Source: Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion and Spinach Lasagna
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spinach and chickpeas
This was adapted from the Smitten Kitchen with my own little take on it.. This made a great side dish with pork chops but it could be served as a vegetarian dish.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound dried chickpeas, cooked until soft and tender* or two 15-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound spinach, washed and long stems removed
5 slices of a small Ciabatta loaf, brushed with olive oil
1 cup (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice, to taste
Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. When it is hot, add the spinach with a pinch of salt (in batches, if necessary) and stir well. Remove when the leaves are just tender, drain in a colander and set aside.
Brush the bread with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toast until crisp and golden. Transfer to a food processor and roughly chop
Heat 2 more tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the onion until golden and add the pepper. Cook for 1 minute more or until combined
Return the mixture to the pan and add the drained chickpeas and tomato sauce. Stir until the chickpeas have absorbed the flavors and are hot. Season with salt and pepper.
If the consistency is a little thick, add some water. Add the spinach and cook until it is hot. Check for seasoning and serve with paprika on top, or on fried bread toasts (as the Spanish do).
* In a slow cooker add the beans and cover them 2 to 3 inches of water and cook them 4 hours on high. You can make these ahead of time and leave them soaking in the juice before draining and using them in the recipe.
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Spinach & Goat Cheese Bisque
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I cooked a feast for family and friends and this was a big hit. This is relatively guilt-free as it does not have the usually heavy cream and uses potato to thicken. It is not maybe the most attractive but it IS good. Adapted from an Eating Well recipe Recipe by Anna Thomas, September/October 2011. I apologize for not taking many photos but I got busy and forgot and I wanted to share this! The original recipe left out something and I did not realize until after I made it. Next time I will add more broth to make it not so thick (and a bit smoother). That change is reflected in my recipe below. I made this the day before and so it was easy to just reheat before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cups Vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh
- 1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons cream sherry
- 2 cups vegetable broth, store-bought or homemade
- Spinach – about 1 1/4 pounds), any tough stems trimmed
- Pinch of pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (2 ounces), plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
- Soup croutons for garnish (see below)
Preparation
- Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons water and thyme and cover. Cook, stirring frequently until the pan cools down, and then occasionally, always covering the pan again, until the onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the 2 cups broth and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large soup pot or Dutch oven; add potato. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until very soft, 12 to 15 minutes.
- When the onions are caramelized, stir sherry (or Marsala) into them; add them to the pot along with broth. Add the remaining broth. Return to a simmer. Stir in spinach, cayenne and nutmeg; cover and cook, stirring once, until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, stir in goat cheese, butter and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; allow the butter and cheese to melt. Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth or in a regular blender in batches (return it to the pot). Taste and add more salt and/or lemon juice, if desired. Serve garnished with a large soup crouton and crumbled goat cheese, if desired.
1 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat
Tips & Notes
- Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- To make soup croutons: Slice one-fourth of a whole-grain baguette into slices 1/2 inch thick. Melt 1 tablespoon butter; lightly brush on both sides of each slice. Place the slices on a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until the edges are crisp and golden brown, 10 to 20 minutes, keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn.
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Merry Christmas
All the cards have been sent, cookies are being made, gifts bought but not yet wrapped. Two blogs in one day!!! But this blog is about food AND art, so here is some Christmas art. I have been making handmade Christmas cards for about 30 years. I started small with a limited edition of 12 pastel illustrations and it just grew from there. I have about 100 on my list now. I have done everything from handmade paper, watercolor, embossed copper, some with poetry. The past couple of years it has been animals. I just enjoy making them. Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanza, and a very Merry Christmas to everyone who follows this blog.
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Christmas Sugar Wafers
These were adapted from a Cooking Light magazine. I do not like a super sweet iced cookie so I made these with Sanding sugar sprinkled on instead of icing. They dod not use as much butter or sugar as traditional. So while not completely guilt free a bit less fat and sugar than some!
Ingredients
Cookies:
6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Sanding Sugar or colored sugar
Icing:
To prepare vanilla icing, combine 1 cup powdered sugar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a fork until combined. Drizzle icing over the cookies, or spoon into a small zip-top plastic bag; cut a tiny hole in 1 corner of bag, and pipe designs onto cookies.
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.
To prepare cookies, place first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Beat in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Add egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt), stirring well with a whisk. Add to butter mixture; beat well. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface (dough will be soft). Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion to an 8-inch circle between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Freeze dough 20 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.
Working with 1 portion of dough at a time (keep remaining dough in freezer), remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Cut dough with a 3-inch cookie cutter, dipping cutter in flour between each use; place cookies on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Discard bottom sheet of plastic wrap; reserve remaining dough scraps. Repeat procedure with remaining frozen dough.
Gently gather reserved dough into a ball; repeat rolling, freezing, and cutting procedure.
Bake at 375° for 8 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet; cool on a wire rack.
To prepare vanilla icing, combine 1 cup powdered sugar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a fork until combined. Drizzle icing over the cookies, or spoon into a small zip-top plastic bag; cut a tiny hole in 1 corner of bag, and pipe designs onto cookies.
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Intense Chocolate Mousse Cake
INGREDIENTS
- 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 large eggs, room temperature and separated
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons brandy (I used Chambord)
DIRECTIONS
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Position the oven rack in lower center of the oven. Cover the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with a double layer of foil. Using a microwave oven or double boiler, melt together chocolate and butter; set aside to cool slightly.
- In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until pale, frothy and increased in volume. Whisk in brandy, then fold in chocolate mixture. Place a pot of water over heat, and bring it to a boil. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites and salt until thick. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and continue to whisk until stiff and shiny but not dry.
- Fold about 1/2 cup whisked egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in remaining whites, being careful not to let the mixture deflate. Pour mixture into lightly-buttered springform pan, and place pan in a roasting pan. Add boiling water to roasting pan to come halfway up side of springform pan. Bake for 45 minutes; top of cake will be hard and inside will be gooey.
- Remove cake pan from water, and place on a rack to cool completely. Unwrap foil and remove side of springform pan. Place cake on a serving platter. Just before serving, dust top with confectioners’ sugar passed through a sieve or top with melted Chocolate chips and peanut butter.
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Zucchini “Pasta” with Roasted Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
I just got a spiralizer for my birthday and I tried it out for the first time. Very easy to use. This was a great meal and we will be making this again. I kind of winged it on the ingredients but it makes a great vegetarian meal with little guilt and a lot of flavor. Might be good for after Thanksgiving…
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Head of cauliflower, cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (for drizzling on cauliflower)
- ½ cup skim milk
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (or more)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp Sriracha (optional, adds a little kick)
“PASTA” INGREDIENTS:
- 3 zucchini, spiralized
- 1 package raw spinach, with stems removed
- Fresh herbs to garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Place cauliflower chunks on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
- Place in oven and roast until tender and golden, about 20 minutes, cool slightly.
- In a food processor, add the cooked cauliflower, milk, salt, pepper, dried herbs and Sriracha. Blend until a smooth sauce forms, approx 30 seconds to a minute to ensure texture is smooth and creamy with no lumps! Place in a microwave safe bowl.
- Meanwhile, place zucchini in a medium-sized frying pan greased with coconut cooking spray and cook, while stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until zucchini takes on a cooked pasta texture. Careful not to overcook! About mid way through cooking the zucchini, add in the spinach and cook lightly until it is wilted.
- Warm the “Alfredo” sauce in the microwave for about a minute
- Place spinach/zucchini pasta in serving bowls and top with sauce.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese.
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Happy Thanksgiving
I hope everyone reading this post has a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am thankful for so many things, too many to list. If you are traveling have a safe journey. I will be cooking and enjoying family and friends tomorrow at my house. Trying some new recipes and making the old favorites, too.
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Perfectly Sparrow
I have not been so good about posting any art on here lately, and not because I have not been doing a whole lot of it, but I had to post my most recent illustration project with author Theresa Goiffon.
Fully illustrated 34 pages in an 8×8 design paperback. An inspirational true story as seen and told through the eyes and voice of Sparrow, an Australian Terrier born with three legs.
Each book will be personally signed by the Author and stamped by Sparrow.
A percentage of your purchase goes toward the donation of books to organizations that provide services to children and veterans across the country. Click on the link below to purchase.
http://www.dunhamlakecaptainjacksparrow.com/perfectly-sparrow-gifts.php
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Roasted cauliflower and corn quesadillas with creamy avocado sauce
My husband’s wonderful niece Allison and her husband love to cook and she gave me the idea for this meal. I love anything that involves cheese… This was truly wonderful. I served it with a side of Kale salad. I made this using my panini press but you could use a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, coat lightly with olive oil and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook quesadillas until browned underneath, about 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully a flip with a large, thin spatula — and repeat on the second side. Roasted red peppers would be a good addition or poblano peppers. This serves 3.
- 1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into rough 1-inch chunks
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, enough to drizzle over the cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for onions
- 1 Cups fresh or frozen corn (Trader Joe’s makes a great frozen roasted corn)
- 1-2 yellow onions, thinly sliced ( I used 2 to have some leftover)
- 1-2 cups (about 8 ounces) coarsely grated monterey jack cheese
- 6 large flour tortillas
- 1 avocado, mashed
- 1 dash of lemon juice
- 1 dash of Hot sauce (optional)
- 1/2 cup plain low fat greek yogurt
Pre heat oven to 350. Place cauliflower chunks on a tin foil lined baking sheet (for easy clean up). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika. Roast for about 20-30 minutes until tender and golden. When done, spoon into a bowl.
While the cauliflower is roasting, heat olive oil in a large pan and caramelize onions over medium heat, stirring often, about 20 minutes.
In a small saucepan cook frozen or fresh corn over medium heat, about 8 minutes, until slightly charred. Mix into cauliflower.
Add in the onions when they are golden and caramelized.
Mash avocado, add dash of lemon juice and hot sauce. Stir in greek yogurt until smooth.
Lay out tortillas and spread 1/3 cup cauliflower filling and 1/3 cup shredded cheese to each. Place second 3 tortillas on top as lids. Spray panini press with a bit of cooking spray and place an assembled tortilla in the press and cook until golden brown on top. Repeat with remaining tortillas. I like them hot so make them one at a time. These can also be done in a frying pan – see notes above.
Cut into quarters and serve with a dollop of the creamy avocado sauce on top.
Something From the Ovens 