Pasta with Mushrooms and Artichokes

The night before Thanksgiving I knew I had to make a pasta dish for carbo loading purposes. While we weren't with the whole family at the Cincinnati Thanksgiving 10k, we did run the 5k in Boise (plus I added another 3.1 around the block to get the true T-day 10k feeling). It was my first time pushing Violet in the jogging stroller during a race and we had so much fun together. The Boise race was dog friendly so she was entertained as we ran past them and they ran past us.

While I'm a marinara lover through and through, I didn't want something so acidic before the race. I found this pasta dish from Giada DeLaurentiis that included mushrooms, artichokes AND marsala, three of my absolute favorites. The only changes I made were reducing the cream/using half and half and I used marinated grilled artichokes for a bit more flavor in the sauce. If you haven't tried these artichokes, I highly recommend you do, they were amazing!

Pasta with Mushrooms and Artichokes

slightly adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis

3 tbsp.. olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
Kosher salt
1 c. dry Marsala wine
1 lb. short cut pasta
1 jar of grilled artichokes in marinade
3/4 c. grated parmesan
1/2 c. half and half
chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tsp. fresh black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes, if desired

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and drop in pasta, cook to al dente, drain and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and cook for a minute, add mushrooms and saute' until water has evaporated and mushrooms have cooked down, about 10 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, add Marsala and continue cooking until half the wine has evaporated.
Add pasta, artichokes, half of the parmesan and half and half to the skillet, toss with the mushrooms to mix and heat through.
Top with remaining parmesan, parsley and crushed red pepper flakes.

***Stop back every day until Christmas Eve for 12 new cookie recipes!***

Mushroom Stout Pie with Potato Biscuits

We've had a few dreary, rainy days this week in Boise so I jumped at what is probably my last chance to make a warm and hearty stew before summer really sets in. I have truly embraced the potato while living out here, so potato biscuits were right up my alley. The filling was hearty and filling but very healthy. The recipe is written for either kidney beans or tofu, so I decided on kidney beans as I always have them in the pantry but rarely find much use for them outside of Minestrone and Veggie Burgers.

Mushroom Stout Pie with Sweet Potato Biscuits

adapted from  Post Punk Kitchen 

3 c. vegetable stock

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp. dried rosemary

2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 lb carrots, peeled and sliced

10 oz. stout beer 

2 tbsp. tomato paste

Fresh black pepper

Salt

1/2 c. AP flour

3 c cooked kidney beans

for the biscuits

1 1/2 c. AP flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 c. mashed sweet potato (baked off the previous night, fork mashed)

3 tbsp. olive oil

3/4 c. nonfat buttermilk

Preheat a Dutch oven over medium heat, saute' onions in olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add a pinch of salt and garlic, cook for one minute and stir to ensure garlic doesn't burn.

Add mushrooms, celery, thyme, rosemary and saute' for an additional 5-7 minutes, until mushrooms begin to brown and release liquid.

Add carrots, stout, tomato paste, pepper and salt, bring to a simmer and reduce liquid by half, add vegetable stock and cover. Simmer for five minutes.

Mix flour into one cup of cold water with a fork, be sure there are no lumps. Slowly add to pot, whisking with a fork. Add the kidney beans and stir well, turn heat off and keep covered. 

Preheat oven to 425*

Make biscuits - sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. 

In another bowl, use a fork to mix potatoes, olive oil and buttermilk. 

Make a well in the flour bowl and add potato mixture, mix gently with a fork until dough forms, knead a few times but be careful to not overmix. 

Drop heaping spoonfulls of dough onto stew around the pot.

Bake for 25 minutes, until biscuits are puffy and stew is bubbly.

Quinoa Portabello Burgers

Last weekend, my family took a weekend trip out to Oregon. We've constructed a Top 10 Out-West Bucket List, and were able to check two off that list. We had only planned to attend an Oregon Ducks Football game, but when the game time was changed from 1pm to 7pm, we had a whole day to fill. We left Friday afternoon and drove to Bend, OR, a beautiful town in central Oregon, just to the east of the Cascade Mountain Range. Oregon is known for it's breweries, so I looked online for one that had both great beer and food, and I chose Deschutes Brew Pub.

We had a seriously delicious meal that began with a soft pretzel with mustard/beer cheese dip, a winning combination. I had a pint of the Jubeleale, the spicy amber Christmas beer, which was great. For my entree, I ordered off the specials menu, something I rarely do. There was a black bean burger on the regular menu, but the Quinoa Portabello Burger special caught my eye. The burger was full of mushroom flavor, and it held together surprisingly well considering quinoa can be crumbly. There was a melted Havarti cheese on top, with a smear of garlic aioli and baby arugula tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette, red onion and tomato perfectly topped the burger. Both JJ and I would absolutely go back and try everything else on the menu!

Quinoa Portabello Burgers

adapted from Deschutes Brew Pub

1 c. quinoa, rinsed

2 c. vegetable stock

1 tbsp. butter

2 portabello caps, wiped and gills removed. chopped

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 egg

1/4 c. breadcrumbs (I used oat flour)

Four ciabatta rolls

4 oz. Havarti cheese

4 tomato slices

1 oz. baby arugula tossed with 2 tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette 

Garlic aioli (or mayo mixed with 1 grated garlic clove)

Bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a small pot, add quinoa, cover and turn to simmer.

Cook for 15-20 minutes, until water is absorbed and quinoa has sprouted its tail. 

Heat a skillet over medium, melt butter, add mushrooms, onion and garlic, saute' for 10 minutes, until vegetables begin to caramelize and moisture has cooked out.

Add balsamic vinegar, turn heat off and stir to deglaze pan.

Add quinoa, mushroom mixture, salt, pepper, thyme, egg and breadcrumbs to a bowl, mix well and place in the refrigerator for an hour.

Heat oven to 400*

Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray.

Form burgers into 4 equal sized patties (I used a 3/4 c. measuring cup) and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until outside is brown and crisp and inside is cooked through.

Place cheese over burger to melt. 

Place burger on a bun, top with tomato, arugula and garlic aioli

Some photos from our weekend, beautiful Crater Lake where Violet saw snow for the first time, and the Oregon Ducks game! 

Stop by tomorrow for a give-away, I picked up a few things to share on our trip at a very special place!

Portabella and Mozzarella Panini

So far, I've been really happy with the restaurants Boise has to offer. But I can't lie, I miss Panera! I didn't go there that often, but there are a few things there I just absolutely love, like this sandwich. I haven't had it in a while, but was craving it this week. I completely got help with this entire sandwich, so it's more of a construction than cooking, but the flavor combination is so delicious! 

Panera presses the sandwich, but I don't have one here, so I just broiled it on each side to toast it and pressed it with my hands. I used a Rosemary Focaccia  from the Whole Foods Bakery, which makes it more authentic, but any bread choice would be find. I also used the grilled portabella caps from the hot bar, which make this sandwich cheaper and less work, since portabellas are about $2.50/each! Finally, fresh mozzarella isn't necessary, but it is so good! We enjoyed this sandwich with French Onion Soup.

Portabell and Mozzarella Panini

copycat Panera Bread recipe

1 loaf of Focaccia bread, preferably with Rosemary

3 portabella caps, grilled or roasted with salt and pepper

1/4 red onion, grilled or roasted with salt and pepper, sliced

4 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls or sliced from a large ball

10 fresh basil leaves, torn

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Slice Focaccia loaf in half, place on a baking sheet, broil for 2-4 minutes, until slightly toasted and golden brown.

Toss portabella caps in red wine vinegar, arrange in a layer on focaccia, top with onions and mozzarella.

Place bread with toppings back under broiler, broil for 3-5 minutes, until mozzarella has melted.

Sprinkle torn basil all over the mozzarella, place top of loaf on the sandwich, and broil for another 1-2 minutes, until toasted.

Slice and serve immediately, preferably with your favorite soup. 

Mushroom Barley Veggie Burgers

There are very few foods I love more than a really good, homemade veggie burger. Bean burgers can be good, but I like burgers that are out of the box. My only problem with veggie burgers is I love to eat them on a bun, with fries. Since many veggie burgers include rice, oats, breadcrumbs or other starch fillers, I feel like it's a carb overload. Lately, I've been wrapping my burgers in iceberg or romaine lettuce cups, and I really enjoy them that way! I also have tried using different things as fries, but nothing compares to a good potato.

So when I stumbled across these burgers out of this cookbook, I instantly put them on the menu. I saw the barley from the photo, but it wasn't until I read the recipe that I saw potatoes are used as a binder. Double the starch, but one potato spread over 4 burgers isn't too bad. I used a mix of cremini, button and shiitake mushrooms, which gave such great flavor. I also topped our burgers with caramelized onions and goat cheese, and a smear of dijon on the lettuce wrap. The barley gave these a nice light chew, the mushrooms were full of flavor, and the potato bound them nicely and gave a creamy texture.

The original recipe calls for keeping the mushrooms sliced and then running them through the food processor, but I don't have that luxury here, so I finely minced mine before cooking. In fact, last night I shrieked for joy when I realized I brought my dutch oven with me. Literally, I'm living on 2 pans  and a cookie sheet here (and now, a Dutch oven!)

But it's not all bad, I promise. Since I'm gushing about potato-ey burgers, let me also gush about Potato Country! We are absolutely loving Boise! The greenbelt, parks, restaurants, stores, landscape, weather, it's all perfect and we couldn't be happier. Best of all, my husband feels 100% sure that he made the right choice accepting his residency position and our family is able to spend so much more time together. And dinners together mean more time for me to cook without a 2-year-old tugging on my shorts and someone to hold her back while I take photographs! The blog lives on for at least another year, until the next move :)

A few photos from the greenbelt, the view near our apartment and one of the Boise River, which is really just gorgeous!

Mushroom Burgers with Barley

adapted from Veggie Burgers Every Which Way

1 small potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

4 oz. button mushrooms

8 oz. cremini mushrooms

4 oz. shiitake mushrooms

1 small yellow onion

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

2 tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar

1 c. cooked barley

Kosher salt and black pepper

Other burger ingredients

Caramelized Onions

Goat Cheese 

Dijon Mustard

Lettuce leaves or Buns

Steam the potato until tender, mash in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil. 

Snap the stems off the cremini mushrooms, finely mince and add to the skillet along with the cremini and buttom mushrooms, also finely minced (but you can use the stems, just trim the end)

Finely mince the onion, add to the mushrooms and continue to saute' for 5-10 minutes, until moisture has cooked out and mushrooms are beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan. 

Add thyme, season with salt and pepper, stir well.

Add balsamic vinegar, turn heat off, use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up mushroom bits off the bottom of the skillet.

Add mushroom mixture and barley to the potato, use a spatula to fold and press.

Use the back of the spatula to press mixture tightly into the bottom of the bowl. 

Score into 4 sections, then place bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to solidify a bit (not totally necessary, but helps).

Preheat oven to 375*

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp. olive oil.

Form burgers into patties, then place in the pan.

Brown the first side for about 4-5 minutes, until crisp and brown.

Flip burgers, place pan in the oven (be sure it's oven safe!) and turn burner off.

Cook burgers for about 10-12 minutes, until hot.

Serve with onions, goat cheese and dijon.

Green Beans with Garlicky Shiitakes

A common theme among posts these days seems to be recreating things I've eaten while at restaurants. I don't think I go out to eat that much, maybe once a week, but with all of the travel I've done lately, it's been more than usual. I had the great opportunity to spend some time with my best friend from high school while I was crashing at my parents' house in Cincinnati. We met for lunch each Friday for 5 weeks, and this was definitely the highlight of those meals out. While looking up places near the office, I found Brown Dog Cafe. The menu looked great, and the food was exceptional.

I had the grilled vegetable sandwich and got the green beans as my side dish. Green beans are one of my favorite vegetables, and this preparation took them over the top! It was super garlicky with earthy shiitake mushrooms in a light vegetable broth, but the green beans were still the highlight of the dish. I will definitely be making these again and again, they're easy enough for an average dinner side, but fancy enough to serve for a holiday or fancy dinner party.

Green Beans with Garlicky Shiitakes

adapted from Brown Dog Cafe

Serves 4 as a side

1 lb. green beans or haricot verts, trimmed

1 tbsp. butter

4 large garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

6-8 oz. shiitake mushrooms

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 c. vegetable stock

Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt and drop in green beans.

Cook to al dente, then drain and rinse in cold water to preserve color and crisp.

In a large saute' pan over medium heat, melt butter and add garlic and mushrooms.

Saute' for 5-7 minutes, until mushrooms begin to brown and garlic is soft - do not let garlic burn!

Add green beans and stock, cover and bring to a simmer, remove from heat.

Pour green beans into a serving dish, top with grated parmesan cheese.

Jerk Tempeh Pitas

One of my favorite casual restaurants to dine in is Mellow Mushroom. The pizzas are great, but the sandwiches and salads are just as good, if not better. And the calzones, well they're just at another level of delicious! The other thing that makes Mellow so appealing is they have tofu and tempeh available as a substitute for meat in any entree. We typically go on Monday nights when they have trivia, but I love dropping in for lunch as well (Greek salad with tofu and Esperenza dressing is my choice at lunch!) JJ ordered this dish first time we ever went, and it's been hard for him to get anything else since.

The tempeh is seasoed with their jerk seasoning, then sauteed with onions, green pepper, mushrooms and pineapple. It's stuffed into a sub or pita, topped with spinach and tomatoes, and drizzled with pesto mayo. To recreate it at home, I just left off the spinach and turned the pesto mayo into a pesto-greek yogurt sauce. It was just as tasty, and less calories and fat, I'm sure!

Jerk Tempeh Pitas

inspired by Mellow Mushroom

4 whole wheat pita pockets, warmed and split

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 oz. button or cremini mushrooms, chopped

1 green bell pepper, finely diced

1 8 oz. package tempeh

1-2 tbsp. Jerk seasoning (I use Penzeys)

1 small (4-6) oz. can pineapple tidbits in juice

Black pepper

Sliced roma tomatoes

1/4 c. Greek yogurt

2 tbsp. prepared pesto

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.

Add onion, garlic, mushrooms and bell pepper.

Saute' for 10 minutes, or until water has cooked out and vegetables begin to caramelize.

Crumble in tempeh, add jerk seasoning, stir well.

Loosely drain excess juice from pineapples into a dish, reserve.

Add pineapple to skillet, stir well, taste and season with pepper or more jerk seasoning (if your jerk seasoning is salt free, you may need to add salt)

If mixture is dry, add a bit of reserved juice.

Spoon mixture into pita pockets, top with tomato slices.

In a small dish, mix yogurt and pesto, drizzle over pitas and serve immediately.

Warm Millet Salad with Brussels Sprouts and Creamed Mushrooms

I feel so behind the times admitting this, but this was my first time cooking with millet. It reminded me very much of cous cous, but it's a grain, so it's popular in the world of gluten-free diets. In the little research I did, I found that it's mostly used as bird feed, so... yum! Another CSA box, another stalk of Brussels sprouts to work with. While I occasionally get stressed about finding new and exciting recipes to feature using them, and yes I realize this is totally a First World Problem, it's awesome when I finally find something I know we'll love!

I used the Whole Foods recipe bank search and stumbled upon this salad. It's very hearty and filling, I just added a few strips of dijon grilled tempeh for some protein (they're not pictured). This did seem quite dry at the end with just 1/4 c. half and half, so I added a bit of vegetable stock to moisten it. I also subbed fresh thyme for the sage as it's what I had on hand, and finally, a large handful of shredded Swiss cheese, because everything's better when it's topped with cheese!

Warm Millet salad with Brussels Sprouts and Creamed Mushrooms

adapted from Whole Foods

1 c. dry millet

2 c. vegetable stock

1 tsp. butter or olive oil

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved or quatered

1/2 red onion, thickly sliced

3 c. sliced mushrooms (I used cremini)

1/4 c. half and half

1/4 c. vegetable stock

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 c. shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese

Kosher salt and black pepper

Heat a medium pot over medium-low, add millet and toast for 2-3 minutes.

Add 2 c. stock, turn to high, bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low, cover and cook millet until all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. 

Turn heat off and leave covered on the stove.

Add butter to a large saute' pan over medium-high, add Brussels sprouts and onions, season with salt and pepper.

Saute' for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add mushrooms and continue to stir, after mushrooms have let go of their liquid and begin to caramelize, add half and half and thyme, stir and turn heat off, taste and adjust seasonings. 

Transfer millet to a serving bowl, toss with lemon juice and fluff with a fork, add up to 1/4 c. stock if millet seems too dry.

Add vegetable mixture, stir gently to combine.

Top with shredded cheese. 

Mushroom and Kale Kugel

While I don't really have a "to-make" list written out like many bloggers do, there are certain dishes that I've always wanted to make, one being Kugel. I've never had a Kugel before, but have seen several recipes, especially in magazines around Jewish holidays. What's not to love, noodles, eggs, and creamy cheese! Kugel often tend to be sweet, but this one was all savory.

I happened to stumble upon this recipe by chance, as I did a search on the Whole Foods website for kale recipes. Kugel was probably the last dish I expected to find! While I love kale because it just screams "healthy!" we've had a lot of it lately, and a creamy noodle dish that incorporated it sounded like a nice marriage between health and comfort.

I made two small changes, using whole wheat egg noodles, and subbing Greek yogurt for the sour cream, but otherwise made the recipe as written.  My family loved this dish, Violet happy gnawed on strands of kale in between noodles. If you find yourself in a cooking rut and can't find any fun new dishes to make, join a CSA! Be forced to eat a variety and try new things. Now, if I could figure out how to use my Daikon radish...

Mushroom and Kale Noodle Kugel

from Whole Foods

2 tbps. butter
16 oz. whole wheat egg noodles
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
Fresh ground black pepper and Kosher salt
1 bunch of kale, stemmed and sliced thinly
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp. dried)
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c. low-fat cottage cheese
3/4 c. sour cream (or Greek yogurt)

Preheat oven to 350*
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt and cook pasta according to directions, leaving a bit al dente.
Drain and rinse, transfer to a large bowl.
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.
Add mushrooms, cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Stir in kale and cook until wilted, 2-3 minutes, add thyme and stir.
Add vegetable mixture to noodles, toss.
In another bowl, whisk together eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream and a pinch of salt.
Fold into noodles, then spoon mixture into a greased baking dish.
Press mixture down, cover gently with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more, until golden brown, serve.

Not Your Mama's Green Bean Casserole

I spent Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's of 2010 quite sick due to my pregnancy, and was unable to enjoy the delicious meals and treats throughout the season. That was my reasoning for pigging out this past holiday season. However, I tried to keep it semi-healthy, beginning with this dish! I'm a huge green bean casserole fan. The canned beans and condensed soup version just don't cut it though, fresh beans, a quick cream sauce, and a sprinkle of fresh onions are a million times tastier! 

I used Alton Brown's "Not Your Mama's Green Bean Casserole" as my starting point, but green bean casserole really isn't rocket science. This side dish will definitely be gracing our table all year long, not just at the holidays. Here's an extra tip - make double, or triple the onions - you won't be able to stop snacking on them while making the rest of the dish! 

Not Your Mama's Green Bean Casserole

from Alton Brown (slightly adapted from link above)

2 yellow onions, sliced 1/4" thick, separated into rings

1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. buttermilk

1/4 c. Italian style breadcrumbs

1/4 c. panko breadcrumbs

2 lbs. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" segments

1 tbsp. butter

8 oz. button mushrooms, chopped

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt and pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

2 tbsp. flour

1-2 c. 2% milk

Preheat oven to 450*

Add onions to a bowl, toss in flour, remove and place in another bowl, toss in buttermilk, remove and place in a final bowl of breadcrumbs, toss gently to coat.

Spread out on a lined cookie sheet, bake for 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes to ensure even crisping.

Remove from the oven, set aside.

Bring 1" of water to a boil, place a steamer basket over water and steam beans for 7-10 minutes, until tender and still bright green.

In a deep saute' pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add mushrooms, onions and garlic.

Saute' for 5 minutes, until onions are translucent and mushrooms are soft.

Sprinkle with flour, stir to coat, add 1 c. milk and nutmeg, whisk and bring to a bubble, cook to desired thickness of sauce, adding more milk as necessary.

Add green beans, toss to coat in sauce, taste and adjust seasonings.

Remove from heat, pour into a dish, top with onions and serve immediately.

Mushroom Marsala Quinoa Bake

Back when I was an omnivore, I was still quite picky about what meat I would eat. However, one of my favorites was Chicken Marsala. I love the savory and sweet wine paired with mushrooms and salty pancetta. I've made quite a few mushroom-marsala dishes, hoping to capture the best of Chicken Marsala, but it never was quite the same. I struggled to find a protein for the dish, tofu was too soft, and I'm not a fan of faux meat products. I did some brainstorming and decided to try quinoa. I love how quinoa is so high in protein, but also resembles a starch. The end result was perfect, a bowl full of savory, sweet, salty and delicious flavors!

Mushroom Marsala Quinoa Bake

2 c. quinoa

4 c. vegetable stock

1 tbsp. EVOO

16 oz. mushrooms, any variety or mixed

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1/2 c. dry marsala wine

salt and pepper

1/2 c. shredded Gruyere cheese

Place quinoa in a fine mesh colander, rinse under cold water for a minute, until water runs clear.

In a stock pot, bring vegetable stock to a simmer, add quinoa, turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. 

Wipe mushrooms to remove dirt, quarter and place in a food processor fitted with the blade.

Pulse until mushrooms are minced (might have to do this in batches), or mince by hand.

Heat a skillet over medium, add EVOO, mushrooms, onions and garlic.

Saute' for 10 minutes, until mushrooms have released moisture and vegetables have begun to caramelize. 

Add thyme, marsala, salt and pepper. 

Cook until marsala has reduced by half, remove pan from heat. 

Uncover quinoa, turn heat off. Fluff with a fork.

Spoon mushroom mixture into quinoa, add half the Gruyere, mix well.

Pour quinoa into a greased casserole dish, top with remaining cheese.

Place under a broiler on low for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden.

Remove from the broiler and serve. 

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! 

Two-Toned Ravioli with Pom-Braised Mushroom Filling and Sauce Duo

For the entrée portion of the Pom Party, I decided to make pasta. I recently purchased a ravioli form which makes ravioli making much easier. These can be made by using cutters or a pizza slicer, but the ravioli form seems to seal the edges better, in my opinion.

To make these pom party worthy, I made half of the ravioli dough with pomegranate juice to create a pretty purple hue. I didn't know how sweet it would make the dough, so I went with half pom-infused and half regular egg dough. For the filling, I braised cremini mushrooms, garlic and shallots in pomegranate juice, then mixed it with parmesan and ricotta cheeses.

To make the ravioli really pop with flavor, I made two sauces. The first was a basil pesto, the second was a creamy roasted red pepper parmesan sauce. They were very well balanced and brought a lightness to the cheesy pasta dish. 

Two-Toned Ravioli with Pom-Braised Mushroom Filling

with Pesto and Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce Duo

Pasta:

6 cups flour, divided

4 eggs, divided

1 cup POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate Juice

2 tsp. salt, divided

1/2 c. EVOO, divided

1/4 c. water

Filling:

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 lb. mushrooms, any variety

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. fresh minced rosemary

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 c. POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice

2 c. ricotta cheese

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

Pesto:

4 c. packed basil leaves

1/4 c. pine nuts

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves, smashed

Kosher salt and pepper

1/4 c. water

1/4-1/2 c. EVOO

Red Pepper Parmesan Cream Sauce:

2 roasted red peppers, fresh or jarred

1/2 c. vegetable stock

1 c. half and half

Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

Egg pasta: Beat together 3 eggs and 1/4 c. EVOO, add 3 cups of flour and 1 tsp. salt, whisk together with a fork. Add water 1 tbsp. full at a time to make a dough, knead with hands for 5 minutes, dough should be just a bit sticky. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

POM Pasta: Beat together 1 egg and 1 c. pom juice, add 3 cups of flour and 1 tsp. salt. whisk together with a fork. Add EVOO 1 tbsp. at a time to make a dough, alternately add flour if dough is too wet. Knead with hands for 5 minutes, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Use a pasta roller and roll dough into thin sheets, dusting with semolina flour as necessary. 

Filling: Add EVOO, mushrooms, shallots and garlic to a saute pan over medium heat. Toss and cook for about five minutes, until mushrooms are soft and onions are caramelized. Season with salt, pepper and rosemary. Add pom juice and reduce until evaporated. Cool mixture then add to a mixing bowl with ricotta and parmesan. Mix well. Refrigerate until you stuff pasta.

Pesto: Add all ingredients except EVOO to a food processor, pulse to get things moving, then run machine while steaming in EVOO to desired consistency. Served or wrap tightly and refrigerate.

Red Pepper Cream Sauce: Add red peppers and stock to a blender, puree until smooth. Add to a small soup pot, pour in half and half, parmesan cheese and cayenne. Bring to a simmer, reduce for 5 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve. 

Mushroom Stew with Spaetzle

With the cold weather finally reaching Florida, I've been craving bowls of warm stewed vegetables. I found this recipe in November's Cooking Light, and tore it out immediately. I'm always looking for recipes that call for spaztle because it's a childhood favorite. I figure the more I use my spaetzle press, the better I can justify the amount of space it takes up in my cabinets.

This dish was really simple and quick, I only made a few small changes. First, I added a diced carrot to the stew to incorporate more vegetables, as well as 1 c. of tomato puree for a richer sauce without having to make a roux. This tasted very similar to a paprikash dish, just without the peppers. I liked the hint of sweetness the balsamic vinegar added, and the spaetzle were great for soaking up the sauce.

Mushroom Stew with Spaetzle
adapted from Cooking Light November 2010

1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 c. low-fat milk

2 large eggs

1/3 c. dried porcini mushrooms

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 yellow onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

Salt and pepper

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, quartered

1 tbsp. paprika

1/4 c. red wine

1 c. mushroom stock

1 c. tomato puree or sauce

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Flat leaf parsley

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt heavily. 

Place porcini mushrooms in a heat safe dish, add 1 c. boiling water and let mushrooms reconstitute for 10 minutes.

Heat a deep skillet over medium heat.

Add EVOO, onions, garlic and carrots.

Season with salt and pepper, saute' for 5 minutes.

Add cremini mushrooms and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Drain porcini mushrooms through a coffee filter, reserve stock.

Rinse off mushrooms and roughly chop.

Add to stew along with paprika, stock, tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar.

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

In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and milk, add flour and whisk until mixture comes together.

Spoon into a spaetzle press or in a colander with wide holes, press into the boiling water.

Cook for 3-4 minutes, until noodles float and are puffed.

Strain into a fine mesh sieve.

Place noodles in a bowl, top with stew and garnish with parsley. 

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Chestnut Soup with Balsamic Mushroom and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

My husband is a big fan of the soup and sandwich combo. It doesn't matter what kind of sandwich you serve with what kind of soup, he will dip it. He doesn't mind if the flavors don't match or compliment each other, in fact I don't even think he considers that when making his selections.

Rather than a sandwich, I decided to make quesadillas. Mostly because I had some tortillas on hand, but also because I was thinking about Tripp's amazing quesadillas with mushrooms, cheddar and spinach. Sadly, I didn't have spinach and cheddar, but I had the mushrooms and some goat cheese. To make the mushrooms pop, I caramelized them with balsamic vinegar. The vinegar added a deep, rich flavor that was softened with the creamy goat cheese.

For the soup, I went out on a limb. My husband doesn't like cauliflower, but I thought if it's in soup form, he might not be as opposed because he's all about the dip-ability concept. I wanted it to be creamy and velvety, but not fattening and rich. To achieve the velvet feeling, I added cannelini beans rather than cream. To make it different and somewhat gourmet, I added some roasted chestnuts to the soup and then also chopped them for a topping. Roasting the cauliflower brought out the nutty flavor, which was extra emphasized by the chestnuts, and fresh rosemary made the dish pop.

This soup and sandwich type meal was definitely very gourmet tasting, but very easy to prepare. It has an autumn feel to it without being a squash recipe (because I'm pretty sure the last 10 and next 10 recipes on here center around squash). You can certainly change up the ingredients and use what you have on hand. this is a very basic outline for a delicious lunch combo! At the last second, I stirred some white cheddar cheese into JJ's soup, and it was delicious. However, you can keep the soup vegan without it. 

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Chestnut Soup

with Balsamic Mushroom and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

Soup:

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

1 small yellow onion, quartered

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp. EVOO

Kosher salt and pepper

1 c. roasted chestnuts, peeled

1 c. cannelini beans

3-4 c. vegetable stock

1 tsp. fresh minced rosemary

Preheat oven to 425*

Add cauliflower and onion to a baking sheet, drizzle with EVOO, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Add un-peeled garlic cloves to the baking sheet and place in the oven.

Roast for 20-30 minutes, until cauliflower begins to caramelize and is soft.

Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.

Add half of the cauliflower and onion mixture to a blender.

Peel the garlic cloves and add to the blender.

Add 1 c. vegetable stock to the blender and puree.

Pour into a soup pot on the stove over medium heat.

Add remaining cauliflower and another cup of stock to the blender. 

If you'd like to have some small chunks, pulse this mixture to desired consistency, or puree.

Pour into the pot.

Add beans, 1/2 c. chestnuts and 1 c. of stock to the blender, puree until very smooth.

Pour into the pot, stir well, add rosemary.

If soup is still quite thick, add another cup of stock.

Taste and adjust seasonings, add more salt and pepper as necessary.

Bring to a simmer, then ladle into soup bowls.

top with remaining chopped chestnuts and fresh rosemary sprigs.

Quesadillas:

4 flour tortillas

1 tbsp. EVOO

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, finely diced

1/4 small yellow onion, minced

Kosher salt and pepper

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

1/2 c. crumbled goat cheese

Preheat a skillet over medium heat.

Add EVOO, mushrooms and onion, saute for 10 minutes, until mushrooms have given off most of their liquid and begin to caramelize.

Add salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar.

Reduce to a thick syrup, remove from heat and pour into a small dish.

Clean skillet, place back over medium heat.

Place tortillas in skillet, fill with 1/4 of the mushroom mixture and 1/4 of the cheese.

Toast for 2-3 minutes, flip and toast for another 2-3 minutes. 

Slice and serve with soup.

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

Vegetables Bourguignon

I've never been a fan of beef dishes, but there are a few I would eat. My mom is a bit strange in her eating habits. She eats no poultry or fish, but loves beef and shellfish. Because of this, there was a lot of ground beef recipes growing up, and occasionally she'd treat us with beef stew, beef bourguignon, or rouladen. I vividly remember picking out the potatoes and other vegetables in those dishes, and leaving the meat behind. So for me, these dishes can still be made often with the meat either left out, or beans used instead.

 A few months ago, I dreamed up cannelini beans bourguignon, which was delicious! This time though, I wanted the dish to really focus on the vegetables, and leave out all meat. I used whole cremini mushrooms to get a meaty quality, and kept the remaining vegetables true to standard recipes. I think the addition of some peas or haricots verts would be wonderful though, and might try it again. Also, I've served this over noodles, mashed potatoes, but polenta would also be a great foundation. Basically, you can't go wrong when concocting a dish with a red-wine based sauce! And the best part - traditional beef bourguignon takes hours to prepare. This dish took me about 30 minutes, start to finish! 

Vegetables Bourguignon

1 tsp. EVOO

1 small yellow onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb. small cremini mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed

1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced in 1/4" rounds

2 oz. tomato paste

2 tbsp. Brandy

1 cup dry red wine (I used pinot noir)

1 cup vegetable stock

3-4 thyme sprigs

1 tsp. fresh minced rosemary

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Parsley, chopped, for garnish

1 cup frozen pearl onions

6 oz. whole wheat pasta, or prepared polenta, mashed potatoes, etc.

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

Drain, set aside.

Heat a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat.

Add EVOO, grate in onion, stir to combine.

Add garlic, mushrooms and carrots, continue to stir and cook for 5-10 minutes, until mushrooms have softened and let out most of their water.

Add tomato paste, brandy and wine, stir well.

Bring to a simmer, reduce wine by half, add stock, rosemary and thyme.

Bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for 15 minutes, until carrots are tender.

Add frozen onions, heat through.

Taste, adjust seasonings, remove thyme stems, serve over noodles.

Sprinkle with parsley.

*Note: This recipe is vegan, as written, but a sprinkle of parmesan cheese or grated gruyere is a fantastic addition.