Mushroom and Tempeh Goulash

This is my second foray into tempeh land, and it was every bit as successful as the tempe chili that I posted earlier. I used elbow macaroni for this but it would work well with zoodles for sure, or any other pasta-type food that you enjoy. I used a combination of fresh and canned tomatoes for this dinner. You could use all fresh if you have enough, or all canned if that's all you've got. I forgot to weigh the fresh tomatoes, so, as usual, amounts below are approximations.

Mushroom and Tempe Goulash

2 tsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

8 oz. tempeh, diced approximately the size of peas, or whatever size you would like to eat

3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, juice and all, pureed with a stick blender

3 cups or so sliced mushrooms. I used a combination of crimini and button, use one or both or whatever you have

2 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup broth if needed

salt and pepper to taste

elbow macaroni or other pasta-type product of choice

Sweat the onions in the oil for about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute, then add the tempeh and a pinch of salt. Cook while you chop the tomatoes and mushrooms. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms to the pan and cook for about 8 minutes to break up the tomatoes. The sauce seemed very dry to me at this point, so added about 1/2 cup of veggie broth. Stir in the herbs and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Meanwhile cook or otherwise prepare your pasta. When ready, stir into the pan with the sauce and serve.

I served this with cashew parmesan and it was delicious!

Roasted Carrot Mac and 'Cheese'

Years ago I developed a recipe for one pot mac and cheese. Tonight I decided to try a vegan version, and it turned out pretty darned good. I have a LOT of carrots to use up, so I used a few of them in the sauce. They are not required to make the dish, but they did make it orange so it looks more like traditional mac and cheese. My original plan was to add kale to this, but when I went to get it out of the fridge I found some green beans that weren't going to last much longer, so I decided to roast them with some cauliflower and add that instead. I am pleased with how this turned out. The only issue was that using such a small amount of cashews they didn't get super smooth in the food processor. This is easily remedied by using pre-made or store-bought cashew butter, or just making more, using only a little for this dish, and saving the rest for another use.

Roasted Carrot Macaroni and 'Cheese'

2 Carrots, about 8 oz., cut into 1/2 inch lengths

small drizzle of olive oil

1/4 cup raw unsalted cashews

Pinch salt

Sprinkle (pinch) of garlic granules

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 cup elbow macaroni

2 cups veggie broth 

1/2 cup or so sliced green beans

1 cup or so cauliflower florets

small drizzle olive oil

Toss the carrots with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast at 35 until soft, 12-15 minutes. Cool slightly and puree in a food processor (or you could probably just add them in with the cashews rather than doing them separate, but I didn't try it that way)

If you plan ahead, you can roast the green beans and cauliflower with the carrots, but they will take only about 8-10 minutes. If you don't plan ahead like me, you can roast them while the pasta cooks.

Process the cashews in a food processor until smooth like peanut butter. It may be easier to achieve the desired texture if you add a Tbsp or so of broth. Add the pinch of salt, garlic granules, nutritional yeast, and carrots, and pulse until combined. Set aside

Put the pasta and broth in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the pasta is cooked, about 10 minutes. There will still be liquid in the pot. Stir in the cashew mixture and simmer until thickened and heated through, just a few minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and green beans and serve.  Makes 2-3 servings.

One Pot Creamy Pesto Pasta

Here is a quicky lunch or side dish to use up some of that summer basil you may still have around.

One Pot Creamy Pesto Pasta

1 Small Garlic Clove
2 TBSP Pine Nuts or Walnuts
2 TBSP Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/3 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves
Drizzle of Olive Oil
1 Cup Pasta
2 Cups Veggie Broth (or Chicken Broth)
2 Tbsp Flour
1 1/2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Cup Milk

Combine the garlic, pine nuts or walnuts, Parmesan cheese, and basil in a food processor and process until smooth. Slowly add in a drizzle of olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Or, feel free to use pre-made basil pesto in this recipe, up to about 1/3 cup or so.




This little food processor that came with my stick blender is perfect for this job.


Put the pasta and the broth in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer until the pasta is tender, about 10-12 minutes. There will still be some liquid left in the pot.

Sprinkle the flour over the pasta and cook and stir for about a minute. Add the butter and stir until melted. Cook and stir another minute or two, then add in the milk. Stir to incorporate everything and let cook for about 90 seconds, or until the milk is simmering. Stir in pesto sauce to taste, I like a lot, so I used all of it, but start with a few tablespoons and see how you like it. Season to taste with salt and pepper, serve and enjoy.

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Stir-Fry Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce and Veggies

Okay, it's been forever. I know. I have been sick ALL summer, but despite that did manage to cook a few things, just never got around to posting.

My sweetie is not a big fan of peanut sauce, so I made this one in July when he was on a business trip to the East Coast. I have tried many times to make peanut sauce, and this was by far my best effort to date. I listed the vegetables I used this time, but, as always, you can use whatever you have on hand. Just try to have about 3 cups or so of vegetables.

For the Sauce :

1/3 Cup plus 1 TBSP Creamy Peanut Butter
1 Clove Garlic, Minced or Pressed
1/2 tsp Fresh Ginger, Minced
1 TBSP Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar
1/2 tsp Chili Garlic Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil



For the Stir-Fry

2 tsp Canola or Peanut Oil
1 Cup Green Beans, about 1 inch long
1/2 Cup Sliced Summer Squash
1/2 Cup Sliced Radishes
1/2 Cup Sliced Carrots
1 Cup Chopped Cabbage
1/4 - 1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
One 9 oz. Package of Fresh Asian Noodles, or Dried Linguine or Spaghetti


To make the sauce, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.

Cook the noodles according to the package directions and set aside.

To make the stir-fry, heat the oil in a wok over high heat, add the vegetables and stir-fry until they just begin to soften, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the sauce and the cooked noodles. Stir to coat everything thoroughly and cook until hot, about another 3 minutes or so. Stir in the chopped cilantro, serve and enjoy!

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One Pot Stove Top Mac and Cheese (No collander required!)

I developed this recipe as an alternative to packaged pasta sides. I happen to love those things. Boxed macaroni and cheese, packets of noodles and sauce mix of every variety. I love them for both the taste and convenience, but they are expensive for what you get, and full of salt and chemical preservatives.

So I started playing around with one pot homemade versions, and this macaroni and cheese recipe was born. Mind you, I still like a good old-fashioned casserole with crunchy topping from the oven, but this one is all about getting it on the table fast and easy clean-up. And it's pretty tasty, to boot!

One Pot Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese.

1 Cup Macaroni
2 Cups Veggie Broth (or Chicken Broth)
2 Tbsp Flour
1 1/2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Cup Milk
1/3 - 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese (Cheddar or a combination of Cheddar and another cheese like Jack)
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Put the macaroni and the broth in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer until the pasta is tender, about 10-12 minutes. There will still be some liquid left in the pot.

Sprinkle the flour over the macaroni and cook and stir for about a minute. Add the butter and stir until melted. Cook and stir another minute or two, then add in the milk. Stir to incorporate everything and let cook for about 90 seconds, or until the milk is simmering. Stir in the cheese using a figure eight pattern until melted. Spoon into bowls and serve with fresh ground black pepper to taste.

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Bok Choy and Noodle Soup

I was looking for a way to use up some greens for breakfast, but was not in the mood for eggs at all. I thought I would try a simple Asian noodle soup, and it was quite satisfying on this foggy morning.

Bok Choy and Noodle Soup

2 tsp Peanut or Canola Oil
2 Green Onions, sliced, white parts and green separated
1 Clove Garlic, chopped or pressed
1 Bunch Bok Choy, sliced thinly, white stems and greens separated
4 Cups Veggie (or Chicken) Broth
2 oz. Noodles (Spaghetti, Angel Hair, Fettucine or Fresh Asian Noodles)
2 tsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Sesame Oil

Heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the white part of the sliced green onion and saute for about 3 minutes. Add the chopped or pressed garlic and saute for one minute. Add the sliced white stems of bok choy and saute for 2 more minutes.

Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer until just cooked (anywhere from 2 - 10 minutes, depending on the noodles used). Add the bok choy greens and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the sliced green onion tops.

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Pasta Sauce with Meatballs and Sausage

Okay, so I know it's been unreasonably long since I've posted any recipes. The irony is not lost on me that as soon as we got the fancy new kitchen I stopped publishing recipes. But that is how it has gone. It's not that I haven't been cooking, because I have! For some reason the inspiration to photo and write about my recipes has been lacking.

But there are a few loyal souls out there who keep commenting asking for more recipes, so here goes. I hope to start posting more regularly.

Please enjoy this recipe for pasta sauce with sausage and meatballs.


For the meatballs :

1 - 1 1/4 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs or panko (measured in a glass or 'liquid' measuring cup)
milk (enough to cover the breadcrumbs)
Salt and Pepper
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

Preheat oven to 350

Lightly grease a cookie sheet or baking pan

Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs in the glass measuring cup. Put the turkey in a medium mixing bowl. When the breadcrumbs have absorbed most of the milk (3 minutes or so) add salt and pepper to taste, and the garlic powder. Mix with a fork, then add the breadcrumb mixture to the meat in the bowl. Combine well, and form into roughly walnut-sized meatballs.

Place the meatballs on the prepared baking pan, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.


For the Sausage:

1 pound Italian Sausage Links, mild or spicy

Brown the sausage in a non-stick pan over medium-low or medium heat until browned on all sides.

For the Sauce :

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, Diced (2 cups)
2-3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced or Pressed
1 24 ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
1 15 ounce Can Tomato Sauce
2 tsp Dried Basil
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and saute until very soft, but not brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for one minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add the dried herbs, crushing between your palm and fingers as you add them to the pot. Continue heating over medium heat until the sauce begins to simmer.

Add the meatballs and the sausage to the sauce. Lower heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes, up to several hours.

Serve with your favorite pasta, or spaghetti squash. Buon Apetito!

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Pasta with Meat Sauce : remodel dinner #16

For dinner last night I continued with the pasta theme, and made this pasta with meat sauce in the electric skillet (where else?) It was yummy and we both enjoyed having a familiar meal for a change. (I am posting this old photo because the photos I took last night are way too blurry)

Farfalle with Summer Squash : remodel dinner #15

The veggies are beginning to pile up. I'm finding it's really hard to use them all when I am not cooking lunch. And it's really hard to cook lunch with a houseful of construction workers. Oh well, the remodel is moving along swimmingly. Anyway, in an effort to use up some veg, I made this pasta with summer squash.

Just cooked up some pasta on the burner on the side of the grill.

I also sauteed some onions and garlic in the electric skillet, when they were soft I added in a big summer squash that I had quartered lengthwise then sliced. Then I added a few pinches of crushed red pepper. When the pasta was done, I drained it and added it straight to the skillet along with a few splashed of chicken broth (veggie broth would make this a vegan dish). I let the broth cook off and sprinkled on a few handfuls of grated parmesan cheese and some fresh basil.

My sweetie made some garlic "bread" (English Muffin)


Voila! Dinner.

Tortellini Salad and Roasted Beets : remodel dinner #4

Tonight's dinner was pretty simple, while still using up a fair amount of CSA veggies. While looking through the fridge and freezer for inspiration, I spied a pack of tortellini from Costco in the freezer, and this is where that led.

I put a 'steamer ' pot to boil on the extra grill burner, then chopped up about 1/2 a summer squash, one carrot, a spring onion, and roughly 1 cup or so broccoli florets. When the tortellini were done cooking (I cooked about 2 1/2 cups) , I drained them then put them back in the pot with the vegetables and about 2 Tbsp of Italian dressing and a small handful of shredded Parmesan cheese. I also added about 1 1/2 Tbsp of fresh basil from the garden, then tossed it all together and set it aside.

For the beets: I cut 3 smallish beets into roughly 1 inch chunks. Then put them on foil and tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper. I added a few sprigs of fresh rosemary from the garden and roasted them in the toaster oven at 450 for about 30 minutes. So aromatic! My sweetie kept saying "It smells like rosemary". : )

Fideos in the rice cooker : remodel dinner #1

Well, last night was the first night without the kitchen. I made fideos using the electric frying pan and the rice cooker. Rather than puree the tomatoes, etc, I simply added about 1/3 cup of salsa and some onion and garlic powders to the noodles and broth (this dish is vegan if you use veggie broth) in the rice cooker (after browning the noodles in the electric frying pan) and pressed the button. The noodles were a little dry initially, so I added some more broth and cooked them for just a little longer.





I also made mushroom and onion quesadillas in the electric frying pan. Cut up and sauteed some onions and mushrooms. Then made quesadillas with the veg and some pre-shredded cheese and flour tortillas.

Far from gourmet, but definitely servicable.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Oh, I really wanted to make something heart-shaped for Valentine's Day. I'm not exactly sure why that is, but I did. I tossed dozens of ideas around, but none of them seemed appropriate somehow. So finally I gave up on heart-shaped, and just went for yummy.

Make this lasagna for your sweetie, and they will be yours forever!


Butternut Squash Lasagna


Inspired by a recipe from Giada de Laurentiis

1 Medium Butternut Squash (about 2 lbs)
Olive Oil for Rubbing the Squash
Salt and Pepper
1/2 Cup Water
3 Tbsp Butter
3 tbsp Flour
3 Cups Milk (2% or Whole)
1/2 Loosely Packed Fresh Basil Leaves
Salt and Pepper
1 1/2 - 2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese- depending on how cheesy you like it!
1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
6 No-Bake Lasagna Noodles
Olive Oil or Butter for Greasing Baking Pan

Preheat the oven to 350. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Rub the cut sides of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down in a baking dish, add 1/2 cup water, cover and bake until very tender, about 45-60 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook the squash covered in the microwave until tender, about 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, mash it up with a fork, and set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and continue whisking for about one minute. Gradually add the milk, whisking the whole time to prevent lumps. Continue cooking over medium to medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and continue cooking until thickened a bit, about 5 minutes. Whisk often to prevent lumps. Remove from heat.

Put the basil leaves in a food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times to chop them up. Add about 1/2 of the sauce to the processor and process until the basil is well-incorporated. Return the basil-sauce to the rest of the sauce in the pan, and stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 375

Lightly grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Pour about 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom. Cover the sauce with 2 of the lasagna noodles. Spread 1/2 of the squash over the noodles. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese over the squash. Repeat the layers : sauce, noodles, squash, mozzarella. Drizzle some sauce over this layer of mozzarella, cover with 2 more noodles, and pour the remaining sauce over top. Cover tightly with foil and bake until nice and bubbly and the noodles are soft, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven. Take off the foil and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan cheese. Return to the oven until the top is nicely browned, 10-15 minutes longer. Let sit for about 15 minutes before serving.

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Meat Sauce for Pasta

We've been having winter this week. Which for us means lots of rain, wind, cold, and more rain. This is another meal that's great for this kind of weather. Pretty simple comfort food for a cold, rainy night.

Meat Sauce for Pasta

2 tsp Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, Diced
1 Pound Ground Turkey
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced or Pressed
Salt and Pepper
2 tsp Dried Basil
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1 28-Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
12 Ounces Button Mushrooms, Sliced
Carrot and/or Zucchini, Finely Grated (If you need to sneak veggies into your family)
Parmesan Cheese (Optional for Garnish)

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up with a spatula or wooden spoon until no longer pink. If your turkey is very fatty, spoon off some of the excess fat at this point. You want about 1 Tbsp of fat left in the pan with the turkey and onions. Add the garlic and salt and pepper to taste, cook, stirring, for about one minute. Add in the dried herbs, and stir to coat the meat and onion mixture. Add the tomato sauce and the sliced mushrooms. At this point, you can add in finely grated summer squash and/or carrots if it's summer and you have an abundance. Your family will never know. Unless, of course, they happen to walk into the kitchen and find you grating a zucchini over the sauce pot. Then they will know. Then they will strongly deny the fact that you have been grating zucchini into the pasta sauce for years. But that may be a topic for another entry...Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 3o minutes; the longer the better. Serve over the pasta of your choice. Garnish with parmesan cheese as desired.

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Fideos or Sopa Seca

This one is quick and easy. It would make a great first course for a big Mexican meal. It also works great as a main for a quick weekday dinner.

Fideos

1 14-Ounce Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 Clove Garlic
1/2 Small Onion, Cut in Chunks
2 Cups Broth (Chicken or Veggie)
8-10 Ounces Angel Hair Pasta or Vermicelli
1 Canned Chipotle in Adobo Sauce
2 tsp Canola Oil

Garnishes:

Fresh Chopped Cilantro
Chopped Avocado
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese
Sliced Green Onions

Combine the tomatoes with their juice, the onion, garlic and chipotle in a food processor. Process until smooth.

Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Break the angel hair pasta in about thirds and add to the hot oil. (If using vermicelli nests, add them directly to the hot oil.) Cook, stirring as needed until well browned. Add the tomato puree and the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir. Continue cooking as needed, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Spoon into bowls and garnish as desired.

!Buen Probecho!

Butternut Pinwheels with Cheese Sauce

This was a fun dish to make. The pinwheels were great, the sauce was okay. It definitely suffered from the lack of fresh basil. I would not recommend making it unless you have fresh basil, I think it would really have made it pop. But alas, my basil is long done for the year, and the store's supply did not look very good, so I went with dried. Live and learn.

Butternut Pinwheels with Cheese Sauce

For the Sauce

1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Flour
1 cup Broth
1 cup Milk
4 Ounces Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 Tbsp Shredded Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp Chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp dried) Fresh is really best in this recipe
White Pepper to Taste

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and stir together. Stir in the flour and cook for about 2 or 3 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. Whisk in the broth, then add the milk. Cook for about 5 minutes, then stir in the mozzarella cheese in batched until melted. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add the basil and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

For the Pinwheels

Preheat Oven to 375

One Butternut Squash (The one I had was about 1 1/4 pounds)
3-4 Fresh Sage Leaves
1 Small Clove Garlic
1 1/2 tsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste
4 Tbsp Minced Shallots
4 Tbsp Milk
4 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
8 Lasagna Noodles

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Chop the sage leaves and garlic. Mix the sage, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub over cut sides of the squash. Put the squash in a baking pan with a lid or cover with foil and cook until very soft, 45-60 minutes. Scrape the squash out of the shell and puree in a food processor. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook until nicely softened, 8-10 minutes. Add the squash puree and the milk. Cook until heated through and add the Parmesan cheese.

Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain them, then lay out one or two on a plate. Cover the length of each noodle with a thin layer of the squash, then roll it up. Spoon some sauce over and serve!