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As a kid, my favorite holiday was Easter. Every year my parents would fill up brightly colored plastic baskets with handfuls of neon colored plastic “grass” and top it with all sorts of candy, coloring books, bubble, and sidewalk chalk. They were beautiful and amazing. It was like getting a basket of fun and a bunch of sugary candy to keep you going to have all that fun all day long. And the egg hunts. Plastic eggs full of candy hidden all over the house ans yard. We would all have our emptied out baskets running around full of excitement, ready to take out any sibling in our path just to be the one to get the next egg. We were ruthless and I am pretty sure every year someone would end up crying. Now, as an adult, I am not allowed to participate in the egg hunt. (but I still try to make my sibling cry) Nope, now I get to hide the eggs and sit back and watch the new generation of littles tripping each other and stealing eggs from one another. The carnage!
And also at Easter there is cake. Is there a rule that says you have to make carrot cake for Easter? I think there must be because it is when everyone and their moms busts this cake out. And everyone’s carrot cake it the best because they made it the right way, like with raisins or pineapple or walnuts. There are so many things that can be added to this cake that it’s a little overwhelming. So I made a carrot cake that was mainly about the carrots. Nothing added, no nuts raisins or coconut (although you could add i if you wanted) and it’s made into a pretty bundt cake, which in turn makes mine the best.
This here cake was destined for tomorrows Easter table. I made it with no nut produces cause the nephew has the deadly nut allergy. But when I went and made the date sauce, I kinda let that slip and used almond milk. Oops. So now I have a whole big carrot cake sitting on the counter with it’s destiny shattered. So sad, but I think its will survive cause the mris really into it and has already eaten a few pieces. I figure that because it’s a carrot cake, he can eat a few more. It’s almost like eating a vegetable….almost. And now I need to make a new cake to bring over or I might just stop at the store and buy some oreos on my way over tomorrow. The littles will like that.
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The stuff. A bowl containing flour, salt, baking powder ans baking soda. Also need a few really big carrots, a bit of brown sugar, and ground up cinnamon and ginger. Coconut oil, soy milk, an orange (for it’s zest) and a little apple cider vinegar are going into this cake too.
Start by chopping up 2 of the biggest carrots and tossing the into a pot with about an inch of water. Stick the pot on the stove and cook until the carrots are nice and tender. Then blend those tender carrots up.
I had a hard time not eating all of the carrot puree, so maybe if you want, cook up a few extra carrots ans have yourself a pre-carrot cake carrot snack.
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And while the carrot puree is still warm, add in the coconut oil and the sugar. Mix it until the oil is melted ans it’s one cohesive mixture.
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And take that last carrot ans grate it up into the flour. Also add in the spices and the zest of the orange.
Note. I used a small holed grater so that the carrot shreds would be small and add texture to the cake but not make it too chunky. But use a normal grater..it’s all about your carrots chunk prefernce here.
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Now dump the wet carrot mixture into the dry and start to mix
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Adding in the soy and the vinegar to complete the batter.
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And scooped that batter into a oiled bundt pan and get it into the (preheated) oven to bake.
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After about an hour, the cake is ready, golden brown and smelling like any good carrot cake should. Remove from the oven and turn the cake out from the cake pan and stick on on a rack to cool. This cake is waiting for me to decide what, or if I want to frost, drizzle, or sauce it up….. I think it wants as little something.
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Ok, I figured it out. Date sauce.
The stuff. Fresh medjool dates, almond milk and sea salt.
Date (pits removed) into the food processor along with the milk and a good pinch of sea salt. Blend until it turns into a nice smooth, fluffy sauce.
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Take that sauce and spread it all over the cake. As much or as little as you want (you might have left over date sauce but its ok, you can just eat. It will last for about a week in the fridge and goes great with just about anything) Once fully sauced, sprinkle the cake with flaked sea salt.
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Sliced, plated, and ready. It’s carrot cake time.
Have a great weekend, eat all your candy at once!
-C
Makes a bundt cake (but could be made into a 9×13 sheet cake)
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 coconut cup oilany oil works)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 large carrots (makes about 2 cups carrot puree and 1/2 cup of raw grated carrot)
- 1 heaping tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
Salted Date Caramel
- 1 cup medjool dates (pitted)
- 1 cup almond milk (or any milk you want to use)
- sea salt
Start by chopping up 2 of the biggest carrots and placing them into a pot with water about an inch of water. Stick on stove and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until the carrots are fork tender. When done, puree them with any means nessasary (hand blender, regular blender, food processor) Add the coconut oil and sugar to the warm carrot puree and mix until oil is melted.
Preheat oven to 350
In a large separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and the spices. Grate the smallest carrot in with the dry.
Take the wet carrot mixture and dump into the dry and mix, adding in the soy milk and the vinegar as you mix. Once everything is completely incorporated, pour mixture into a well oiled bundt pan and stick the cake into the preheated oven
While the cake is baking, make the date sauce. Just take the dates, remove pits if they have any and place in a food processor with a good pinch of sea salt and the almond milk. Pulse a few times, scrap down the sides, and keep blended, stopping to scrap sides if needed, until a nice thick smooth sauce is formed. If you want a thinner sauce, just add more milk til you get your desired consistency.
Now check cake. Once it’s golden brown and a tester comes out clean (between 50 minutes to an hour) remove from oven. Let cool for a few minutes in pan the then turn it over onto a wire rack to finish cooling off. Once the cake is cool, dump the date sauce all over it then sprinkle with another good few pinches of the sea salt.
And now eat it. This is a cake that needs no fork, but you can go ahead and use one if you must.
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Every year I look forward to St Patrick’s day.. And not because I am Irish, (which I am) or because I want to drink on excess (which I do not) and no, green eggs and ham are not something that I plan on making. No Ido not look forward to any of those things (although I actually do like to pinch the littles that wear no green and talk about pots of gold and rainbows) I love this time of year because cabbage is always on a freaking super sale everywhere you go. Something that is usually 80-99 cents a pound goes down to like 20 cents a pound. And for someone that eats like 10 heads of cabbage a week, this is a hug savings. SO yeah, I buy so so much (I have already bought 12 heads, but I actually plan on buying a full case before the sale is over)
No, I am not crazy, I will eat it all….. and I am going to be making so much sauerkraut. Woo hoo!
But until then. A cabbage pot roast. Yes. I remember growing up my mom would make pot roasts once in a while. A big pot full of big chunks of veggies topped with a big slab of some kind of meat. I never liked the meat, but I always loved the big chunks of the veggies at the bottom of the pot. So I figured I would make a big pot roast, replace the meat with a head of cabbage (I have so much) and add beans because protein and because they are just so good. . And when it’s all cooked and said and done, you end up with a big pot of plump and so flavorful veggies and beans and the most tender wedged of roasted braised cabbage. This is my kind of pot roast.
Now go quick.. the cabbage sales will be over soon.
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The stuff. One good sized head of cabbage, a few carrots, a big onion, and a hunk of rutabaga. Also have some dried kidney beans, caraway and fennel seeds, dried ground mustard, a bay leaf, some garlic, and salt and pepper. And water… water is needed.
Note. You can use just caraway or just fennel and you can replace or even add a potato in place of the rutabaga.
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Dried beans, fennel and caraway into a pot with water. Stick the pot on the stove ans bring to a boil, then to a simmer to give the beans a quick head start before going into the oven.
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While the beans are simmering, dice up the garlic and chop up the veggies into big chunks… you don’t want small chunks or they will kind of turn to mush while cooking.
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And turn over the cabbage head, take a knife, and slice a deep x into the core. DO THIS or else the inside of the cabbage will not cook through. Oh and preheat the oven to 375.
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Beans looking a bit plumped..
Top those beans with all the chopped veggies,(don’t stir them in., you want to keep the bean under submerged in the water) sprinkle those with the mustard, salt and pepper and place that lovely cabbage head right on top…
Place a lid on the pot and slide it into the oven to cook away. It’s going to take a bit of time (about an hour) but it’s pretty much hands off. Just take a look after about 45 minutes, check the bean doneness, add in another cup or so of water and place lid bacck on and cook for another 12-20 minutes until the beans are done. When they are, take the lid off, crank the oven to 450 and cook for another 15 or so minutes until the cabbage gets all golden brown
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Look at that… Tender roasted veggies, plump beans. Everything about this is right.
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Grab a knife and cut the cabbage (its so tender) into big wedges.
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A wedge into a bowl along with a big spoonful or two of the beans and veggies..
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Finished with a dash of salt and pepper and (not shown here,) lots of mustard.. Oh cabbage… you are so good!
Eat away and Happy St Patrick’s Day.
-C
serves 3-4
- 1 cup dried kidney beans
- 3-4 cups water
- a medium sized head of cabbage
- 2-3 carrots
- 1 large onion
- a potato or a a small rutabaga(or both)
- 1 heaping teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 heaping teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 heaping teaspoon ground mustard
- a bay leaf
- salt and pepper
Place the fennel, the caraway, and the bay leaf into a large dutch oven along with the dried beans and 3 cups of water. Place on the stove and being to a boil then, turn heat to low and simmer the beans for about 15 minutes.
While beans are simmering, chop up the carrot, onion and rutabaga into big chunks and dice up the garlic. Take head of cabbage and slice a deep x into the core.
Preheat oven to 375
Once the beans have simmered a bit, add in the chunks of veggies, the ground mustard and salt and pepper (Don’t stir, you want to keep the bean submerged in the water). Place the head of cabbage right on top of the veggies and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place a lid on the pot and stick the whole thing into the oven. After about 45 minutes, check the roast and the beans for doneness and adding in another cup of water id needed. Back into oven with the lid for another 15-20 minutes or until the beans are tender Onnce they are, remove the lid form the pot and crank the oven up to 425. Cook for another 15 minutes or so until the cabbage turns a nice golden brown.
Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes, cut the cabbage head into wedges and serve it up with big spoonfuls of beans and veggies.
Eat until your full.
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The sister came over for dinner again this week (we have established a weekly homework dinner club) which then turned into an argument between me, her, and the mr. I told them I was making shepherd’s pie and went about my way in doing so. The mr was gone for a bit, I was cooking, Barb was homeworking and all was good. When the mr came home for dinner and I pulled out the pie, he was skeptical. Then I served it up and handed him a nice big bowl of this amazing looking/smelling/tasting/ shepherd’s pie and the first thing he said was “this is not shepherd’s pie. Shepherd’s pie is mashed potatoes, corn and meat.” Well ,yeah” I said, “that is one way to make it, but shut it you… I am calling it shepherd’s pie” Haha. And little Barb, she was on my side and had none of the mr skepticism. and started to argue with him.(She is always in my side) Me, I just sat there and ate and let them fight.
By the end of dinner, the mr still wouldn’t call it shepherd pie but together they settled on a new name. “Judah Pie” because Judah is a religious name and a shepherd sound religious too and they are such freaking weirdos… I don’t know how they think. Oh how much do I love our dinners.
Anyway, still calling it shepherd’s pie so yeah, I win!
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The stuff. One big rutabaga, some dried lentils.half a big onion, a zucchini, some frozen peas ,and a couple carrots. Garlic, rosemary, and a bay leaf or two are going in to the mix along with some balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. All some good good stuff if I say so myself, but veggie wise…use what you got on hand. Heck you even go with a straight up bag of some frozen stuff..
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Start by peeling and dicing up the rutabaga. When dicing, make the chunks kinda small (they cook faster) and stick them into a pot of cold water. Cook them like you would potatoes..(salted water, bring to boil, turn heat to medium and cook until super tender)
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And get those lentils on the stove too. Add the rosemary and bay leaf to the water, stick on the stove, bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and toss a lid on the b.
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Alright, so that stuff is cooking, now you can chop up the veggies and toss them into a skillet with a splash of oil and water. Stick those on the stove on medium heat for a few minutes, just to give them a little head start in cooking. Let them start to sweat, but don’t let them get mushy.
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After a few minutes, toss in the peas, the garlic (after its minced up) and a few glugs of balsamic vinegar. cook for just another minute or two.
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And the lentils are done!
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Dump those babies into the skillet with the veggies (remove the bay leaves) and mix around. Season with salt and pepper, taste, add more if needed and more vinegar if you think you want too. And smooth out the mixture into the skillet.
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Super fork tender and sprinkled with a good amount of salt and pepper and a splash of olive oil. Also add in a bit of the reserved liquid to fluff it up a bit.
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The veggie lentil mixture gets topped with that mash and is spread out all nice like. Ready to be popped into the oven to bake.
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Look at that golden skillet of amazing. Baked to perfection…….. Smells so good.
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Serves with a hunk of bread and a fork to eat it with.
Whatever you call it, we can all agree that we can call it good!
-Peace out duders!!
-C
- 1 medium sized rutabaga
- 1 1/2 cups dried lentils
- 3 cups water
- 2-4 cloves garlic
- 1-2 by leaves
- 2 teaspoons rosemary
- 2 small or one large carrot
- 1/2 a large sweet onion (or ant onion)
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 cup frozen peas
- balsamic vinegar
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Note. This is one of those “recipes ” that is easily adapted to what you got in you fridge. The main ingredients are rutabaga and lentils, but the veggies can be swapped with whatever, just make sure you end up with about about 2 1/2 cups of veggies to mix in. And even the seasoning. You could swap out the rosemary and add curry instead. Oh would that be nice.
Start by peeling the rutabaga. Dice it into small chunks and place into a large pot of cold water with a good pinch of salt. Place on stove, bring to a boil then turn heat to medium and cook the rutabaga until fork tender.
And right after the rutabaga is on the stove, get the lentils going. Water, rosemary, bay leaves, and the dried lentils all go into a pot, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and top with a lid. Cook until tender and the water has been absorbed, which should take about. 20 minutes. Check after 15 to see how they are coking. If they seem to dry, add in a little more water.
Preheat oven to 400.
Grab the veggies (besides peas) and chop them all into little chunks. Toss into a 10 or 12 inch oven safe skillet with a splash of olive oil and water and season with salt and pepper Stick on medium heat for a few minutes to just slightly soften the veggies. Remove them from heat and toss in minced up garlic, the peas, a tablespoon or two of vinegar.
Once the lentils are cooked, toss those in with the veggies and mix all around then spread evenly in the skillet.
If you want to bake the shepherd’s pie in a casserole dish, just dump all the stuff into said dish once the mixture is done.
Now the rutabaga should be done now. Strain but reserve liquid and with a masher, mash the crap our of the rutabaga, adding in salt, pepper, olive oil to taste, and a little (like 1/4 -1/2 a cup of the reserved liquid to give it a fluffier consistency. Once good and mashed, top the lentil veggie mixture with the mash and smooth out. Sprinkle with more pepper and pop the thing into the oven. Bake for 20ish minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown.
Remove, let cool a few minutes, dish it out, and dig in!
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Are you ready for this weekend? You know what’s coming right? Yup, another arctic blast. -30 degree temperatures, windchill warnings and local news forecasters warning of dangerously cold conditions. “Don’t go outside , your face will freeze off”
Oh yeah, and Valentine Day.
What are your thoughts on the V day? The mr and I, well we could kind of care less, but at the same time, we like the excuse to spend the day together, traditionally going for a hike with the pup (not this year… we would die) and just spending the day together being sweet (pretty much the same way we spend any days off together) We don’t get fancy with dinner dates or overly large stuffed animals. No boxes of chocolate, bottles of champagne or fancy undies. We keep it caj, maybe a sweet hand made card covered in glitter (never a store bought.) a stop for a good cup of coffee and an afternoon trip to the plant store to by a new pretty house plant (1. I really hate red roses and 2. I would much rather get a house plant then flowers that will die) But honesty, we just use V day as an excuse to not work and spend the day together, being left alone, eating whatever we want and doing whatever fun stuff we want.
This dish was kinda inspired by being so pretty bright pink, but also it was just what I wanted to eat for dinner. Spaghetti squash doesn’t get as much play as it should. Sure it’s not the most sweet and nutty of the squashes, but it has a really nice subtle flavor that makes it a fantastic base for pretty much anything. And the beet sauce. Again, it’s such a pretty color, but beside that, I can’t get enough of them. I love me some roasted beets (way better then any chocolate or sweet treat)
I could lie to you and say that this is the dish that I will be making for me and the mr on Valentines day, but no,this dish already happened this week and the mr got into it, but would rather eat his favorite meal (pizza) for dinner. And I will be eating the left over beet sauce with carrot sticks (this beet sauce id for real.. topped with a little yellow mustard… I could eat it for life) then make a hugmongo batch of popcorn covered in peanut butter. We wiil sit on he couch and watch a lot of Netflix (still working my way through the fresh prince) and maybe a cute Wes Anderson movie. I will be in bed by 9.
But don’t mind us old folks here. Go for it. Do up the Valentines Day. Make a pretty dish of food for your sweetheart, or if alone, make it for yourself, especiallyif you are hanging by your lonesome. Valentinesday is about being happy and this dish will make you happy, whether or not you plan on sharing it.
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The stuff. One spaghetti squash big enough for at least 2 people (I love left overs so maybe big enough for 4), 2 largish beets, a a small onion. Also grab a clove of garlic of 4, a lemon, the salt and pepper, and some olive oil. Optional, but a very nice addition is a handful of tasted walnuts.
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Quick and crank up the oven (make sure you take out the cast iron you left in there from last night), then stick the squash, beets and onion into the hot oven to roast. I stuck them all on a baking sheet and left them completely whole, but if you want, you could chop the beet and onion into chunks and drizzle with oil or you could wrap the beets in foil and bake them that way but really, why go through all that when you can just not? And don’t bother peeling them.(unless you think you must.. but you really really don’t need too)
And same for the squash. You could cut in half and roast it that way, but again, why when you don’t need to.
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So anyway, roast the beets and onion until fork tender. And the squash as well (check by stabbing with a fork) All my stuff roasted up pretty much perfectly at the exact same time, but it really depends on the size of your stuff. So check after 40ish minutes.
And once you pull that roasted stuff from the oven, let it cool just enough where you can handle it. Chop the onion into a couple chunks, the beets into smaller chunks and slice the squash in half length wise and set aside.
Grab a blender and toss in the onion, beets the juice of the lemon (start with half) apinch of salt, a few pinches of pepper, and a clove or 2 of garlic (ok, I love raw garlic and used a lot. If you do not like the taste of raw garlic, just toss it with a little oil and stick into the oven with the beets for about 10 minutes. Or you could omit the garlic entirely)
Once all the stuff is in the blender, turn it on. Drizzle in about a tablespoon or two of olive oil and blend until a nice smooth sauce has formed. Taste, season with more salt and pepper if needed. Add the other half of lemon if you think it needs it. You can also add a bit of water to thin it out more.. if you want
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So now the squash should be cool enough to handle. Scoop out the seeds and with a fork, scrape up into spaghetti!
Heaps of squash go into bowls then topped with a generous mound of beet sauce. Topped with some roughly chopped toasted walnuts, a sprinkle of pepper and some bits of green stuff (I just diced up some kale)
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Look at that. So pretty, so pink and all ready to go. Dinner for 2 with a good bit of left overs for later!
Happy weekend! And Happy Valentines Day if you do it, or if you don’t!
-C
makes 3-4 servings
- 1 medium sized spaghetti squash
- 2 large beets
- 1 small onion
- 1 lemon
- 2-4 cloves garlic
- handful of toasted walnuts (optional)
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Note. You might want to thin out sauce out a bit without the use of a ton of oil. Go ahead and add a little water. Also, I used raw garlic in mine, but some people might not like it raw. Just toss a few cloves of garlic in a bit of oil and stick into the oven for 10-15 minutes with the other stuff to give it a little roast. OR just omit.
Preheat oven to 425.
Stick the onion, beets and squash onto a baking sheet, drzzle the beet and onion with a tiny bit of oil and stick the sheet into the oven. Roast everything until fork tender which should take around 45-50 minutes. (depending on the size of your produce, some thing might take longer or shorter, so just check after 40ish minutes)
Once everything is roasted, let the beets and onion cool just enough to handle and cut into chunks and toss into a blender. Add in the garlic, the juice of the lemon, a few drizzles of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Now turn blender on and blend until smooth.
And the squash. Cut the thing in half and remove the seeds. Then with a fork, scrap the squash from the skin into spaghetti like strands.
Place squash into bowls, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add a drizzle of oil if you want and top with a good hearty heap of beet sauce. Top with more cracked pepper and a few chopped walnuts and maybe add a little something green, you know, to make it pretty.
Serve warm with love and a fork.. your lips might turn pink with beet love.
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I have been meaning to share the magic of crispy waffle iron tofu for a while, but somehow kind of forgot. Yesterday when talking to my (not quite) mother in law she mentioned the bean waffles I made a while ago and suddenly I had a very real need to go home and bust out the waffle iron and make some tofu. And some of you may be thinking that this sounds weird, but its not. Waffle irons are not just for waffles, you can cook just about anything in them. I compare then to a George Foreman grill (remember those) or even a griddler. . Works the same way, just makes everything waffles shaped.
As for the rest of this open face toast situation, it just makes so much sense. Crispy cumin lime tofu, avocado, mashed up squash…. A heap of things that are so freaking good. I actually made the sandwich for the mr and was a little bit worried he was not going to like it, but worry I need not. He got down with it too. You could even ditch the bread and eat waffled tofu slathered in the squash and tofu alone, or maybe swap out bread for greens (that’s what I did) Whatever you do, it will be good and your tofu will be so nice and crispy (without having to deep fry) that you may never cook tofu anther way again.
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The stuff. Tofu, some roasted squash (any squash or sweet potato works), and half an avocado. Going to need a lime, some cumin and a pinch of chili powder, salt and pepper and little olive oil. And some type of bread that is good for toasting.
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The cumin and chili powder go into a bowl with lime juice, a little oil ans a pinch of salt ans pepper. Give it a good whisk and set aside.
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And now tend to the tofu. You want to get as much water removed from the tofu as you can. I do this by pressing the sliced pieces between a clean tea towel a bunch of times until the tofu is as dry I can get it without falling apart.
While you are doing this, preheat your waffle iron.
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Once the tofu is a dried as you can get it, dredge each piece of tofu, front and back, through the cumin lime mixture.
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And place it on your preheated, lightly oiled waffle iron.
Close iron and let the tofu iron itself cripsy.
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And in about 7-10 minutes, you got yourself some super fantastic crispy, oh so tasty tofu.
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Now to put it all together. Bread is toasted and topped with mashed up squash.
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Next goes the tofu then top that with the avocado. Finish with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt.
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And sriracha if you like it..
Not deep fried, but super crispy tofu! And squash! and avocado! and toast!
It’s amazing.
-C
Make 2 pieces of toast
For the tofu
- 1/2 a block of extra firm tofu cut about an inch thick slices
- Juice of half a lime
- 1 heaping teaspoon cumin
- pinch of chili powder
- salt and pepper
- 3 teaspoons oil plus more to brush onto iron
And for the rest of the sandwich
- a piece 4-5 inch piece of baguette or 2 slices of thick bread (use gluten free bread if you want)
- About a 1/3 cup of cooked or roasted squash or sweet potato
- sriracha (if you are into it)
- 1/2 an avocado
- the other half of lime
In a shallow bowl, mix together the juice of 1/2 the lime,the cumin and chill powder, a pinch of salt and pepper and 3 teaspoons of oil. Set aside
Preheat waffle iron to either the on setting or if it has variable setting, high.
Take your tofu and remove as much of the liquid as you can by pressing it between two clean kitchen towels. When you get as much of the liquid out as you can, take the tofu and place into the cumin mixture and coat both sides. Ready the iron by brushing each side with a little more oil just to make sure it doesn’t stick and place the tofu on the iron, close it up, and let it do it’s thing for about 8-10 minutes. (check after 6-7 to see whats what and if is as crispy crunchy as you like, remove. If you think it could use another minute or two, well close it back up and keep ironing it.
And when the tofu is done, it’s time tot make compile it all together.
Toast you bread you are going to use. Once toasted mash a good amount of squash onto toast. Place tofu on top of that and thinly sliced avocado on top of that. Finish with a sprinkle of salt, a squeeze of lime juice and if you are feeling a bit more spicy, a few drizzle drops of sriracha.
Eat right away. Do not share…they can make their own.
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Once in a while I make a dinner that the mr does not want to eat, like anything with too much corn or things made with lots of vinegar… not his taste. Don’t get me wrong, most of the time, he will eat what I make (casue he loves me) but he clearly doesn’t really like it. And that’s when pup usually gets left over for dinner. (He always likes everything that I cook)
One of those things that I know the mr doesn’t like are beets. Sure, he will eat things that has a few beets in it, but once he found out that this casserole starred beets, his eyes widened and he looked worried, like “oh great, but please don’t make me eat this”. Not to worry. He was getting pasta for dinner because this casserole was not for him. It was for me. It has everything that I love in the word (food wise ) tossed together and baked into a pretty skillet, just for me. Plus the beets, sweet potato and kale were the last from the farm share. So it was my good by farm food, casserole of greatness. And I didn’t want to share.
So yeah, if you are not a fan of beets, or any of the other stuff in this casserole for that matter, then don’t make it. But if you are awesome and know the greatness of the beet, especially paired with lentils and sweet potato, well I suggest you go and make this right away. And bonus… it’s super healthy and hardy which make for a great dinner on a cold night and after all the holiday food last week.
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The stuff. A large sweet potato, a couple of big beets and some dried lentils. Gonna want some veggies, like an onion, carrots, cabbage and kale. Also want garlic, some salt and pepper, water and tiny bit of olive oil.
First thing first, get the beets and the sweet potato in a pot to boil* Just dice then up and toss into a pot with enough water to submerge the roots. Sprinkle in a bit of water ad bring to a boil, stick a lid on pot, and turn hat to medium.
*Note. I boiled my beets and sweet potato in one pot because well, I just didn’t want to have one more pot to wash. But if you do this, your sweet potato will turn slightly pink, whichI think is really pretty. If you want your sweet potato puree to look orange, gonna have to dirty another pot and boil the beets separately.
And chop up our veggies and mince the garlic. Drizzle a tiny amount of oil into a skillet or pot, toss in veggies (minus the kale) and cook on medium heat just until they start to soften a tiny bit. Once the veggies are cooked, remove them from heat, add in chopped kale, and set aside.
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And make your lentils. (i used the pot I just cooked the veggies in. The less dishes the better!) Water and lentils into pot with a pinch of salt, bring to boil, cover and place on low until lentils are tender.
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When the beets and sweet potato are fork tender, drain water into a jar and separate the beets from the potato (if you boiled them together). Blend the beets then the sweet potato until it’s the consistency that you would enjoy eating it (I like a little bit of chunk, not completely smooth) Use the drained water to thin out as much as you need/want.
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All the stuff ready to compile.
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Grab the cooked veggies and toss them into a oven safe skillet or casserole dish and mix together with the lentils. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Now evenly spread the beet puree on top of the veggies
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Then ever so gently, spread the sweet potato on top of that.
Give the top a good pinch of salt and pepper and stick the thing into the oven.
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Remove from oven when the sweet potato has browned andis slightly crispy.
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And scoop a big old scoop into a bowl, grab a fork, and stuff your face!
Happy today day!
-C
Remove from oven, let cook for a few minutes then eat it with a fork, a spoon, or your fingers.
Beet Sweet Potato and Lentil Casserole
Make 3-4 servings (or one serving for me!)
- 1 large sweet potato
- 2 medium beets
- 1 cup cried lentils
- 2 cups water
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- a medium yellow onion
- 2 carrots
- ¼ head of cabbage
- a few kale leaves
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
Note.. I did not add extra seasoning to this because I love the taste just as it is. But if you are feeling like it needs some seasoning, just add some in.
Start by chopping the beets and sweet potato into medium sized chunks and boiling them until they are fork tender. You can do this either in two separate pots or in one large pot. (if in one pot, the sweet potato will turn a little pink)
Once those are boiling, chop up all the veggies (not the kale yet) and the garlic and toss into a pot or skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and cook on medium heat until the veggies are slightly tender. Remove from heat, add in chopped kale and set aside.
And make the lentils ( I cooked the veggies in the pot, removed them ans used the pot to make the lentils… less dishes). Dump the 2 cups water, a pinch of salt, and the lentils into a pot. Bring to boil, cover, then turn heat to low. Cook for about 20 minutes until the lentil are tender.
Preheat oven to 400
Once everything is cooked and ready to go, dump the lentils and the veggies into oven safe skillet or casserole dish and mix around. Take beet puree and spread evenly over the mixture. Then do the same with the sweet potato puree. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper and stick the casserole into the oven to bake until the top is all browned and slightly crunchy (about 30 minutes)
Remove from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, then eat it. Fork, spoon, or your fingers work.
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You know how some people are brussels sprouts people and some are not. I am a for sure a spouts person.
I can even remember my first introduction to the cabbage like veggie. It was about 15 years ago and honestly, up to that point in my life, I had never even seen, let alone eaten brussels sprouts (Growing up, my family pretty much ate only peas, beans, and corn). So one night at my friends and the mr’s house (this was before we were dating) I stayed for dinner and there was as big bowl of steamed brussels sprouts on the table. First thing I noticed was that they kinds smelled like fart, but I wan’t exactly sure if the sprouts were the culprit (they were) Second thing I noticed was that everyone at dinner seemed to be really excited, or at least not offended by the sprouts. It was kind of weird because I had a preconceived notion that brussels sprouts were nasty and nobody actually enjoys wearing them. But up close and personal with the things, they didn’t seem so bad. So not wanting to seem rude, plus I was pretty curious,(and hungry) I grab a few. And then I ate them (minus the mayo that everyone was dipping them in) And then I knew. I was hooked. Brussels sprouts for life!
Now here is the thing. Those first sprouts that I had, they came from a bag in the frozen food section a the grocery store. (I know cause my friend had made them) And not that I don’t like me some frozen veggies (I eat frozen veggies on the reg) but there is nothing like a fresh stock of brussles sprouts. Slightly sweet, leafy, tender and crisp… They don’t even need to be cooked, which, if you are not a fan of the slight aroma that comes from cooked sprouts (kinda like fart) is great cause they don’t really smell! Fresh sprouts are were it’s at.
So if you are one of the cool ones (a brussels sprouts person) this salad is for you. And if you think you don’t like them, well my suggestion is.. Try them again cause you probably will. And watch. They will probably turn into the new green superfood, so you are going to have to like them eventually anyway so you might as well get used to them now!
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The stuff. Brussel Sprouts, toasted walnuts and an onion. Also have some brown mustard, maple syrup, red wine vinegar, and some salt and pepper.
Take those lovely sprouts and slice them all as thin as you can.. and do the same to the onion. Then stick it all into a bowl, sprinkle with salt and give it a toss. Set aside.
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Grab a big skillet and dump in the maple, mustard and vinegar. Stick it on the stove on medium high heat, constantly mixing.
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Keep mixing, and after a few minutes, the stuff has started to thicken and brown a bit… and smells so good!
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Now grab the bowl of chopped sprouts and dump the contents into the skillet. Add in a splash of water just to loosen up the sauce. Give it all a good mix, making sure that everything is evenly coated. Now let skillet sit on the heat for just another minutes or two.
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After a few minutes hanging in the hot skillet, remove from heat and dump the sprouts into a big bowl.
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Top with the toasted walnuts, and garb yourself a fork. OR stick it in the fridge and save it for later (taste Fantasitc freshly made.. even better after a few hours.. so eat whenever. Your call)
To all the brussels spouts people out there.. WE ARE AWESOME!
TGIF!!
-C
Makes enough for 2 people as a side, or a nice lovely salad for 1
- 1 1/2 -2 lbs fresh brussels sprouts(removed from the stalk)
- 1 small onion (red or white works)
- handful of toasted walnuts (if not toasted.. sticking a dry skillet, high heat for a few minutes to toast)
- 1/4 cup brown mustard
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2-3 tablespoon red white vinegar
- salt and pepper
- splash of water
Rinse sprouts and remove any of the gross leaves then slice them as thinly as you can. Grab the onion and slice that as thinly as you can too. Toss into a bowl, sprinkle with a little salt, and toss everything together.
In a large skillet, mix together the maple, mustard, and vinegar. Place on medium high heat and stir constantly until the mixture starts to thicken and brown a bit. Grab bowl of sprouts and toss them into the skillet, mixing everything together until the sprouts are all coated. Give the skillet a little splash of water. and let cook for another minutes or two, just so the sprouts are not completely raw (you can cook them longer if you like) Remove from heat and dump back into bowl. Toss on the walnuts and give it all a good stir. Serve immediately , or let it sit and serve later (tastes even better after a few hours!)
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I don’t know guys… today already kind of feels like a blah day. It’s way to warm out (I want crispy cool, not upper 70’s), I have a butt load of paperwork to do, laundry up the butt, and a huge mess in the basement. And I just don’t feel like doing anything, except maybe think about, make, and eat food.
Food. My ultimate form of procrastination Whenever I don’t want to do something, I find myself cooking or baking instead. Oh me… what to do.
Anyway. This was dinner a few nights ago, and an awesome dinner it was. I mean, anything za’atar or tahaini is, and together on roasted veggies… mouth watering! So good in fact that I was thinking (already thinking) of making it again tonight. Maybe while I am sitting with the bills and the dirty laundry. Don’t worry, it’s cool, I am a fantatic multi-tasker. Doing laundry, the bills and making food.. No problem. I thing it’s really just the damn warm weather that’s getting to me, and there is nothing I can do about that except bitch a little. So consider me bitched.
And dinner. Maybe if I make this again, today won’t feel so blah.
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The stuff… Eggplant, red peppers, onion, and some chick peas (in liquid). Tahini, a lemon, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. And of course we need some pitas, some greens and lots and lots of za’atar.
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Dice up the eggplants, the red pepper and the onion into chunks that will fit in your mouth.
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Toss that all together into a slightly oiled roasting skillet with the chickpeas (liquid drained but saved), salt and pepper, and a big ass dowse of za’atar.
Stick into the oven to roast.
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While the veggies are roasting, mince the garlic and add to the tahini. Mix in the juice of the lemon, a little salt and pepper, a drip or tow of oil, and the liquid from the chick peas. And no, it’s not gross, its fantastic and makes the sauce all nice and creamy. But if you happen to have no chick pea liquid, just add in enough water to thin out the sauce.
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After a good bout in the oven, the veggies and chickpeas are all nice and roasted .
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And all together now. Roasted veggies on greens, smothered in tahini sauce, and tossed with another good pinch or two of za’atar.
Food is so good. I am glad we have to war every day!
Happy Tuesday!
-C
Make about 4 pitas
- 2 small or 1 large eggplant
- 2 red peppers
- 1 medium onion
- 1 1/2 cups (give or take) cooked chickpeas drained but save the liquid (about 1/4 cup of liquid)
- 2 heaping tablespoons Za’atar* for roasting plus as much more as you like to garnish (I like a lot..like tablespoons worth)
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1 lemon
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- pitas ( 4 of any kind you like)
- a few handfuls of greens (any kind)
Note. Za’atar is a fantastic, tangy and nutty spice blend made up of primarily sumac, toasted sesame seeds, and thyme. I make my own by combining equal amounts of the the three, usually adding fresh oregano if I have it, and crush together. You can make your own too, or buy it pre blended.
Turn oven to 425
Small chop the eggplant, red peppers, and onion and toss into a large oiled oven safe skillet or roasting pan. Add in the drained chickpeas and toss with the za’atar, salt and pepper. Place in oven to roast.
For the sauce, mince garlic and mix into the tahini with the juice of the lemon, and the bean water, a little drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together with a fork.
After about 35 minutes or so, the veggies should be all nice and roasted… so take them out of the oven.
Ready you pitas. (warm them up if you like) A hand full of greens, a big helping of roasted veggies, a good scoop of two of tahini sauce, and a another pinch or two of za’atar
Now all you have to do is eat. No utensils required!
THE LOVELY CRAZY
August 12, 2016 by maximios • Blog
As a kid, my favorite holiday was Easter. Every year my parents would fill up brightly colored plastic baskets with handfuls of neon colored plastic “grass” and top it with all sorts of candy, coloring books, bubble, and sidewalk chalk. They were beautiful and amazing. It was like getting a basket of fun and a bunch of sugary candy to keep you going to have all that fun all day long. And the egg hunts. Plastic eggs full of candy hidden all over the house ans yard. We would all have our emptied out baskets running around full of excitement, ready to take out any sibling in our path just to be the one to get the next egg. We were ruthless and I am pretty sure every year someone would end up crying. Now, as an adult, I am not allowed to participate in the egg hunt. (but I still try to make my sibling cry) Nope, now I get to hide the eggs and sit back and watch the new generation of littles tripping each other and stealing eggs from one another. The carnage!
And also at Easter there is cake. Is there a rule that says you have to make carrot cake for Easter? I think there must be because it is when everyone and their moms busts this cake out. And everyone’s carrot cake it the best because they made it the right way, like with raisins or pineapple or walnuts. There are so many things that can be added to this cake that it’s a little overwhelming. So I made a carrot cake that was mainly about the carrots. Nothing added, no nuts raisins or coconut (although you could add i if you wanted) and it’s made into a pretty bundt cake, which in turn makes mine the best.
This here cake was destined for tomorrows Easter table. I made it with no nut produces cause the nephew has the deadly nut allergy. But when I went and made the date sauce, I kinda let that slip and used almond milk. Oops. So now I have a whole big carrot cake sitting on the counter with it’s destiny shattered. So sad, but I think its will survive cause the mris really into it and has already eaten a few pieces. I figure that because it’s a carrot cake, he can eat a few more. It’s almost like eating a vegetable….almost. And now I need to make a new cake to bring over or I might just stop at the store and buy some oreos on my way over tomorrow. The littles will like that.
The stuff. A bowl containing flour, salt, baking powder ans baking soda. Also need a few really big carrots, a bit of brown sugar, and ground up cinnamon and ginger. Coconut oil, soy milk, an orange (for it’s zest) and a little apple cider vinegar are going into this cake too.
Start by chopping up 2 of the biggest carrots and tossing the into a pot with about an inch of water. Stick the pot on the stove and cook until the carrots are nice and tender. Then blend those tender carrots up.
I had a hard time not eating all of the carrot puree, so maybe if you want, cook up a few extra carrots ans have yourself a pre-carrot cake carrot snack.
And while the carrot puree is still warm, add in the coconut oil and the sugar. Mix it until the oil is melted ans it’s one cohesive mixture.
And take that last carrot ans grate it up into the flour. Also add in the spices and the zest of the orange.
Note. I used a small holed grater so that the carrot shreds would be small and add texture to the cake but not make it too chunky. But use a normal grater..it’s all about your carrots chunk prefernce here.
Now dump the wet carrot mixture into the dry and start to mix
Adding in the soy and the vinegar to complete the batter.
And scooped that batter into a oiled bundt pan and get it into the (preheated) oven to bake.
After about an hour, the cake is ready, golden brown and smelling like any good carrot cake should. Remove from the oven and turn the cake out from the cake pan and stick on on a rack to cool. This cake is waiting for me to decide what, or if I want to frost, drizzle, or sauce it up….. I think it wants as little something.
Ok, I figured it out. Date sauce.
The stuff. Fresh medjool dates, almond milk and sea salt.
Date (pits removed) into the food processor along with the milk and a good pinch of sea salt. Blend until it turns into a nice smooth, fluffy sauce.
Take that sauce and spread it all over the cake. As much or as little as you want (you might have left over date sauce but its ok, you can just eat. It will last for about a week in the fridge and goes great with just about anything) Once fully sauced, sprinkle the cake with flaked sea salt.
Sliced, plated, and ready. It’s carrot cake time.
Have a great weekend, eat all your candy at once!
-C
Makes a bundt cake (but could be made into a 9×13 sheet cake)
Salted Date Caramel
Start by chopping up 2 of the biggest carrots and placing them into a pot with water about an inch of water. Stick on stove and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until the carrots are fork tender. When done, puree them with any means nessasary (hand blender, regular blender, food processor) Add the coconut oil and sugar to the warm carrot puree and mix until oil is melted.
Preheat oven to 350
In a large separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and the spices. Grate the smallest carrot in with the dry.
Take the wet carrot mixture and dump into the dry and mix, adding in the soy milk and the vinegar as you mix. Once everything is completely incorporated, pour mixture into a well oiled bundt pan and stick the cake into the preheated oven
While the cake is baking, make the date sauce. Just take the dates, remove pits if they have any and place in a food processor with a good pinch of sea salt and the almond milk. Pulse a few times, scrap down the sides, and keep blended, stopping to scrap sides if needed, until a nice thick smooth sauce is formed. If you want a thinner sauce, just add more milk til you get your desired consistency.
Now check cake. Once it’s golden brown and a tester comes out clean (between 50 minutes to an hour) remove from oven. Let cool for a few minutes in pan the then turn it over onto a wire rack to finish cooling off. Once the cake is cool, dump the date sauce all over it then sprinkle with another good few pinches of the sea salt.
And now eat it. This is a cake that needs no fork, but you can go ahead and use one if you must.
Every year I look forward to St Patrick’s day.. And not because I am Irish, (which I am) or because I want to drink on excess (which I do not) and no, green eggs and ham are not something that I plan on making. No Ido not look forward to any of those things (although I actually do like to pinch the littles that wear no green and talk about pots of gold and rainbows) I love this time of year because cabbage is always on a freaking super sale everywhere you go. Something that is usually 80-99 cents a pound goes down to like 20 cents a pound. And for someone that eats like 10 heads of cabbage a week, this is a hug savings. SO yeah, I buy so so much (I have already bought 12 heads, but I actually plan on buying a full case before the sale is over)
No, I am not crazy, I will eat it all….. and I am going to be making so much sauerkraut. Woo hoo!
But until then. A cabbage pot roast. Yes. I remember growing up my mom would make pot roasts once in a while. A big pot full of big chunks of veggies topped with a big slab of some kind of meat. I never liked the meat, but I always loved the big chunks of the veggies at the bottom of the pot. So I figured I would make a big pot roast, replace the meat with a head of cabbage (I have so much) and add beans because protein and because they are just so good. . And when it’s all cooked and said and done, you end up with a big pot of plump and so flavorful veggies and beans and the most tender wedged of roasted braised cabbage. This is my kind of pot roast.
Now go quick.. the cabbage sales will be over soon.
The stuff. One good sized head of cabbage, a few carrots, a big onion, and a hunk of rutabaga. Also have some dried kidney beans, caraway and fennel seeds, dried ground mustard, a bay leaf, some garlic, and salt and pepper. And water… water is needed.
Note. You can use just caraway or just fennel and you can replace or even add a potato in place of the rutabaga.
Dried beans, fennel and caraway into a pot with water. Stick the pot on the stove ans bring to a boil, then to a simmer to give the beans a quick head start before going into the oven.
While the beans are simmering, dice up the garlic and chop up the veggies into big chunks… you don’t want small chunks or they will kind of turn to mush while cooking.
And turn over the cabbage head, take a knife, and slice a deep x into the core. DO THIS or else the inside of the cabbage will not cook through. Oh and preheat the oven to 375.
Beans looking a bit plumped..
Top those beans with all the chopped veggies,(don’t stir them in., you want to keep the bean under submerged in the water) sprinkle those with the mustard, salt and pepper and place that lovely cabbage head right on top…
Place a lid on the pot and slide it into the oven to cook away. It’s going to take a bit of time (about an hour) but it’s pretty much hands off. Just take a look after about 45 minutes, check the bean doneness, add in another cup or so of water and place lid bacck on and cook for another 12-20 minutes until the beans are done. When they are, take the lid off, crank the oven to 450 and cook for another 15 or so minutes until the cabbage gets all golden brown
Look at that… Tender roasted veggies, plump beans. Everything about this is right.
Grab a knife and cut the cabbage (its so tender) into big wedges.
A wedge into a bowl along with a big spoonful or two of the beans and veggies..
Finished with a dash of salt and pepper and (not shown here,) lots of mustard.. Oh cabbage… you are so good!
Eat away and Happy St Patrick’s Day.
-C
serves 3-4
Place the fennel, the caraway, and the bay leaf into a large dutch oven along with the dried beans and 3 cups of water. Place on the stove and being to a boil then, turn heat to low and simmer the beans for about 15 minutes.
While beans are simmering, chop up the carrot, onion and rutabaga into big chunks and dice up the garlic. Take head of cabbage and slice a deep x into the core.
Preheat oven to 375
Once the beans have simmered a bit, add in the chunks of veggies, the ground mustard and salt and pepper (Don’t stir, you want to keep the bean submerged in the water). Place the head of cabbage right on top of the veggies and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place a lid on the pot and stick the whole thing into the oven. After about 45 minutes, check the roast and the beans for doneness and adding in another cup of water id needed. Back into oven with the lid for another 15-20 minutes or until the beans are tender Onnce they are, remove the lid form the pot and crank the oven up to 425. Cook for another 15 minutes or so until the cabbage turns a nice golden brown.
Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes, cut the cabbage head into wedges and serve it up with big spoonfuls of beans and veggies.
Eat until your full.
.
The sister came over for dinner again this week (we have established a weekly homework dinner club) which then turned into an argument between me, her, and the mr. I told them I was making shepherd’s pie and went about my way in doing so. The mr was gone for a bit, I was cooking, Barb was homeworking and all was good. When the mr came home for dinner and I pulled out the pie, he was skeptical. Then I served it up and handed him a nice big bowl of this amazing looking/smelling/tasting/ shepherd’s pie and the first thing he said was “this is not shepherd’s pie. Shepherd’s pie is mashed potatoes, corn and meat.” Well ,yeah” I said, “that is one way to make it, but shut it you… I am calling it shepherd’s pie” Haha. And little Barb, she was on my side and had none of the mr skepticism. and started to argue with him.(She is always in my side) Me, I just sat there and ate and let them fight.
By the end of dinner, the mr still wouldn’t call it shepherd pie but together they settled on a new name. “Judah Pie” because Judah is a religious name and a shepherd sound religious too and they are such freaking weirdos… I don’t know how they think. Oh how much do I love our dinners.
Anyway, still calling it shepherd’s pie so yeah, I win!
The stuff. One big rutabaga, some dried lentils.half a big onion, a zucchini, some frozen peas ,and a couple carrots. Garlic, rosemary, and a bay leaf or two are going in to the mix along with some balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. All some good good stuff if I say so myself, but veggie wise…use what you got on hand. Heck you even go with a straight up bag of some frozen stuff..
Start by peeling and dicing up the rutabaga. When dicing, make the chunks kinda small (they cook faster) and stick them into a pot of cold water. Cook them like you would potatoes..(salted water, bring to boil, turn heat to medium and cook until super tender)
And get those lentils on the stove too. Add the rosemary and bay leaf to the water, stick on the stove, bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and toss a lid on the b.
Alright, so that stuff is cooking, now you can chop up the veggies and toss them into a skillet with a splash of oil and water. Stick those on the stove on medium heat for a few minutes, just to give them a little head start in cooking. Let them start to sweat, but don’t let them get mushy.
After a few minutes, toss in the peas, the garlic (after its minced up) and a few glugs of balsamic vinegar. cook for just another minute or two.
And the lentils are done!
Dump those babies into the skillet with the veggies (remove the bay leaves) and mix around. Season with salt and pepper, taste, add more if needed and more vinegar if you think you want too. And smooth out the mixture into the skillet.
Super fork tender and sprinkled with a good amount of salt and pepper and a splash of olive oil. Also add in a bit of the reserved liquid to fluff it up a bit.
The veggie lentil mixture gets topped with that mash and is spread out all nice like. Ready to be popped into the oven to bake.
Look at that golden skillet of amazing. Baked to perfection…….. Smells so good.
Serves with a hunk of bread and a fork to eat it with.
Whatever you call it, we can all agree that we can call it good!
-Peace out duders!!
-C
Note. This is one of those “recipes ” that is easily adapted to what you got in you fridge. The main ingredients are rutabaga and lentils, but the veggies can be swapped with whatever, just make sure you end up with about about 2 1/2 cups of veggies to mix in. And even the seasoning. You could swap out the rosemary and add curry instead. Oh would that be nice.
Start by peeling the rutabaga. Dice it into small chunks and place into a large pot of cold water with a good pinch of salt. Place on stove, bring to a boil then turn heat to medium and cook the rutabaga until fork tender.
And right after the rutabaga is on the stove, get the lentils going. Water, rosemary, bay leaves, and the dried lentils all go into a pot, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and top with a lid. Cook until tender and the water has been absorbed, which should take about. 20 minutes. Check after 15 to see how they are coking. If they seem to dry, add in a little more water.
Preheat oven to 400.
Grab the veggies (besides peas) and chop them all into little chunks. Toss into a 10 or 12 inch oven safe skillet with a splash of olive oil and water and season with salt and pepper Stick on medium heat for a few minutes to just slightly soften the veggies. Remove them from heat and toss in minced up garlic, the peas, a tablespoon or two of vinegar.
Once the lentils are cooked, toss those in with the veggies and mix all around then spread evenly in the skillet.
If you want to bake the shepherd’s pie in a casserole dish, just dump all the stuff into said dish once the mixture is done.
Now the rutabaga should be done now. Strain but reserve liquid and with a masher, mash the crap our of the rutabaga, adding in salt, pepper, olive oil to taste, and a little (like 1/4 -1/2 a cup of the reserved liquid to give it a fluffier consistency. Once good and mashed, top the lentil veggie mixture with the mash and smooth out. Sprinkle with more pepper and pop the thing into the oven. Bake for 20ish minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown.
Remove, let cool a few minutes, dish it out, and dig in!
Are you ready for this weekend? You know what’s coming right? Yup, another arctic blast. -30 degree temperatures, windchill warnings and local news forecasters warning of dangerously cold conditions. “Don’t go outside , your face will freeze off”
Oh yeah, and Valentine Day.
What are your thoughts on the V day? The mr and I, well we could kind of care less, but at the same time, we like the excuse to spend the day together, traditionally going for a hike with the pup (not this year… we would die) and just spending the day together being sweet (pretty much the same way we spend any days off together) We don’t get fancy with dinner dates or overly large stuffed animals. No boxes of chocolate, bottles of champagne or fancy undies. We keep it caj, maybe a sweet hand made card covered in glitter (never a store bought.) a stop for a good cup of coffee and an afternoon trip to the plant store to by a new pretty house plant (1. I really hate red roses and 2. I would much rather get a house plant then flowers that will die) But honesty, we just use V day as an excuse to not work and spend the day together, being left alone, eating whatever we want and doing whatever fun stuff we want.
This dish was kinda inspired by being so pretty bright pink, but also it was just what I wanted to eat for dinner. Spaghetti squash doesn’t get as much play as it should. Sure it’s not the most sweet and nutty of the squashes, but it has a really nice subtle flavor that makes it a fantastic base for pretty much anything. And the beet sauce. Again, it’s such a pretty color, but beside that, I can’t get enough of them. I love me some roasted beets (way better then any chocolate or sweet treat)
I could lie to you and say that this is the dish that I will be making for me and the mr on Valentines day, but no,this dish already happened this week and the mr got into it, but would rather eat his favorite meal (pizza) for dinner. And I will be eating the left over beet sauce with carrot sticks (this beet sauce id for real.. topped with a little yellow mustard… I could eat it for life) then make a hugmongo batch of popcorn covered in peanut butter. We wiil sit on he couch and watch a lot of Netflix (still working my way through the fresh prince) and maybe a cute Wes Anderson movie. I will be in bed by 9.
But don’t mind us old folks here. Go for it. Do up the Valentines Day. Make a pretty dish of food for your sweetheart, or if alone, make it for yourself, especiallyif you are hanging by your lonesome. Valentinesday is about being happy and this dish will make you happy, whether or not you plan on sharing it.
The stuff. One spaghetti squash big enough for at least 2 people (I love left overs so maybe big enough for 4), 2 largish beets, a a small onion. Also grab a clove of garlic of 4, a lemon, the salt and pepper, and some olive oil. Optional, but a very nice addition is a handful of tasted walnuts.
Quick and crank up the oven (make sure you take out the cast iron you left in there from last night), then stick the squash, beets and onion into the hot oven to roast. I stuck them all on a baking sheet and left them completely whole, but if you want, you could chop the beet and onion into chunks and drizzle with oil or you could wrap the beets in foil and bake them that way but really, why go through all that when you can just not? And don’t bother peeling them.(unless you think you must.. but you really really don’t need too)
And same for the squash. You could cut in half and roast it that way, but again, why when you don’t need to.
So anyway, roast the beets and onion until fork tender. And the squash as well (check by stabbing with a fork) All my stuff roasted up pretty much perfectly at the exact same time, but it really depends on the size of your stuff. So check after 40ish minutes.
And once you pull that roasted stuff from the oven, let it cool just enough where you can handle it. Chop the onion into a couple chunks, the beets into smaller chunks and slice the squash in half length wise and set aside.
Grab a blender and toss in the onion, beets the juice of the lemon (start with half) apinch of salt, a few pinches of pepper, and a clove or 2 of garlic (ok, I love raw garlic and used a lot. If you do not like the taste of raw garlic, just toss it with a little oil and stick into the oven with the beets for about 10 minutes. Or you could omit the garlic entirely)
Once all the stuff is in the blender, turn it on. Drizzle in about a tablespoon or two of olive oil and blend until a nice smooth sauce has formed. Taste, season with more salt and pepper if needed. Add the other half of lemon if you think it needs it. You can also add a bit of water to thin it out more.. if you want
So now the squash should be cool enough to handle. Scoop out the seeds and with a fork, scrape up into spaghetti!
Heaps of squash go into bowls then topped with a generous mound of beet sauce. Topped with some roughly chopped toasted walnuts, a sprinkle of pepper and some bits of green stuff (I just diced up some kale)
Look at that. So pretty, so pink and all ready to go. Dinner for 2 with a good bit of left overs for later!
Happy weekend! And Happy Valentines Day if you do it, or if you don’t!
-C
makes 3-4 servings
Note. You might want to thin out sauce out a bit without the use of a ton of oil. Go ahead and add a little water. Also, I used raw garlic in mine, but some people might not like it raw. Just toss a few cloves of garlic in a bit of oil and stick into the oven for 10-15 minutes with the other stuff to give it a little roast. OR just omit.
Preheat oven to 425.
Stick the onion, beets and squash onto a baking sheet, drzzle the beet and onion with a tiny bit of oil and stick the sheet into the oven. Roast everything until fork tender which should take around 45-50 minutes. (depending on the size of your produce, some thing might take longer or shorter, so just check after 40ish minutes)
Once everything is roasted, let the beets and onion cool just enough to handle and cut into chunks and toss into a blender. Add in the garlic, the juice of the lemon, a few drizzles of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Now turn blender on and blend until smooth.
And the squash. Cut the thing in half and remove the seeds. Then with a fork, scrap the squash from the skin into spaghetti like strands.
Place squash into bowls, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add a drizzle of oil if you want and top with a good hearty heap of beet sauce. Top with more cracked pepper and a few chopped walnuts and maybe add a little something green, you know, to make it pretty.
Serve warm with love and a fork.. your lips might turn pink with beet love.
I have been meaning to share the magic of crispy waffle iron tofu for a while, but somehow kind of forgot. Yesterday when talking to my (not quite) mother in law she mentioned the bean waffles I made a while ago and suddenly I had a very real need to go home and bust out the waffle iron and make some tofu. And some of you may be thinking that this sounds weird, but its not. Waffle irons are not just for waffles, you can cook just about anything in them. I compare then to a George Foreman grill (remember those) or even a griddler. . Works the same way, just makes everything waffles shaped.
As for the rest of this open face toast situation, it just makes so much sense. Crispy cumin lime tofu, avocado, mashed up squash…. A heap of things that are so freaking good. I actually made the sandwich for the mr and was a little bit worried he was not going to like it, but worry I need not. He got down with it too. You could even ditch the bread and eat waffled tofu slathered in the squash and tofu alone, or maybe swap out bread for greens (that’s what I did) Whatever you do, it will be good and your tofu will be so nice and crispy (without having to deep fry) that you may never cook tofu anther way again.
The stuff. Tofu, some roasted squash (any squash or sweet potato works), and half an avocado. Going to need a lime, some cumin and a pinch of chili powder, salt and pepper and little olive oil. And some type of bread that is good for toasting.
The cumin and chili powder go into a bowl with lime juice, a little oil ans a pinch of salt ans pepper. Give it a good whisk and set aside.
And now tend to the tofu. You want to get as much water removed from the tofu as you can. I do this by pressing the sliced pieces between a clean tea towel a bunch of times until the tofu is as dry I can get it without falling apart.
While you are doing this, preheat your waffle iron.
Once the tofu is a dried as you can get it, dredge each piece of tofu, front and back, through the cumin lime mixture.
And place it on your preheated, lightly oiled waffle iron.
Close iron and let the tofu iron itself cripsy.
And in about 7-10 minutes, you got yourself some super fantastic crispy, oh so tasty tofu.
Now to put it all together. Bread is toasted and topped with mashed up squash.
Next goes the tofu then top that with the avocado. Finish with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt.
And sriracha if you like it..
Not deep fried, but super crispy tofu! And squash! and avocado! and toast!
It’s amazing.
-C
Make 2 pieces of toast
For the tofu
And for the rest of the sandwich
In a shallow bowl, mix together the juice of 1/2 the lime,the cumin and chill powder, a pinch of salt and pepper and 3 teaspoons of oil. Set aside
Preheat waffle iron to either the on setting or if it has variable setting, high.
Take your tofu and remove as much of the liquid as you can by pressing it between two clean kitchen towels. When you get as much of the liquid out as you can, take the tofu and place into the cumin mixture and coat both sides. Ready the iron by brushing each side with a little more oil just to make sure it doesn’t stick and place the tofu on the iron, close it up, and let it do it’s thing for about 8-10 minutes. (check after 6-7 to see whats what and if is as crispy crunchy as you like, remove. If you think it could use another minute or two, well close it back up and keep ironing it.
And when the tofu is done, it’s time tot make compile it all together.
Toast you bread you are going to use. Once toasted mash a good amount of squash onto toast. Place tofu on top of that and thinly sliced avocado on top of that. Finish with a sprinkle of salt, a squeeze of lime juice and if you are feeling a bit more spicy, a few drizzle drops of sriracha.
Eat right away. Do not share…they can make their own.
Once in a while I make a dinner that the mr does not want to eat, like anything with too much corn or things made with lots of vinegar… not his taste. Don’t get me wrong, most of the time, he will eat what I make (casue he loves me) but he clearly doesn’t really like it. And that’s when pup usually gets left over for dinner. (He always likes everything that I cook)
One of those things that I know the mr doesn’t like are beets. Sure, he will eat things that has a few beets in it, but once he found out that this casserole starred beets, his eyes widened and he looked worried, like “oh great, but please don’t make me eat this”. Not to worry. He was getting pasta for dinner because this casserole was not for him. It was for me. It has everything that I love in the word (food wise ) tossed together and baked into a pretty skillet, just for me. Plus the beets, sweet potato and kale were the last from the farm share. So it was my good by farm food, casserole of greatness. And I didn’t want to share.
So yeah, if you are not a fan of beets, or any of the other stuff in this casserole for that matter, then don’t make it. But if you are awesome and know the greatness of the beet, especially paired with lentils and sweet potato, well I suggest you go and make this right away. And bonus… it’s super healthy and hardy which make for a great dinner on a cold night and after all the holiday food last week.
The stuff. A large sweet potato, a couple of big beets and some dried lentils. Gonna want some veggies, like an onion, carrots, cabbage and kale. Also want garlic, some salt and pepper, water and tiny bit of olive oil.
First thing first, get the beets and the sweet potato in a pot to boil* Just dice then up and toss into a pot with enough water to submerge the roots. Sprinkle in a bit of water ad bring to a boil, stick a lid on pot, and turn hat to medium.
*Note. I boiled my beets and sweet potato in one pot because well, I just didn’t want to have one more pot to wash. But if you do this, your sweet potato will turn slightly pink, whichI think is really pretty. If you want your sweet potato puree to look orange, gonna have to dirty another pot and boil the beets separately.
And chop up our veggies and mince the garlic. Drizzle a tiny amount of oil into a skillet or pot, toss in veggies (minus the kale) and cook on medium heat just until they start to soften a tiny bit. Once the veggies are cooked, remove them from heat, add in chopped kale, and set aside.
And make your lentils. (i used the pot I just cooked the veggies in. The less dishes the better!) Water and lentils into pot with a pinch of salt, bring to boil, cover and place on low until lentils are tender.
When the beets and sweet potato are fork tender, drain water into a jar and separate the beets from the potato (if you boiled them together). Blend the beets then the sweet potato until it’s the consistency that you would enjoy eating it (I like a little bit of chunk, not completely smooth) Use the drained water to thin out as much as you need/want.
All the stuff ready to compile.
Grab the cooked veggies and toss them into a oven safe skillet or casserole dish and mix together with the lentils. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Now evenly spread the beet puree on top of the veggies
Then ever so gently, spread the sweet potato on top of that.
Give the top a good pinch of salt and pepper and stick the thing into the oven.
Remove from oven when the sweet potato has browned andis slightly crispy.
And scoop a big old scoop into a bowl, grab a fork, and stuff your face!
Happy today day!
-C
Remove from oven, let cook for a few minutes then eat it with a fork, a spoon, or your fingers.
Beet Sweet Potato and Lentil Casserole
Make 3-4 servings (or one serving for me!)
Note.. I did not add extra seasoning to this because I love the taste just as it is. But if you are feeling like it needs some seasoning, just add some in.
Start by chopping the beets and sweet potato into medium sized chunks and boiling them until they are fork tender. You can do this either in two separate pots or in one large pot. (if in one pot, the sweet potato will turn a little pink)
Once those are boiling, chop up all the veggies (not the kale yet) and the garlic and toss into a pot or skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and cook on medium heat until the veggies are slightly tender. Remove from heat, add in chopped kale and set aside.
And make the lentils ( I cooked the veggies in the pot, removed them ans used the pot to make the lentils… less dishes). Dump the 2 cups water, a pinch of salt, and the lentils into a pot. Bring to boil, cover, then turn heat to low. Cook for about 20 minutes until the lentil are tender.
Preheat oven to 400
Once everything is cooked and ready to go, dump the lentils and the veggies into oven safe skillet or casserole dish and mix around. Take beet puree and spread evenly over the mixture. Then do the same with the sweet potato puree. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper and stick the casserole into the oven to bake until the top is all browned and slightly crunchy (about 30 minutes)
Remove from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, then eat it. Fork, spoon, or your fingers work.
You know how some people are brussels sprouts people and some are not. I am a for sure a spouts person.
I can even remember my first introduction to the cabbage like veggie. It was about 15 years ago and honestly, up to that point in my life, I had never even seen, let alone eaten brussels sprouts (Growing up, my family pretty much ate only peas, beans, and corn). So one night at my friends and the mr’s house (this was before we were dating) I stayed for dinner and there was as big bowl of steamed brussels sprouts on the table. First thing I noticed was that they kinds smelled like fart, but I wan’t exactly sure if the sprouts were the culprit (they were) Second thing I noticed was that everyone at dinner seemed to be really excited, or at least not offended by the sprouts. It was kind of weird because I had a preconceived notion that brussels sprouts were nasty and nobody actually enjoys wearing them. But up close and personal with the things, they didn’t seem so bad. So not wanting to seem rude, plus I was pretty curious,(and hungry) I grab a few. And then I ate them (minus the mayo that everyone was dipping them in) And then I knew. I was hooked. Brussels sprouts for life!
Now here is the thing. Those first sprouts that I had, they came from a bag in the frozen food section a the grocery store. (I know cause my friend had made them) And not that I don’t like me some frozen veggies (I eat frozen veggies on the reg) but there is nothing like a fresh stock of brussles sprouts. Slightly sweet, leafy, tender and crisp… They don’t even need to be cooked, which, if you are not a fan of the slight aroma that comes from cooked sprouts (kinda like fart) is great cause they don’t really smell! Fresh sprouts are were it’s at.
So if you are one of the cool ones (a brussels sprouts person) this salad is for you. And if you think you don’t like them, well my suggestion is.. Try them again cause you probably will. And watch. They will probably turn into the new green superfood, so you are going to have to like them eventually anyway so you might as well get used to them now!
The stuff. Brussel Sprouts, toasted walnuts and an onion. Also have some brown mustard, maple syrup, red wine vinegar, and some salt and pepper.
Take those lovely sprouts and slice them all as thin as you can.. and do the same to the onion. Then stick it all into a bowl, sprinkle with salt and give it a toss. Set aside.
Grab a big skillet and dump in the maple, mustard and vinegar. Stick it on the stove on medium high heat, constantly mixing.
Keep mixing, and after a few minutes, the stuff has started to thicken and brown a bit… and smells so good!
Now grab the bowl of chopped sprouts and dump the contents into the skillet. Add in a splash of water just to loosen up the sauce. Give it all a good mix, making sure that everything is evenly coated. Now let skillet sit on the heat for just another minutes or two.
After a few minutes hanging in the hot skillet, remove from heat and dump the sprouts into a big bowl.
Top with the toasted walnuts, and garb yourself a fork. OR stick it in the fridge and save it for later (taste Fantasitc freshly made.. even better after a few hours.. so eat whenever. Your call)
To all the brussels spouts people out there.. WE ARE AWESOME!
TGIF!!
-C
Makes enough for 2 people as a side, or a nice lovely salad for 1
Rinse sprouts and remove any of the gross leaves then slice them as thinly as you can. Grab the onion and slice that as thinly as you can too. Toss into a bowl, sprinkle with a little salt, and toss everything together.
In a large skillet, mix together the maple, mustard, and vinegar. Place on medium high heat and stir constantly until the mixture starts to thicken and brown a bit. Grab bowl of sprouts and toss them into the skillet, mixing everything together until the sprouts are all coated. Give the skillet a little splash of water. and let cook for another minutes or two, just so the sprouts are not completely raw (you can cook them longer if you like) Remove from heat and dump back into bowl. Toss on the walnuts and give it all a good stir. Serve immediately , or let it sit and serve later (tastes even better after a few hours!)
I don’t know guys… today already kind of feels like a blah day. It’s way to warm out (I want crispy cool, not upper 70’s), I have a butt load of paperwork to do, laundry up the butt, and a huge mess in the basement. And I just don’t feel like doing anything, except maybe think about, make, and eat food.
Food. My ultimate form of procrastination Whenever I don’t want to do something, I find myself cooking or baking instead. Oh me… what to do.
Anyway. This was dinner a few nights ago, and an awesome dinner it was. I mean, anything za’atar or tahaini is, and together on roasted veggies… mouth watering! So good in fact that I was thinking (already thinking) of making it again tonight. Maybe while I am sitting with the bills and the dirty laundry. Don’t worry, it’s cool, I am a fantatic multi-tasker. Doing laundry, the bills and making food.. No problem. I thing it’s really just the damn warm weather that’s getting to me, and there is nothing I can do about that except bitch a little. So consider me bitched.
And dinner. Maybe if I make this again, today won’t feel so blah.
The stuff… Eggplant, red peppers, onion, and some chick peas (in liquid). Tahini, a lemon, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. And of course we need some pitas, some greens and lots and lots of za’atar.
Dice up the eggplants, the red pepper and the onion into chunks that will fit in your mouth.
Toss that all together into a slightly oiled roasting skillet with the chickpeas (liquid drained but saved), salt and pepper, and a big ass dowse of za’atar.
Stick into the oven to roast.
While the veggies are roasting, mince the garlic and add to the tahini. Mix in the juice of the lemon, a little salt and pepper, a drip or tow of oil, and the liquid from the chick peas. And no, it’s not gross, its fantastic and makes the sauce all nice and creamy. But if you happen to have no chick pea liquid, just add in enough water to thin out the sauce.
After a good bout in the oven, the veggies and chickpeas are all nice and roasted .
And all together now. Roasted veggies on greens, smothered in tahini sauce, and tossed with another good pinch or two of za’atar.
Food is so good. I am glad we have to war every day!
Happy Tuesday!
-C
Make about 4 pitas
Note. Za’atar is a fantastic, tangy and nutty spice blend made up of primarily sumac, toasted sesame seeds, and thyme. I make my own by combining equal amounts of the the three, usually adding fresh oregano if I have it, and crush together. You can make your own too, or buy it pre blended.
Turn oven to 425
Small chop the eggplant, red peppers, and onion and toss into a large oiled oven safe skillet or roasting pan. Add in the drained chickpeas and toss with the za’atar, salt and pepper. Place in oven to roast.
For the sauce, mince garlic and mix into the tahini with the juice of the lemon, and the bean water, a little drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together with a fork.
After about 35 minutes or so, the veggies should be all nice and roasted… so take them out of the oven.
Ready you pitas. (warm them up if you like) A hand full of greens, a big helping of roasted veggies, a good scoop of two of tahini sauce, and a another pinch or two of za’atar
Now all you have to do is eat. No utensils required!