Smokey Carrot Mac and Cheese Bites December 29, 2012

I came across a recipe for Carroty Mac and Cheese by Melissa Clark and thought it would make a great addition to the make-ahead kids menu rotation.  It’s such a great recipe that I played around with different cheeses and adding some Siracha for heat and have come up with a great retro, comfort food appetizer by cutting the casserole into bite-size squares.  This recipe is highly adaptable – make it with whatever cheese you have laying around.  I like to use up leftover smaller pieces of smoked gouda, aged goat and others by shredding them and mixing them all together.  It creates a complex flavor that is far more sophisticated than the standard mac and cheese.  I’ve also made this with gluten-free (brown rice) pasta and didn’t miss the wheat at all.

Bake this recipe in two baking dishes to make the casserole thinner and easier to cut into small squares.  Wait for the casserole to cool before cutting it into pieces if you plan to serve it as bite-size appetizers – it will give you cleaner lines like the ones I made pictured above. When making this for a family meal, bake the mac and cheese in one 16″ baking dish for thick, hearty pieces.

 

Smokey Carrot Mac and Cheese

12oz whole wheat elbow macaroni

2 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrot (about 3 large)

3 cups grated cheese (smoked Gouda, cheddar, pepper jack, etc.)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

6oz fat free (0%) Greek yogurt (such as Fage)

1/4 cup whole milk

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 Tbs. Siracha

3/4 teaspoon mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and grease 16-inch rectangular baking pan. Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven.

2. Cook macaroni according to package instructions in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water; add carrot 3 minutes before pasta is finished cooking; drain well.

3. While pasta is hot, stir in all but 1/2 cup of the cheese and the butter. In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, eggs, salt, mustard powder, and pepper. Fold mixture into the pasta.

4. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and the Parmesan over the top. Bake until the casserole is firm to the touch and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Baked Sweet Potato Falafel December 11, 2012

My crop-share doled out a ton of huge sweet potatoes this fall and I was in need of an appetizer to serve a crowd.  Scrolling through Pinterest for ideas, I came across a pin for a baked sweet potato falafel from the Leon Cookbook featured on 101 Cookbooks.  I doubled the recipe and added a yogurt sauce to complete the dish (as my husband would say, isn’t everything better with a dipping sauce?!?).  These baked mounds of goodness are topped with sesame seeds to make up for the crunch lost from baking instead of frying.  This recipe is now in my regular weeknight rotation, but is tasty enough to serve as a cocktail party appetizer.

Baked Sweet Potato Falafel

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 ½ pounds total)
2 small cloves of garlic

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 ½  teaspoons ground coriander

½ bunch fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 lemon

1 cup chickpea flour

Olive oil

Small handful sesame seeds

1 tsp. Kosher salt + more for yogurt sauce

fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

1 (6oz) container Greek yogurt (such as Fage 0%)

To make the falafel:

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Wrap pierce sweet potatoes several times with a knife, then wrap each potato in tinfoil.  Place wrapped potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil.  Roast until just tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Let potatoes cool, then peel them and discard the skin.

2.  Mince garlic in the bowl of a large food processor, then add sweet potato flesh, cumin, coriander, cilantro, ½ lemon juice, chickpea flour, 1 Tablespoon salt and pepper.  Blend until smooth, with no large lumps.  Refrigerate mixture for about an hour, giving it time to firm up.  The mixture should be sticky rather than really wet.  Add a additional chickpea flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, if necessary (the water content of sweet potatoes varies).

3.  Reheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  Using a spring-loaded scoop or a couple of soup spoons (scoop up a heaping spoonful of mixture in one spoon and use the concave side of the other to shape the sides), make the mixture into balls and place on prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are slightly golden brown and the balls are firm to the touch (but not hard – they should give a little).  Serve in whole wheat pita with yogurt sauce.

To make the yogurt sauce:

Combine yogurt, remaining ½ lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.  Serve with falafel.

Serves 4-6 (makes about 18 falafels)

Orzo with Fennel & Tomato Ragout September 21, 2012

I created this recipe for Vegetarian Times (1 food, 5 ways: Fennel, March 2012).  Fennel serves as the base of this wonderfully hearty, Italian-inspired vegetable stew.  Using a combination of fire-roasted and sun-dried tomatoes provides a rich flavor and a thick sauce for the orzo. Serve this ragout with crusty bread and a light salad for a casual fall dinner party.

Orzo with Fennel & Tomato Ragout

¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3 Tbs. tomato paste
16 oz. dry orzo pasta
1 large fennel bulb, cut into 16 wedges
2 medium carrots, diced (2 cups)
1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 28-oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1. Cover sun-dried tomatoes with 3/4 cup boiling water in bowl. Soak 30 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, and set aside.

2. Cook orzo according to package directions; drain, and set aside.

3. Coat Dutch oven with cooking spray, and heat over medium-high heat. Add fennel; top with carrots and onion, and cook 5 minutes without stirring. Stir, and sauté 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic, and cook 30 seconds. Stir in fire-roasted tomatoes, beans, and sun-dried tomato mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve over orzo.

Chimmichuri Burgers July 13, 2012

I had a plethora of fresh parsley and cilantro from my CSE crop-share, and was thinking that a chimmichuri steak sauce (an Argentinean steak sauce made from parsley, olive oil and garlic) was a great way to use my supply.  I planned on making skirt steak with chimichurri but my local market was out of that cut so I picked up some ground beef instead and made Chimmichuri burgers by adding some of the sauce to the beef before making them into patties.  The result was a super moist and flavorful burger that we all enjoyed.  I served sauteed swiss chard on the side, and a salad tossed with some of the leftover chimmichuri.  We snacked on aged manchego, fig paste and crackers while the burgers cooked, and finished with salted caramel ice cream (reminiscent of dulce de leche).  It was a wonderful, vegetable-heavy summer meal.  To make these burgers into cheese burgers, slice some manchego and melt it ontop.

Braised Short Ribs October 8, 2011

If you have the time, this is a wonderful weekend dish for entertaining.  It takes several hours, and there aren’t any short cuts you can take to cook the meat, but the majority of the time is hands-off and the results are well worth the effort.  Short ribs are economical for entertaining (in NYC I paid $35 for 4 lbs.) and, when cooked well, are rich in flavorful and extraordinarily tender.

I like to make the meat with enough time to refrigerate the sauce so I can skim the excess fat before reheating, but it’s not an essential step if you’re short on time.

Serve this over any type of mashed potatoes.  I made a mix of mashed apples and potatoes (cooked in apple cider) for a seasonal twist and the flavors married well.  I also served it with a side of shaved fennel and green apple salad and the crispness of the salad was a nice contrast to the rich meat and potatoes.  The only thing missing from the meal was a punch of color; the meat, potatoes and fennel were a bit bland to look at.  Chopped parsley as a garnish added a bit of color, but it wasn’t as visually appealing as I would have liked.  Mashed sweet potatoes or roasted beets would have added some color to the dish so I may try one of those additions to the meal next time.

This recipe is based on the basic recipe for braised short ribs in Simple to Spectacular by Jean-Georges and Mark Bittman.

Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine

2 Tbs. canola or olive oil

3 Tbs. butter

4 lbs. short ribs

Salt and pepper

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

4 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 bottle sturdy red wine, such as Zinfandel

4 branches thyme

4 stems parsley

1 bay leaf

½ cup chopped parsley, for garnish

1.  Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Add tablespoon of oil and butter to cast iron pot or covered roasting dish and melt over high heat.  Add ribs and brown well on all sides, seasoning meat with salt and pepper as it cooks (about 20 minutes total).  Work in batches if necessary [I browned the meat in 2 batches in a large cast iron pot].  Remove meat from, pour out fat and wipe pan clean.

2.  Add remaining tablespoon oil and another tablespoon butter to pan and melt over medium-high heat.  Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring until the onions are soft (about 8 minutes).  Add red wine, thyme, parsley stems and bay leaf and bring to boil.  Add ribs, cover, and cook in oven until meat is very tender and falling from bone, about 3 hours.  Turn the meat once or twice an hour.

3.  Transfer ribs to a platter.  Strain liquid from vegetables in a medium bowl, pressing hard on vegetables to extract all of the liquid.  Refrigerate liquid separate from ribs and, once chilled, skim fat from sauce (there will be a tick layer that is easy to remove with a spoon, leaving a silky sauce below).

4.  To reheat:  Add sauce to pan and bring to boil.  Stir in remaining tablespoon butter and whisk until slightly thickened.  Add ribs and ¼ cup chopped parsley.  Heat ribs through, add salt and pepper to taste, and additional red wine if necessary (about ¼ cup at a time), and serve garnished with remaining chopped parsley.

Serves 4

Stuffed Peppers with Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Sausage August 30, 2011

My crop-share has been doling out green bell peppers in massive quantities.  While I love the sweet-earthy flavor of red, orange and yellow bell peppers, I find green peppers to be slightly bitter when raw and prefer them cooked.  After making several rounds of fajitas I decided to stuff the remaining bounty with a flavorful sun-dried tomato chicken sausage mixture.  I added some leftover cooked rice to the mix and it made for a deliciously healthy and satisfying meal.  Choose peppers that sit evenly if you plan to stuff them, and if your peppers are lopsided and/or wobbly, slice a very thin piece off the bottom to give them a flat base.

Some stuffed pepper recipes call for steaming or blanching the peppers before stuffing and baking.  I prefer a firm, slightly crisp pepper shell in this dish so I skip the pre-cooking.

Stuffed Peppers with Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Sausage

4 green bell peppers

1 lb. sun-dried tomato chicken sausage, removed from casing

½ C. onion, chopped

15oz can tomato sauce (I used no salt added)

½ C. green bell pepper, chopped (used leftover pepper from sliced-off tops)

2 Tbs. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped + additional for garnish

1 ½ tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Fresh-ground black pepper to taste

1 C. cooked rice (any kind will work; I used brown rice)

1 egg, beaten

4 oz crumbled goat cheese (optional)

1.            Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice tops off peppers (about ½” from top), carefully remove core and seeds and rise with cold water to remove any remaining seeds.  Set peppers aside and make the filling by browning the chicken sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions and cook until soft and slightly brown.  Add chopped green pepper, tomato sauce, salt, garlic powder, oregano, red pepper flakes and black pepper.  Cook until peppers are slightly soft and adjust seasoning if necessary.

2.            Remove chicken mixture from heat and place in a bowl to cool for several minutes.  Add rice and beaten egg and mix well.  Place hallowed peppers upright in a pie dish and, using a tablespoon, carefully fill peppers with chicken sausage mixture.

Bake peppers, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until peppers are bright green and slightly soft.  Top with goat cheese, if using, and return to oven for a few minutes to melt cheese.  Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4 (serving = 1 pepper)

Basil & Garlic Rubbed Grilled Chicken June 30, 2011

I thought I’d post one of my favorite grilled chicken recipes for all those grilling over the holiday weekend.  Basil & garlic rubbed grilled chicken doesn’t sound particularly exciting, but this herb smothered chicken is really delicious.  This recipe is ideal for a last-minute dinner because the chicken absorbs the intense flavor of the basil without any significant marinating time.  I like to slice the chicken and serve it over salad with a simple balsamic vinaigrette.

To save time, ask the butcher at your grocery store to pound the chicken into cutlets for you, which cuts down on the cooking time.

Basil & Garlic Rubbed Grilled Chicken

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ C. fresh basil, chopped

½ tsp. fresh-ground black pepper

½ Tbs. olive oil (plus additional for grilling)

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to ½” thickness

1.            Place garlic in mortar and mash with salt to form a paste.  Add basil and black pepper and continue mashing until well combined.  Add in just enough olive oil (about ½ Tbs.) to form a paste.  Combine basil paste with chicken in a ziplock bag and turn the bag several times to coat the chicken with the basil.  Set aside for 5 minutes while you prepare the grill (or grill pan).

2.            Heat the grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.  Rub grill or pan with olive oil.  Grill chicken, turning once, until cooked through (about 3-5 minutes per side).

Aloo Gobi (Indian Potatoes & Cauliflower) March 23, 2011

My sister sent me a similar recipe for a cauliflower dish that I mentally filed away as a quick and simple vegan dish to make with little fresh produce in the fridge.  I culled various recipes for Aloo Gobi to find the right balance of spices to make this dish taste authentic.  This is a great recipe for anyone looking to get started on Indian home cooking.  Note that the addition of golden raisins is not part of the traditional recipes, but I added them to give the dish a sweet and chewy contrast to the warm spices.

Aloo Gobi is a very filling dish, especially when served over jasmine rice.  I also like to serve it with a chickpea pancake (mix equal parts chickpea flour with water and add a dash of cumin and salt), or store-bought naan.

Aloo Gobi (Indian Potatoes & Cauliflower)

2 Tbs. coconut oil, ghee or canola oil

1 medium onion

3 cloves garlic

1 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into ½” pieces

1 tbs. fresh ginger, grated

1 lb. cauliflower florets (frozen)

1 – 2 cups water, as needed

½ C. frozen peas

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. paprika

½ tsp. coriander

dash cinnamon

¼ C. golden raisins (optional)

1. Heat medium dutch oven or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil or ghee until smoking, then add onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep golden brown and soft.

2. Add the garlic, potatoes and ginger; sauté until potatoes are slightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Add in spices (turmeric through cinnamon) and continue to cook, coating the potatoes with the spice mixture.  Add cauliflower and water, then cover and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 5 minutes).  Add peas and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until peas are soft and warmed throughout.  Add additional water if needed, keeping a thick sauce on the vegetables.  Season with additional salt and pepper and add golden raisins, if using.

Portable Dinner Party – Thai Curry Ground Beef February 16, 2011

Being a Hip Hostess isn’t always about entertaining at home.  Sometimes, once of the most appreciated dinner you can provide is at someone else’s house.  Our friends just had a baby so we brought dinner to them.  Thinking of a good, portable meal can be a bit of a challenge so I’ll share the recipe we brought:  Thai Curry Ground Beef over brown rice, served with a simple salad of romaine, cucumbers and cilantro vinaigrette.  Bring a tin of cookies or brownies too and your friends will so appreciate your hosting skills.

Here’s how to transport the meal:  Pack the beef and rice in separate tupperware containers, put the salad in a ziplock bag along with the dressing, (I like to use an empty spice jar for the dressing, but any screw-top container will work).  Stack the containers in a reusable bag with a flat bottom, using a piece of cardboard to separate the layers to make sure the salad doesn’t get wilted from the warmth of the other food.  Also, remember to bring disposable plates, utensils and napkins (I like to bring sturdy, eco-friendly bamboo plates) so you don’t leave any dishes behind.  Pack a few bottles of sparkling water and a nice bottle of red wine or some beer (beer is especially great for newly nursing mamas – the hops help to bring in their milk!).  This meal was easy enough to transport in one bag on the subway.

Thai Curry Ground Beef

Cooking spray or 1 Tbs. sesame or peanut oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 lb grass-fed lean ground sirloin

½ -1 tsp. red curry paste (such as Thai Kitchen)

1 cup tomato sauce

½ cup light coconut milk

1 Tbs. brown sugar or ½ Tbs. agave nectar

¼ tsp. grated lime rind

1 ½ Tbs. fresh lime juice

1 Tbs. Asian fish sauce

½ cup cilantro, chopped

Bib lettuce (optional)

Chopped green onions (optional)

1.                        Heat large skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray or 1 Tbs. oil, then add onion and sauté until translucent and soft.  Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.  Add beef, stirring to crumble, and cook until lightly browned and cooked through.  (Note:  If there is a lot of liquid after beef is cooked, pour some out, leaving about ¼ cup of liquid in the pan and discarding the rest).

2.                        Add curry paste and tomato sauce to pan and cook until liquid is reduced to a thick sauce, after about 4 minutes.  Add coconut milk through fish sauce, and cook an additional 4 minutes, or until reduced to a thick sauce.  Add green onion.  Serve over brown rice with bib lettuce slices for scooping, garnishing with cilantro.

Hip Tips:

• Double this recipe and freeze half of the beef mixture for a quick weeknight dinner in the future.  Serve it over rice or with bib lettuce leaves to use as lettuce wraps for the beef.

Roasted Rack of Lamb with Potatoes February 8, 2011

Serve this complete meal for two for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner.  It requires little advance preparation and minimal clean-up, leaving you with plenty of time and energy to enjoy a proper “thank you” for your culinary efforts.

Roasted Rack of Lamb

1 Rack (8 ribs) of lamb, frenched (about 1.25 lbs)
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for roasting potatoes
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1 Tbs. fresh thyme, chopped or ½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried oregano
Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 Tbs.)
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
½ lb. Yucon gold or other potatoes (about 6 small), thinly sliced length-wise

1.            Combine olive oil through salt and pepper in a zip lock bag.  Add lamb and marinate, turning bag occasionally, for at least ½ hour or up to 1 day in advance.  (Place bag in a medium casserole to prevent drips).

2.            Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Remove lamb from marinate and place in the center of a roasting pan coated with olive oil.  Stack potato slices on either side of the lamb and drizzle with additional olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place roasting pan in the top third of the oven and roast for 20 minutes, removing pan from oven half way through to flip potatoes.  After 20 minutes, remove lamb from pan and place the rack on a plate.  (After resting, lamb will be medium-rare; if you prefer more well done meat, cook for an additional 5 minutes for medium or 10 minutes for medium-well).  Tent lamb with tin foil and let it rest (covered) for 10 minutes.  Spread potatoes into a single layer and return potatoes to oven, continuing to cook until they are medium brown and slightly crispy.  Cut rack of lamb in half and divide between two plates, along with the potatoes.

• Variation:  You can easily add a vegetable to this one-pan dish, such as green beans or spinach.  To make green beans: Add trimmed green beans to the roasting pan after removing the lamb from the pan and cook, along with the potatoes, for 10 minutes.  To make spinach: Remove potatoes from roasting pan when they are done cooking, place 1 bag of prewashed spinach in the roasting pan (not over a heat source – the pan is hot enough from the oven to wilt the spinach), and toss the spinach in the pan until it is fully wilted.  Sprinkle vegetables with salt and pepper and serve along with lamb and potatoes.