper or quick and easy lunch, but instead of pairing it with the classic grilled cheese sandwich, I went with a cheesy quesadilla that was baked in the toaster oven.

You see, it doesn't always have to be about a NEW recipe, but rather, what to do with the leftovers...

Enjoy!

Mushroom & Barley Faux Risotto

Traditional risotto is made with a short grain rice (like aroborio), sauted in butter or olive oil with onions for several minutes to coat the grains of rice before adding in a splash of wine and then ladles of hot stock or broth, stirring frequently with each addition of liquid to help the rice develop its starches and create a creamy dish. It refers to the method of cooking as much as the final dish itself. I call this dish a Faux Risotto because I used barley instead of a short grain rice (although you CAN make risotto with other grains), and the barley was cooked independently of the rest of the vegs, boiled like long grain rice. Yes, the final dish has that same creamy texture as a true risotto does, but I arrived there in a very different fashion... thus the Faux. And yes, I HAVE made traditional risotto before; quite frankly, I didn't have the patience for it tonight.

Mushroom & Barley Faux Risotto

Ingredients:
4 cups of water
3/4 cup of barley
1 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 rib of celery, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (preferably red, yellow, or orange)
1 roma tomato, diced (canned would be fine)
1 pint of mushrooms, sliced (I used crimini)
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder (blah blah fresh...)
1 Tbs. parsley (fresh or dried)
couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil before adding the barley and salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer until most of the water has been absorbed, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium heat, cook the vegs (except the mushrooms) in olive oil for 5-7 minutes until slightly softened. Add in the mushrooms and dried spices, continuing to cook until the mushrooms start to brown and give off their liquid, another 5-7 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar and remove from the heat. Once the barley has absorbed most of the water, add it to the mushroom mixture, stirring gently to combine. Finish with a sprinkle of parsley and some Parmesan if the mood strikes you.

Enjoy!