Move over butternut!

Move over butternut, there’s a new squash in town! I love winter squash, in every shape and every form and my latest discovery is delicata squash – its delicious and sweet and small, which makes it easy to cut, clean and you can even eat the skin!

This dish integrates squash with one of my favorite cozy hearty combos – white beans and greens. I cooked the white beans in my pressure cooker but canned would work great. Feel free to change up the type of squash, too (any winter squash would work), and the greens (chard, spinach, collards). This dish is gluten free and vegetarian, and could be vegan by simply leaving out the parmesan cheese.

Delicata Squash Stuffed with White Beans and Kale
Serves 4-6 as main dish, depending on the size of the squash.
Takes about 50 minutes from start to finish

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup onions, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch or 4 cups kale, chopped
2 cups white beans, canned or previously cooked
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 tsp sage, dried

1/2 tsp thyme, dried
S&P

Preheat oven to 375. Carefully cut delicata in half lengthwise, season with S&P and place in deep baking dish. Pour 1/4 cup of water in dish and cover with tin foil. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes while preparing filling. In large saucepan saute chopped onion and minced garlic in olive oil until soft. Add chopped kale and 1/4 cup of broth. Cover and cook until kale is tender, about 10 minutes. Add beans and remaining 1/4 cup broth to kale mixture. Cook over low heat to warm the beans and stir to desired consistency (I like the beans to be broken up a bit). Add sage and thyme and season with S&P. Add 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese (optional) and stir to combine. Remove squash halves from oven, pile the kale and bean mixture in and top with a pinch of parmesan cheese. Return to oven (don't cover it this time) and cook stuffed squash for 10 more minutes, or until parmesan cheese is golden.

Zucchini: Part 1

Now that our summer garden is underway (and I'm not so crazy busy at work), I'll be posting more. I promise.

our monster zucchini plant

Zucchini is known as that vegetable that people can't give away in the middle of the summer, but I really love zucchini and I'm looking forward to finding the best ways to use lots of the green stuff. We grilled the first 4 or 5 zucchinis of the season. Grilled zucchini is wonderful, but not very exciting and it gets old fast. So last night I made stuffed zuchini. This recipe is simple, healthy and very adaptable (nearly all ingredients can be swapped out) and I've made something like this many times as a stuffing for peppers, summer squash and winer squash, too.

Suffed Zucchini
Serves 4 as main dish

2 to 2 1/2 cups cooked rice or other grain (I like brown rice because it has a cramy texture, but I had some interesting Bhutanese red rice so that's what I used this time)
3 large zucchinis
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1/2 cup other chopped vegetables (mushrooms, celery, peas would work)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 hot vegetable stock
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (leave this out to make it vegan)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
s & p to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare zucchinis: Slice lengthwise and use a large spoon to scoop out center of each half. Leave walls of zucchini at least 1/3 inch thick on all sides. Chop innards of zucchini and set aside.

Heat oil over medium heat in large pot. Saute garlic and onion until soft and add other vegetables and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While vegetables are cooking, steam zucchini halves in a large pot or in microwave until tender but still firm. Place steamed halves into large baking dish.

Add cooked rice and stock to vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add parmesan cheese and s & p to taste. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

Fill zucchini halves with rice stuffing mixture and sprinkle a little more parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.

Asparagus and Peas: Take Two

Since I had a few leftover asparagus spears and a handful of peas from the garden, I tossed them with some homemade gnocchi Matt and I made a few weeks ago, along with some green garlic pesto I made (recipe below).

The pesto was very yummy, but VERY garlicky - I might try blanching the garlic greens next time). This recipe is approximately what I did.

Green Garlic Pesto
4-6 stalks of green garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbs. warm water
1/4 cup graetd shredded parmesan cheese

s & p

Finely chop green garlic (green parts only), rinand rinse and pat dry. In a blender or food processor, pulse pine nuts to chop. Add green garlic and process, until bright green and smooth. With blending, drizzle in olive oil and warm water until desired consistency is reached. Pulse in reserved pine nuts and cheese. Taste and season with salt amd pepper.

Quiche

I can't really remember if I ever made quiche before last week, but now that I know how easy it is - I'm sure I'll be making it again very soon. Also, you can serve it at any temperature and for any meal.

Basically, quiche is made up of crust, cheese, filling, and custard. The great thing about making quiche is that you can use whatever kind of cheese, whatever kind of filling you have (a great way to use leftover cooked vegetables) and you can use a store bought crust or homemade (I'll share my new favorite whole wheat-flecked crust recipe soon).

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. (For a crisper crust you can pre-bake the crust for 10-15 minutes while you are preparing the filling)

2. Sprinkle some shredded cheese in the bottom of the crust (I used about one handful)

3. Add filling (I sauteed leeks and mushrooms from the farmers market, then added some fresh baby spinach)

4. Beat together 3 - 4 eggs and 1 - 1 1/4 cups milk and pour over filling (depending on what size your pan is, you may need more or less liquid).

5. Bake 35-40 minutes or until just set.

My leek, mushroom and spinach combo was great, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. Here are some ideas:

swiss cheese + onions + bacon, cooked and crumbled (this is the classic Quiche Lorraine)

feta cheese + sauteed spinach & garlic

pepper jack + leftover fajita veggies

cheddar + asparagus

mozzarella + sliced tomatoes + sausage, cooked and crumbled

jack cheese + sauteed mushrooms

Vegetable Potstickers

This was probably the fourth or fifth time MO and I have made homemade potstickers, but evertime we do I am amazed by how delicious they are. We use pre-packed wonton wrappers, so they're simple to make, too. I highly reccomend trying this recipe and adapting it according to your taste and what you have in your fridge...

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. oil
1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs. fresh ginger, minced (I've also used chopped sushi ginger in a pinch!)

1/2 head cabbage, shredded (Chinese is nice, but any kind will work. You can also use 2 cups any hearty green, shredded)

2 large carrots, grated

1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped

2 Tbs. soy sauce

2 Tbs. rice vinegar

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 Tbs. Sriracha chili-garlic paste

4-5 scallions, chopped (white and green parts - set aside a few slices for the dipping sauce)

1/2 lb. firm tofu, diced (1/4 inch cubes work well)

1 package dumpling wrappers (like these)

Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, ginger, cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms. Saute, stirring occassionally, for 10 minutes or until wegetables are wilted and tender, but not mushy. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, Sriracha chili-garlic paste, and scallions. Stir well and heat through. Add diced tofu and stir just until combined (be carfeul not to break up tofu).

Remove pan from heat and let mixture cool in colander over sink or bowl to drain excess liquid. While vegetable mixture is cooling grease a large baking sheet and cover with a damp towel for your assembly area.

Take a wrapper from package and place a spoonful (I just use a silverware spoon) of filling in the center. Gently wet the edge of the wrapper with water (fingers work best for this). Fold wrapper over filling and press with to remove air. To seal potstickers, I use a fork and press gently around the edges (I haven't mastered the fancy crimping method yet, but I plan to try it next time). Place potstickers under damp cloth so that they don't dry out. It takes some time to fill and wrap all of the dumplings, so try to get some help (MO is really good at this).

After you've wrapped all of your dumplings, cover the bottom of a flat frying pan with a little oil. Heat over high heat and add dumplings, flat side down. When they have browned on one side, flip them and add 1/4 cup water to the pan. Turn down the heat and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until water has evaporated and browned sides are crispy again. Serve hot or at room temparature as an appetizer or alongside miso soup and fried green beans for a delicious light meal. Mix a little soy sauce, rice vinegar and scallions for a dipping sauce and you're ready to go!

Summer Rolls in Winter Time

As a part of this "trying to eat healthier" thing that I've been trying out for a few weeks, I decided to finally try to make my most favorite healthy asian dish...the Summer Roll. It has always seemed a little daunting (which is why I bought the rice paper wraps 2 years ago and still hadn't touched them), but it actually wasn't as hard as you'd think. I admit the first roll looked and looked quite hideous, but after a few tries, they were looking pretty darn good if I dont say so myself. There are lots of versions of these little gems - Vietnamese, Thai, etc., but here's the s.d.m. version:

The quantities in this recipe are approximate. Do a little experimentation, but this should make 6-8 rolls (enough for 3-4 people as a main course or 6-8 as an appetizer)

6-8 rice paper wrappers
2 oz dried rice vermicelli
8 small lettuce leaves
1 medium to large carrot, sliced into thin matchsticks
1 small cucumber, sliced into thin matchsticks
1/2 red pepper, sliced into thin matchsticks
1/2 Haas avocado, sliced into thin pieces
4-6 oz. baked thai style tofu (shrimp would be good, too)
6-8 sprigs cilantro
8-10 mint leaves
Dipping sauces (recipes below)

• Cook rice noodles according to instructions. Set aside to cool.
• Slice and prepare all ingredients and lay out on a large clean surface.
• Fill a large shallow dish or pan with warm water. Dip each rice paper round in water for 15-20 seconds. ** Wrapper will not feel completely pliable. Let it rest for 30 seconds before filling it and it will become soft**
• Place rice paper wrapper on clean surface, such as cutting board or a clean lint-free kitchen cloth.
• The amount of ingredients in each roll will depend on how mnay items you have and how much of each you'd like. Start with a lettuce leaf and experiment a little with combinations, but a general rule of thumb is approximately 1/4 cup cooked noodles,5-10 strips each of carrots, cucumber and red bell pepper, 2 slices avocado, 2 slices tofu (or shrimp), 2 mint leaves and 1 sprig cilantro.
• The rolling part takes a little practice, but this is what I found to work best: place ingredients in center of wrapper, laying horizontally. Bring bottom of wrapper up to cover filling, fold sides in, then tightly roll to top. Again, it takes practice and I ended up peeling the wrapper off of my first 2 because they were so ugly!
• Slice each roll into 2 or 4 pieces and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce. Yum!

Saucy Sauces

I love sauces and condiments. And these days it's easy to find yummy Asian-style prepared dipping sauces, but if you want to try your hand at making your own (and have a few asian ingredients on hand), here are a couple of good recipes:

Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup natural-style creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 small garlic clove, mashed to a paste
1 teaspoon Sriracha chile-garlic paste (what i like to call "rooster sauce")
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
1/4 cup warm water

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Stir until well combined, adding more water to thin the sauce if necessary.


Easy Chili Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)
In Vietnamese cuisine, no meal is considered complete without this sauce which is used as freely as salt and pepper. If you are vegetarian or if, like me, vietnamese fish sauce just isn't your favorite, you can substitute soy sauce for the fish sauce.

1 small fresh chile pepper or 1 teaspoon Sriracha paste (here's the rooster again)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
3 teaspoons sugar
1 fresh lime
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nuoc mam - available at Asian markets and many supermarkets) OR soy sauce
3 tablespoons water

Mix all ingredients well.

Roasted Corn Salsa

This quick and easy salsa is impressive and makes a great addition to a party snack table or a mexican or latin dinner. The family who I worked for as a nanny made this often and it always makes me think of them.


2 cups corn kernels (defrosted and drained if frozen)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450.
Mix corn and minced garlic with olive oil. Spread on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until corn kernels are a dark golden brown. Watch so that garlic does not burn.

Let corn cool before stirring it with remaining ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips or as a side dish.

Soup #2: Chicken-Free Chicken Noodle

MO kept talking about this wonderful chicken soup with homemade noodles that our friend Suzanne made years ago. I figures we could try a chicken-free chicken noodle soup, so I called Suzanne for the recipe: 2 cups flour, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 Tablespoons of water. It sounded easy.

So, I made a basic vegetable soup, using my homemade veggie broth. First I sauteed some finely chopped onions and garlic with thyme and sage (your typical chicken soup herbs), then I added the broth and carrots, celery, cauliflower and peas (any of your favorite soup veggies would do).

Ok, back to the noodles...
We mixed together the ingredients (MO's hands got very sticky) and rolled it out as thin as we could get it. We sliced it into strips about 1/3 inch wide and dropped the noodles into boiling water for about 10 minutes. (You can also boil the noodles directly in the soup, but I was afraid of over cooking my veggies). When the veggies were still a bit firm, we added the hot cooked noodles and let the whole thing simmer for about 5 minutes before serving. It was awesome. Who needs chicken anyway? The best part of this soup was the noodles - just a bit chewy and very slurpy and messy. Yum!

Soup #1: Tortellini

There's nothing better than hot hearty soup on cold winter nights. And, although it doesn't get as cold here in California as it does back East, damp rainy nights are perfect for soup, too. This soup is so yummy and quick (it takes under an hour from start to table) and can use up any veggies you have in your fridge (the recipe below uses my favorite soup veggies, but feel free to be creative). Also, tastes even yummier the next day.

Tortellini Soup
Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a starter.
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried or fresh oregano
1 tsp. dried or fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp. thyme
6 cups vegetable stock
2 cups chopped canned or fresh tomatoes
½ cup cauliflower, broken into small pieces*
½ cup chopped tomatoes*
½ frozen or fresh green peas*
1 cup chopped leafy greens (swiss chard, spinach or kale are good options)
1 cup dried tortellini
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese for topping.
* Other veggies that are yummy in this soup: zucchini, cubed potatoes, canned beans, green beans, etc.

Heat oil in large pot. Stir in onions and celery and cook until tender. Stir in carrots, bay leaf, herbs, and toss to coat. Pour in vegetable stock and tomatoes bring to a simmer. Add chopped vegetables and simmer until veggies start to get tender (5-10 minutes depending on the type of veggies you use). Stir in tortellini and cook until pasta is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with grated parmesan cheese and crusty bread (from Fat Boy Bakery, if possible).

Green Tomatoes

It's that time of the year when MO pulls out the plants in the garden. It always makes me a little sad - the last sign that summer is really truly over - but that's ok I guess because it is December, after all. Ah, the glories of living in California...

So, this year we happen to have tons and tons of green tomatoes and MO gave me the task of taking care of them, so...

First, I fried them. I've had fried green tomatoes at restaurants a few times, sometimes deep fried, sometimes with a thick cornmeal-type crust, but I think the way Dad made them when I was a kid is still the best.

Fried Green Tomatoes
- Green tomatoes
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup flour
- salt & pepper to taste
Slice tomatoes about 1/4" to 1/2" thick. Pour a small amount of milk into a shallow bowl. In another bowl, put a 1/2 cup of flour, seasoned with salt and pepper. Dip each tomato slice into milk first, then dredge in flour. Shake excess flour off of tomato slices. Cover the bottom of a large frying pan with a thin layer of vegetable oil and heat on medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and fry until browned on each side. Serve asrm as a side dish with breakfast, luch or dinner...or just as a snack. Yum.

And then, I pickled them. I love pickles (more about pickles to come), and these are some of the yummiest I can remember.