Elisa's Eye on the World

NYT Polenta Lasagna with Broccoli Rabe

I decided to try out this NY Time's receipe for Polenta and Broccoli Rabe Lasagna.

 

Please note the tray underneath the baking pan, lined with too much parchment paper. "Very good idea." The leftover slices were nice and firm, but the first two after baking are always a bit floppy. But incredibly delicious. There are four steps up to baking:

1. Soak (and drain) noodles
2. Make tomato sauce (I simmered a bit longer than the author suggested)
3. Prep and cook (and rinse and drain) the broccoli rabe
4. Slowly cook the polenta (in the cooking water, instructions did not say this)
5. Mix in the ricotta and 1/2 the parm into the cooked polenta
6. Shred fresh mozzerella into bits (yay TJ log!)

ENJOY!

 

Mac and Cheese in the Oven!

As I type a nice big tray of Gwenyth Paltrow Mac and Cheese is baking! I'm enjoying a nice cold Ranger IPA because it's Friday night and gloomy. A pile of baby spinach will go nicely with the soon to be golden and bubbly casserole. This was the first time I've used marscapone...interesting!

We have big appetites, but the book says 4 servings from the 1 lb. of pasta and that seems too much.

More Dinner and Meals

My, the end of January is near and I"m glad to report on more home cooking.

• A double batch of Joy of Cooking (JOC) macaroni and cheese made two great dinners, served with spinach, sliced almond, cherry tomato salads. Four big pieces were wrapped in wax paper and stowed in a plastic freezer container.
• More JOC action with split pea soup to warm up some very wet and cold nights. A simplier variety than the Jane Brody receipe - having time to simmer is key. The leftovers were poured off into an 8 cup glass lidded container and the next night it was extra thick and hearty. Served with rustic potato rolls and a bit of cheddar.
• Half batch of Artisan pizza dough - or enough for 2 14" crusts. Splitting the measurements made my head hurt, but the dough was airy and light. I'm still waiting for a 6 quart container so I can make full recipes. But once the measuring is done it's just quick mix, set to rise then stow in fridge. No Need to Knead.
• Pizza 1 was a classic veggie: sauce, green pepper, yellow onion, fresh mushrooms with mozzerella.
• Avocado and cheese Sandwiches on Rustic Bolo Rolls. Bun toasted, cheese melted and blended avocado spread on an airy crusty roll, squished down before cutting into 1/2's or 1/4's. Quick and satisfying with a spinach salad with carrots, sliced almonds and cherry tomatoes.

Eating out is fabulous, but so expensive. Eating at home takes planning but the results are so satisfying to the tummy and purse. I hope you are able to enjoy these everyday meals in your own home.

Creative Planning Boosts Menus

It's been some time since I made a full fledged shop with the car for groceries at our natural food cooperative. Impending snow, actual snow and now lots of slush are not my kind of driving conditions.

So here we go, another week into January making the best of what's in the pantry and freezer; with supplements from the nearby conventional grocery (read icky produce).

• The last of the New Year's Risotto, served with TJ samosa,which we have now deemed too spicy
• Lentil soup with Franks in Blankets
• Homemade JoC "New England Clam Chowder" made with 3 cans of TJ Cherrystone clams from Maine, new potato and milk instead of cream
• Naan pizza with sweet onion, blue cheese, provolone and cherry tomatoes
• Store bought frozen Potato and Cheddar Ravioli, prepared then combined in a casserole wth sweet onion, chopped carrots and peas along with some grated cheddar and sprinkle of Panko breadcrumbs and baked with slivered almonds on top
• The last of the JoC Mac and Cheese served with a salad of baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, slivered almonds and carrots
• JoC Tuna casserole over baby spinach

Another Week O Dinners

Last week brought another round of home made and store supplemented meals.

• Leftover baked potato sliced and served in a deep casserole with chopped spinach, carrots, grated cheddar with a bit of strained tomato.
• Lentil soup with carrots, onions and long grain brown rice served with cheddar cheese. With three containers stowed in the freezer.
• The last pizza from the three balls of dough stowed in December. Thursday night pie featured blue cheese, mozzarella, a bit of spinach, chopped green pepper and walnuts over a red sauce. Splendid.
• Tuna casserole from the freezeer with the leftover cauliflower reheated together with slivered almonds.
• Tonight we have risotto cakes from the freezer which will be freshly rolled in bread crumb and Parmesan cheese before baking to reheat- perhaps with some TJ falafel.

 

First Week of Meals (updated w pix)

Best wishes to you dear readers!

This year has been off to a good start with lots of home cooking, mix matching and use of the freezer:

• NY Eve we made risotto, and the leftovers were formed into cakes. Some of the cakes were served a few days later - baked, after dusting in panko bread crumbs and grated Parmesan.

 The rest were formed into cakes, not dusted, then frozen.

• With a dough pulled from the freezer we had a 14" pizza pie with baby spinach, red sauce, mozzerella, chopped green peppers and herbs de Provence.

• Using brown rice noodles and following directions on the package I made Phad Thai with tofu.

The following night we had the leftovers with some baked Risotto cakes.

• Joy of Cooking vegetable chili came out good, but a bit too spicy due to some poor estimates - but some more tomato and sugar balanced things out so it was tasteful with brown rice and grated cheese.

The next night I formed "wraps" from the chili, leftover rice and cheese; these were served with yogurt for a very filling meal. One big and three small containers are now stowed in the freezer. Most have labels!

• Tonight, it's Joy of Cooking tuna casserole. Fresh mushrooms, rather than the canned soup; pasta spirals vs. egg noodles, but otherwise I have the ingredients of: onion, red & green peppers, mushrooms, tuna, breadcrumbs, butter and a nice big pan. Thinking about adding peas. More later, including phtotos.

Here's to Happy and Heathful Eating in 2012!

 

Jane Brody "Greek Shrimp"

I finally got around to making Jane Brody's "Greek Shrimp" from her Good Seafood book and boy it was good! The deal is:

• Simmer up a tomato sauce with onions, garlic and plum tomatoes
• Sprinkle peeled and deveined shrimp (I cheated and used prepared frozen US wild shrimp) with some lemon
• Layer sauce, then the shrimp in a single layer, add more sauce and sprinkle with feta cheese
• Bake until bubbly
• Serve with pasta, I used orzo, layered over some spinach

A delightful dish that would wow a dinner party or make a few good meal for two.

Homemade Mac and Cheese - Thin

Not too long ago I made this "Joy of Cooking" macaroni and cheese recipe, and it was fantastic! Just regular sharp cheddar, TJ pasta (shaped like little caps) and panko breadcrumbs (which are very fine). I used a larger pan, so the dish is thin, not thick and the results were outstanding.

Today, when I wanted something for lunch, I pulled a wax paper wrapped slice from a glass container in the freezer, and it heated up real fast. For those of us who live without a microwave this is a very good thing.

Trying to eat a balanced meal, I ate it with a salad similar to the one shown here. Very satsifying and much better than any frozen meal or store prepared dish.

 

Three Stage Eggplant Parmesan

I spotted these slender lovelies at our natural food market - that's about 2 lbs. I got home and scanned some cookbooks which reminded me: do not refrigerate - highly perishable.

1. Step I.  Rinse and pat dry, I sliced them in to 1/4 rounds for baking on a parchment paper lined, canola sprayed pan. Once cut they turn brown fast, I brushed the tops with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  The pan was full but not crowded and cooked nicely in the pre-heated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. No flipping, they are too tender. Once they looked brown, they were removed from the oven and cooled. Truth is the were stowed in the fridge till the next day.
2. I came up with this step, which is usually part of the first one but I was not ready to do so on Friday. The eggplant bits are best when covered in tasty breadcrumbs so there's a crunchy outside and creamy soft inside. Traditionally, this is done by deep frying. No thanks. I mixed up an egg with 2/3 cup of non-fat milk and poured it over the roasted eggplant while they were still in the glass container you see above. Meanwhile I mixed up 2 cups of breadcrumbs with some basil (garden fresh), thyme and oregano as suggested by Mollie Katzen. Once again lining a baking sheet with parchment, I dipped each bit and lined them up on the  tray for the second bake. The liquid was nicely absorbed and held the crumbs together. I baked all this for about 20 minutes.
3. Finally time to assemble. Following cues from Mollie and the Joy of Cooking I layered a nice totmato mushroom jarred sauce in a deep pan, followed by 1/2 the crispy eggplant and 1/4 lbs. of Provolone (instead of Mozzeraella, as suggested by a Mainer friend.) More sauce, more eggplant... ...more cheese, then topped with sliced romas dipped in the remaining crumb mixture and some grated Parmesan. Soon as the oven was pre-heated this went in and I started a short pot of water from some thin spaghetti.  

Here's the pan after  I cut the first slice: nice and firm, so the second one was easy too. The remaining four were wrapped in wax paper and stowed in the freezer. Oh. So. Good.

A Bunch of Green Dinners

Penne with Cottage Cheese, & Red Sauce with steamed Asparagus and Red Leaf Lettuce.

Re-heated roasted vegetables with chopped fresh Spinach.

Fried rice with Kale and Asparagus.

Lemony Orzo salad with Bay Shrimp, Feta, Parsley and Scallions, which are green but not as hearty as the other greens.

Asparagus with Macaroni & Cheese Topped with Caramalized Onions

Early Washington State asparagus, gently steamed; my homemade mac and cheese pulled from the freezer. When it was cooked 1/2-way I added the last of the caramalized onions from last weekend. The oddity on the side a small bit of burritto that does not match the meal, but it fit in the oven had to be eaten, so it made a nice starter. This all went wonderfully with crisp Chardonnay.  A nice Friday night at home dinner without the $13/plate tab charged at local places for simlilar fare.

:-D

Three From Jane Brody

There's a reason this book is never far from the stove.

Tonight I pulled some chili from the freezer, and instead of serving it with rice, I heated it up then baked a cornbread on top. The idea is from Jane Brody's "Meatless Tamale Pie."

On Saturday I followed Jane's crust recipe for her "Onion and Cheese Pizza", and the results were fabulous. After all, it's a white pizza, but carmalized onions and mustard are mighty tasty. I have to admit I substituted Dijon for "grainy" mustard and Jarlsberg, or swiss instead of Fontina. It still came out awfully good, and there's a second ball of dough resting in the fridge.

One of my all time favorites is her "Favorite Lentil Soup" which I merge with the recipe on the following page which includes rice. While reheating a smallish portion from the freezer, I cooked up some frozen "potstickers" or Asian dumplings, which I then added to the soup for a hearty dinner.

Vegetable and Tuna Casserole in the New Skillet

The distinctive base of the dish are slowly sauteed onions, mushrooms, yellow pepper and green peas. The milk is standing by on the stove, warmed by this and the pasta water pot.

The cooked egg noodles, tossed with pepper, parsely and olive oil.

Bringing to a simmer after whisking in flour and milk. The spaciousness of the pan made this easier than last time.

After the sauced vegetables were simmerd for a bit the pan was removed from the heat, and tuna & cheddar cheese mixed in.

Homemade breadcrumbs with fresh thyme and a wee bit more cheddar cheese topped the dish.

The finished product cooling on the counter. Some of the fresh thyme did not get chopped right, so I plucked those stemmy pieces away before serving.

Macaroni and Cheese Supreme

Wow the freshly ground pepper came out coarse, that's the speckles on top...but it all tasted so good. This lovely dinner is dedicated to S. a wonderful friend, blog follower and fellow yummy-foodie.

What we have here in this hurried photo is macaroni and cheese with leftover roasted cauliflower and baby spinach. It was all so good but we barely put a dent in the dish. This would stun a crowd with rich taste based on flavor not just fat.

The gist of the recipe was modified by using a combination of 8 oz. Fontina (Trader Joe's) 8 oz Emmental and 2 oz. smoked Gouda. The topping a fun combination of my own homemade bread crumbs from a Marcina Bakery Fresh Herb Baguette some fresh grated Parmesan cheese and crumbled BBQ potato chips.

For pasta I used Fusilli or cruly pasta instead of elbow or penne and found it a suitable replacement.

My First Tuna Casserole

Here's the tuna and vegetable casserole from The 75th Annivesary Edition of the Joy of Cooking. The book also has the "quick" version with canned soup, but this has sauteed leeks and onions, green and red pepper to enhance the egg noodle and white sauce and bread crumbs from scratch. Not school lunch. Perfect with a crisp white wine.

My Slow Simmering Mock Meat Sauce

There's red sauce simmering on the stove, as Hubs prepares another batch of soughdough cornmeal muffins. Happy New Year's Eve Dearest Readers!

This was going to be Jane Brody's Red Clam Sauce, but the canned clams just were not working for me, as the sauce for our New Year's Eve supper, so they are stowed in the fridge (maybe for a spread?) with the liquid reserved.

Elisa's Mock Meat Sauce 2010

* 2 cloves garlic

* tbsp olive oil

* 32 oz. can tomatoes, whirled in food processor

* 2 tbsp tomato paste

* 1 cup Textured Soy Protein (mock meat) such as Bob's Red Mill TSP

* ~1 cup fresh spring water, added slowly during simmering process

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in heavy saucepan, add 2 cloves minced garlic, don't let it brown!

Add tomatoes, water, TSP, and 1/2 cup of clam sauce if you have it otherwise use water.

Bring to boil and simmer simmer simmer. Adding a little wine to the final simmer is part of the plan...but first we have to make the pasta!

Season as you like: perhaps: basil, parsley, red pepper, rosemary and black pepper?

Eight hours left of 2010 and we're cooking up a great mea of this sauce with spaghetti; we hope you too are having a special dinner to ring out the old.

 
The sauce we did not use with dinner; this container was too full and a few cups were stowed in another container for storage.

A few days later it was combined with penne, cottage cheese and mozzerella to make this dish.

Jane Brody's Meatless Tamale Pie

Jane's "Meatless Tamale Pie" from Jane Brody's Good Food Book (the book that converted my eating habits) before baking. Basically a chili with corn bread on top, this is an exceptional meal to bake, eat and freeze.

Instead of using a round dish I used this rectangular baker so the slices were not so deep and hard to re-heat.

Baking Brightens Grey December Days

Blueberry cake in square instead of loaf pan, so berries pulled from the freezer don't over-goo the batter.

Mac-and-cheese

Mollie Katzen Oatmeal Cookies/chocolate chip variation; with Theo's Nibs, Guittard chips, plump raisins, organic oats.

Thanksgiving Lasagna: Plain and Fancy

Lasagna in the new stoneware baker that matches our dishes. Prepared the day before, and set out for an hour to come to room temperature.

Sprinkled with mozzerella, decorated with roma tomoatoes rolled in Parmesan, sprinkled with a blend of oregeno-basil-rosemaary-parsley, then a bit more Parmesan. A sheet of parchment, placed under the baker on a large jelly roll pans is set up to catch overflow.

Looks ready to me! Golden brown, bubbling in the center, steam coming off the pan. Time to set a few minutes otherwise it's too gooey to remove.

Interesting cross section after removing two slices for our lunch/dinner.

Pulling Dinners from the Freezer

Dear Readers. Sorry again for the gap in posts as my travel schedule has pulled me away from the kitchen. Now home, my energy is low and list huge of projects for cooking and fall planting.

But in the meanwhile, we must eat, and eat well. In the past few days I've brought some great homemade meals to the table straight from our freezer:

• Eggplant Parmesan. Served up last night with a salad of mixed greens, chopped carrots and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.
• Lentil Soup with Rice. Really a meal in itself- so full of goodness and warmth on a dreary November night
• Vegetable pie. Made earlier this week, it never made it to the freezer. Served up with the rest of the lentil soup this made a quick, hearty weekend lunch.
• Riostto Cakes. My energy is still low, and I pulled these out for tonight, to serve with a green salad and some store-bought "Crab bite" appetizers to make it even more fancy.

They key is storing food properly in tightly sealed containers. Waxed paper is great for forming a layer to separate items,  protecting food and making it easy to remove them from icy containers.

Eggplant Parmesan

Eight lovely eggplant from the farmer's market. These turned out to be just a wee bit over 2 pounds, right on target for the recipe.

These were washed, patted dry, then the ends trimmed off before slicing into 1/4" rounds before broiling. They fit nicely on the tray that came with the oven we have never used. It was covered in foil to make clean up easier. After a light brush with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper these gems were broiled about 15 minutes each side, then set aside to cool. Because this stage was done in advance, they were stowed in an air tight container overnight along with breadcrumbs made from a fresh baguette in the food processor.

The next day was the assembly. Pre-broiled eggplant rounds tossed with olive oil and 1-1/2 cups of breadcrumbs, a cup of Pecorini cheese (we were out of Parmesan) and 14 chopped fresh basil leaves. The point was to coat the eggplant, so kept stirring and trying not to dump it all on the counter. Sauce was a jarred mushroom variety; the cheese for topping was Provolone.

Don't mind the dried out bits on the side of the pan, they were easily pushed away with the spatula.

The dish tasted amazing on top of spaghetti.

Sorry my "recipe" is incomplete, it really is a dish in process, but I based it on ideas from Best 125 Meatless Italian Dishes and a New York Times posting which you will find to be more specific.

Cup and Half Casserole

Another simply delicious, economical meal here; I made it up and called it the Cup and Half Casserole because that's basically the recipe. If you have two cups of each, use a bigger pan and freeze the leftovers.

• leftover rice
• tomato sauce
• black beans, rinsed and drained
• corn, preferably freshly cut off the cob (see "Oven Baked Corn" posts)
• Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• red pepper, chopped strips

Layer ingredients in order listed in a deep casserole dish, about 8" x 10". Emile Henry is fabulous.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for at least 40 minutes, carefully bake some more until it is bubbling all the way to the center and golden brown.

Roasted Root Vegetable and Pinto Bean Casserole

No photo of this Friday night almost instant dinner baked in a deep glass casserole dish, layered as follows:

• small can of tomato sauce, such as Muir Glen
• cooked long grain brown rice
• canned pinto beans, rinsed and well drained
• caramelized onions
• strips of roasted red pepper and carrot
• roasted Yukon Gold potatoes
• grated Colby / Jack cheese

Note, there are both spuds and rice but not too much of either.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven. After 30 minutes I rotated the pan in the oven and baked for 15 minutes more. Just in time for a nice supper on the back porch / steps.

Whole Wheat Macaroni and Cheese

The sauce: onions, flour, non-fat milk thickened with whole San Marzano tomatoes from the can simmered until broken up and full bodied.

The cheese: Two cups of New Economy big chunk of Sharp Cheddar grated in the food processor with 1/2 stowed in the freezer.

The topping: breadcrumbs made from a baguette, grated Gouda (because we were out of Parmesan) and golden flax seed. 

The pan: perfect in size and a breeze to clean up with sudsy water and a light duty scrub sponge.

The salad: Romaine with carrots and sunflower seeds. Hubs used Tahini dressing. I mixed my mac into the pasta.

Tablecloth: circa 1950 hand embroidered by my Mom! I really like how it looks with the dining room wall and rug.

Restocking the Freezer

The continued cool, wet weather has inspired me to cook the past few days and the freezer is again restocked with lunch and dinner choices:

• Asparagus quiche
• Bulgar, two (black/pinto) bean and vegetable chili
• Whole wheat mac and sharp cheddar cheese with onions and tomatoes

Also, Hubs steered away from waffles this week and made a double batch of:

• Sour dough pancakes, stacked in a zip lock bag and round freezer container

Layers of Baked Dinner Goodness

Lately, one of my favorite uses of leftovers is to layer and bake them in a deep casserole. At the ready, here are: roasted orange beets, red peppers and Yukon Gold potatoes. Fresh chopped spinach and a blend of goat and feta cheese were the layers with torn flour tortilla shells. A layer of tomato sauce at the bottom of the dish keeps things moist and non-sticking.
Strange, but totally edible!

Packing the Freezer

An extended period of bitter cold weather has been the inspiration for heart-warming, freezer friendly meals:

• The leftover "stuff" from Twice Baked Russet potatoes stuffed with blue and feta cheese and chopped steamed broccoli
• Macaroni & cheese with simmered onions and tomatoes
• Sweet potato suprise
• Dutch split pea soup with smoked salmon, leeks and Yukon Golds
• Seitan sauce lasagna

Whenever time permits, it's incredibly satisfying to create a big batch of something to enjoy now and later.

Thanksgiving Lasagna with Seitan Sauce

This came out better than expected. The experiment was a sauce with Seitan, a wheat gluten that mimics meat - in this case producing a Bolognese type sauce. The product looks like boneless chicken breast. Before adding to a heated sauce pan it was chopped up.

My uncertainty about the outcome was because the recipe said to brown the Seitan, but I mixed up the steps - having already started the sauce so it was added to the simmering pot.

Sauce: large can Italian pear tomatoes (cored); onion, garlic simmered in olive oil. Seasonings: rosemary, basil, oregeno. The prepared seitan.

One jar of good quality marinra was added because it looked like more was needed.

Layers: a mixture of 16 oz. container each of ricotta and cottage cheese; 2 cups of shredded Mozzarella and some grated Parmesan. Boxed noodle, slightly undercooked in the 14" long Pyrex.

Nice squares of leftovers are now wrapped in waxed paper tucked in an airtight glass freezer container along with 1/2 cup of the sauce.

Happy Thanksgiving Readers

I am thankful today for many things; including the ability to share cooking, biking and gardening pictures and stories with readers all over the world. From Australia to Japan to Czech Republic all corners of the USA I appreciate your readership and thank you for your interest and time. -eos

Shown above: Sweet Potato Surprise 2009, without the apricot or nut topping. Those are added later since much is served as leftover. Soggy nuts=sad face.

Here's a great way to serve leftovers and store in freezer:

Bake in flour tortillas, with a nice covering of chopped fresh spinach. Roll and bake on parchment (to collect drips) @ 375 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. They should be golden, flip once if you can. When tapped, the center should be hollow sounding. Serve with plain yogurt or sour cream. Top with chopped apricots or nuts if you have the room. Very filling and oh-so-good-for-you.

Here's Mollie Katen's recipe.

Team Dinner

Starting on the the right: a double batch of Mark Bitman style Mac and Cheese. I was proud to lend a hand while my hosts prepared the rest. Roasted vegetables topped with cheese, Cesear salad and grilled BBQ chicken (not shown) along with M's Toll House cookies. We substituted vanilla extract for orange and they tasted great.

Black Bean and Roasted Vegetable Casserole

Tonight's dinner was pretty much based making the best use of what was in the fridge.
- can black beans
- small can tomato sauce
- few tablespoons of salsa (in lieu of other seasoning)
- chopped roasted red pepper
- roasted carrots, slice on diagonal
- a few cups of cooked, preferably brown rice
- grated Monte Jack cheese
- crumbled corn tortilla chips

Prep: rinse and drain beans before simmering with a small can of tomato sauce. I added a little bit of salsa and some water. Added to the bubbly mixture were sliced roasted red peppers. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Assembly: sliced roasted carrots topped with cooked brown rice. The simmered bean mixture was spread on top and patted down with a wooden spoon. This was topped with crumbled corn chips and shredded Colby / Monte Jack cheese.

Baking: Preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or bubbbly. After 20 minutes I covered it with foil because it was getting brown.

Spring Lasagna

This cheese lasagna has one layer of roasted grated carrot and chopped steamed cauliflower and broccoli. The cheese mix is: mozzarella, ricotta, cottage with Parmesan on top. The sauce was a mix of one jar of Muir Glen and a large can of whole Italian tomatoes, simmered for about an hour with a cup of table wine stirred in at the end.

Elisa's Lobstah Casserole

This tasted better than it looks here. Lobstah (or Lobster for those "from away") was prepared as noted in the last post, then chopped into small pieces before mixing together with homemade bread crumbs. This was placed in the bottom of baking dish. I'd made a white sauce with flour and cornstarch, adding some frozen corn niblets. This was layered on top of the breadcrumb mixture. My personal touch was adding a layer of baby spinach and grated Parmesan cheese. All baked with foil on top - I have to try this again!

Shrimp with Squash, Corn, Onion and Refried Beans. And More.

I made this up, so yes there are more ingredients: baby spinach torn flour tortilla shells, grated Colby Jack Cheese along with Oregon shrimpmeat, squash and corn (from the freezer) that were sauteed along with the onion. Torn shells lined the bottom of the dish, followed by a layer of refried beans. Then the layer of vegetables (quite lovely in color), topped with cheese, then shells, then cheese (but not too much). ' After baking 30 minutes it was ready, and we had the leftovers for Christmas breakfast.

My Own Mac and Cheese

It's not super cheesy. There's no exotic cheese such as Fontina. Not this batch. Just Extra Sharp Cheddar with some Parmesan in the topping (which also had Flax Seed meal and homemade breadcrumbs.) There is some chopped tomato and satuteed onion for a bit more texture than the kid's fare, and of course a fresh green vegetable.

Pinto Beans with Corn piled between Brown Rice and Flour Shells

My latest work night dinner: sauteed onions with a bit of cumin, pinto beans, corn (cut from the cob in Sept. and stashed in the freezer), torn flour tortilla shells, grated cheddar cheese, leftover cooked rice and spinach. Piled by ingredients in a deep glass baking dish and baked at 350 for 30 minutes or so. Really tasty and great for lunch the next day.

Cranberry, Pear and Apple Crumble

The one dirty bowl wonder dessert from Jane Brody's classic "Good Food Book."

Thanksgiving Lasagna and Spinach Salad

The 2008 Thanksgiving Lasagna featuring roasted carrots and parsnips. The cheese combination was cottage and ricotta; not too much mozzarella and with a bit of goat cheese with basil and onion.

The salad is baby spinach with red pepper, hazelnuts and smoked salmon.

Sweet Potato Suprise

It would not be Thanksgiving (weekend) without Mollie Katzen's "Sweet Potato Surprise" - and  I thank one of my readers for pointing out the link to the full recipe was not previously posted.

This has become a tradition in my kitchen - lots of seasonal produce, like the yams and sweet potato shown here, right before they were mixed into the fruit mixture on the right.

That's the surprise: pears, bananas, ginger, cinnamon and allspice; which are then pureed with apple and lemon juice. Some chopped apricots are stirred in and nuts are spread on top before baking. An ordeal to prepare but it makes a nice sized casserole that freezes well in small portions.

Eggplant Parmesan over Spinach Fettucini

The last serving of Eggplant Parmesan over a bed of Spinach Fettucini - with some field greens and chewy bread. A real treat on a wet Friday night.

Indian Summer Casserole

The idea for this Indian Summer Casserole comes from cooking guru Mollie Katzen. I added roasted Yukon Gold potato slices to the bottom layer.

Mac and Cheese without the Goo

Over the past two years I have been working on my macaroni and cheese recipe. That is one without the excessive goo of too much cheese.

Using a total of 2 cups of a variety of cheeses, and non-fat milk this comes out great. I add a few cups of diced tomato and a few tablespoons of sweet Chili sauce, of the Thai variety. Yes I did.

The topping was homemade breadcrumbs from a local Ciabatta loaf and wheat germ, combined with Parmesan and dabbed with a little (not a wad) of unsalted butter.

Layered Potatoes, Flour Tortilla Shells and More

Saturday dinner.  Using a deep round glass casserole dish I layered wedges of flour tortilla shells, roasted red pepper, grated cheese and roasted Yukon Gold potatoes.

Flour shells take on an awesome texture when baked, chewy; and a little crispy if you let them brown.

The first California avocado was a perfect side dish - mashed up with a little cumin. The other side, store bought salsa.

A peek of the garden is visible through the screen door.

Lasagna Ingredients and the Shiny New Pan

Classic Lasagna in a New and Larger Pyrex Pan

Dear readers. I am behind in my posts, and will attempt to catch up today, starting happenings in the end of March.

This lasagna, baked in a new Pyrex pan came out wonderfully, and was the basis for a few meals while company was here a few weeks ago. Many thanks to D who read the layering order to me from The New Moosewood Cookbook.

There was room for 4 noodles across instead of three. One noodle was cut in thirds to fill in the ends. The last 2 slices went to the freezer, and were enjoyed last night.

Dinners from the Freezer

Cooking from scratch and stashing extras in the freezer is a best kitchen practice for anyone. After a long work or play day nothing can be more satisfying.

Also, when the time comes for the Chef's allergies to kick in and energy is low dinner is easily prepared on the stove top with minimal muss and fuss.

To the rescue this week: Dutch Split Pea Soup; Lentil and Rice Soup and Bulgur Chili.

Thanksgiving Lasanga 2007

Great to prepare in advance and heat up after a nice afternoon hike.

Macaroni and Cheese with Tomato

This combination came out really good. The recipe calls for a can of tomatoes but this was the first time I tried it - it worked well with a bit of cumin.

The dish was cheesy without being overwhelming. Featuring Gruyere, Extra Sharp Cheddar and Parmesan with Flax Seed instead of bread crumbs. 

My Second Eggplant Parmesan

Combining knowledge and recipes from a variety of sources, I created this Eggplant Parmesan. The eggplant from TD Wiley Farms was coated in milk then rolled in homemade breadcrumbs (from Rosemary Diamante and flax seed). The sauce jarred, organic basil and cheese provolone and Mozzarella.

What I did not do: fry the eggplant or use any egg.

Lesson learned: don't vacuum the kitchen before making breadcrumbs. :D

Pasta Baked with Cottage Cheese and Feta

This is a great mid-week dinner. Add a container of cottage cheese and jar of pasta sauce to 1/2 lb. cooked pasta and mix together. Transfer to a baking dish and top with some feta and flax seed and bake. Serve with steamed broccoli and thin crisp crackers.