Tomato and Mozzarella Risotto

This past week, I did something that I haven't done in a few months, probably since we were living in Jacksonville. I went through some of my favorite websites and blogs (cookbooks are in storage, I'm really missing the Moosewood ones!) and printed out dozens of recipes and put them in a folder. On Friday, I went through the recipes and picked out six to make for dinner each night this week (we leave for a weekend trip on Friday!) It has been so nice to have a new variety of things, especially this risotto.

I made a few small changes from the original, a Cooking Light recipe, specifically adding some wine, using diced canned tomatoes, and a grate of Parmesan to finish the dish.  The flavors were delicious, basically a caprese salad, but warm and comforting, a nice way to taste the best flavors of summer in the cooling fall weather!

Tomato and Mozzarella Risotto

slightly adapted from Cooking Light

1 tsp. butter

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 small yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 c. arborio rice

1/4 c. dry white wine

1 c. canned, diced tomatoes

3 c. vegetable stock, warmed

2 c. fresh baby spinach leaves

1 dozen basil leaves, roughly chopped

2 oz. fresh mozzarella, chopped

1 oz. fresh grated parmesan cheese

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Heat a shallow skillet over medium heat.

Add butter and olive oil, melt together, then add onion and garlic, saute for 5 minutes.

Add rice, stir to gently toast for 2 minutes.

Add white wine, when liquid has reduced to half, add tomatoes and about 1/2 c. stock.

Once stock is absorbed, add another 1/2 c., continuing to stir rice every minute or two and adding more stock, as needed.

After about 20 minutes of adding stock and stirring risotto, turn heat off.

Fold in spinach and basil leaves, then add mozzarella and parmesan and gently fold.

Taste and add more salt, if necessary, it might be salty enough, season with black pepper.

Serve immediately.

Baked Quinoa with Zucchini, Corn and Basil

As I was perusing Williams-Sonoma's recipes last week for some dinner ideas, I came across this Baked Penne with Corn, Zucchini and Basil. It was the perfect way to marry the fleeting summer produce with a warm, wintery recipe. Because there was no real vegetarian protein, and already starch from corn, I substituted quinoa for the pasta. I also used canned, diced tomatoes rather than fresh, just because I had them on hand.

This is another great casserole meal to keep in mind for freezer stocking, baby/sick meals, or just something warm, hearty and healthy to cook for your own family! Now please excuse me while I go huddle in the corner with my space heater, we had our first frost last night.

Baked Quinoa with Zucchini, Corn and Basil

adapted from Williams Sonoma

1 c. quinoa, rinsed well

3 c. vegetable stock

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 ears of corn, kernels cut off

1 small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 medium zucchini, sliced into half moons
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
12 large basil leave, torn
2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Bring vegetable stock to a boil in a stock pot, add quinoa, turn heat to low and cover, cook for 15 minutes.
While quinoa cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and corn kernels, saute for 5 minutes, then add onion, garlic and zucchini.
Season with salt and pepper, and continue to saute for another 10 minutes, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown a bit.
Add white wine, scrape bits off the bottom of the pan, when wine has evaporated for the most part, add diced tomatoes, and turn heat off.
Preheat oven to 400*
Fluff quinoa with a fork, then add to the skillet with vegetables, gently mix, then add torn basil leaves and gently mix once more.
Transfer to a casserole dish, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
Top with parmesan and mozzarella in a layer on top.
Place in the oven, and bake for 15-25 minutes, until cheese are beginning to brown and crisp.
Serve immediately. 

Spring Leek Hash with Polenta and Goat Cheese

When we first moved here a few weeks ago, I tried to get a CSA membership, but unfortunately it was too late in the season. So on Saturdays, we go to the downtown market, but many of the vendors have the same exact produce, and I've been a little unimpressed with the selection. I did some google-ing and found an organic produce delivery service that is for the Pacific Northwest, and all produce comes from WA, OR and CA. While they're not in-my-backyard-local, they are all bordering states, so I gave it a try. I was a little unimpressed with the quantity, but liked the selection as it included a lot of fruit and a variety of vegetables.

I had ideas for all of the ingredients included in my first box except the leeks, so I did some searching for a recipe. Luckily, I already had polenta and goat cheese on hand, so making this hash was a piece of cake! I much prefer to make polenta than buy the tubes. If you're in a time crunch, you can always make it ahead of time. I whisked up a pot of polenta while making breakfast, then spread it onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and refrigerated it all day. Right before assembling, I used a biscuit cutter to cut out rounds.

It was great at dinner, but would also work for a brunch. We had faux chicken patties on the side (I can't quit the MorningStar Farm's Italian seasoned type no matter how hard I try! But I do limit them to 1-2x/month since it's overly processed soy) but fried eggs would be another great vegetarian protein option! Though this is titled Spring Leek Hash, I think it is very appropriate for both fall and winter

Spring Leek Hash with Polenta and Goat Cheese

slightly adapted from Vegetarian Times

polenta:

2 c. vegetable stock

1 c. 1% milk

1 c. polenta (we love Bob's Red Mill)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground white pepper

1/2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

hash:

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 leeks, trimmed, halved and chopped**

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

4 thyme stalks or 1/2 tsp. dried

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 c. vegetable stock

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 oz. crumbled goat cheese

To make polenta:

Bring stock and milk to a simmer in a heavy bottomed pot, whisk in polenta, salt and pepper.

Turn heat to low, continue to whisk for 10 minutes, adding more stock if necessary.

Turn heat off, whisk in butter and parmesan.

Cool for 10 minutes, then spread onto a parchment lined jelly roll pan.

Refrigerate until chilled and solid.

Preheat oven to 400*

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, add leeks, bell pepper, thyme and red pepper flakes.

Saute for 10 minutes, add broth and garlic, stir well and reduce.

Turn heat off, arrange polenta rounds in an even layer, sprinkle with goat cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes, until goat cheese begins to brown and is soft.

**I let them soak in a large bowl of water once chopped so the sand can fall to the bottom, then scoop with a slotted spoon and dry on a towel before cooking

Bean and Kale Ragout over Parmesan Polenta

So you may have noticed the recipes here since Christmas have been pretty "healthy" and vegetable-heavy. It's partly because of the CSA, and mostly because I've really been trying to lose more weight. I am so proud of how far I've come, but I also have these last 15-ish nagging pounds on me that I'd like to get rid of. I decided to make a goal of losing it before my birthday (May 14) and so far, so good! I hit a big milestone on Sunday of -90 lbs. and it's given me some great motivation to finally hit that magical -100lb. mark!

I am trying to lose the last 10 as I lost the first 90, slow, steady, diet and exercise, but I'm not going to lie and say crash dieting and restricting for a few weeks hasn't crossed my mind. But I want this to last, and I want it to be my lifestyle, so I'll keep plugging along. Dinners like this make me remember that I can eat healthy, but also eat delicious food and still stay within my calorie bank for the day.

I tried to find big, beautiful heirloom beans at Whole Foods, World Market, and another specialty shop, but the only thing I could find was large lima beans at Publix. While I'm not a lima bean lover or hater, I never would have guessed these were lima beans had I not prepared the meal. The kale was from the CSA, of course. I got this idea of cooking beans and kale in tomatoes from browsing recipes for kale, but didn't print out the recipe, and don't exactly remember what was in that recipe, so I guess I'll call this one an original!

Bean and Kale Ragout over Parmesan Polenta

Veggie by Season original

1 c. dry large lima beans, or any bean 

1 bunch of kale, any variety, stemmed and chopped

1 tsp. olive oil

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c. dry red wine

2 c. diced tomatoes in juice

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

Kosher salt and black pepper

3 c. vegetable stock

1 c. quick cooking polenta

Milk, as needed

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish

Crushed red pepper flakes

Soak beans overnight in the refrigerator, drain and set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add kale and blanch of 2-3 minutes, until slightly wilted, drain and set aside.

Add oil to a pot over medium heat.

Add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, saute' for 5 minutes.

Add wine, tomatoes, oregano, fennel and beans, stir well, cover, turn to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add vegetable stock to a small pot, bring to a boil.

Add polenta and whisk continuously, add milk if necessary to thin. Turn heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, add Parmesan cheese, turn heat off and cover.

Add kale to bean mixture, stir and heat through.

Add polenta to a dish, spoon in bean mixture, top with Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes, serve. 

Roasted Cauliflower Dirty Risotto

I always forget about risotto, and I don't know why. Every time I make it, I must say, "oh my gosh this is soooo good!" about ten times before I finish. It's also one of my favorite dishes to get in restaurants. When I received two heads of cauliflower in this week's CSA share, I remembered seeing a recipe for a cauliflower risotto float around the blogospehere a few months ago. On a lazy Friday night, nothing sounded better than a warm bowl of creamy risotto. Friday's are always a little tricky for us dinner-wise. I pick up the CSA share on Thursday, and go shopping Saturday, so I'm inundated with produce, but don't have a stocked pantry or fridge to cook with until after I shop. I surveyed the fridge, but didn't have white wine or parmesan cheese for a traditional risotto, so I improvised.

Dirty risotto is a concept I've seen on cooking shows, where you use red wine rather than white. Luckily we always have a bottle of red in the wine rack, so that was covered. We had blue cheese in the cheese drawer, which pairs well with cauliflower, some thyme from the previous week's CSA share, and a sole onion in the vegetable bowl, so this recipe came together out of fridge scraps, but you would never have known! It may look a little funny with the purple-ish tint, but this risotto was so full of flavor, creamy, pungent, earthy and comforting. I would definitely serve this at a dinner party, or make it again just for myself. Even my non-cauliflower-loving husband thought this was delectable. And once you've opened a bottle of wine for 1/2 c. in a recipe, you must also pour yourself a glass to drink while cooking, maybe one more to enjoy with dinner!

Roasted Cauliflower Dirty Risotto

Veggie by Season original

1/2 head of cauliflower or 1 small head

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 c. arborio rice
1/2 c. dry red wine
1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried
2 - 2 1/2 c. vegetable stock, warmed
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese

Preheat oven to 400*
Drizzle a rimmed cookie sheet with 1 tbsp. olive oil.
Cut cauliflower into small florets, toss with oil on cookie sheet, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the risotto.
Melt butter over medium heat in a shallow saute' pan.
Add onions, season with salt and pepper and saute' for 5 minutes, until softened and edges begin to caramelize.
Add rice, toast for about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add red wine, bring to a simmer, once reduced by half, add about 1/2 c. stock, stir well.
Continue to add stock 1/2 c. at a time, stirring with each addition, until rice is plumped and cooked, about 20 minutes.
Remove cauliflower from the oven, chop the florets into small, bite sized pieces and stir into risotto.
Turn heat off, taste risotto and season, if necessary.
Add 1 oz. blue cheese, stir well.
Spoon risotto into a bowl, top with remaining blue cheese and chopped cauliflower.
Serve - makes 2 large main servings or 4 sides.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

When it comes to food blogging, I see it as 4 parts. First, recipe creation or selection. This part is always fun, dreaming up combinations of food, or spotting a recipe in a magazine or on a blog that you just can't stop thinking about. Next up, cooking. I love the cooking part, definitely the best part. Next, the photography... we'll get back to that. And finally, blogging the recipe. I love the blogging portion because I get to tell stories about the dish, or talk about why I thought it was so delicious, or how I came up with the combination of ingredients. It's effortless to me.

But the photography. Oh do I struggle. I try, I really do... it's just not a strength of mine. You give me my dogs or my baby and I can take photos all day long! They give me funny faces, movement and life. My food, well it's all up to me. To style it, to get the right light, to pick the prettiest plates and silverware. To angle it correctly, cut a perfect slice or portion a scoop that is aesthetically pleasing. It's a lot of pressure! It's also why my blog has been quieter lately. When I can't get the perfect photo, or even something semi decent, I just move on with eating my dinner.

So since my dirty little secret is out, I'll get to the silver lining. What I can continue to do is try to show a decent photo, but bring the dish to life with my words, and use them to make you crave it! And this dish really has it all! It can be hard to find a one pot, comforting vegetarian casserole. You know, the kind of thing you take to a friends house who just had a baby, or to a pot luck at church. The kind of dish that you can make ahead of time and not worry it will turn to vegetable mush. It's also great for when you're in the mood for classic stuffed peppers, but don't have the time to fidget around with making the rice filling, then stuffing the peppers and roasting them.

I have made this dish three times since I came up with it, each time with a different cooking method. They all work as well as the next. There's the "20 Minute Speed Faux-Casserole", the crockpot "Set It and Forget It" method, or the somewhere in between where I precooked the rice, "Throw it all in a casserole dish and let it cook while you work out/put the kids to bed/catch up on some work" method.The "20 minute speed casserole" is my method of choice. 

Stuffed Pepper Casserole 

Veggie by Season original

1 cup short grain brown rice

4 cups water

1 tbsp. EVOO

2 bell peppers (I use 1 green, one yellow)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
2-3 cups prepared marinara (I make a big batch of this and freeze in 2-4 c. portions)
1 block of tempeh (I've been loving Lightlife's 5 Grain Tempeh)
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Bring the water to a boil in a small pot, add the brown rice, cover and turn to medium-low. 

Stir every 2-3 minutes, and continue to cook for 20 minutes.

Preheat broiler to high.

In a deep skillet over medium, heat olive oil.

Add peppers, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. 

Saute' for 5 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften.

Turn heat to low, add oregano, marinara, and crumble in tempeh.

Stir to combine ingredients, and cover to heat through.

Drain any water off rice once it's finished cooking, then pour into skillet with vegetable mixture, mix well.

Pour into a casserole dish, cover with mozzarella cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is golden brown.

Serve immediately. 

*Also makes for delicious leftovers and this casserole can be frozen (before broiling) and reheated at a later time.

Vegetarian Zuppe Toscana

If you read many food blogs, you'll see lots of 2011 "best of" and "top 10" posts... not here! While 2011 was a wonderful year for me personally, it was very quiet on the blog front because of pregnancy + newborn. This year, I plan to make blogging a top priority as I have been cooking up some delicious dishes and want to share them with you!  

On New Years Day, I planned to make Black Eye Peas, Collared Greens and Cornbread for dinner. I put the peas in the crockpot with vegetable stock, garlic and onions and let it cook while we went to church and the beach. Yes, we went to the beach on January 1! It was a gorgeous day and I knew we'd be watching football all afternoon. I told JJ it was time we take Violet to the beach and enjoy the day before planting ourselves in front of the TV. No need to be jealous, friends in the north, it's now in the 40-50's here...

After we got home from the beach, we both grabbed a bowl of peas from the crock pot. And then another, and another. And soon enough, 1/3 of our dinner was consumed at lunch time. So I had to go to plan B. 

Zuppe Toscana is one of my favorites, but I never thought to make a vegetarian version. It's usually made with sausage, so I used the flavors of sausage for the broth (as I did with this soup), and lentils for meaty part of the soup. I also have seen cream or milk in Zuppe Toscana, but I found the starch from the potatoes made the broth thick enough that it was unnecessary. This soup was just as delicious as it's meaty counterpart, and much healthier. 

Happy New Year!

Vegetarian Zuppe Toscana

Veggie by Season Original

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper

1/4 c. sherry

4 c. vegetable stock (I love these stock cubes)

4 small/medium russet potatoes, sliced in 1/4" rounds

1 1/2 c. brown lentils

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. ground fennel seed

1 tsp. dried rubbed sage

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

4 c. kale leaves, chopped

Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat.

Add EVOO, onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper and saute' for 5 minutes.

Add sherry, scrape bits off the pan.

Add stock, potatoes, lentils, oregano, fennel, sage and red pepper flakes.

Bring to a simmer, then turn to low and cover.

Simmer for 30 minutes, until potatoes and lentils are tender.

Add kale to the top, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Kale should be wilted, carefully mix into the soup - some potatoes will break, but try to keep them as in tact as possible. 

Taste, adjust seasonings, and be sure lentils are tender.

Serve with grated parmesan.

Spicy Lentil Vegetable Soup

When my husband and I were freshman in college, and had just started dating, we discovered that we both loved the restaurant Carrabbas. There wasn't one in Hickory yet, but we found one right outside Charlotte. Of course we wanted to spend as much time together as possible, without really saying that to each other, so driving to Charlotte "for Carrabbas" was our favorite date. I didn't have a car at school, but JJ did. One Saturday night each month, he'd pick me up at my dorm room (on the third floor, his was on the second), we'd walk down to the parking lot and he'd even open the car door for me.

We would almost always order the same exact thing, I'd get Chicken Marsala with Mashed Potatoes and Lentil and Sausage Soup, he'd get Pollo Rosa Maria with the same sides. While I can't proclaim my love for Mushrooms in Marsala anymore than I already do, the lentil soup was just as delicious. It was so spicy, full of flavor and very hearty. These days we rarely go to Carrabbas, and I wouldn't eat those dishes anymore since I went back to vegetarianism, so I'm left with trying to recreate the flavors at home. 

The basics of this soup were easy to imitate, lentils, vegetables, tomato broth and spice. What was a bit more challenging was getting the sausage flavor in a vegetarian soup. To do this, I added sage and fennel. Those two distinct flavors scream sausage! I didn't add any sausage texture, but you could chop some Field Roast Italian Sausage, crumble in some tempeh, or even add some rehydrated TVP flakes. Since my husband is always in need of a soup dipper, I pulled some artichokes, roasted red peppers and mozzarella from the fridge and made a simple Italian Quesadilla, but some plain crusty bread would be equally delicious! 

*To speed up cooking time, I simmer lentils separately while soup gets cooking, but you can also add all ingredients to a crock pot and cook.

Spicy Lentil Vegetable Soup

inspired by Carrabbas

1 c. dried lentils, rinsed and picked over

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 yellow onion, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 celery stalk, minced

Salt and pepper

1/2 c. white or red wine (I used Malbec)

1 28 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes (crushed or whole, depending on your chunk preference)

4 c. vegetable stock

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. dried rubbed sage

1 tsp. whole fennel seed, crushed with a mortar and pestle (preferred, or use ground)

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

Parmesan Cheese, for serving

Fill a stock pot with water, bring to a boil, salt heavily and add lentils.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.

Heat a soup pot over medium. 

Add EVOO, onion, garlic, carrots and celery. 

Season with salt and pepper, saute' for 10 minutes, until slightly caramelized and softened.

Add wine, reduce, and tomatoes. 

Use a potato masher, if whole, to crush tomatoes to large chunks.

Drain lentils.

Add vegetable stock, lentils, red pepper flakes, sage, fennel and paprika to soup pot.

Bring to a light boil, reduce to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender.

Taste and adjust seasonings. 

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. 

White Bean and Vegetable Salad with Rosemary Vinaigrette

I've now got weeks of life with a newborn under my belt. I'm proud to say that cooking is getting quite a bit easier. I find that recipes with multiple short steps seem to work the best right now. Each morning, I think about what I'm going to make for dinner, then decide how every nap I can do a bit more. With this recipe, I had to cook the dried beans, harvest rosemary, make the dressing, chop the veggies, and let it sit and marinade. Of course this can all be done in a marathon of 10 steps, but for now, the 2-3 minute steps spread hours apart are working perfectly. 

One reason cooking itself is getting better is Violet is now happy to sit in her bouncer and watch me cook! Of course, her attention span is about 10 minutes, but I get to practice my cooking show skills on her. A newborn is definitely the toughest critic, I have to say. One awkward minute of silence and she starts screaming! Now I just need to figure out a way to get the photography portion of cooking down... It's still a struggle to time dinner perfectly that I can photograph it and eat it. I've had several great dinners lately that went unphotographed, but I do intend to make them again, and again, and again, if necessary, until it's photographed! 

Note: You can use canned white beans, but I find them mushier than cooked, dried beans.

White Bean and Vegetable Salad with Rosemary Vinaigrette

Salad:

1 c. dried navy beans, cooked, drained and chilled

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cucumber, quartered, seeded and sliced

1/4 c. diced red onion

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

Vinaigrette:

1 roasted red pepper, jarred or fresh

1 garlic clove, smashed

1 sprig of fresh rosemary, about 1 tbsp. 

2 tbsp. sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave)

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. EVOO

Salt and pepper

Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender, puree until smooth.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Add all salad ingredients to a bowl, pour on vinaigrette, mix well.

Chill for 30 minutes and serve.

Seven-Layer Cookies

I am a visual person; I remember directions by sight, things I read and math problems solved on the chalkboard. I'm often flooded with memories by the simple sight or mention of an ingredient, food, or other tangible item. When my friend Jen asked if there was a bakery in Jacksonville that made her beloved Seven-Layer Cookies, I did a google search to see what she was talking about. One glance at the cakey, striped cookies encased in chocolate and I was standing in my Nanny and Grandpa's kitchen, eying up the assorted cookie platter Grandpa brought home from the bakery. I can still remember picking out a cookie, placing it on a paper towel and sitting at the kitchen table, always covered in a plastic, seasonal table cloth, and eating it with a juice box to drink.

I found Grandpa's recipe from the bakery in his stack of note cards, but as all of the recipes are, it was measured in 20 lbs. of butter, 30 lbs. of flour, and 25 lbs. or sugar, enough for thousands of cookies. Luckily, I had remembered seeing the cookies on Joanne's blog back in December, so I pulled up the recipe, originally from Gourmet. These cookies aren't something you can make on a whim, they take some planning and time, but it's well worth it. I had great luck with the chilled cookies slicing well, I just didn't really measure them out, I like the random shapes and sizes! One change I did make was substituting the apricot jam layer between the red and white cookies with raspberry (seedless) per Jen's request.

Seven-Layer Cookies (Italian Rainbow/Flag Cookies)

from Gourmet Magazine, Seen on Eats Well with Others

4 large eggs, separated
1 c. sugar
1 8-oz. can almond paste
2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 tsp. almond extract
2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
25 drops red food coloring
25 drops green food coloring
1/2 c. apricot preserves
1/2 c. seedless raspberry preserves
7 oz. bittersweet chocolate

Place a rack in the center of the oven, preheat to 350*
Butter a 9" baking pan, line the bottom with parchment leaving overhang on the sides, butter paper.
Beat egg whites in a mixer with the whisk attachment on medium-high until stiff peaks form.
Add 1/4 c. of sugar, a little at a time, transfer to another bowl.
Switch to the paddle attachment, add butter, almond paste and remaining 3/4 c. sugar, beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add yolks and almond extract, beat until combined.
Reduce speed to low, add flour and salt, mix until just combined.
Fold half of the egg white mixture in gently but thoroughly, then the rest.
Divide batter into 3 bowls, dye one red and one green, leave one white.
Set red and white aside, place green in the refrigerator.
Pour red into the prepared pan, spread out in an even layer with an offset spatula.
Bake for 10 minutes, until set, it will look undercooked.
Transfer to a wire cooling rack, reline pan with parchment, butter and add white batter.
Remove green batter from the refrigerator.
Spread white batter in an even layer, and bake for 8-10 minutes, until set.
Transfer on parchment to a wire cooling rack.
Repeat with green batter (do not stack layers on parchment/racks, use 3 separate racks).
Warm the raspberry preserves so it's spreadable, then spread over red layer in a thin, even layer.
Peel parchment from white layer, and stack on top of red layer/jam.
Warm apricot preserves and spread over white layer, removing any large pieces.
Peel parchment off green layer, and press on top.
Wrap the three filled layers tightly in saran wrap, and refrigerate overnight with a weighted sheet pan on top.
The next day, heat chocolate over a double boiler until melted.
Peel back saran wrap from one side, spread evenly which chocolate in a thin layer, place back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
When chocolate is chilled and set, gently flip cookies and spread chocolate on the opposite side in an even layer.
Place back in the refrigerator until set, about 10 minutes.
With a serrated knife, cut cookies into 1" cubes, and place on a serving platter (or keep cookies refrigerated until ready to cut and serve, cookies cut best when chilled).
Yield around 64 cookies, depending on size.

Supreme Pizza Quinoa Casserole

Thank you so much to everyone for your sweet comments on my last post. I will probably keep the pregnancy details to a minimum on here, it is a food blog after all! 

I am so happy to be cooking again, and have wholesome meals. When I saw this recipe on Peas and Thank You last week, I knew I'd have to make it soon. While I love pizza, it's not always the healthiest option. Plus, vegetarian protein is hard to come by on a pizza! 

This recipe is originally written vegan, but I made a few changes. First, I used cottage cheese in place of a raw  cashew puree, but you can also use ricotta or cream cheese. I prefer cottage cheese because it's full of protein and low in fat and calories. My favorite brand is Organic Valley's 2% Small Curd. Next, I sprinkled the top of this bake with a tiny amount of parmesan and mozzarella, to really make it seem like a baked pasta dish. 

The last change I made was to saute' vegetables separately, then mix them with the quinoa mixture before baking rather than top the bowls with topping like Mama Pea did. I used my favorite pizza toppings - peppers, mushrooms, onions and sun dried tomatoes. 

This dish is extremely versatile, and can be made for 2 to twenty with some simple adjustments with ingredient amounts. I made a large casserole, serving 4-6. This is a great make ahead meal that you can prep on the weekend for weeknight dinner, or something you can make a big batch of and eat over several days. You can also take it back to vegan or add pepperoni, sausage, ham or other non-vegetarian pizza toppings! And best of all, this dish was extremely cheap to make, the only splurge was buying organic cheeses, but they were on sale plus I had coupons at Whole Foods, so the entire casserole was around $10 (with lots of leftover cheese). 

Supreme Pizza Quinoa Casserole

adapted from a vegan version on Peas and Thank You

3 c. vegetable stock

1 1/2 c. quinoa

8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 c. 2% Small Curd Organic Cottage Cheese

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella, divided

1/4 c. grated parmesan, divided

1 tbsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper, to taste

10 sun-dried tomatoes, diced

Preheat oven to 350*

Bring stock to a boil in a pot.

Rinse quinoa under running water for a minute, until no longer murky. 

Add quinoa to vegetable stock, stirr and turn to simmer. 

Cook for 15-18 minutes, until stock is absorbed, stirring every few minutes.

Heat a saute' pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. olive oil.

Add mushrooms, peppers, onion and garlic, stir and saute' for 10 minutes, until liquid is cooked out and vegetables begin to caramelize. 

Remove from heat.

When quinoa is cooked, add tomato sauce, cottage cheese, half of the mozzarella and parmesan, basil, oregano, fennel, crushed red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir well, add vegetables from pan and sun-dried tomatoes, stir well.

Pour into a casserole dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Place in the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, until cheesei s golden and casserole is bubbly.

Serve immediately, refrigerate leftovers for a few days, if it lasts that long! 

Yia Yia's Sunday Sauce

There's nothing better than a simmering pot of tomato sauce on the stove all Sunday long. It seemed like my mom always had a pot of marinara on the stove every weekend, especially when she had fresh tomatoes from the garden. 

This week, Kim chose Chef Symon's Italian Braised Beef with Root Vegetables in Yia Yia's Sunday Sauce. I couldn't think of a vegetarian substitute for braised beef, so I just made Yia Yia's sauce. Chef Symon places beef bones in his to give off more flavor, but I decided to use some balsamic vinegar and vegetable stock. This sauce was delicious, very simple and perfect over a steaming bowl of pasta.

All of the Symon Sundays ladies made beef, so please check out their blogs and thanks to Kim for a great choice! 

Kim - Stirring the Pot

Joanne - Eats Well With Others

Natashya - Living in the Kitchen with Puppies

Parmesan Stuffed Artichokes

I can still remember the first time I ate a fresh artichoke. I was 12 years old, at my friend and neighbor Leah's house for dinner. Her mom placed the artichoke in the middle of the table along with a dish of melted butter. I looked at Leah, unsure what to do. She pulled off a leaf, dunked it in the butter, and scraped the flesh off with her teeth, tossed the leaf aside and grabbed another. Who knew it was so simple... and delicious! 

Now here I am, 13 years later, finally getting around to having fresh artichoke for the second time. I feel like I've cheated myself out of years of pleasure! But honestly, making artichokes is not only a tedious process, but a scary one at that! I decided to finally be brave and dive right in. I mean, I hack apart pineapples, squash, and I've even cracked several coconuts. Certainly I can handle an artichoke! 

When I saw they were on sale and in season last week, I decided now was the time. So I scanned some recipes online and found that a breadcrumb-parmesan stuffing was simple and popular. Then I looked at a few youtube videos and tutorials on how to handle this beast. I tried to document it as best I could in the photos below. 

This was my husband's first time eating a fresh artichoke, and he is now a huge fan. The artichoke was tender and flavorful, the stuffing was salty and savory, and we both were wishing I had made a dozen. I will definitely be playing around with the stuffing options for these in the future! 

Step 1: Gather artichokes, a lemon, and tools. I wasn't sure what I'd use, so I grabbed a few things. In the end I used my knife, scissors and a melon baller. 

Step 2: Cut off the stems. Though you can eat them when they're peeled, since I was baking mine cup side up, I cut it off completely to help stabilize the artichokes.

Step 3: Cut off the top third or fourth of the artichoke, depending on length.

Step 4: Pull off the bottom third of leaves that are tough. Use kitchen scissors to snip off the top third of the remaining leaves.

Step 5: Use fingers to stretch out artichokes and loosen the center. Pull out the center leaves that are pulpy and purple.

Step 6: Use a melon baller to scoop out any pithy center pieces. Do not scoop through the bottom!

Step 7: Cut lemon in half, Squeeze the juice over each artichoke then place the lemon on top while you clean and prep the water. At this point, artichokes can be wrapped and refrigerated for a few hours with the lemon on top.

Step 8: Place artichokes and lemons in a pot filed with water 2/3 of the way up artichokes. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes, partially covered.

Step 9: Preheat oven to 400*. Prepare stuffing mixture. Remove artichokes from water bath carefully (they will be tender) and place in a baking dish. I used a loaf pan to help them stay up.

Step 10: Use half of each stuffing mixture to stuff artichokes. Press mixture between the leaves and into the center. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until crisp on the edges and stuffing is browned.

Step 11: Very carefully transfer to a plate (I used a spatula for bottom support and tongs to hold it together) and serve.

Parmesan Stuffed Artichokes

2 artichokes, prepared

1 lemon, halved

1/4 c. Italian style breadcrumbs

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 small yellow onion, very finely minced

1 garlic clove, pasted

Black pepper

2 tbsp. EVOO

In a small dish, toss together breadcrumbs, parmesan, onion, garlic and pepper.

Stuff into artichokes, then drizzle with EVOO.

Follow directions as listed above for artichoke preparation and baking.

Chef Symon's Mom's Lasagna

I'd like to think that if I ever met Chef Symon, we would have so much in common and we'd be best foodie friends. As I got to 'know' him more through reading his cookbook, it seemed more and more likely. I found out he loves dogs, as their photos are peppered throughout his cookbook (um, mine too)! It's also clear he loves pickles and pickled things (give me a pickle and call it dinner)! And finally, he is from Ohio, and has a deep love for Cleveland (ok, I'm a Cincinnati girl, but my sister lives in Cleveland and I love the city)! 

Then I read his prologue to this recipe. His mom's lasagna, a Sunday specialty, slow cooking sauce, pasta baked with creamy cheeses, the scent lingering from the oven all day long... he's describing my childhood! My dad's favorite food for as long as I can remember was my mom's lasagna. Since it's labor intensive, she made it from scratch every few weekends, always an all day affair. She would only use Polly-O brand ricotta and mozzarella and grated Parm from the Italian specialty store. The sauce would cook all day, bubbling away, and we'd all fight over the crunchy corners at dinner time.

My mom would add ground beef to the sauce sometimes, but not always. However, Chef Symon's mom doesn't mess around. She uses veal neck bones, beef, sausage and pork. And three pounds of cheese. Though I do love to indulge and have one splurge-type meal each week, I don't eat meat and couldn't use 3 lbs. of cheese. Instead, I added mushrooms for some body and texture, cut the mozzarella, made my 2% ricotta from scratch, and picked up these beautiful lasagna noodles!

While this lasagna isn't exactly the same as Michael Symon's, it still evokes the feeling of Mom's homemade, Sunday specialty. The scent reminds me of being a kid, waiting for Mom to yell, "Dinner time!" And the feeling that perhaps one day, I'll have kids hoping that every Sunday I'll be in the kitchen constructing a lasagna for dinner.

Thank you to Kim of Stirring the Pot for choosing this week's Symon Sundays recipe. This completes Round 5, our selections are up for the next round, check the schedule in the right column!

Tips and Trades:
-I made my ricotta from scratch, which is very simple to do, and it tastes amazing! A 1 lb. tub of organic ricotta is around $5, but I purchased a 1/2 gallon of organic 2% milk for $3 and made 1 lb., almost half price!
-The fresh basil in this dish really brings a nice, fresh burst of flavor. Because the recipe has so much cheese (and meat, if you go with the original), I recommend not skimping on the basil.
-I prefer to make my lasagna with uncooked noodles, make my sauce a little more watery, and bake the lasagna off and have the noodles cook while absorbing the liquid. It keep the lasagna from being wet, and saves the annoying process of cooking the noodles. The noodles will grow though, so make sure there is a bit of space in the pan for them to expand!

Mom's Sunday Lasagna

1/2 lb. lasagna noodles

1 lb. ricotta cheese

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 yellow onion

3 garlic cloves

8 oz. cremini mushrooms

Kosher salt and pepper

1/4 c. tomato paste

1/2 c. red wine

1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes (whole)

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning blend

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 c. vegetable stock or tomato juice

1 c. fresh basil, roughly chopped or torn

Heat a pot over medium heat.

Add 1 tbsp. EVOO.

Add onions and garlic to a food processor, pulse until very finely minced, add to the pot.

Add mushrooms to the food processor, pulse to a fine mince, add to the pot.

Season veggies with salt and pepper, sauté for 10 minutes, until liquids are cooked out.

Add tomato paste and red wine, reduce liquid by half.

Add tomatoes, break up with a wooden spoon, add dried seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes and stock.

Stir well, cover, turn to low and simmer for 1 hour. 

Preheat oven to 350*

Turn heat off from sauce, add basil and fold in.

Spoon sauce to cover the bottom of a casserole dish.

Layer the noodles, spoonful of ricotta, sprinkle of Parmesan, and another ladle of sauce. 

Cover with another noodle, and repeat until noodles and cheese are gone.

Ladle the remaining sauce over top noodle layer, cover with foil and place in the oven.

Cook lasagna for 45 minutes, uncover, sprinkle with a layer of Parmesan and place back in the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Please visit the other Symon Sundays Participant's blogs listed here. For the authentic recipe from the book, be sure to check out Kim's blog, Stirrting the Pot!

Joanne at Eats Well with Others (Project Food Blog Star Contender!)

Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

As the eggplant in my garden have matured week after week, I've been putting off making Eggplant Parmesan. It's not because I don't like it, it's certainly been one of my favorite meals since I was a child. What I don't like is frying things, the spattering oil, the way the house smells, and cleaning up the oil after I'm finished. While I have learned a few great tips and tricks to frying, I'm not a fan at all. 

I've made baked Eggplant Parmesan before, but baking it left the bitter taste in the eggplant. However, I wasn't going to give up on baked eggplant, so I tried a new process, and it worked perfectly. I salted and pressed the eggplant, then eggwash and breaded them and baked them on a wire rack. While they cooked, I prepared the chunky sauce, and then assembled and threw it back in for a quick bake to melt the cheese and meld the flavors together. While I do love Mom's Eggplant Parmesan with long strips of eggplant and a crushed tomato marinara laced between the layers, and a mozzarella blanket on top, I had a different version in mind. 

During my senior year of high school, I went to the Homecoming dance with a huge group of friends. A new restaurant had just opened called Bucca di Beppo. We heard it was served family style and great for groups, so our homecoming group of 20 went there for dinner before the dance. I was still a vegetarian at the time, and asked if anyone else would want Eggplant Parmesan. One of my friends, Alison, said she would eat it so we ordered a large size. Oh.my.gosh! I'm sorry, Mom, but it was the best eggplant parmesan I've ever had! The eggplant was cut a little thicker, skin still on and tender, panko breadcrumbs added extra crunch, and the sauce, it was the sauce that made it! Chunks of sweet tomatoes laced with fresh basil and red onion, topped with Parmesan cheese, baked to perfection.

That dish was the inspiration for this version of Eggplant Parmesan. I picked two eggplant from my garden (I'm not sure what's going on with the speckled one, but it tasted great!) and a bunch of fresh basil from my pots. I splurged on San Marzano tomatoes because the dish was otherwise very cheap. Though it didn't have the buttery crust, the eggplant were tender, crunchy, and the sauce was sweet and delicious. 

Tips and Trades:

-If you elect to fry your eggplant, here are a few tips! Be sure salt and press your eggplant well, the tiny water pockets will soak up oil, cause splattering, and weigh down your dish. Make sure your oil is at a steady temperature, around 375*, if it's too hot, the eggplant will burn before they cook, and if it's too low they will soak up the oil. Finally, drain well on paper towels or brown paper bags. My mom prefers to fry with Olive Oil, but Canola Oil works well too.

-San Marzano tomatoes are from the San Marzano region of Italy. They are sweeter than most tomatoes, and are imported. Look for a can to specifically say "San Marzano" and imported from Italy. 

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

inspired by Bucca di Beppo

2 medium eggplant

Kosher salt

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. panko breadcrumbs

1/4 c. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

1 tbsp. EVOO

1/2 medium red onion, diced (about 1 c.)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 28 oz. can whole San Marzano tomatoes

1 tsp. dried oregano

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Handful of fresh basil leaves

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Wash eggplant, slice into 1/2" rounds.

Line a colander with tea towels or paper towels, place a layer of eggplant on towels, dust with kosher salt. 

Place another layer of towels on top followed by another layer of eggplant and salt, repeat until all eggplant are covered and salted.

Place a heavy pot or plate on top and weigh down eggplant.

Rest for 30 minutes to an hour. 

Preheat the oven to 400*

Place a wire rack on a baking sheet.

Add eggs to a shallow dish, whisk well.

Combine breadcrumbs in another shallow dish.

One at a time, plunge eggplant slices into egg wash, then dredge with breadcrumbs and place on the wire rack. 

Continue until all eggplant slices are coated.

Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender inside. 

While eggplant cooks, prepare sauce.

Heat a small pot over medium heat.

Add 1 tbsp. EVOO, onions and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper, sauté for 5 minutes, until softened.

Add whole tomatoes and juice, break up with a wooden spoon, turn heat to low.

Add oregano and red pepper flakes, simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Tear basil into the sauce, taste and season.

Remove eggplant from the oven.

Spoon some sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish, add a layer of eggplant.

Spoon 1 tbsp. sauce over each eggplant round, top with another and repeat. 

Spoon the remaining sauce over the top of the eggplant, sprinkle with Parmesan.

Place back in the oven for 15 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Serve with fresh pasta or rolls for eggplant subs. 

Zucchini and Quinoa Lasagna

Toward the end of the summer months, I feel like I've maxed out on all things zucchini. I've made both sweet and savory dishes, eaten it both raw and cooked, paired with many different ingredients and cuisines, and I just don't think I can take anymore. But then I'm at the market and I can get a bucket of 6-8 for a dollar... and I can't pass it up. And I'm back to scanning the indexes of my cookbooks (yes, there's a permanent dent on the "Z" page), flipping through my summer magazines, and scanning google reader because surely, I'm not the only person in this (zucchini) boat. 

Lucky for me, Mama Pea came through for me in my time of need! I had just purchased a new bag of Organic, Fair-Trade Quinoa and had some leftover marinara in the fridge that needed to be used. I stuck with her recipe with two exceptions - she is vegan and used vegan cheeses. Instead, I used cottage cheese and mozzarella... but you could substitute mascarpone, ricotta or cream cheese. My personal favorite cottage cheese is Organic Valley 2%, it's so thick and creamy. I also added 1/2 c. thawed, chopped spinach because it needed to be used before freezerburn set in. 

This lasagna would be the perfect way to say goodbye to zucchini and summer... but when you live in Florida, it's always summer and it's always zucchini season. In fact, I found three new zucchini buds growing in my garden over the weekend. 

The search continues... 

VBS Tips and Trades:

- Choose smaller, thinner zucchini at the market. They're generally sweeter, more tender, and less pulpy. Though a huge, prize-winning sized zucchini looks impressive, it will lack flavor.

- Quinoa is what I call a hybrid starch-protein. Though it is a grain, it's similar in nutrition contents to a bean, packing in whole grain carbohydrates and lean protein.

-I used a mixture of red and regular/white quinoa in this dish for variety's sake. This is the brand I use, I find it at Whole Foods, but it can be ordered online.

Zucchini Quinoa Lasagna

un-veganized from Peas and Thank You

4 medium sized zucchini, sliced into 15 strips (make them the size/shape to fit your baking dish)

1 c. quinoa (any color)

2 c. vegetable stock

1/2 c. tomato sauce/puree

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 c. thawed, drained, chopped spinach

10 basil leaves, chopped

1/4 c. cottage cheese (or ricotta, mascarpone, cream cheese, etc.)

Salt and pepper

2 c. marinara sauce (jarred or try this recipe)

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400*

Slice zucchini into strips, layer into a colander, sprinkle with salt and layer with paper towels (see Peas and Thank You for pictured steps, if needed).

Combine stock, quinoa, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, and oregano in a sauce pot. 

Bring to a boil, turn heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, until moisture is absorbed.

Turn heat off, stir in cottage cheese, spinach and basil, season with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce in a baking dish to coat, layer with zucchini, half of quinoa, zucchini, the rest of the quinoa, and the last of the zucchini. 

Top with more sauce and cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and zucchini are tender.

Rest for 5 minutes and serve.

Marsala Pasta with Mushrooms and Artichokes

Chicken Marsala was one of my favorite dishes for a long time. After going back to vegetarian a few months ago, I found myself craving it. Not for the chicken though, for the marsala sauce. I do think the pancetta adds immense flavor to the sauce, so I wasn't sure I could make a pasta marsala sauce that would taste as good. 

I also was concerned that a pasta dish with just mushrooms would seem to be missing something. I was searching on Food Network's website and found this Giada recipe. Adding artichokes was a genius move, in my opinion. They add a new texture, flavor, and meaty quality to the dish. I did think the absence of pancetta was noticable, but with the addition of a little more parmesan I thought the dish was great. 

It can easily be altered to add any protein, such as chicken, pork, turkey meatballs or for vegetarians, cannelini beans or tempeh strips. 

Marsala Pasta with Mushrooms and Artichokes

adapted from Giada Laurentiis

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

2/3 c. dry Marsala wine

6 oz. whole wheat pasta (I used Barilla whole wheat shells)

1 15 oz. can quartered artichokes, drained well

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (3/4 sprigs)

2 tbsp. half and half

1/2 c. grated Parmesan, separated

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt, add pasta and cook to al dente.

Drain and set aside.

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat.

Add EVOO, onion, garlic and mushrooms.

Saute for 5-8 minutes, until mushrooms have sweat out liquid and begin to caramelize.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add Marsala, simmer and reduce by half. 

Add artichokes, thyme, and half and half.

Stir well to combine, add cooked pasta and half the cheese, stir well.

Bring to temperature, plate and serve with remaining grated parmesan.