If you are a falafel fan, as I am, then this one is for you. Carrot ginger falafel. Oh yes. Warm and spicy and carroty and all the things that are good, packed into a chickpea ball of mouth sized proportions. When I thought of it it sounded good, When I made it and ate it, it was everything and more I could have asked for in a freaking fantastic falafel. As for the tahini cabbage slaw, I might just be making it in my house every dang day. Super easy, super tasty, goes with the falafel like whoa but is just as good eaten on it%u2019s own. Eaten together the pair make every inch of mouth space happy. A happy mouth space, what more can you ask for?
To the falafel!
The stuff. Cooked chickpeas, carrots, a piece of fresh ginger, tahini, soy sauce, cabbage, an onion, a few cloves of garlic, red wine vinegar, some cumin and red pepper flakes, a lemon, chickpea flour, salt and pepper, and oil.
Start off by chopping the carrots into small pieces. Then cut half of the onion into small pieces. Rough chop the garlic and the ginger as well. No need to peel ginger unless you really want to.
Place it all into food processor and pulse until a small crumble.
Carrot onion garlic ginger mixture.
Dump mixture into a skillet with a splash of water. Add in the cumin, chili flakes, and a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook on the stove for 5-8 minutes until the crumble softens and becomes fragrant.
Dump carrot ginger mixture back into food processor along with the chickpeas, chickpea flour, and the juice of the lemon. Puree until smooth.
Carrot ginger falafel mixture. Now stick it in the fridge. For a little while to a day, just to let it set up a bit.
And in the mean time you can make the slaw. Shred cabbage and cut up onion all nice and thin.
Dump tahini, soy, vinegar, and a few tablespoons warm water into bowl and mix until creamy and good.
Toss in that cabbage and onion. Now you have tahini cabbage slaw.
Now to cook falafel. Grab the batter, scoop into balls then smoosh into disks. Place in a light oiled skillet and brown each side a nice golden brown.
After browning, place on a baking sheet. Once all the falafel has been browned, place the baking sheet into the oven to finish up cooking. 20 minutes or so and you got yourself falafel.
Then eat it. Falafel topped with tahini cabbage slaw. That is how it%u2019s done, with or without wraps or pitas or whatever your want. Just as it is. Falafel, cabbage slaw, into mouth.
Good things friend.
-C
serves 3-4 people or makes 14-16 falafel balls
For the falafel
2 cups cooked chickpeas drained
3-4 carrots (around 2 cups diced)
1/2 of a red onion
2 inches fresh ginger
2-3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1/3 cup chickpea flour (can sub in oat flour if needed)
juice of a small lemon
salt and pepper
For Tahini Cabbage Slaw
1/2 head red or green cabbage (about 3 cups shredded)
1/2 of a red onion
3 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon soy or liquid aminos
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
a few tablespoons warm water
Grab carrots and red onion. Chop carrots into small chunks and cut onion in half. Cut one half into chunks. Place in food processor. Take the ginger and cut into small chunks (you don%u2019t need to peel it) and peel and slice garlic and cut into small pieces. Add that to the food processor. Pulse the mixture into a very small crumble then dump the mixture into a skillet with a splash of water. Add in the cumin, chili flakes, and a good pinch of salt and lots of pepper, and place on medium heat and cook for 5-8 minutes until soft and fragrant. Once cooked, scoop back into food processor along with the chickpeas, chickpea flour, and the juice of the lemon. Turn on and and puree until smooth, stopping when needed to scrap down the side. Then either dump mixture into a bowl or leave in the container you processed it in and place in fridge for 1/2 hour to a day.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400.
After letting the dough sit for a bit, remove from fridge. Grab skillet and lightly oil it and place on medium heat. Take a cookie scoop or just a spoon and scoop balls of falafel into your hand and roll them around so they are packed together. Smoosh then balls a little into disks and place into hot skillet. Let cook until bottom is golden brown then gently flip and cook the other side until browned. Place cooked falafel on a baking sheet. Once you have browned all the falafel, place into oven to bake for about 20 minutes or until the falafel has firmed up to your liking.
To make the tahini cabbage slaw. Shred cabbage and cut the remaining half of red onion into thin pieces. Place tahini, soy, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons warm water into a big bowl. Mix together until light and creamy. If the mixture seems to thick, add another tablespoon of warm water. When happy with consistency, add in the cabbage and onion and toss around until everything is coated.
Now when the slaw is made, the falafel is cooked, you eat it. Serve with warm pita or wraps or a bed of greens or nothing. Just slaw on top of falafel. And FYI, this whole shebang can be eaten hot or cold or anywhere in between.
Every now and then I make something for me. All for me. This is one of those dishes that was not destined to be shared with anyone. That I had no one else in mind to eat besides me. No worring about what anyone else with think. Just a simple little dish that I was craving and wanting.
So I made it and man, was it so freaking satisfying. Cooking for oneself is very much a gratifying experience.
Celeriac, or also know as celery root. Have you ever had it? If not, well duder, you need to. It is in my top 3 favorite vegetables and that is saying a lot. So anyway, celeriac, has a slight celery taste, but also kind of earthy and nutty. It pairs well with anything that a potato might, but also is amazing on it%u2019s own. Roasted, steamed, raw. Just really fantastic. And it is in season so get on it and go find yourself some.
And lentils. In my top 3 favorite foods. Made them crispy because pureed celeriac and crispy lentils just sounded right and I love me crispy things. Again, I was making this dish fo me so crispy was happening.
Together, the creamy, delicious pureed celeriac covered with a bunch of spiced, crispy lentil%u2026.Amazing. Eating it, I couldn%u2019t have been happier. I did myself one good with this one.
I might even have to make it to share someday.
Now to the celeriac and lentils!
The stuff. A bulb of celeriac, some cooked lentils, salt and pepper, chili powder, garlic powder. mustard powder, and oil. (oil is optional)
The celeriac. Ok, so most people peel it. I actually get weird looks from people when I tell them I don’t , but let me do me, you know. So anyway. Peel it if you want, or not, just cut it up into chunks.
Place cut up celeriac into a pot and cover with water. Place on stove on medium heat and cook until fork tender.
Lentils meet spices and get mix all together. Add a pinch of salt and lots of cracked pepper too.
Spread now spiced lentils onto a baking sheet, pop into oven, and bake until crispy. Easy peasy.
And to puree the celeriac. Strain any extra water into a cup. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and grab the hand blender (or regular blender) and blend it, adding back in some of the strained water as needed, to get to a consistency that you like. Me, I liked it pretty smooth, but also with a little chunk. Heck, you could leave it really chunky or go all out completely smooth. Up to you. Also if you want a creamier texture, add in a teaspoon or so of the olive oil. That is a taste preference. I didn’t add oil this time, but I have before. It%u2019s good both ways.
And there you have it. Add the celeriac puree to a bowl, top with crispy lentils, and garnish with something green if you want.
Then eat it.
Not going to lie. After this picture was taken, I busted out the spicy mustard and covered everything with it. And it was amazing.
-C
serves 1 as a meal, or a few as a side dish
1 1/2 cups cooked green lentils
1 large celeriac bulb (soft ball sized)
1 teaspoon chili power
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
olive oil (optional)
Grab celeriac and peel if you want, or just give it a really good wash. Cut into chunks and place into pot. Add enough water to just cover the celeriac and place on medium heat on the stove. Cook until fork tender.
In the mean time, mix all the spices and a good pinch of salt and lots of pepper together with the lentils. Dump them and spread them out onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Place in oven and turn to 400 degrees (you can start cooking the lentils while the oven is preheating). Bake for about 20 minutes or until lentils are crispy.
Once the celeriac is tender, strain water into a cup and either with a hand blender or a regular blender, blend until smooth, adding in some of the poured off water as needed. You can puree as smoothly as you like or leave a few chunks.. Also, you might want to add in a teaspoon or so of olive oil for a slightly richer and creamier taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ehen the lentils are done, take them from oven. Place large amount (or all) of the celeriac puree to a bowl, cover with some (or all) of the crispy lentils and that is that. Eat away.
Serving suggestion%u2026. Mustard. Any kind. So good.
I love me some falafel. I love me some peppers. So I guess it is natural that I would want to stuff falafel inside of peppers and eat them all to my face right? I think so.
As we all already know, most of what I cook is depicted by whatever I get at farm share. And the past few weeks we have been getting a lot of peppers. I have been happily eating one or two a day, just as they are, but I figured it was time that I did something else with them. Now what is the first thing that comes to mind with peppers? Stuffed peppers of course. And there you have it, falafel stuffed peppers.
So I am not going to lie and say the mr ate them and swooned. He is not the biggest fan of peppers (I am starting to realize that he doesn%u2019t have all the right taste buds in his mouth. So sad for him.) so he dumped the falafel out of the pepper and ate it with most of the pickled onions, the tahini, and rice. That he really liked. Lucky me, I wanted his pepper anyway because roasted peppers are freaking fantastic amazing and whatever him. Me, as a pepper and falafel lover, I found these stuffed peppers to be everything that I wanted and needed and then some. Eaten pretty much right away warm, with pickled onion and covered in all the tahini, it was a very very satisfying meal. But also a left over stuffed pepper that was stuck in the fridge, eaten cold standing in front of said fridge, right before bed. That was something great as well. I might have even gone in for a second one%u2026%u2026
Anyway, a pepper stuffed with falafel is a good idea if you want food, like peppers, like falafel, and are cool. Just saying.
To the falafel stuffed peppers!
The stuff. A few sweet peppers, some cooked chickpeas, chickpea flour, an onion, a bunch of fresh cilantro and parsley, a few cloves of garlic, red wine vinegar, a little water, tahini, cumin, chili pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.
First, take the onion and cut in half. Take one half and cut into very thin slices, place in a bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and toss with the vinegar and a few tablespoons of water. Set that bowl aside. The other half of onion just cut into a few smaller chunks.
To make falafel. Add the chunks of onion and garlic to food processor and pules a few times to start chopping it up. Add in the cilantro and parsley, the chickpeas and chickpea flour, the cumin and chili pepper flakes, and a good few pinches of salt and lots of pepper. Pulse until completely combined but still a bit chunky. OR pulse until smooth if you would rather it like that. It%u2019s up to you.
Grab peppers and cut each in half. Remove the ribs ad the seeds.
Take falafel mix and stuff it into peppers.
Place peppers onto a baking sheet and into the oven they go.
In the meantime while the peppers are cooking, toss the onions around in the brine a few times. Then right before you take the peppers from the oven, drain the brine from the onions into a jar with the tahini and mix until smooth. Add a splash of water to the mix if you need to loosen it up a bit more to make the consistency of the tahini drizzle-able.
And out they come when all roasted and crispy and my oh my, so good!
Now you eat. Garb a bowl, maybe a grain of some sort if you like (I made the mr rice), plop a pepper down, add some pickled onions and drizzle that tahini all over.
Eat.
-C
Makes 6 half peppers stuffed
3 medium sized sweet peppers
2 cups cooked and drained chickpeas (or one can)
1 large onion
1 bunch (about 1/2 cup packed) cilantro
1 bunch (about 1/2 cup packed parley
2-3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili peper flakes
1/3 cup chickpea flour or oat flour if you don%u2019t have chickpea
salt and pepper
1/4 cup tahini
a few tablespoons water
3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Preheat oven to 425
Grab the onion and cut in half. Take one half and cut into very thin slices and place in a bowl. Spinkle with a pinch of salt and dump in the vinegar along with about 2 tablespoon water. Toss around until all the onion is coated and set aside.
Take remaining half onion and cut into big chunks. Toss into a food processor along with the garlic and pulse a few times until the onion is chopped up. Add in the cilantro, parsley, chickpeas, chickpea flour, cumin, chili pepper flakes, and a good pinch of salt and lots of pepper. Pulse the hole shebang until the mixture is combined, the herbs are incropeted, but there is a little chunk left. Or you could make it smooth if you wanted too. It%u2019s up to you.
Grab the peppers and cut them in half. Remove the ribs and seeds then take the falafel mixture and evenly distribute it between the peppers halves.
Place stuffed peppers on a baking sheet, falafel side up, and place into oven to bake for about 45 minutes. You want the falafel mix to have a chance to cook inside and out and to get nice and golden brown and crispy on top.
Right before the peppers are done, grab the onions and the tahini. Toss the onions one last time in the briny mix it%u2019s been sitting in, then drain that brine into the tahini. Mix around until smooth. The tahini should be at the consistency to drizzle so if it is still to thick, add in a splash of hot water to loosen it up.
Once peppers are cooked, remove fro oven. Place on a plate with or without some grain, toss on some pickled onion and drizzle tahini all over.
Eat.
Store left over peppers in a the fridge. To eat, just reheat or eat cold. I really enjoyed eating one cold.
Farm share started last week (HOORAY!!!!) but always, at the beginning when things are still getting on growing, we are only getting a few things. Lot of greens which I will never get enough of, and lots of potatoes. Also, I made the mistake of buying a very large bag of potatoes last week right before farm share and now I am basically swimming in potatoes. And so the story goes%u2026.
So what do you do with a shit ton of potatoes? Yeah, I thought potato cannon to but then I realized that I would have to use my potatoes and sure I have a lot, but I am not wasting them on that. So gnocchi they became. Gnocchi. Basically a boiled french fry or a mashed potato meat ball. Or maybe more like a ravioli. Whatever they are, they are loved by potato loving people and are fun to make. I mean, when do you ever get to use the ricer? ( Don%u2019t worry, you can make gnocchi without a ricer.)
To the gnocchi.
The stuff. Potatoes, flour, an onion, some tomatoes, a few cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Note. Make sure to use russet potatoes because they make the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi. You could probably use Yukon gold, but any hard wax potato just won%u2019t do.
First step is to make baked potatoes. Place potatoes in oven, directly on rack, and bake for 30-45 minutes until nice and soft and tender. Just like you would when you eat it as a baked potato. Once cooked cut them in half and let them cool off for a few minutes.
Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop all the flesh out of skins. Keep skins for soup or a snack for later.
And the fun part. Flour the counter then rice the potatoes. You can also do this with a food mill or even grate the potato with a box grater. Once all riced, cover with flour and start to fold and mix the potato into the flour gently until the dough starts to come together. If the dough seems really sticky and wet, add in a tablespoon or two of flour, to dry and crumbly, add in a tablespoon or two of water. The goal is a nice fluffy dough that hold it shape but is not overly dense.
Cut off a potion of the dough, roll it into a rope about an inch thick, then cut into inch long pieces.
To cook gnocchi. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and carefully drop in a handful of gnocchi into the water. They are gonna sink, but after a minute or two they start to float. Once floating, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat until all the gnocchi are cooked.
Cooked and ready%u2026 Ready for what? For anything you want but these are going into a tomato and onion situation.
Mince garlic and dice tomatoes and place into skillet with a good pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil. Place on stove and cook until slightly tender. Dice up tomatoes into small chunks and add to skillet along with a cup of water (if you have gnocchi water, use that) Turn heat up and cook until mixture start to bubble, then turn heat down to low and cook until the tomatoes are mushy.
And then drop in gnocchi. Keep on heat until the gnocchi are warmed completely all the way through.
Sprinkle of salt, lots of pepper, and something green if you want to be fancy.
And then you eat them.
-C
Makes 3-4 servings
2.5 pounds russet potatoes
2/3 cup of all purpose flour
1 large onion
3-4 tomatoes
few cloves garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
water
Place potatoes directly into oven on one of the oven racks and bake on 450 degrees until soft and tender. Should take about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes, depending on size of potatoes.
Once cooked, remove from oven carefully, cut in half, carefully, and let cool for a about 10 minutes, just so you can handle the potatoes without burning yourself. In the mean time, get a large pot, fill it with water, and set it on the stove to boil.
When the potatoes are not to hot to touch, grab them and with a spoon, scoop out all the potato flesh from the skin (keep skin for a snack or for soup). Lightly flour the counter and start ricing the potatoes directly onto the counter. (You can also use a food mill or a box grater if you don%u2019t have ricer). Once all potato is rices, cover with floor and gently fold potato over into flour, over and over, even using a knife, to kind of cut the potato into the flour, until it all mostly comes together. Be careful to not overwork the dough or else it will become dense make the gnocchi chewy. If the dough seems is sticky, add in a few more tablespoons of flour, to dry and seems crumbly, add a few tablespoons warm water.
Once you have the dough, make sure the water on the stove is still there and has not evaporated and is at a gentle boil. Cut dough in thirds then roll out a portion into a rope about an inch thick. Cut the rope into inch long pieces. Repeat with the rest of dough.
When all the gnocchi are made, grab a rimed baking sheet, coat with oil, and place close by the boil water.
Now to cook them. Drop a handful of gnocchi into water carefully. They will sink. Watch and after about a minute or two, they will start to float. Once floating, take a slotted spoon and take them out of water. Place them on the greased baking sheet. Repeat until all the gnocchi are cooked. (when done cooking, save a cup of the cooking water)
After the gnocchi is cooked, you can do whatever you want with it, like eat it right away with salt and pepper or whatever, but to make the quick tomatoes onion situation, dice up the onion and mince the garlic. Place into a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on stove and start to cook. Dice up the tomatoes and once the onion is tender, add in the dice tomatoes and about a cup of the gnocchi cooking water. Turn the heat up until the water is bubbling then reduce to low and cook until the tomatoes are mushy and tender. Once cooked, add in the gnocchi, toss them around, and cook until the gnocchi are fully warmed through.
And then eat it. Maybe a little more salt if needed, definitely lots of pepper, and whatever else you want.
It is spring yes? I know it is officially spring but around here it has been more or less still winter which is to be expected but is, at this point, no longer welcomed. I, as well as everyone else I talk to, are over it. Enough snow. enough of the hats and jackets. Just enough.
But the bright side of the chilly, cold weather is that we can and still want to turn the oven on and cook things. And because I turned the heat off a little prematurely, I am cold so I really want the oven on.
One skillet, a little chop action, a stir, some good time in the oven and there you go, food for your belly. Not a ton of dishes to do, steps to fallow, thoughts to think (other then eating thoughts). A good old, hearty, simple to toss together, spicy, delicious skillet of goodness. Prepare it fast, pop into warm oven, sit in kitchen drawing up plans for the spring veggie garden, and then eat yourself warm. What more can we ask for?
We can ask for spring weather because seriously. But other then that.
To the goodness of cajun lentils and rice!
The stuff. Lentils, brown rice, cajun seasoning, some crushed tomatoes, an onion, a carrot, a few cloves garlic, some cauliflower, water, oil, and salt and pepper.
First off, mince garlic and chop up the cauliflower, carrot, and onion into small pieces.
Toss it all into a good sized oven safe skillet with a splash of oil. Mix in the cajun seasoning too and stick o nth stove on medium heat for a few minutes.
Cook until fragrant and slightly tender. Taste it, it is good.
Dump in the lentils and rice. Then dump I the tomatoes and the water. Give it all a mix.
And after. All done. Now dinner.
Grab some green thing to chop and toss on for some color.
Now grab some bowls, a few forks, and get to eating.
-C
Serves 4-6
3/4 cup uncooked brown or white rice
3/4 cup dried green lentils
2 cups crushed tomatoes (preferably not salted)
2 1/4 cups water
3 tablespoons cajun seasoning (see note)
1 large carrot
1/4 head of cauliflower (about 2 cups chopped)
1 large yellow onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
Note. Store bought cajun seasoning usually contains salt and pepper so when seasoning, be aware of the amount of salt (if any) you choose to use.
Preheat oven to 350
Start by chopping the carrot, onion, and cauliflower into small pieces. Mince the garlic and toss it all into the skillet with the olive oil. Stir in the cajun seasoning and sprinkle in salt and pepper if it needs it. Place skillet on medium high heat and cook veggies until fragrant and slightly tender which should take about 5 minutes then remove from heat. Dump in the lentils, rice, water and tomatoes. Stir until mixed then either place a lid or foil over the top. Place into preheated oven for about an hour, removing the lid or foil after 40ish minutes and giving it a stir when you do. The bake is done when the rice and lentils are fully cooked, but if you are into a crispy top and crunchy sides, by all means, cook a little longer.
Remove from oven when fully cooked and you are happy with crispness. Let cool for a few minutes, toss on some chopped green something or another if you want, and serve it up.
Left overs store great in the fridge for a few day and freeze well too.
Barb has been bugging me for a few months to make her pierogi and I keep telling her I will. But for some reason I just kept forgetting and ever time she came over for dinner I would just end up making her lentils . I make lentils for people when I care about them because lentils are perfect and I always figure she could use the nutrients. But finally, FINALLY, I remembered and figured it was about time. Time for Barb to get her pierogi. I got the ingredients, made up a plan, and went about making them thinking she was coming over for dinner. But guess what. She didn’t come over. After all that, she decided it was better for her to go to her classes and then go to her shift at work, that it was not a good idea to skip out on all that just because I decided to finally make her pierogi. Well whatever I guess.
And full disclouse, I don%u2019t think I made actual plans with her for the particular day that I made these pieorgi. I might have just assumed she was coming over%u2026. So maybe my bad. Good thing these things can be made ahead and cooked whenever. So I saved her half for whenever she does come over (today I think). I did make them for her after all.
Anyway. Pierogi. Pretty much a stuffed ravioli I filled these with the potato, chickpea, and onion mixture, tossed a little dill in for the hell of it, and there they were. The mr got the first half, covered in cashew cream. But I bet these would be equally fantastic with marinara sauce. Or ketchup? I could see that if you are into that sort of thing. Ha.
Also have to note. I keep wanting to write pierogies but I think that is wrong. Pierogi is the plural for pierog.. I think.
To the pierogi.
The stuff. Flour, oil, salt and pepper. Cooked chickpeas, a couple russet potatoes, a big onion, some dried dill (optional), warm water, soaked cashews, and a little red wine vinegar.
First make the dough. Flout, salt, water, and oil get mixed together until la shaggy dough is formed. Dump onto a floured surface ans give ut a good knead for a minute until lit comes together into a nice ball. Place dough back into the bowl (clean it out), cover it with a towel, and set aside to let the dough have little rest.
Meanwhile get the potatoes boiling. You are more then welcome to peel your potatoes but I don%u2019t. Chop the potatoes into small pieces, dump into a pot of cold water and cook them (boil until fork tender)
And cook the onions too. Chop the onion into small little bits and place in a skillet with a couple slashes of olive oil. Medium heat and a good stir until they are nice and golden brown.
Cooked onions and cooked ans drained potatoes.
Now to make the filling. Add the potatoes, onions, chickpeas, and ill to a bowl. Sprinkle in salt ans pepper
Mash it all together, small chunks are ok, but not big.
Taste and season with more salt and or pepper if needed. And stop eating all the filling, you need it.
Wen the filling is made, grab the dough, rolling pin, and a large biscuit cutter or a cup.
Roll out dough, then cut out circles.
And to make a pierogi, grab a dough disk, add a mound of filling, then fold in half and pinch closed. Simple. IF the dough doesn%u2019t want to seal, run a wet finger around the edge of the dough. That will do the trick.
All made, and not perfect by any means but perfect to me. Once you have made them, they need a little rest before cooking. Just a half hour or so. Enough time to clean up the mess that you just made and ge ta pot of water boiling on the stove. This is also a good time to prepare some to save for freezing. Any that you do not plan on eating in the next few days, place on a lightly floured baking sheet and stick in freezer. Once frozen, remove from sheet and place in an airtight container or freezer bag and stash away for another day. They can also go I the fridge for 3-4 days without being frozen, just make sure that you give each one a good dusting of flour so they don%u2019t stick to each other.
Oh, and before you finish cooking the pierogi, make a the cashew cream. Place soaked cashews into blender with the vinegar and a splash of hot water. Blend into creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper and that is that.
Now to cook those pierogies. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, drop (gently) the pierogies one by one into water. A few at a time as to not over crowed, boil until they start to float to the top, which should take 4-5 minutes. Once cooked, scoop them out and place them on a plate or pan while you boil more (if you are indeed cooking more)
After the pieogies had a boil, they then need a little crispness (you can skip this step if you don%u2019t want them crispy). Use the frying pan you cooked the onions in and add a splash more oil. Heat on medium and when pan is hot, add in the boiled (not sopping wet) pierogies. Cook each side for 3-5 minutes or until nice and and browned then flip and cook the other side.
And then all is left is eating. layered on a bed of cabbage carrot slaw and dolloped with a good dollop of the cashew cream. Done and done and ready to for the face.
I don%u2019t know. Maybe Barb should have skipped school and work for dinner.. Just saying
-C
makes about 25
For the dough
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
For the Filling
1 large sweet or vidilla onion
2 medium sized russet potatoes
1 cup cooked chick peas
2-3 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dill (optional)
salt and pepper
For the Cashew Cream (Optional for serving)
1/2 cup soaked cashews (soaked for at least 1/2 hour)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons hot water
salt and pepper
First off, make the dough. Mix the flour with salt then add in oil and water. Mix together until a shaggy dough forms then dump out onto a lightly flour surface and knead a few times to form a uniform ball. Place dough back into (cleaned) bowl and cover. Set aside to rest.
Once dough is made, chop onion into small little pieces and place in a large skillet with 2-3 teaspoons of oil. Stick on medium heat and cook until tender and browned. Also cook the potatoes. Chop the potatoes into small pieces (peel if you want but you don%u2019t need to) and place into a pot of cold water. Bring potatoes to a boil and cook until they are fork tender, almost falling apart.
Once potatoes are cooked, strain from water and place in a big bowl. Add in the cooked onion and the chickpeas. Sprinkle in dill if you are using and season with salt and pepper. Grab a potato masher or a fork and mash the mixture together. It can be a little chunky, but you don%u2019t want really big chunks. Taste and season if it needs it.
Filling is done so now grab the rested dough. Place dough on a lightly floured surface, cut in half, place one half back in bowl and roll the other out about 1/8 inch thin. Take a large biscuit cutter or a large cup and cut out circles. Gather remaining dough and re roll out. Do this until you can%u2019t. Repeat with second half of dough.
Once the circles are cut out, place about a tablespoon of filling into the center of each. Fold the dough in half and pinch closed. If the dough has dried out to much, brush a little water on the edge of circle to help it seal. Place the pierogi on a floured surface (so they don%u2019t stick) And don%u2019t worry if you have a little extra filling.. Just eat it.
When all the pierogi are made, let them rest for about 1/2 an hour. There are a good amount of pierogi here so if you want, stick some in a container and in the fridge to have in the next few days. Just make sure to flour them so they don%u2019t stick together. Or if you prefer, place however many you to want to save on a lightly floured baking sheet and stick in the freezer until frozen. Once frozen, place into a freezer safe bag or container. They will keep for a few months.
Also, before you finish cooking, make the cashew cream (if you want it) Just add soaked cashews to a blender with vinegar and the water. Blend until smooth and creamy then season with salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture seems to thick, just add a splash more water until it is a desired thickness.
To cook the pierogi, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place pierogi, one at a time, into pot. 5-7 at a time as to not crowd them, and cook until they start to float. Remove the cooked ones with a slotted spoon and stick on a plate. Boil as many as you are going to eat. Grab a skillet and add a few teaspoons of olive oil. Heat to a medium heat and place the pirogies into pan. Cook each side for 4-5 minutes or until browned and crispy. Flip and cook the other side.
Remove form pan, place on a plate, dollop with cashew cream (if desired) and eat.
Potatoes in tomatoes. It just has a nice ring to it. And to tell the truth, that is the only reason I made this dish, because it sounds good.
Ok, not really the only reason, but it was the start, that and I have been sitting on some potatoes for a little while and it was time for them to be eaten. Enter in the tomatoes. I figures cooking the potatoes in tomatoes is alike to a ketchup and french fry situation. Not completely the same, but you get the idea. Add in chickpeas for good measure and onion because I wanted to and that is that. Nothing fussy, one pot, easy, hearty, and good.
Also not hurting anyone that these potatoes take a little while to bake. I could have made this dish in a way that made them cook faster (like parboil the potatoes) but I wanted the heat from the oven. It has been pretty freaking dang cold out so I liked having the heat, it adds another dimension to the term comfort food (as in me being comfortable hanging out next a hot oven).
Anyway, nothing too fancy, just all around tasty dish. It is just what you need to bake and eat on any given cold winter day. And it sounds nice too. Just say it aloud. Potatoes in Tomatoes. Right? Now you see, it had to be done.
To the potatoes in tomatoes!
The stuff. Potatoes, crushed tomatoes, cooked chick peas, an onion, a few cloves garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil.
Start by chopping the onion and mincing the garlic.
Get it all into a cast iron pan or oven safe skillet with a little olive oil. Add the spices and give it some heat on the stove top while you cut potatoes.
Now cut those potatoes nice and thin. A mandolin works wonders but a knife will do just as well, just try to keep the thickness all the same.
Potatoes are cut and onion mixture has sweated a bit so now you add in the chick peas (with liquid) and half the crushed tomatoes. Stir it all up.
Layer on potatoes, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and give them some salt and pepper love.
Dump the rest of the tomatoes on top then add in water, enough that all the potatoes are completely submerged.
Now into the oven they go.
Doesn%u2019t that just look all fantastic? I mean really really , A+ good, no? If you are feeling extra crispy, you could even stick the skillet under the broiler for a few minutes right before you pull it out.
And that is that. Potatoes in tomatoes with chick peas and onions. A simple but very satisfying dish to keep your cold belly full of warm goodness.
Be well.
-C
About a pound or so of white or red potatoes
3 cups (or a 28oz can) crushed tomatoes
2 cups (or a 16 oz can) cooked chickpeas in liquid
1 large onion
2-3 close garlic
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2-3 cups water
olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400
Grab onion and dice into small pieces. Mince the garlic. Grab a medium sized oven safe skillet and toss the onion and garlic in with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and the seasoning. Place on medium heat and cook for a few minutes until the the onion is slightly cooked and fragrant. Remove from heat. Mix in the chick peas with liquid and half of the crushed tomatoes.
Rinse potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Place tomatoes into the skillet, layering any way you want. Drizzle the top with like a teaspoon olive oil then sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Spread the rest of the crushed tomatoes over the potatoes then pour the water in. If the potatoes are not completely submerged in water, add more until they are. Cover the skillet with a lid or tin foil.
Place skillet in oven and bake 40ish minutes then remove lid or foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender and slightly crispy on the edges. Depending on the type of patotoes you use,(like a really firm and waxy yellow potato) you might need to add more water to the skillet and cook for longer. If that is the case, just pour more water over until the potatoes are submerged again and keep baking until cooked.
For extra crispy, when potatoes are done, place skillet under broiler for a few minutes until crisp to your liking.
Pull from oven, let cool a minutes or two then dig in.
Roasted veggies of any kind can get this girl in trouble. Place a sheet pan meant for many full of roasted veggies and watch out, I will probably eat them all. I can%u2019t stop, won%u2019t stop and you know what, I am not sorry, especially if its roasted brussel sprouts and squash.l I am grabbing at every last bit, especially all the really crispy, almost burnt pieces. Burnt food is one of my favorite flavors.
This dish is pretty basic, but also not. A slightly overlooked grain, spelt, makes for a hearty backdrop to the magic of roasted sprouts and squash, covered with a sunflower butter sauce which is a nice spin on a traditional peanut sauce. It%u2019s pretty easy to make and pretty to look at as well. A nice hearty and warming meal for all of those cold winter nights. And it%u2019s not going to make you feel heavy or gross, like if you sat and ate an entire lasagna. No, you will feel full and fantastic and ready for a cookie (it is the holidays after all).
The ingredients in this dish are mainly inspired by the half eaten jar of sunflower butter a friend of mine gave me at the gym, plus the fact that I have been getting a few stocks of brussel sprouts each week at farm share so we are eating them at ever meal, (plus I LOVE brussel sprouts) and me trying to use up all of the grains and such in the pantry before restocking anything more or new. A dish of convenience sure, but also a damn delicious one at that. With this being said, if you had a different grain you wanted to use, or an abundance of some other veggies that you have or prefer, well go ahead and use them. You do you my friend.
And really, I was thinking of you when I made this dish. Sometimes at this time of year people tend to forget to eat, or tend to eat on the not so healthy side. This grain bowl situation is just what your body is in need of. Simple delicious nourishment.
The stuff. Spelt that has been soaking in water for a while, half a butternut squash, brussel sprouts, a red onion. Also sunflower butter, a few cloves garlic, a lime, soy sauce, a touch of maple, salt and pepper, and olive oil.
The spelt will probably take the longest so get it on the stove. Strain away the soaking water and place into with fresh water. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Place a lid on pot ans let it go.
Next, get to the veggies. Halve the big sprouts (small ones can stay whole) chop onion into chunks and cube the squash.
A drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a good toss around and it ready for the oven.
Meanwhile, make the sunflower butter sauce. Its pretty basic. The sunflower butter, minced garlic, soy, maple, and juice of the lime all into a vessel that can hold it. Add a couple tablespoons of warm water to thin it out and done. Sunflower butter sauce. Easy Peasy.
After about an hour, your slept should be cooked (that sounds aggressive to me) Tender and chewy and just right.
The veggies should be roasted and done too. Crisp as you like ( I actually like mine even darker, but the mr does not so I went a light roast this time)
And it%u2019s all ready for you to eat.
Roasted butternut squash and brussel sprouts on a warm bed of spelt covered in sunflower butter sauce. Living the good life here.
Take care of yourself this week, and always for that matter. Eat some good food. Your body will be happy for it.
Bye.
-C
Serves 2-3
1 cup spelt berries (soaked in water overnight if you remember)
3 cups water
about 1/2 of a butternut squash
about a pound of Brussel sprouts
a medium red onion
1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (unsalted and unsweetened)
2 tablespoons liquid amionos or soy
1 teaspoon maple or honey
1 lime
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
Preheat oven to 425
Place soaked spelt berries in a pot with water and a pinch of salt. Bring a boil then reduce heat, place a lid on pot and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until spelt berries are tender and all the water has been absorbed.
While spelt is cooking, cut sprouts in half (unless they are very small), cube the butternut into pieces about an inch big, and chop the onion up into chunks. Place all that you just chopped onto a baking sheet, drizzle with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and toss around. Sprinkle the veggies with a pinch or so of salt and pepper and pop into the hot oven. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until roasted to your desired doneness. (I like things a lot darker then the mr so I would leave my veggies in for closer to an hour)
For the sunflower butter sauce. Mince garlic and place into bowl or cup with the sunflower butter. Add in the maple, soy, and the juice of the lime. Mix together and add in a 2 tablespoons of warm water to thin out. Add more water if needed to get to a thick but pourable consistency.
Once the spelt is cooked, the veggies are roasted and the sauce is made, well you can assemble and eat. Spelt in a bowl, toss on some roasted veggies, and cover in the sauce. And then you eat it.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
November 8, 2019 by maximios • Blog
If you are a falafel fan, as I am, then this one is for you. Carrot ginger falafel. Oh yes. Warm and spicy and carroty and all the things that are good, packed into a chickpea ball of mouth sized proportions. When I thought of it it sounded good, When I made it and ate it, it was everything and more I could have asked for in a freaking fantastic falafel. As for the tahini cabbage slaw, I might just be making it in my house every dang day. Super easy, super tasty, goes with the falafel like whoa but is just as good eaten on it%u2019s own. Eaten together the pair make every inch of mouth space happy. A happy mouth space, what more can you ask for?
To the falafel!
The stuff. Cooked chickpeas, carrots, a piece of fresh ginger, tahini, soy sauce, cabbage, an onion, a few cloves of garlic, red wine vinegar, some cumin and red pepper flakes, a lemon, chickpea flour, salt and pepper, and oil.
Start off by chopping the carrots into small pieces. Then cut half of the onion into small pieces. Rough chop the garlic and the ginger as well. No need to peel ginger unless you really want to.
Place it all into food processor and pulse until a small crumble.
Carrot onion garlic ginger mixture.
Dump mixture into a skillet with a splash of water. Add in the cumin, chili flakes, and a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook on the stove for 5-8 minutes until the crumble softens and becomes fragrant.
Dump carrot ginger mixture back into food processor along with the chickpeas, chickpea flour, and the juice of the lemon. Puree until smooth.
Carrot ginger falafel mixture. Now stick it in the fridge. For a little while to a day, just to let it set up a bit.
And in the mean time you can make the slaw. Shred cabbage and cut up onion all nice and thin.
Dump tahini, soy, vinegar, and a few tablespoons warm water into bowl and mix until creamy and good.
Toss in that cabbage and onion. Now you have tahini cabbage slaw.
Now to cook falafel. Grab the batter, scoop into balls then smoosh into disks. Place in a light oiled skillet and brown each side a nice golden brown.
After browning, place on a baking sheet. Once all the falafel has been browned, place the baking sheet into the oven to finish up cooking. 20 minutes or so and you got yourself falafel.
Then eat it. Falafel topped with tahini cabbage slaw. That is how it%u2019s done, with or without wraps or pitas or whatever your want. Just as it is. Falafel, cabbage slaw, into mouth.
Good things friend.
-C
serves 3-4 people or makes 14-16 falafel balls
For the falafel
2 cups cooked chickpeas drained
3-4 carrots (around 2 cups diced)
1/2 of a red onion
2 inches fresh ginger
2-3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1/3 cup chickpea flour (can sub in oat flour if needed)
juice of a small lemon
salt and pepper
For Tahini Cabbage Slaw
1/2 head red or green cabbage (about 3 cups shredded)
1/2 of a red onion
3 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon soy or liquid aminos
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
a few tablespoons warm water
Grab carrots and red onion. Chop carrots into small chunks and cut onion in half. Cut one half into chunks. Place in food processor. Take the ginger and cut into small chunks (you don%u2019t need to peel it) and peel and slice garlic and cut into small pieces. Add that to the food processor. Pulse the mixture into a very small crumble then dump the mixture into a skillet with a splash of water. Add in the cumin, chili flakes, and a good pinch of salt and lots of pepper, and place on medium heat and cook for 5-8 minutes until soft and fragrant. Once cooked, scoop back into food processor along with the chickpeas, chickpea flour, and the juice of the lemon. Turn on and and puree until smooth, stopping when needed to scrap down the side. Then either dump mixture into a bowl or leave in the container you processed it in and place in fridge for 1/2 hour to a day.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400.
After letting the dough sit for a bit, remove from fridge. Grab skillet and lightly oil it and place on medium heat. Take a cookie scoop or just a spoon and scoop balls of falafel into your hand and roll them around so they are packed together. Smoosh then balls a little into disks and place into hot skillet. Let cook until bottom is golden brown then gently flip and cook the other side until browned. Place cooked falafel on a baking sheet. Once you have browned all the falafel, place into oven to bake for about 20 minutes or until the falafel has firmed up to your liking.
To make the tahini cabbage slaw. Shred cabbage and cut the remaining half of red onion into thin pieces. Place tahini, soy, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons warm water into a big bowl. Mix together until light and creamy. If the mixture seems to thick, add another tablespoon of warm water. When happy with consistency, add in the cabbage and onion and toss around until everything is coated.
Now when the slaw is made, the falafel is cooked, you eat it. Serve with warm pita or wraps or a bed of greens or nothing. Just slaw on top of falafel. And FYI, this whole shebang can be eaten hot or cold or anywhere in between.
Every now and then I make something for me. All for me. This is one of those dishes that was not destined to be shared with anyone. That I had no one else in mind to eat besides me. No worring about what anyone else with think. Just a simple little dish that I was craving and wanting.
So I made it and man, was it so freaking satisfying. Cooking for oneself is very much a gratifying experience.
Celeriac, or also know as celery root. Have you ever had it? If not, well duder, you need to. It is in my top 3 favorite vegetables and that is saying a lot. So anyway, celeriac, has a slight celery taste, but also kind of earthy and nutty. It pairs well with anything that a potato might, but also is amazing on it%u2019s own. Roasted, steamed, raw. Just really fantastic. And it is in season so get on it and go find yourself some.
And lentils. In my top 3 favorite foods. Made them crispy because pureed celeriac and crispy lentils just sounded right and I love me crispy things. Again, I was making this dish fo me so crispy was happening.
Together, the creamy, delicious pureed celeriac covered with a bunch of spiced, crispy lentil%u2026.Amazing. Eating it, I couldn%u2019t have been happier. I did myself one good with this one.
I might even have to make it to share someday.
Now to the celeriac and lentils!
The stuff. A bulb of celeriac, some cooked lentils, salt and pepper, chili powder, garlic powder. mustard powder, and oil. (oil is optional)
The celeriac. Ok, so most people peel it. I actually get weird looks from people when I tell them I don’t , but let me do me, you know. So anyway. Peel it if you want, or not, just cut it up into chunks.
Place cut up celeriac into a pot and cover with water. Place on stove on medium heat and cook until fork tender.
Lentils meet spices and get mix all together. Add a pinch of salt and lots of cracked pepper too.
Spread now spiced lentils onto a baking sheet, pop into oven, and bake until crispy. Easy peasy.
And to puree the celeriac. Strain any extra water into a cup. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and grab the hand blender (or regular blender) and blend it, adding back in some of the strained water as needed, to get to a consistency that you like. Me, I liked it pretty smooth, but also with a little chunk. Heck, you could leave it really chunky or go all out completely smooth. Up to you. Also if you want a creamier texture, add in a teaspoon or so of the olive oil. That is a taste preference. I didn’t add oil this time, but I have before. It%u2019s good both ways.
And there you have it. Add the celeriac puree to a bowl, top with crispy lentils, and garnish with something green if you want.
Then eat it.
Not going to lie. After this picture was taken, I busted out the spicy mustard and covered everything with it. And it was amazing.
-C
serves 1 as a meal, or a few as a side dish
1 1/2 cups cooked green lentils
1 large celeriac bulb (soft ball sized)
1 teaspoon chili power
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
olive oil (optional)
Grab celeriac and peel if you want, or just give it a really good wash. Cut into chunks and place into pot. Add enough water to just cover the celeriac and place on medium heat on the stove. Cook until fork tender.
In the mean time, mix all the spices and a good pinch of salt and lots of pepper together with the lentils. Dump them and spread them out onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Place in oven and turn to 400 degrees (you can start cooking the lentils while the oven is preheating). Bake for about 20 minutes or until lentils are crispy.
Once the celeriac is tender, strain water into a cup and either with a hand blender or a regular blender, blend until smooth, adding in some of the poured off water as needed. You can puree as smoothly as you like or leave a few chunks.. Also, you might want to add in a teaspoon or so of olive oil for a slightly richer and creamier taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ehen the lentils are done, take them from oven. Place large amount (or all) of the celeriac puree to a bowl, cover with some (or all) of the crispy lentils and that is that. Eat away.
Serving suggestion%u2026. Mustard. Any kind. So good.
I love me some falafel. I love me some peppers. So I guess it is natural that I would want to stuff falafel inside of peppers and eat them all to my face right? I think so.
As we all already know, most of what I cook is depicted by whatever I get at farm share. And the past few weeks we have been getting a lot of peppers. I have been happily eating one or two a day, just as they are, but I figured it was time that I did something else with them. Now what is the first thing that comes to mind with peppers? Stuffed peppers of course. And there you have it, falafel stuffed peppers.
So I am not going to lie and say the mr ate them and swooned. He is not the biggest fan of peppers (I am starting to realize that he doesn%u2019t have all the right taste buds in his mouth. So sad for him.) so he dumped the falafel out of the pepper and ate it with most of the pickled onions, the tahini, and rice. That he really liked. Lucky me, I wanted his pepper anyway because roasted peppers are freaking fantastic amazing and whatever him. Me, as a pepper and falafel lover, I found these stuffed peppers to be everything that I wanted and needed and then some. Eaten pretty much right away warm, with pickled onion and covered in all the tahini, it was a very very satisfying meal. But also a left over stuffed pepper that was stuck in the fridge, eaten cold standing in front of said fridge, right before bed. That was something great as well. I might have even gone in for a second one%u2026%u2026
Anyway, a pepper stuffed with falafel is a good idea if you want food, like peppers, like falafel, and are cool. Just saying.
To the falafel stuffed peppers!
The stuff. A few sweet peppers, some cooked chickpeas, chickpea flour, an onion, a bunch of fresh cilantro and parsley, a few cloves of garlic, red wine vinegar, a little water, tahini, cumin, chili pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.
First, take the onion and cut in half. Take one half and cut into very thin slices, place in a bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and toss with the vinegar and a few tablespoons of water. Set that bowl aside. The other half of onion just cut into a few smaller chunks.
To make falafel. Add the chunks of onion and garlic to food processor and pules a few times to start chopping it up. Add in the cilantro and parsley, the chickpeas and chickpea flour, the cumin and chili pepper flakes, and a good few pinches of salt and lots of pepper. Pulse until completely combined but still a bit chunky. OR pulse until smooth if you would rather it like that. It%u2019s up to you.
Grab peppers and cut each in half. Remove the ribs ad the seeds.
Take falafel mix and stuff it into peppers.
Place peppers onto a baking sheet and into the oven they go.
In the meantime while the peppers are cooking, toss the onions around in the brine a few times. Then right before you take the peppers from the oven, drain the brine from the onions into a jar with the tahini and mix until smooth. Add a splash of water to the mix if you need to loosen it up a bit more to make the consistency of the tahini drizzle-able.
And out they come when all roasted and crispy and my oh my, so good!
Now you eat. Garb a bowl, maybe a grain of some sort if you like (I made the mr rice), plop a pepper down, add some pickled onions and drizzle that tahini all over.
Eat.
-C
Makes 6 half peppers stuffed
3 medium sized sweet peppers
2 cups cooked and drained chickpeas (or one can)
1 large onion
1 bunch (about 1/2 cup packed) cilantro
1 bunch (about 1/2 cup packed parley
2-3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili peper flakes
1/3 cup chickpea flour or oat flour if you don%u2019t have chickpea
salt and pepper
1/4 cup tahini
a few tablespoons water
3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Preheat oven to 425
Grab the onion and cut in half. Take one half and cut into very thin slices and place in a bowl. Spinkle with a pinch of salt and dump in the vinegar along with about 2 tablespoon water. Toss around until all the onion is coated and set aside.
Take remaining half onion and cut into big chunks. Toss into a food processor along with the garlic and pulse a few times until the onion is chopped up. Add in the cilantro, parsley, chickpeas, chickpea flour, cumin, chili pepper flakes, and a good pinch of salt and lots of pepper. Pulse the hole shebang until the mixture is combined, the herbs are incropeted, but there is a little chunk left. Or you could make it smooth if you wanted too. It%u2019s up to you.
Grab the peppers and cut them in half. Remove the ribs and seeds then take the falafel mixture and evenly distribute it between the peppers halves.
Place stuffed peppers on a baking sheet, falafel side up, and place into oven to bake for about 45 minutes. You want the falafel mix to have a chance to cook inside and out and to get nice and golden brown and crispy on top.
Right before the peppers are done, grab the onions and the tahini. Toss the onions one last time in the briny mix it%u2019s been sitting in, then drain that brine into the tahini. Mix around until smooth. The tahini should be at the consistency to drizzle so if it is still to thick, add in a splash of hot water to loosen it up.
Once peppers are cooked, remove fro oven. Place on a plate with or without some grain, toss on some pickled onion and drizzle tahini all over.
Eat.
Store left over peppers in a the fridge. To eat, just reheat or eat cold. I really enjoyed eating one cold.
Farm share started last week (HOORAY!!!!) but always, at the beginning when things are still getting on growing, we are only getting a few things. Lot of greens which I will never get enough of, and lots of potatoes. Also, I made the mistake of buying a very large bag of potatoes last week right before farm share and now I am basically swimming in potatoes. And so the story goes%u2026.
So what do you do with a shit ton of potatoes? Yeah, I thought potato cannon to but then I realized that I would have to use my potatoes and sure I have a lot, but I am not wasting them on that. So gnocchi they became. Gnocchi. Basically a boiled french fry or a mashed potato meat ball. Or maybe more like a ravioli. Whatever they are, they are loved by potato loving people and are fun to make. I mean, when do you ever get to use the ricer? ( Don%u2019t worry, you can make gnocchi without a ricer.)
To the gnocchi.
The stuff. Potatoes, flour, an onion, some tomatoes, a few cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Note. Make sure to use russet potatoes because they make the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi. You could probably use Yukon gold, but any hard wax potato just won%u2019t do.
First step is to make baked potatoes. Place potatoes in oven, directly on rack, and bake for 30-45 minutes until nice and soft and tender. Just like you would when you eat it as a baked potato. Once cooked cut them in half and let them cool off for a few minutes.
Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop all the flesh out of skins. Keep skins for soup or a snack for later.
And the fun part. Flour the counter then rice the potatoes. You can also do this with a food mill or even grate the potato with a box grater. Once all riced, cover with flour and start to fold and mix the potato into the flour gently until the dough starts to come together. If the dough seems really sticky and wet, add in a tablespoon or two of flour, to dry and crumbly, add in a tablespoon or two of water. The goal is a nice fluffy dough that hold it shape but is not overly dense.
Cut off a potion of the dough, roll it into a rope about an inch thick, then cut into inch long pieces.
To cook gnocchi. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and carefully drop in a handful of gnocchi into the water. They are gonna sink, but after a minute or two they start to float. Once floating, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat until all the gnocchi are cooked.
Cooked and ready%u2026 Ready for what? For anything you want but these are going into a tomato and onion situation.
Mince garlic and dice tomatoes and place into skillet with a good pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil. Place on stove and cook until slightly tender. Dice up tomatoes into small chunks and add to skillet along with a cup of water (if you have gnocchi water, use that) Turn heat up and cook until mixture start to bubble, then turn heat down to low and cook until the tomatoes are mushy.
And then drop in gnocchi. Keep on heat until the gnocchi are warmed completely all the way through.
Sprinkle of salt, lots of pepper, and something green if you want to be fancy.
And then you eat them.
-C
Makes 3-4 servings
2.5 pounds russet potatoes
2/3 cup of all purpose flour
1 large onion
3-4 tomatoes
few cloves garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
water
Place potatoes directly into oven on one of the oven racks and bake on 450 degrees until soft and tender. Should take about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes, depending on size of potatoes.
Once cooked, remove from oven carefully, cut in half, carefully, and let cool for a about 10 minutes, just so you can handle the potatoes without burning yourself. In the mean time, get a large pot, fill it with water, and set it on the stove to boil.
When the potatoes are not to hot to touch, grab them and with a spoon, scoop out all the potato flesh from the skin (keep skin for a snack or for soup). Lightly flour the counter and start ricing the potatoes directly onto the counter. (You can also use a food mill or a box grater if you don%u2019t have ricer). Once all potato is rices, cover with floor and gently fold potato over into flour, over and over, even using a knife, to kind of cut the potato into the flour, until it all mostly comes together. Be careful to not overwork the dough or else it will become dense make the gnocchi chewy. If the dough seems is sticky, add in a few more tablespoons of flour, to dry and seems crumbly, add a few tablespoons warm water.
Once you have the dough, make sure the water on the stove is still there and has not evaporated and is at a gentle boil. Cut dough in thirds then roll out a portion into a rope about an inch thick. Cut the rope into inch long pieces. Repeat with the rest of dough.
When all the gnocchi are made, grab a rimed baking sheet, coat with oil, and place close by the boil water.
Now to cook them. Drop a handful of gnocchi into water carefully. They will sink. Watch and after about a minute or two, they will start to float. Once floating, take a slotted spoon and take them out of water. Place them on the greased baking sheet. Repeat until all the gnocchi are cooked. (when done cooking, save a cup of the cooking water)
After the gnocchi is cooked, you can do whatever you want with it, like eat it right away with salt and pepper or whatever, but to make the quick tomatoes onion situation, dice up the onion and mince the garlic. Place into a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on stove and start to cook. Dice up the tomatoes and once the onion is tender, add in the dice tomatoes and about a cup of the gnocchi cooking water. Turn the heat up until the water is bubbling then reduce to low and cook until the tomatoes are mushy and tender. Once cooked, add in the gnocchi, toss them around, and cook until the gnocchi are fully warmed through.
And then eat it. Maybe a little more salt if needed, definitely lots of pepper, and whatever else you want.
It is spring yes? I know it is officially spring but around here it has been more or less still winter which is to be expected but is, at this point, no longer welcomed. I, as well as everyone else I talk to, are over it. Enough snow. enough of the hats and jackets. Just enough.
But the bright side of the chilly, cold weather is that we can and still want to turn the oven on and cook things. And because I turned the heat off a little prematurely, I am cold so I really want the oven on.
One skillet, a little chop action, a stir, some good time in the oven and there you go, food for your belly. Not a ton of dishes to do, steps to fallow, thoughts to think (other then eating thoughts). A good old, hearty, simple to toss together, spicy, delicious skillet of goodness. Prepare it fast, pop into warm oven, sit in kitchen drawing up plans for the spring veggie garden, and then eat yourself warm. What more can we ask for?
We can ask for spring weather because seriously. But other then that.
To the goodness of cajun lentils and rice!
The stuff. Lentils, brown rice, cajun seasoning, some crushed tomatoes, an onion, a carrot, a few cloves garlic, some cauliflower, water, oil, and salt and pepper.
First off, mince garlic and chop up the cauliflower, carrot, and onion into small pieces.
Toss it all into a good sized oven safe skillet with a splash of oil. Mix in the cajun seasoning too and stick o nth stove on medium heat for a few minutes.
Cook until fragrant and slightly tender. Taste it, it is good.
Dump in the lentils and rice. Then dump I the tomatoes and the water. Give it all a mix.
And after. All done. Now dinner.
Grab some green thing to chop and toss on for some color.
Now grab some bowls, a few forks, and get to eating.
-C
Serves 4-6
3/4 cup uncooked brown or white rice
3/4 cup dried green lentils
2 cups crushed tomatoes (preferably not salted)
2 1/4 cups water
3 tablespoons cajun seasoning (see note)
1 large carrot
1/4 head of cauliflower (about 2 cups chopped)
1 large yellow onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
Note. Store bought cajun seasoning usually contains salt and pepper so when seasoning, be aware of the amount of salt (if any) you choose to use.
Preheat oven to 350
Start by chopping the carrot, onion, and cauliflower into small pieces. Mince the garlic and toss it all into the skillet with the olive oil. Stir in the cajun seasoning and sprinkle in salt and pepper if it needs it. Place skillet on medium high heat and cook veggies until fragrant and slightly tender which should take about 5 minutes then remove from heat. Dump in the lentils, rice, water and tomatoes. Stir until mixed then either place a lid or foil over the top. Place into preheated oven for about an hour, removing the lid or foil after 40ish minutes and giving it a stir when you do. The bake is done when the rice and lentils are fully cooked, but if you are into a crispy top and crunchy sides, by all means, cook a little longer.
Remove from oven when fully cooked and you are happy with crispness. Let cool for a few minutes, toss on some chopped green something or another if you want, and serve it up.
Left overs store great in the fridge for a few day and freeze well too.
Barb has been bugging me for a few months to make her pierogi and I keep telling her I will. But for some reason I just kept forgetting and ever time she came over for dinner I would just end up making her lentils . I make lentils for people when I care about them because lentils are perfect and I always figure she could use the nutrients. But finally, FINALLY, I remembered and figured it was about time. Time for Barb to get her pierogi. I got the ingredients, made up a plan, and went about making them thinking she was coming over for dinner. But guess what. She didn’t come over. After all that, she decided it was better for her to go to her classes and then go to her shift at work, that it was not a good idea to skip out on all that just because I decided to finally make her pierogi. Well whatever I guess.
And full disclouse, I don%u2019t think I made actual plans with her for the particular day that I made these pieorgi. I might have just assumed she was coming over%u2026. So maybe my bad. Good thing these things can be made ahead and cooked whenever. So I saved her half for whenever she does come over (today I think). I did make them for her after all.
Anyway. Pierogi. Pretty much a stuffed ravioli I filled these with the potato, chickpea, and onion mixture, tossed a little dill in for the hell of it, and there they were. The mr got the first half, covered in cashew cream. But I bet these would be equally fantastic with marinara sauce. Or ketchup? I could see that if you are into that sort of thing. Ha.
Also have to note. I keep wanting to write pierogies but I think that is wrong. Pierogi is the plural for pierog.. I think.
To the pierogi.
The stuff. Flour, oil, salt and pepper. Cooked chickpeas, a couple russet potatoes, a big onion, some dried dill (optional), warm water, soaked cashews, and a little red wine vinegar.
First make the dough. Flout, salt, water, and oil get mixed together until la shaggy dough is formed. Dump onto a floured surface ans give ut a good knead for a minute until lit comes together into a nice ball. Place dough back into the bowl (clean it out), cover it with a towel, and set aside to let the dough have little rest.
Meanwhile get the potatoes boiling. You are more then welcome to peel your potatoes but I don%u2019t. Chop the potatoes into small pieces, dump into a pot of cold water and cook them (boil until fork tender)
And cook the onions too. Chop the onion into small little bits and place in a skillet with a couple slashes of olive oil. Medium heat and a good stir until they are nice and golden brown.
Cooked onions and cooked ans drained potatoes.
Now to make the filling. Add the potatoes, onions, chickpeas, and ill to a bowl. Sprinkle in salt ans pepper
Mash it all together, small chunks are ok, but not big.
Taste and season with more salt and or pepper if needed. And stop eating all the filling, you need it.
Wen the filling is made, grab the dough, rolling pin, and a large biscuit cutter or a cup.
Roll out dough, then cut out circles.
And to make a pierogi, grab a dough disk, add a mound of filling, then fold in half and pinch closed. Simple. IF the dough doesn%u2019t want to seal, run a wet finger around the edge of the dough. That will do the trick.
All made, and not perfect by any means but perfect to me. Once you have made them, they need a little rest before cooking. Just a half hour or so. Enough time to clean up the mess that you just made and ge ta pot of water boiling on the stove. This is also a good time to prepare some to save for freezing. Any that you do not plan on eating in the next few days, place on a lightly floured baking sheet and stick in freezer. Once frozen, remove from sheet and place in an airtight container or freezer bag and stash away for another day. They can also go I the fridge for 3-4 days without being frozen, just make sure that you give each one a good dusting of flour so they don%u2019t stick to each other.
Oh, and before you finish cooking the pierogi, make a the cashew cream. Place soaked cashews into blender with the vinegar and a splash of hot water. Blend into creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper and that is that.
Now to cook those pierogies. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, drop (gently) the pierogies one by one into water. A few at a time as to not over crowed, boil until they start to float to the top, which should take 4-5 minutes. Once cooked, scoop them out and place them on a plate or pan while you boil more (if you are indeed cooking more)
After the pieogies had a boil, they then need a little crispness (you can skip this step if you don%u2019t want them crispy). Use the frying pan you cooked the onions in and add a splash more oil. Heat on medium and when pan is hot, add in the boiled (not sopping wet) pierogies. Cook each side for 3-5 minutes or until nice and and browned then flip and cook the other side.
And then all is left is eating. layered on a bed of cabbage carrot slaw and dolloped with a good dollop of the cashew cream. Done and done and ready to for the face.
I don%u2019t know. Maybe Barb should have skipped school and work for dinner.. Just saying
-C
makes about 25
For the dough
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
For the Filling
1 large sweet or vidilla onion
2 medium sized russet potatoes
1 cup cooked chick peas
2-3 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dill (optional)
salt and pepper
For the Cashew Cream (Optional for serving)
1/2 cup soaked cashews (soaked for at least 1/2 hour)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons hot water
salt and pepper
First off, make the dough. Mix the flour with salt then add in oil and water. Mix together until a shaggy dough forms then dump out onto a lightly flour surface and knead a few times to form a uniform ball. Place dough back into (cleaned) bowl and cover. Set aside to rest.
Once dough is made, chop onion into small little pieces and place in a large skillet with 2-3 teaspoons of oil. Stick on medium heat and cook until tender and browned. Also cook the potatoes. Chop the potatoes into small pieces (peel if you want but you don%u2019t need to) and place into a pot of cold water. Bring potatoes to a boil and cook until they are fork tender, almost falling apart.
Once potatoes are cooked, strain from water and place in a big bowl. Add in the cooked onion and the chickpeas. Sprinkle in dill if you are using and season with salt and pepper. Grab a potato masher or a fork and mash the mixture together. It can be a little chunky, but you don%u2019t want really big chunks. Taste and season if it needs it.
Filling is done so now grab the rested dough. Place dough on a lightly floured surface, cut in half, place one half back in bowl and roll the other out about 1/8 inch thin. Take a large biscuit cutter or a large cup and cut out circles. Gather remaining dough and re roll out. Do this until you can%u2019t. Repeat with second half of dough.
Once the circles are cut out, place about a tablespoon of filling into the center of each. Fold the dough in half and pinch closed. If the dough has dried out to much, brush a little water on the edge of circle to help it seal. Place the pierogi on a floured surface (so they don%u2019t stick) And don%u2019t worry if you have a little extra filling.. Just eat it.
When all the pierogi are made, let them rest for about 1/2 an hour. There are a good amount of pierogi here so if you want, stick some in a container and in the fridge to have in the next few days. Just make sure to flour them so they don%u2019t stick together. Or if you prefer, place however many you to want to save on a lightly floured baking sheet and stick in the freezer until frozen. Once frozen, place into a freezer safe bag or container. They will keep for a few months.
Also, before you finish cooking, make the cashew cream (if you want it) Just add soaked cashews to a blender with vinegar and the water. Blend until smooth and creamy then season with salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture seems to thick, just add a splash more water until it is a desired thickness.
To cook the pierogi, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place pierogi, one at a time, into pot. 5-7 at a time as to not crowd them, and cook until they start to float. Remove the cooked ones with a slotted spoon and stick on a plate. Boil as many as you are going to eat. Grab a skillet and add a few teaspoons of olive oil. Heat to a medium heat and place the pirogies into pan. Cook each side for 4-5 minutes or until browned and crispy. Flip and cook the other side.
Remove form pan, place on a plate, dollop with cashew cream (if desired) and eat.
Potatoes in tomatoes. It just has a nice ring to it. And to tell the truth, that is the only reason I made this dish, because it sounds good.
Ok, not really the only reason, but it was the start, that and I have been sitting on some potatoes for a little while and it was time for them to be eaten. Enter in the tomatoes. I figures cooking the potatoes in tomatoes is alike to a ketchup and french fry situation. Not completely the same, but you get the idea. Add in chickpeas for good measure and onion because I wanted to and that is that. Nothing fussy, one pot, easy, hearty, and good.
Also not hurting anyone that these potatoes take a little while to bake. I could have made this dish in a way that made them cook faster (like parboil the potatoes) but I wanted the heat from the oven. It has been pretty freaking dang cold out so I liked having the heat, it adds another dimension to the term comfort food (as in me being comfortable hanging out next a hot oven).
Anyway, nothing too fancy, just all around tasty dish. It is just what you need to bake and eat on any given cold winter day. And it sounds nice too. Just say it aloud. Potatoes in Tomatoes. Right? Now you see, it had to be done.
To the potatoes in tomatoes!
The stuff. Potatoes, crushed tomatoes, cooked chick peas, an onion, a few cloves garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil.
Start by chopping the onion and mincing the garlic.
Get it all into a cast iron pan or oven safe skillet with a little olive oil. Add the spices and give it some heat on the stove top while you cut potatoes.
Now cut those potatoes nice and thin. A mandolin works wonders but a knife will do just as well, just try to keep the thickness all the same.
Potatoes are cut and onion mixture has sweated a bit so now you add in the chick peas (with liquid) and half the crushed tomatoes. Stir it all up.
Layer on potatoes, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and give them some salt and pepper love.
Dump the rest of the tomatoes on top then add in water, enough that all the potatoes are completely submerged.
Now into the oven they go.
Doesn%u2019t that just look all fantastic? I mean really really , A+ good, no? If you are feeling extra crispy, you could even stick the skillet under the broiler for a few minutes right before you pull it out.
And that is that. Potatoes in tomatoes with chick peas and onions. A simple but very satisfying dish to keep your cold belly full of warm goodness.
Be well.
-C
About a pound or so of white or red potatoes
3 cups (or a 28oz can) crushed tomatoes
2 cups (or a 16 oz can) cooked chickpeas in liquid
1 large onion
2-3 close garlic
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2-3 cups water
olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400
Grab onion and dice into small pieces. Mince the garlic. Grab a medium sized oven safe skillet and toss the onion and garlic in with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and the seasoning. Place on medium heat and cook for a few minutes until the the onion is slightly cooked and fragrant. Remove from heat. Mix in the chick peas with liquid and half of the crushed tomatoes.
Rinse potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Place tomatoes into the skillet, layering any way you want. Drizzle the top with like a teaspoon olive oil then sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Spread the rest of the crushed tomatoes over the potatoes then pour the water in. If the potatoes are not completely submerged in water, add more until they are. Cover the skillet with a lid or tin foil.
Place skillet in oven and bake 40ish minutes then remove lid or foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender and slightly crispy on the edges. Depending on the type of patotoes you use,(like a really firm and waxy yellow potato) you might need to add more water to the skillet and cook for longer. If that is the case, just pour more water over until the potatoes are submerged again and keep baking until cooked.
For extra crispy, when potatoes are done, place skillet under broiler for a few minutes until crisp to your liking.
Pull from oven, let cool a minutes or two then dig in.
Roasted veggies of any kind can get this girl in trouble. Place a sheet pan meant for many full of roasted veggies and watch out, I will probably eat them all. I can%u2019t stop, won%u2019t stop and you know what, I am not sorry, especially if its roasted brussel sprouts and squash.l I am grabbing at every last bit, especially all the really crispy, almost burnt pieces. Burnt food is one of my favorite flavors.
This dish is pretty basic, but also not. A slightly overlooked grain, spelt, makes for a hearty backdrop to the magic of roasted sprouts and squash, covered with a sunflower butter sauce which is a nice spin on a traditional peanut sauce. It%u2019s pretty easy to make and pretty to look at as well. A nice hearty and warming meal for all of those cold winter nights. And it%u2019s not going to make you feel heavy or gross, like if you sat and ate an entire lasagna. No, you will feel full and fantastic and ready for a cookie (it is the holidays after all).
The ingredients in this dish are mainly inspired by the half eaten jar of sunflower butter a friend of mine gave me at the gym, plus the fact that I have been getting a few stocks of brussel sprouts each week at farm share so we are eating them at ever meal, (plus I LOVE brussel sprouts) and me trying to use up all of the grains and such in the pantry before restocking anything more or new. A dish of convenience sure, but also a damn delicious one at that. With this being said, if you had a different grain you wanted to use, or an abundance of some other veggies that you have or prefer, well go ahead and use them. You do you my friend.
And really, I was thinking of you when I made this dish. Sometimes at this time of year people tend to forget to eat, or tend to eat on the not so healthy side. This grain bowl situation is just what your body is in need of. Simple delicious nourishment.
The stuff. Spelt that has been soaking in water for a while, half a butternut squash, brussel sprouts, a red onion. Also sunflower butter, a few cloves garlic, a lime, soy sauce, a touch of maple, salt and pepper, and olive oil.
The spelt will probably take the longest so get it on the stove. Strain away the soaking water and place into with fresh water. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Place a lid on pot ans let it go.
Next, get to the veggies. Halve the big sprouts (small ones can stay whole) chop onion into chunks and cube the squash.
A drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a good toss around and it ready for the oven.
Meanwhile, make the sunflower butter sauce. Its pretty basic. The sunflower butter, minced garlic, soy, maple, and juice of the lime all into a vessel that can hold it. Add a couple tablespoons of warm water to thin it out and done. Sunflower butter sauce. Easy Peasy.
After about an hour, your slept should be cooked (that sounds aggressive to me) Tender and chewy and just right.
The veggies should be roasted and done too. Crisp as you like ( I actually like mine even darker, but the mr does not so I went a light roast this time)
And it%u2019s all ready for you to eat.
Roasted butternut squash and brussel sprouts on a warm bed of spelt covered in sunflower butter sauce. Living the good life here.
Take care of yourself this week, and always for that matter. Eat some good food. Your body will be happy for it.
Bye.
-C
Serves 2-3
1 cup spelt berries (soaked in water overnight if you remember)
3 cups water
about 1/2 of a butternut squash
about a pound of Brussel sprouts
a medium red onion
1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (unsalted and unsweetened)
2 tablespoons liquid amionos or soy
1 teaspoon maple or honey
1 lime
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
Preheat oven to 425
Place soaked spelt berries in a pot with water and a pinch of salt. Bring a boil then reduce heat, place a lid on pot and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until spelt berries are tender and all the water has been absorbed.
While spelt is cooking, cut sprouts in half (unless they are very small), cube the butternut into pieces about an inch big, and chop the onion up into chunks. Place all that you just chopped onto a baking sheet, drizzle with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and toss around. Sprinkle the veggies with a pinch or so of salt and pepper and pop into the hot oven. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until roasted to your desired doneness. (I like things a lot darker then the mr so I would leave my veggies in for closer to an hour)
For the sunflower butter sauce. Mince garlic and place into bowl or cup with the sunflower butter. Add in the maple, soy, and the juice of the lime. Mix together and add in a 2 tablespoons of warm water to thin out. Add more water if needed to get to a thick but pourable consistency.
Once the spelt is cooked, the veggies are roasted and the sauce is made, well you can assemble and eat. Spelt in a bowl, toss on some roasted veggies, and cover in the sauce. And then you eat it.