Banana Bread French Toast for one

French Toast is awesome. Especially with bananas!

 For me, French Toast is all about the bread. No store-bought white wonderbread will do. It's gotta be goooood bread. Typically, I go for a bread kind of like a french bread -soft with a firm but not crunchy crust, big irregular holes, cut into ridiculously thick slices. Today however, the banana bread on my counter was perfect. Already studded with walnuts and made with 4 bananas in just one loaf, this was an awesome breakfast!

Paired with a small orange-carrot-yogurt smoothie, my hunger was completely satisfied until well-after I typically eat lunch. Filling meals that still allow me to feel light are my favorite.

Soaing the banana bread in the egg mixture.

Non-stick pans are super nice 'cus I barely need any fat/oil/butter to cook in them.

Mmmm, maple syrup-soaked french toast banana bread, perfect after a morning jog.

Banana Bread French Toast for One

2 thin slices of banana bread (about as thin as an iPhone... yes, I am a member of Generation Y)
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Real maple syrup for serving

Carefully whisk together egg, milk, and cinnamon in a medium/shallow bowl (Big enough and shallow enough to fit in the pieces of bread lying down flat so that they can soak up the egg. I use a square Tupperware).
Place pieces of bread in the egg mixture and let rest 30-60 seconds, then flip so the other side can soak 30-60 seconds.
Drop soaked pieces of bread into a lightly buttered or greased fry pan over medium heat and cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side (or until your desired level of golden brown appears).
Serve on a plate and be sure to drizzle with real maple syrup to make up for the fact that both the banana bread (if you used the recipe I posted last week) and the egg mixture have almost no sugar in them.

Suggestion: smear peanut butter on the top of one slice and place the 2nd slice on top like a peanut butter french toast sandwich.

Sweet Potatoes with goat cheese, roasted grapes and drizzled with honey

Ok, so I know I overcooked my steak, but it was so good that I don't even care. Especially 'cus these potatoes are awesome! I kept thinking, "omgosh, this is soooo good" while I was eating these sweet potatoes.

On an uneventful Thursday evening, this definitely made my night a whole lot better. I think it even gave me the motivation to finish my International Trade Policy reading. Anything to get through all of that reading is totally worth it in my book, and if it tastes amazing, all the better.

Please please please make these sweet potatoes. They will beat the pants off your momma's old southern recipe of pecans and brown sugar and marshmallows. Yes. I said it. And I mean it.



Sweet potatoes with goat cheese, roasted grapes, and honey
From How Sweet It Is

4 sweet potatoes

2 cups red, seedless grapes

1 teaspoon grapeseed oil (or another high heat oil)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 ounces goat cheese, divided

2 tablespoons honey + additional for drizzling

pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Poke holes in sweet potato with a fork, then wrap each tightly in aluminum foil. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until potatoes and tender to the touch. Unwrap foil and cut a slit down the middle of each sweet potato. Let sit until cool enough to handle. *However, if you are crunched for time, pierce potatoes with a fork in several places, wrap in moist paper towels, and place in the microwave for 10 minutes on high instead of baking in the oven.*

Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Toss grapes with a little oil (high-heat oil) and a pinch each of salt and pepper, then place on nonstick baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until grapes begin to burst. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Once sweet potatoes are somewhat cool, gently remove the flesh with a spoon, trying to keep the potato intact. Add the sweet potato to a large bowl, then mash with 3 ounces of goat cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper and honey. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired, then scoop flash back into the potato skins. At this point you can re-warm the potatoes (if you let them cool completely) in the oven, then top with remaining goat cheese. Add grapes on top and serve with additional drizzled honey.

No Butter, No Oil, Ginger [Breakfast] Cake

Yes, I know that Christmas is gone and I should probably let go of gingerbread, but I love ginger so much. I just can't do it. Ginger is fantastic for you. I knew it was good for settling upset stomachs from my mom and for seasickness from my friend who was in the Navy, but my roommate (through a cooking magazine) just informed me that it is also good as preventive for muscle-soreness after a workout. And with it's kick, it has to be good for your spunk and livelihood, right?

In other words, ginger is awesome and you should totally make these little cakes for tomorrow's breakfast. You can top them with some vanilla yogurt and banana slices for a balanced meal that will have you ready to tackle in the dreariest of January mornings. Also, for those of you who are still going strong in your New Year/New You resolutions, these cakes are just under 200 calories and have over 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Woot!


Ginger [Breakfast] Cake
Adapted from Healthful Pursuit

2 eggs
1/2 cup raw lemon pudding*
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 teaspoons gingerbread spice**
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375F and grease or line [6-muffin] muffin tin (or a bigger one with only 6 lined).
Then, in a separate bowl, whisk the first 4 ingredients. Once mixed, stir in dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed throughout. Fold in pecans.
Pour mixture, evenly divided, into the 6 prepared muffin tins.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy. You can store in the fridge for 4-5 days.

*Lemon pudding (also from Healthful Pursuit): combine 6 pitted medjool dates, 1 pitted avocado, the flesh (the segments) of 2 lemons without pith or skin or seeds, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor and process until well-blended and looks similar to guacamole.

**Gingerbread spice: Mix together 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 2 tablespoons ginger, 1 tablespoon allspice, 1 tablespoon allspice, and 1 tablespoon cloves. Use as needed.

Black Eyed Pea Salad

What did I do with my entire day, you ask? Why, I made dinner for 30 people with options for gluten-free, vegetarian, raw, and vegan persons in under 3 hours, clean up of the kitchen included.
I think that deserves an olympic medal, just saying. Or at least, my face on the front of the wheaties box, right?
Anyway, this salad is pretty darn delicious and soooo simple and so good for you! I love the way the colors pop. I mean, the stuff looks like candy, it's so bright. It was part of the smorgasbord of options that I made for the 30-person dinner =).

*Thanks to my neighbor for giving me this recipe*

Black Eyed Pea Salad
Makes 12 servings

1green bell pepper
2 red bell peppers
1 orange bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1/2 large red onion
2 (16oz) bags of frozen black eyed peas, thawed

1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon regular mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Chop peppers and onion, mix in a large bowl. Add peas, stir.
In a separate, smaller bowl, mix the oils, vinegar, mustards, and salt and pepper. Pour over pea mixture and stir/mix to combine. Serve immediately or chill in fridge before serving.

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

It's a chilly, rainy day here and I just had to put in a chick-flick (When Harry Met Sally) and bake cookies. The day demanded it and I am a tad sickly, so it fit my mood perfectly. Of course, I was not in the mood for something overly sweet (though traditional chocolate chippers were tempting), so I made these breakfast cookies. Cookies, for breakfast! What a wonderful idea =). 

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
Adapted from Enlightened Cooking

Preheat oven to 350°F

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpats, or lightly coat with cooking spray.

Makes about 16 cookies at about 140 calories each

¾ cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

¾ cup granulated sugar 

⅓ cup vanilla low-fat yogurt

1 large egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup all purpose flour

¼ cup ground flax seeds (flaxseed meal)

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1.  In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, yogurt, egg, oil and vanilla in a until smooth. Stir in raisins. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.

2. Stir the dry ingredients and raisins into the wet with a wooden spoon, mixing just until just blended.

3. Drop the batter by 2 tablespoonfuls for each cookie onto prepared cookie sheet, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart.  

4. Bake 14-15 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

Black Bean and Spinach Lasagna

 

Lately, I have been looking for meatless entrees, especially ones that use beans because beans are so cheap when you buy them dry in bags. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it, even it sounded pretty weird. Don't let the combination of black beans and spinach/pasta scare you away. This was really good, to the point that I actually was sad I had to eat out the other day instead of being able to eat these left overs.


Spinach and Black Bean Lasagna
from Southern Living


2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers, divided
• 2 (16-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or cook your own)
• 1 (2-pound, 13-ounce) jar pasta sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 9 precooked lasagna noodles
• Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro

• Stir together first 5 ingredients and 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese; set aside.
• Mash beans with a potato masher or fork in a large bowl; stir in pasta sauce and cumin. Spread one-third of bean mixture on bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
• Layer with 3 noodles, half of spinach mixture, and 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese; repeat layers. Spread with one-third bean mixture; top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining bean mixture.
• Bake, covered, at 350° for 1 hour; uncover and top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts. Garnish, if desired.
  
  *You can halve this, using 5-6 lasagna noodles and in a 8x8 pan.

Mom's Muffins, My Way

These muffins remind me of color antique pyrex mixing bowls, family dinners, and the phrase "But Mom, I am sooooo hungry! Just one, pleeeeeease?"
My mom made these pretty regularly and, by the time dinner ended, there were never any left but I always wanted more.

Smear these with cream cheese for a yummy breakfast =).

Zucchini Muffins
Yields 8-9 regular muffins

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

¼ cup oil

2 tablespoons honey

¼ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup and 3 tablespoons wheat flour
1 tablespoon flax seed *optional. If you skip, just replace with either flour

¼ tspn baking powder

¼ tspn baking soda

¼ tspn salt

¼ tspn nutmeg

1 c grated zucchini

1/3 c raisins

2 tablespoons millet *optional

Directions

Mix first 4 ingredients together in a bowl.

In a second bowl, mix the next 7 ingredients, then mix into the first bowl.

Fold in zucchini and raisins and millet.

Fill greased or lined muffin tins ½ or ⅔ full.

Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.  

Yellow Dal

It's another chilly Friday filled with reading for school, but I don't mind because I started my day off with a free yoga class from the Lexington Healing Arts Academy. Now that I have read some scripture, focused my mind and body, and made some simple dal, I can sit down with my tea and read about American diplomacy/negotiating strategy.

If you are like me and have been neglecting the "third pillar" of physical fitness (cardiovascular/aerobic, muscular strength/endurance, and flexibility), yoga is a great way to relieve stress and work on flexibility at the same time. I also find that, when I include it as part of my morning routine, it helps me to be more in touch with my body throughout the day. What does being "in touch with my body" mean? When I use that phrase, I mean being able to hear and identify what my body is asking for, whether it be more or less of a specific type of food/nutrition or a kind of movement (running, dancing, strength training, or a walk at the arboretum).

Believe it or not, now that I have been trying to listen to what my body wants and have given myself permission to follow those requests for over a year, I actually find that I crave things like carrots much more than ice cream. I always thought that if I ate what I truly wanted, I would eat nothing but cookies and cake, but it has been the the opposite. Of course, I still love a good dessert and eat them at least once a day, but I find I am satisfied with smaller amounts and do not "crave" them in a frightening way like I used to.

Preparing the onions, garlic, and masala.

Cooking the yellow split peas.

Time to mix the onion mixture and yellow split peas together. It smells so good!

Simplest Yellow DalFrom Whole Foods

1 cup yellow split peas
3 cups water
½ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
2 cups chopped yellow onion, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons garam masala
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Whole wheat naan, for serving (no longer gluten free if you serve with naan, btw)

Rinse peas and soak in water for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse and place in a medium saucepan with water, salt and ½ cup of the onion. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the peas are tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

While the split peas are cooking, heat oil in a skillet and sauté the remaining onion with garlic and garam masala over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are golden, soft, and just beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the onion mixture to the cooked peas, stirring to combine. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes to blend flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serves 4 to 6.

Roasted Red Pepper Bisque

• Rainy, slightly chilly days just say "it's time for fall foods!" and I definitely listen to those voices when they tell me to make such things as pumpkin mousse with candied pecans (someday I will put that recipe up) and roasted red pepper soup.
• It was the perfect day for such fall treats because I was having a Reading Party. What is a Reading Party? Well, it's when someone like me needs accountability and motivation to read 400 pages about the Cold War, so I invite friends over to sit with me and read while I read. It's really fantastic.
• One of my friends brought over some red peppers that were begging to be used and also mentioned he likes cream scones, so after the soup was done, we put together some scones real quick. Mousse, soup, scones, yay.
• Honestly, the food was the best 3 hour break in a 12 hour day of reading that I could have asked for. It was delicious and I got to be in the kitchen with friends! Perfection =).
• 
  
• Roasted Red Pepper Bisque
  Adapted from Cooking Light
• 1 1/2 pounds red bell peppers (3 large), roasted and peeled
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• Dash of ground red pepper
• Pepper to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup cooked long-grain rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup cream or milk
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

• Chop bell peppers; set aside. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned. Stir in bell peppers, tomato paste, and next 5 ingredients (tomato paste through garlic); cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in rice, water, and broth, scraping skillet to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Place broth mixture in a food processor or blender (you may have to do this in batches); process until smooth. Return puree to pan, and stir in 1/2 cup. Cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Ladle bisque into bowls; top with cilantro.

Easy Red Beans (and Cornbread!)

Do you listen to any NPR or PRX or such? If you don't, I highly recommend you stop what you are doing and go do some exploring of some seriously good stuff. Earlier this week I was listening to Snap Judgement (one of my new favorites) and the host was telling a story that involved him eating red beans when he was a kid. I just couldn't get the thought of red beans out of my head after listening to the show, so I decided to make some. I think this is one of my new favorite dinners. It took just half an hour to come together and all of it was made from scratch (well, the beans were canned, but that's it).

Easy Red Beans

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/4 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

6-8oz kielbasa, sliced into bite size coins

1 (15oz) can of red beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Oregano to taste

Thyme to taste

Cornbread, for serving (recipe in post below)

Place first four ingredients into a skillet (make sure you put a little oil in the bottom of the skillet) over medium heat and cook until onions are soft (about 7 minutes). Add the rest of the ingredients and cook 3 more minutes. Serve with corn bread.

Portobello "Burgers"

I have been intrigued by the idea of a portobello burger for a while, so while I was home in Florida (and buying groceries with my mom's budget), I decided to go for it. It was a meatless, delicious meal and I definitely recommend it if you have errands to run in the evening or something, since, as long as you can get home for about 10 minutes to put the marinade together, you can go out and do something for 2 hours or so before you put in about 20 minutes to actually "cook" everything. Yay for fairly quick and easy meals.

Fyi, I am toying with the idea of reigning my grocery budget in to a mere $25 a week. I know, it's depressing, but that's kind of what happens when grad school barges in and takes all my money. So the recipes from here on out might be meatless more often and involve a lot of rice, beans, frozen veggies, and whatever happens to be on sale. That could be exciting or kind of a bummer, depending on your attitude and current situation. I'll let you know how it goes. Maybe the blog will become "Eating on $25 a Week." That may not sound like a small amount, but to me it is!

Simple Portobello "Burgers"

4 English muffins, toasted (I use whole wheat)

4 portobello mushroom caps

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 thick slices of smoked gouda cheese

1 small red onion

1 medium tomato, sliced

1 avocado, sliced

Lettuce for garnish

½ cup balsamic vinegar

for mushroom marinade:

⅓ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons cooking sherry

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

Two hours before serving, combine the marinade ingredients in a shallow dish and add mushrooms. Let them lay on their top side in the marinade, and spoon some marinade into the bottom-up side to let it soak. Marinate for two hours.

Come back to the kitchen about 20 minutes before serving and heat the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes, then turn off heat and set aside to thicken.

Slice red onion into rings and add ½ tablespoon olive oil into a large skillet on medium heat. Add onions and let soften and caramelize for 10-12 minutes. Set aside once finished, leaving the skillet on. Add the marinated mushrooms to the skillet top side up. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 4 more. Turn back over, add a slice of gouda on top, and turn off heat.

Top English muffin with a portobello cap, onion rings, tomato, avocado, and butter lettuce. I recommend a light sprinkle of salt and pepper on the tomato and avocado for flavor. Finish with a drizzle of syrupy balsamic and serve.

And just so you know, adding bacon to this is not a bad idea.

This is wonderful to serve with baked carrot fries or sweet potato fries.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

So good, so easy. And pretty dang good for you. Definitely try this for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert.

1/2 cup dark chocolate almond milk
1/2 cup of plain greek yogurt
3/4 cup of fresh cherries, pitted and stemmed

Place all ingredients in a blender for 30 seconds. Enjoy!

*Feel free to adjust the amounts of milk and yogurt, or even add ice, depending on what texture you prefer.

Broiled Tomato Sandwiches

Looking for a casual Saturday afternoon lunch? These open-faced sandwiches are bursting with flavor and show off ripe tomatoes perfectly. Make sure you have a napkin nearby, because the juicy tomatoes can get a bit drippy.

My roomie and I made these after going to the Farmers' Market Saturday morning. We wanted a way to use the tomatoes and basil we had just purchased and were happy we did.

Broiled Tomato Sandwiches

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons basil pesto
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
4 slices bread, lightly toasted

Preheat oven to broil.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Marinate the tomatoes in the mixture, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and pesto. Spread mixture on each slice of toasted bread. Place marinated tomatoes on 4 slices and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Place on a baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes, or until cheese turns golden brown. Serve immediately, open faced, 2 slices per person.

Suggestion: Goes excellently with a creamy soup. Great for appetizers when served in bite sized pieces open-faced. The marinade can be easily converted into a nice vinaigrette, instead of having to throw it away or boil it.

For a different taste, marinate the tomatoes in balsamic vinegar only (no oil). Try to use foccacia bread.

Gluten-Free Dinner for 20+ Made Easy

This weekend I was given the opportunity to make dinner for a wonderful group of people with whom I attend church (sorry if that's incorrect grammar). Because so many people are trying to be healthy or have dietary restrictions, I tried to think of something yummy, nutritious, gluten-free, and cheap, so of course Black Bean Soup came to mind.

Being that this soup is primarily compromised of my favorite combo, onions+green peppers, this is one of my favorite meals. I like to make it a few days ahead of time to give the flavors time to really come out and to allow it to thicken up. Actually, if you allow it to thicken up over 2 or 3 days, it will become very thick and remind you of your grandma's authentic Cuban black beans and rice (or maybe that's just me). Serve it over brown rice and top with plain yogurt (or sour cream) and shredded cheese. Magnificent.

A double batch of this soup, along with rice, cheese, and sour cream, ran me less than $1.50 per person, when feeding 20 people. Seriously though, it was probably cheaper per person because I probably have enough for leftovers to feed at least 6 people soup with the rice, cheese, and sour cream.

Honestly, if you are looking to cut down on fat, you can halve the bacon in this recipe and still have it turn out well (I did that when I served it for my family's Christmas Eve dinner in 2010). There is a ton of protein from the black beans, then lots of carrots, tomatoes, and green peppers boost your veggie intake. I put plain yogurt and cheese on top for deliciousness and calcium. The brown rice makes for a great, gluten-free complex carbohydrate. All in all, this is one yummy and good-for-you meal, so be sure to finish it off with a big chocolate chip cookie or something, k?

Black Bean Soup

adapted from Food Network

Note: to serve 20+, double the soup recipe and make sure you have a 9 quart stock pot.

5 slices bacon, finely chopped (cut fat: 3 will work too, or just bacon grease)

2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 to 2 large diced green peppers (I use two because I love green peppers)

5 diced carrots

4 garlic cloves, minced very finely (no one wants a huge bite of garlic)

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon chili powder

4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 bunch cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Plain yogurt or sour cream, for garnish

Grated cheddar, for garnish

Brown rice, to serve with

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions, green pepper, carrots and cook, stirring, until the onions start to turn translucent and carrots soften, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute.

Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

Seriously guys, don't skip the yogurt/sour cream and the cheese, they make the dish!

Oh, and if you happen to have a ham bone and some ham around, feel free to throw that in too.

The same goes for a bay leaf.

After a few days, everything mushes together and becomes less vibrant, but -in my opinion- more flavorful.

Adventures with Spaghetti... Squash

I have got to improve my picture taking skills

(or get a better camera than the one on my phone)

Despite that I promised a month of pasta, I have somehow only gotten around to making a fake: spaghetti squash. Seriously, it is so easy to let kids think it is pasta. I really will get around to satisfying my pasta craving eventually. Tomorrow is supposed to be mozzarella-stuffed meatball night with my mom, so there's my motivation right there. I haven't seen her since Christmas and she hasn't been up to Kentucky since my freshman year of college, so there will be lots of good food and good shopping for the next 2 days.

My mom has never had spaghetti squash, but neither had I before tonight. I am thinking about tossing the left-over squash (plain squash that did not go in the gratin) with some bow-tie pasta, feta cheese, fresh tomato slices, olives, asparagus, and balsamic vinegar. I'll let you know if that plan comes to fruition. At this rate, it will be a miracle if I get around to those mozzarella turkey meatballs.

Spaghetti Squash Gratin

Serves 4 as a main dish. I suggest serving with some fresh bread.

Adapted from NYTimes

1 spaghetti squash, about 3 pounds

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 large eggs

1/2 cup low-fat milk

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (1/4 cup basil leaves)

1 cup cheese, grated (whatever you have on hand, I used a combo of mozzarella and cheddar and Gruyère)

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino romano

1/4 cup bread crumbs

Meat/Red pasta sauce, optional (but highly recommended)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half ("hot dog" style). Place spaghetti squash, cut-side down, in a large baking dish or pan (I used a 9x13) and pour 1/4 inch of water into the pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from the heat, and allow the squash to cool until you can handle it. Remove the seeds and discard. Scoop out the flesh, and place in a bowl. Run a fork through the flesh to separate the spaghetti-like strands, then chop coarsely. Measure out 4 cups squash. (Use whatever remains for another dish, or freeze.)

2. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant. Add the squash. Cook, stirring often, for five minutes until the strands of squash are a little more tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the milk, salt (about 1/2 teaspoon), pepper and basil. Stir in the squash mixture and the cheese, and combine well. Scrape into the baking dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs, Parmesan/pecorino over the top.

4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until nicely browned and sizzling. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature. Top with a meaty red pasta sauce.

A Lovely Lunch

My lovely friend Lauren came over for lunch this afternoon. I made a version of my mom's quiche and Lauren brought over a fantastic salad, fresh feta and cucumbers, and some yummy olives. And of course, what better to go with our lunch than a delicious wine she had received for her birthday? It was a Sangue di Giuda, I suppose that is how you refer to wine. I don't know much about wine, so I am going to assume "Sangue di Giuda" is like "Chardonnay" or something, in which it is a general type. I will have to learn more about wine for my New Year's Resolution. However you refer to it, it was simply delicious. I have never liked a red wine before, not that I have had very many, of course.

Anyway, I have put the recipe for the quiche that I made today below.This is actually an adaptation of the Cheese Custard Pie from Joy of Cooking. My mother has been making it for years and talks about the story of "Marguerite, the vile-tempered cook" that goes along with the recipe every time she cooks it. Following tradition, I have included the story, since it seems wrong to make the quiche and not tell someone the story.

-----

"In Switzerland we had a vile-tempered cook named Marguerite. Her one idea, after being generally disagreeable, was to earn enough to own a small chalet on some high peak where she could cater to mountain climbers. While she was certainly not born with a silver spoon in her mouth -although it was large enough to accommodate several- she did arrive with a cooking spoon in her hands. If she has attained her ideal, many a climber will feel it worth while to scale a perilous peak to reach her kitchen. The following Cheese Custard Pie was always served in solitary state. Its flavor varied with Marguerite's moods and her supply of cheese. It was never twice the same, as she had no written recipe, but we have endeavored to make one like hers, for it would be a pity to relegate so good a dish to inaccessible roosts."

Of course, I should note that this is normally made with a pie crust. I did not want to mess with a pie crust today and wanted a bagel anyway, so I skipped the crust. If you want to add the crust, simply bake a pie crust in the pie tin, make and pour the quiche filling in (skip the wax paper in my directions), and bake as directed.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups milk or cream

1 cup grated cheese

(I used what I had on hand: roughly half mozzarella, half cheddar, and a tablespoon or so of Parmesan)

1/2 to 1 cup of diced ham

2 cups of fresh, washed spinach

2 tablespoons of finely chopped onion

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

3 eggs

Directions

Preheat over to 325.

Prepare a 9 inch pie tin (about 2 inches deep) by layering it with wax paper (this will keep the quiche from sticking, since no crust is being used).

Cook the onion in a pan over medium-low heat with a little olive oil until tender. Add fresh, wash spinach to the pan, along with a tablespoon or so of water. Cover and let cook for 4 minutes or so, until wilted. Remove from heat, set aside.

Scald milk. Reduce the heat and add grated cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.

Add ham and spinach and onion, salt, and paprika. Remove the mixture form the heat and beat in, one at a time, 3 eggs.

Fill the pie tin, being careful not to spill any of the filling underneath the wax paper, and bake it until the custard is firm, about 45 minutes.