Philadelphia is about to have a full week of weather in the 70s. I think there’s even an 80 degree day thrown in In March! I’m so excited, but I feel a bit stressed because I didn’t get to make all of my winter soups and stews. But who says you need to eat these in freezing weather? So I decided to make this Winter Lentil Stew for lunches in my office when they crank up the AC and I feel like it’s winter.
Ingredients:
4 leeks, white and light green parts only
1 bunch kale (mine was huge, so I ended up using half)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained
6 cups water
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut
1/2 cup brown lentils
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Prepare all your ingredients. Slice each leek in half lengthwise and then slice into 1/4 inch thick half-moons. You want about 2 cups of half moons.
Add to a large bowl filled with cold water and swish to remove any grit. Drain and pay dry. Lay on a paper towel.
Remove the stems from the kale and then thinly slice the leaves. You want about 3 cups of leaves.
Peel and chop your sweet potatoes. You want them to be bite sized or smaller. Measure out the lentils, prepare your thyme leaves, and open your can of diced tomatoes.
Add a large saucepan to the stove over medium heat. Add the oil and heat. Add the leeks and cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the water and bring to a boil.
Stir in the kale, sweet potatoes, lentils, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
If freezing, you can spoon into individual containers, let cool, and freeze at this point.
If enjoying immediately, eat as is, or sprinkle with some grated Parmesan cheese.
I can’t wait to enjoy this on my “colder” days in the office!
I love chili, and with the warm winter we’ve been having, I didn’t have nearly enough of it. So before spring is truly here, I wanted to make another batch. This meatless chili has so many different beans and flavor, you won’t even miss the meat! I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light, using more peppers, diced tomatoes instead of stewed, and a bit of vegetable broth to thin it out a little.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 chopped yellow bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 chopped orange bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup vegetable broth
To make, heat a large pot or a Dutch oven over medium- high heat. Add the olive oil. Add the onion, peppers and garlic.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the sugar, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Add the tomatoes, beans, and broth.
Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
That’s it!
A delicious, hearty, meatless meal in 40 minutes.
Serve with corn bread if desired.
I love the colors in this! Look at all those different tones!
The chili looked a little too chunky without the vegetable broth, but if you like it that way, feel free to omit the broth.
I love when you can incorporate leftovers from one meal into a new dinner the next night. I am a huge fan of risotto, but it can get a little old eating reheated risotto after a few nights. Risotto balls are the perfect way to still use those leftovers but have a completely different meal. I used my leftover Mushroom Risotto for this recipe, but feel free to use whatever you might have.
Ingredients:
1 cup risotto
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 large egg
6 fresh mozzarella balls
1 tablespoon fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup marinara sauce (I used Pomi Tomato Basil sauce)
Oil, for frying
Add the risotto, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, basil, and the egg to a small bowl. Mix to combine.
Form the risotto into palm sized balls, adding a mozzarella ball in the center and forming the risotto around the mozzarella ball. (It should make 6 risotto balls)
Add the remaining bread crumbs to a plate. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. (This will help the risotto balls keep their shape when you fry them.)
While waiting for the 30 minutes to pass, chop the shallot and garlic. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the shallot and garlic.
Cook for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup marinara sauce and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes. Keep warm.
Heat the oil to 350 to 375 degrees. (I was a bit low on canola oil so I actually only ended up putting about an inch depth of oil in the pot. It still turned out fine, but having enough to cover the risotto balls would make this easier/quicker to make.) Add the risotto balls two at a time.
Cook until cooked, turning to cook evenly (about 3-5 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel. Serve while still hot with the marinara sauce.
These are crunchy little balls of deliciousness. I didn’t know risotto could taste better than it already did until now!
The risotto was so yummy I completely forgot about the mozzarella ball in the center, but was more than happy to come upon it!
It didn’t melt all the way, which I would have preferred, but it was still delicious. The marinara sauce was the perfect dipping accompaniment. I love the Pomi Tomato Basil sauce because it really doesn’t need anything to make it taste awesome. (I’ve written two posts in the past about all the positives of Pomi. Check them out here and here)
Is it bad that I might put some risotto to the side from now on just so I can have these the next day?
Pasta is definitely one of my weaknesses. I would eat it every day if it was socially acceptable to do so. But alas, all those carbs probably wouldn’t be best. Adding vegetables to a pasta dish always makes me feel a little bit better about my choice though. MyRecipes.com had an awesome sounding recipe for Creamy Lemon Pasta with Vegetables.
1 cup whole cream
Zest and juice from 3 lemons
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
16 ounces spinach fusilli pasta
2 pounds trimmed asparagus
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Season with salt. Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces.
Add the asparagus to a steamer and add it to the pot. Cover and steam for 3 minutes. Set aside. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
Add the olive oil to a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in the milk, cream, zest, and juice from 3 lemons. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Cook the pasta according to package label directions while the cream mixture is simmering. Drain pasta and return to the pot. Add the cream mixture to the pasta and stir to coat.
Add the Parmesan cheese, asparagus and tomatoes and mix to combine.
Serve with more cheese and lemon zest, if desired.
This dish includes some of my favorite flavors! You can use normal pasta but I thought that the spinach pasta would add nice flavor and color.
The asparagus stays crispy which is nice with the creamy pasta.
The tomatoes add a burst of bright flavor which makes it feel really fresh.
The lemon flavor is throughout the whole dish but isn’t overwhelming at all.
Today, I have a guest post from Trudy Abhood of GourmetGiftBaskets.com. Not only does she deliver a delicious (and super simple) falafel recipe, but she even helps take the guesswork out of dessert. Falafel, if you haven’t had it before, is a fried patty made from chickpeas or fava beans. They are delicious with some tahini, hot sauce, hummus, and cucumber on a pita, or as part of a mezze platter. The best part? This recipe only takes 15 minutes! Enjoy!
There comes a time when food and boredom go hand in hand and when finding something to eat is harder than going on a diet. I have found that Falafel can heroically fill both these problems. This Middle Eastern food has become more and more popular over the years, but my friends remain hesitant; most are even unsure of what food group it belongs to. Falafel is made of mainly mashed up chickpeas, so it is the protein food group, for all those now wondering. I have found a super delicious and easy recipe that has said it fifteen minutes, including prep time! I tried it out and yes, it takes fifteen minutes, but a food processor is in dire need to make this time!
Ingredients:
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coriander
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
oil for frying (canola or vegetable)
Preparation:
Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. I have found that you may want to mash the chickpeas before combining everything. Also, having a food processor would be very handy for mashing them. Without a food processor, this may take longer than fifteen minutes! You want everything to be a nice thick paste that can be made into chick pea balls. Make them about the size of a ping pong ball.Now just use a frying pan with about 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees.
The balls should take about 2-5 minutes to be nice and golden. And that’s it!
Now serve falafel by itself, or with hummus and pita bread. Yum!
Everyone knows what comes after the meal…dessert! Since it was just Valentine’s Day, I have been searching for scrumptious sweets and came across a loaded gift basket with red velvet cake. They also have gift baskets with wine! Who doesn’t want to curl up with a bottle of wine and cake? I had never even though of gift basketsas an idea for myself, but why not? Some are only $24.99. This is less than a pair of jeans nowadays. Time for some falafel, wine, and cake!
My advice: Don’t be afraid of deliciousness.
About the author; Trudy Abood is the VP of GourmetGiftBaskets.com, one of the top suppliers of quality gift baskets. She is a mom of 2 boys, one of which founded GGB and the other is also VP at the company. She formally owned Chalifour’s Flowers in Manchester, NH; the largest flower shop in the state.
Thanks so much Trudy! The falafel sounds absolutely delicious! If you’ve never checked out GourmetGiftBaskets.com, I suggest popping over there soon. It’s a really great site, with inventive baskets as well as traditional treats. They have such a wonderful selection that I can’t choose my favorite! (The cocktail, breakfast, and the coffee & chocolate baskets are definitely at the top of my list but I also love the organic baskets and the unique gift baskets are really great. They even have a Phillies themed basket! See? Told you I couldn’t decide).
Grilled Cheese and tomato soup is the perfect combination of comfort foods. Rainy, snowy, or just plain crummy days are instantly better after a warm bowl with cheesy bread for dipping. Cooking Light had a quick recipe for Tomato Basil soup in their March issue that sounded so easy I had to try it. (It helped that I had most of the ingredients on hand as well!) The soup is served with toasted bread topped with melted Asiago cheese.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I just used the whole bag shown in the photo)
2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (half a container)
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices French bread
Cooking spray
1 garlic clove, halved
1 ounce shredded Asiago cheese
Preheat your broiler to high. In a large pot, add the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the cans of tomatoes and chopped basil.
Stir and bring to a boil.
Add the cream cheese.
Stir until melted.
If you do not have an immersion blender, pour the mixture into a normal blender and remove the plastic center from the top. Place a paper towel over the opening and blend until smooth. Be very careful not to burn yourself, the liquid is really hot! Pour back into pot over medium high heat.
I received an immersion blender for Christmas so I was so excited to use it for this recipe. This is my first try with it and it was awesome! So much simpler than pouring into a blender and pouring back into the pot. If using an immersion blender, blend until desired consistency (I wanted a few chunky pieces left in mine).
Stir in milk and season with salt and pepper.
Cook for 2 minutes over medium high heat.
To make the bread, arrange bread on a cookie sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Broil for 1 minute.
Remove from the oven and rub garlic over the bread pieces. Turn bread over, top with cheese and broil for an additional minute.
Serve with the soup.
The soup managed to taste light and creamy at the same time, very impressive!
The basil flavor shown through which was a really nice enhancement to a normal tomato soup.
I loved the crispy bread topped with cheese. This would be a great appetizer at a party (using the tomato soup as a warm “dip” for the toast).
The entire meal ended up taking about 30-40 minutes so it is definitely an option for a weeknight.
So I realized today that this post for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese is my 200th! How crazy is that? Okay, back to your regular programing… time for an awesome recipe for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese!
Winter weather really makes me crave comfort food. When it snows (like it did this weekend) my need for comfort food escalates.
I’ve been looking for any excuse to make another mac and cheese recipe, so I jumped at the chance to make it during the snow.
I originally printed out this recipe from Cooking Light, but I changed it so much to fit what I could find it’s barely recognizable. The overall method is basically the same though.
I have been a part of a food swap for about 6 months now, and I am already running low on ideas. As I was frantically looking for an idea, I realized no one had made stuffed peppers yet, win! Stuffed peppers are a perfect, hearty meal for relatively little cost. They are pretty adaptable and can honestly be made with whatever you want. To make vegetarian, sub in beans or just omit the ground beef all together.
Ingredients (this makes 10 stuffed peppers)
10 peppers
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
3 onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
2.5 lbs ground beef
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 can diced tomatoes
½ teaspoon each of basil, oregano and parsley (dried)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
5 cups cooked rice
½ cup grated Parmesan
Cut off top of peppers, removing the seeds and membranes. Dice the edible parts of the tops of the peppers.
Add the whole peppers to a pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes. Remove from water and set aside.
Add the butter and olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, diced peppers, and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the ground beef, stirring to break up the meat.
Cook until browned. Add the Worcestershire, diced tomatoes, and tomato puree, stirring to combine.
Season with oregano, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cooked rice and parmesan cheese.
Stuff peppers with mixture, sprinkling with more parmesan cheese if desired.
Because I made these for a swap, I froze the peppers at this stage.
To cook, thaw completely then bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes.
I still have some prosecco sitting around after New Years Eve that I don’t want to go to waste. It’s already open so there’s really no way to save it. I usually use leftover wine in my risotto, so why not use sparkling wine instead? After all the food I ate in the past week, I thought I should probably incorporate some vegetables into my risotto as well. I adapted a Weight Watchers recipe to incorporate the sparkling wine.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup uncooked arborio rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup champagne, prosecco, or other sparkling wine, divided
I grew up in a mac & cheese from the box household. You know, the kind with the powered stuff that you add to the macaroni, plus butter and milk. My mom (inexplicably) referred to this as baked macaroni and cheese, so I didn’t even realize that baked mac & cheese was the actual way it was supposed to be cooked until much later in life. As absolutely delicious as I assume traditional baked mac and cheese is, I can’t justify taking all that time to make it (maybe on a weekend some day). Apparently I’m not alone on that thought, because Cooking Light Fresh Foods Superfast cookbook had a somewhat sped up version. This version adds in some mushrooms to make a hearty Mushroom Mac and Cheese.
Ingredients:
Sherry-Roasted Mushrooms
1 package cremini mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Cooking Spray
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
8 ounces (half a box) uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 small can of evaporated milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
Fresh oregano leaves, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the mushrooms, olive oil and garlic cloves on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. While the mushrooms are cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
When the mushrooms are finished cooking, add to a small bowl. Stir in the sherry and oregano. Reserve. Keep the oven on but lower the temperature to 400 degrees.
Add flour to a large pan and gradually add the evaporated milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat for 6 minutes or until thick and bubbly, continue to stir constantly. Add the cheese and season with salt and pepper. I must have been all sorts of lazy this day because I didn’t even feel like shredding the cheese. I instead tore off small pieces and added it to the milk mixture, this ended up working out just fine.
Remove from heat and stir in the mushroom mixture and the pasta.
Add the pasta mixture to a 2 quart baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake the pasta at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, or until it bubbles. Sprinkle with oregano leaves and serve.
Oh happy creamy deliciousness. I loved this pasta, especially when I got some of the crunchy baked parts in a bite. In retrospect, I really wish I added a light layer of panko on top, just to add more crunch to the dish. But even without that extra crunch, this mac & cheese was really good!
I think this method can be applied to many versions of mac & cheese to make it quicker. Use Gruyere or Cheddar instead of fontina. Add sage instead of oregano, or use truffles/truffle oil, the possibilities are endless!
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the mushrooms, olive oil and garlic cloves on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. While the mushrooms are cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
When the mushrooms are finished cooking, add to a small bowl. Stir in the sherry and oregano. Reserve. Keep the oven on but lower the temperature to 400 degrees.
Add flour to a large pan and gradually add the evaporated milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat for 6 minutes or until thick and bubbly, continue to stir constantly. Add the cheese and season with salt and pepper. I must have been all sorts of lazy this day because I didn’t even feel like shredding the cheese. I instead tore off small pieces and added it to the milk mixture, this ended up working out just fine.
Remove from heat and stir in the mushroom mixture and the pasta.
Add the pasta mixture to a 2 quart baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake the pasta at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, or until it bubbles. Sprinkle with oregano leaves and serve.
Tostada normally refers to any meal in which a tortilla is deep fried or toasted. They were originally in response to tortillas that had started to get stale but could still be eaten. The toasted or fried tortilla is topped with beans, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, onions, salsa and then topped off with chicken or pork. Today, you can find all types of tostadas: seafood, vegetarian, vegan, etc.I found a recipe for a quick tostada in the Cooking Light Fresh Foods Superfast cookbook and altered it a bit to remove most pre-made products (I don’t usually get to supermarkets). The result was still a quick and really delicious weeknight meal.
Drain and rinse the black beans. Add to a saute pan coated in cooking spray. Heat on medium heat, pressing on the black beans so they mush a bit.
Add the salsa. If you do not have time to make your own salsa, you can pick up fresh salsa at the supermarket or specialty grocery stores. Add the chopped cilantro and stir.
Cook for 2 minutes until heated through. Remove from heat. Combine the sour cream, cilantro, water and pepper in a separate bowl.
Shred the lettuce and slice the avocado.
When the broiler is preheated. Spray the tortillas on each side with cooking spray and add two tortillas to a cookie sheet. Broil for two minutes or until charred. Mine puffed up a bit in the oven, so I just pushed down the center to make room for the beans.
Add the beans evenly to each tortilla.
Top with lettuce.
Drizzle with the sour cream mixture.
Top with avocado.
This was so satisfying! I loved the crunch of the tortilla to contrast the creaminess of the filling.
If the salsa is pre-made or store bought, this is a really quick meal, about 15-20 minutes from start to finish.
I loved the flavor, but this could certainly handle a little bit of heat, maybe some chopped jalapeno mixed in with the salsa.
After a bite or two, I went back to the salsa and added another tablespoon to my tostada to give it a bit more flavor. If you like salsa, I suggest doing this.
This could easily be altered to use chopped beef or sauteed chicken if you’d like. However, it was absolutely delicious with the black beans.
It’s no secret that I love hummus. I’ve made quite a few different versions on this blog. So I was really excited when I was given the chance to sample some hummus through the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program. I was allowed to choose any hummus my little hummus-loving heart desired. But, I’ve actually tried them all before. And I’ve loved them all (some more than others, obviously). I decided instead to incorporate the classic hummus into a meal. A coworker gave me an awesome idea: hummus pizza. Brilliant!
Ingredients:
Pizza dough (I used Trader Joes)
Classic Hummus
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 package of sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped (I used red because that’s what I had)
Are you getting sick of my pumpkin recipes? I think this recipe for Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce actually brings me to over a dozen posts on pumpkin-flavored desserts/meals. I wasn’t lying when I said I was pumpkin obsessed! Anyways, I’ve been trying to make this recipe for Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce from Cooking Light for almost 2 weeks, but for the life of me could not find wonton wrappers. I finally just adapted the recipe to use fresh pasta sheets from By George in Reading Terminal.
Ingredients (makes 3 servings):
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, divided
6 pieces of fresh pasta lasagna sheets, rolled thinner if desired (I used pumpkin pasta, no surprise there!) – about 1 lb.
1 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 tablespoon egg substitute or one egg, mixed
3 tablespoons hazelnuts, chopped
Fresh sage leaves for garnish
Note: It would be super helpful to have a ravioli stamp, (or ideally, to have a ravioli maker!) but you can get the same results by pressing firmly and separating using a knife.
To make the Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce, add a salted pot of water to your stove over high heat. Bring to a boil.
Begin by making the ravioli stuffing. Add the pumpkin, panko, Parmesan, minced sage, salt, pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg to a bowl. Mix to combine.
If you’d prefer to make the pasta as thin as possible, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough even more. Place a generous teaspoon of the pumpkin mixture on one sheet of pasta, evenly spaced (I used my stamp as a guide). My sheets were able to hold about 6 teaspoons of the pumpkin mixture.
Using a brush, surround the pumpkin mixture with a thin layer of eggwash. This will help hold the pasta pieces together.
Place another lasagna sheet on top of the original sheet, covering the pumpkin mixture.
Using the ravioli stamp, press firmly around each pocket of pumpkin mixture. If you do not have a ravioli stamp, just use your hands.
Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the ravioli into individual pieces. Repeat with remaining pumpkin mixture and lasagna sheets.
Your pot should now be boiling. Add half of the ravioli to the pot. Cook for about six minutes or until the ravioli begins to rise to the top.
While waiting for the past to cook, make your sauce. Add the milk and flour to a saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil and cook for one minute until it thinks slightly.
Remove from heat. Add the butter, stirring until it fully melts. Stir in the crumbled Gorgonzola. Add more minced sage leaves if you’d like.
Add 6 ravioli each to three plates. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the Gorgonzola sauce. Add a teaspoon of chopped hazelnuts, a few sage leaves, and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
This Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Saucewas pretty darn good. I think it could handle a boost in nutmeg though; there was something missing from the overall flavor of the dish.
I strongly suggest adding a lot of sage leaves to the plate, a bite of fresh sage with every forkful was delicious!
I liked using fresh pasta instead of wontons; wontons tend to break apart in the cooking process, especially with a heavier filling like pumpkin.
I wish I knew what ingredient would really kick this recipe up from good to great; please feel free to leave suggestions in the comments!
One of my friends asked me if I’d be willing to add some tofu recipes to my repertoire. I was pretty wary to try it. I don’t mind tofu, but I can’t say I’ve ever had a hankering for it. Well, for some reason, I picked up some tofu this week so I decided to finally make a recipe including it for my friend. I also received tatsoi in my CSA share, which is the perfect opportunity to use the tofu in this recipe for Wilted Tatsoi with Sauteed Tofu.
Ingredients:
2 bunches of tatsoi
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
A dash of rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
4-6 oz tofu, cut into cubes
Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, ground ginger and brown sugar to a bowl and mix to combine and reserve.
Add 1 teaspoon of the toasted sesame oil to a saute pan over medium heat. Cube the tofu.
Add the tofu to the pan.
Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until browned.
Remove the tofu from heat. Cut the stems off of the tatsoi.
Add 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil to the saute pan and turn down the heat to medium low. Add the tatsoi.
Cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat. Add the reserved sauce to the pan.
Stir to combine. Mix in the tofu and serve.
This was so quick and easy! I actually ate this as a meal, but if you cut the tofu pieces smaller, this could also work as a yummy side.
I loved the subtle sweetness of the sauce. Tatsoi tastes very similar to bok choi, so the flavors worked really well.
I was really pleasantly surprised by the result. You might just catch me making another tofu recipe in the future!
I am at a bit of a loss for what to do with eggplant. Eggplant Parmesan and Baba Ghannouj are the only two recipes I really know that use eggplant. However, I found a tasty sounding recipe from Eating Well that includes a bunch of other ingredients from this week’s CSA.
Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant
The juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and mince
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat your broiler. Line a pan with foil and place the eggplant on it. Poke a few holes within the eggplant so that it can let out steam while broiling. Broil for 14 to 18 minutes, turning the eggplant every 5 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the skin is charred a little and a knife goes easily into the part right near the stem. Transfer to a cutting board until it’s cool enough to handle.
Prepare your onion, pepper, jalapeño, basil and parsley.
Add lemon juice to a medium sized bowl. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise.
Scoop out the inside of the eggplant into the bowl and toss with the lemon juice.
Add olive oil and stir with a fork until the oil is absorbed.
Add feta, onion, pepper, jalapeño, basil, parsley, cayenne and salt.
Taste and adjust as needed.
If covered, this recipe can be made up to two days ahead of time. The original recipe included a red bell pepper instead of a green one (I only had a green pepper), and that color would have really popped in this dish.
Serve with toasted pita. This would be a great addition to any mezze platter: tomatoes, hummus, grape leaves, etc.
