Vegetarian

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Whimsical Delicata Squash

I thought of this as I was driving home from an intense day at work, and looked forward to throwing together the layers of this recipe. I added ingredients by sight, taste, and feel—which is the most satisfying way to cook—and provided a nice antidote to the measured pace of my work day.

Ingredients

  • 2 delicata squash
  • 1/4 of a large onion, chopped
  • 1 c. vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1-1/2 c. red lentils
  • 1/4 tsp. ginger
  • 1/2 tsp. coriander
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
  • olive oil
  • 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
  • 4 c. chopped fresh greens: Swiss chard or spinach
  • 1 c. grated mozarella
  • 1/2 c. pine nuts, toasted
  • salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Remove the seeds from the squash, coat very lightly with oil (or spray oil) and place cut side down on parchment. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven.

While the squash is baking, in a medium saucepan, saute the onion in a little olive oil, then stir in the lentils to coat with oil. Gradually stir in chicken stock until the broth is about 1/2 inch above the lentils. Stir in the ginger, coriander, and turmeric, and lemon zest. Cook until the lentils are tender, about 25 minutes, adding more stock as needed. Salt and pepper to taste.

Saute the greens and garlic in a little olive oil, just until barely wilted, then remove from heat.

Construct the squash: Place the squash into a fresh baking pan. Fill with lentil mixture until level with the cut edge. Sprinkle on mozarella cheese and place under the broiler just until melted. Remove from oven and, using tongs, place on some greens. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.

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Frisée Pesto

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Pesto made from frisée endive lettuce.

If you’re getting tired of salads and are looking for something different to make with the bounty of greens now appearing at farmers’ markets, try this fresh pesto. A few mints leaves, loads of garlic, and a splash of lemon juice help balance the sharpness of the frisée.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups, packed frisée
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan
  • 1/3 c. toasted pine nuts
  • 4-5 mint leaves
  • 1/4 c. good olive oil
  • 1/4 c. lemon juice
  • salt to taste

Process everything in a food processor until smooth. Serve with thinly sliced vegetables, or use as a dressing for cold pasta salad.

 

 

 

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Cheddar and Rosemary Soda Bread

cheese and rosemary soda bread photo2

This is delicious with soup for supper, or to accompany your eggs for breakfast. Serve it hot out of the oven.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 c. flour. We use all “white whole wheat,” or half white flour, half whole wheat flour. [for gluten-free, substitute in your favorite all-purpose, gluten-free flour]
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2-1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 3 Tbs. butter
  • 3 Tbs. grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 Tbs. fresh rosemary: chop 1 Tbs.; reserve 1 tbs. for topping
  • 3/4 c. sour milk or buttermilk  (To make sour milk: put a scant tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup, then add milk to get to the 3/4 cup mark.) [for gluten-free, decrease milk to 2/3 c.]

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

  1. Mix together flour, salt, and baking powder.
  2. Cut in butter.
  3. Mix in the cheese and 1 Tbs. chopped rosemary.
  4. Stir in milk.
  5. Mix until just incorporated–don’t over mix.
  6. Shape dough into a ball, using a little flour to prevent sticking.
  7. Place onto a prepared baking sheet (greased, or lined with parchment), then flatten until about 2″ thick.
  8. Dust top lightly with flour, then slit a deep cross into the dough, cutting almost (but not quite) through the depth. Decorate top with remaining rosemary.
  9. Bake for 20–25 mins.

cheese and rosemary soda bread photo1

 

Make it Gluten Free! Substitute in your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour blend, and decrease the amount of milk to 2/3 cup. Here’s the result (below).

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For other tasty bakes: You Can’t Have Dry Coffee: Papa’s Excuse to Have a Nosh And Nana’s Perfect Pastries

Dry Coffee promo

 

 

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Hummus

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The variety of hummus in the stores these days has exploded—along with the price of this simple spread. Dry legumes are extremely affordable, and when you see how easy this is to make, and how delicious when eaten fresh, you might reconsider paying for store-bought.

To cook the beans, combine the following, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 3 hours, or until the beans are quite soft. Save the liquid.

  • 1 pound dried garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas)
  • 8 c. water
  • 1 tbs. salt

Combine the following in a food processor. Process until smooth.

  • cooked garbanzo beans
  • 3/4 c. of the reserved cooking liquid—or just enough to achieve desired consistency*
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 c. tahini (sesame seed paste)
  • 2 Tbs. lemon juice
  • 2  tsp. salt (to taste)
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil

When very smooth, pulse in

  • 3 Tbs. chopped parsley

*Room-temperature tahini will be thin, but will thicken when refrigerated. Keep this in mind when adding liquid

 

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A new twist to an old slaw

This wasn’t fancy, but in addition to adding a little sparkle to last night’s dinner, we all had a delicious serving of raw broccoli. Raw broccoli—not my favorite way to enjoy a vegetable, but this is lovely! It’s light, fresh, and lemony, with the seeds adding a wonderful nutty depth.

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Lemony Broccoli Slaw with Sunflower Seeds

  • 1 12-oz bag broccoli slaw
  • 1/3 c. mayonnaise
  • juice of one juicy lemon
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar (or less, to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • dash of garlic powder
  • a grind of fresh pepper
  • 1/4 c. raw sunflower seeds

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and lemon juice, stir in the sugar until dissolved. In a larger bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Serve with an extra sprinkle of sunflower seeds.