foodie: zucchini & tomato bake

it's tomato and zucchini season!  and i'm loving it.  the other night, i made a super simple zucchini and tomato bake for our dinner.  it was fresh, tasty and very satisfying -- plus it was a great way to use some of the many, many tomatoes and squash that have been coming our way from the csa.

here's what you'll need...

1 large zucchini (or 2+ medium)
2 medium tomatoes
1 small green bell pepper
salt & pepper
olive oil

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. slice all the veggies into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. layer the veggies into a 9x13 inch baking dish that has been coated with olive oil.  between each layer, season the veggies with salt and pepper.

2. drizzle the top with a bit more olive oil, and then back for 50 min (or so) until veggies are tender and some edges are crisped.

and that's it!!!  simple & delicious (& super healthy).

foodie: tofu-egg quiche

last night, i came home from the csa with a slew of gorgeous tomatoes.  so, obviously i wanted to include them in our dinner.  i decided to try making a tofu and egg crustless quiche, despite never having made one before.  luckily, it turned out well (hence why i'm sharing it with you all :-)  it was hearty, yet fluffy and had great flavor -- a winner all around!

here's what you'll need...

1/2 block firm tofu
4 eggs
1/2 medium onion
2 shallots
1 large heirloom tomato, sliced
1/4 cup fresh herbs (i used basil and parsley)
3-4 garlic cloves
1/3-1/2 cup cheese (i used bleu and mozzarella)
olive oil
salt & pepper

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. chop onions and shallots and saute in a bit of olive oil until translucent and lightely caramelized.  season with salt and pepper.

2. while the veggies saute, put the tofu, eggs, herbs and garlic in a blender.  blend until a smooth liquid is formed.  season with salt and pepper and pulse once more.

3. oil your pie plate well with olive oil and then pour in egg/tofu mixture.  top with onions and shallots, tomato slices and sprinkle with cheese.

4. bake for approximately 40 minutes until the quiche puffs up a bit and the edges are lightly brown.  check the center with a knife to ensure it's cooked through before removing it from the oven.

those gigantic green things are slices of (fully-ripe) heirloom tomato

enjoy with a large side salad and even more delicious, heirloom tomatoes!!!  serves 4 for dinner or 6 for brunch.

bon appetit

foodie: how to use leftovers for stuffed peppers

stuffed peppers are hearty, filling and delicious...and they are a fabulous way to use up leftover veggies, rice and cheese.  i'm all about simple, all-in-one meals, and stuffed peppers fit that to a "t".  (plus, they're gluten-free in honor of my month-long wellness experiment :-)

here's what you'll need for 4 stuffed pepper halves...

2 red peppers, washed, halved and seeded
leftovers!!! (i used vegetarian baked beans & sauteed onions, but you could also use rice or quinoa and any cooked veggies you have on hand - get creative with it!)
1/4 cup marinara sauce
2 tbsp bbq sauce
1/4 cup bleu cheese
salt & pepper

preheat oven to 425

1. place peppers in a cast iron skillet or pie plate, make sure they're secure and don't wobble.

2. mix "leftovers" together and season with salt and pepper if need be, and fill all pepper halves equally.

3. mix together marinara and bbq (you could also use salsa), and top peppers with it.

4. sprinkle with cheese.

5. pour 1/2 cup of water in the base of the skillet before baking so "steam" the peppers.

6. every 15 min, spoon some of the water in the base of the skillet over the peppers so they don't dry out.  cook for 45 min or until the peppers are super tender the cheese is bubbly and filling is lightly browned.

this one-dish dinner is super easy to make, and a great way to make use of all those leftover cooked veggies and odds-n-ends you have in the fridge.

enjoy!

craig cooks crab cakes

i am the cook at our house, and i enjoy it.  cooking is one of my all-time favorite things, but believe me, i enjoy a night off too.  so, my lovely fiance is not only going to relieve me in the kitchen (once in a while) but has also agreed to let me blog about it!  (he wants ultimate recognition for his contribution : )

so, what did craig cook for us?  crab cakes!  and they were so delicious.  i honestly think he has been deliberately making me believe he can't cook in order to escape cooking duties : )  i mean, just look at the amazingness he cooked up!  it does not look like the work of a cooking novice by any means...

crab cakes

1 lb fresh lump crab meat

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp mustard

lemon

1/4 cup fresh chopped dill

1 tsp curry

1 egg

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

canola oil

salt & pepper

1. in a medium bowl combine mayo, mustard and squeeze of lemon.

2. add crabmeat, dill, curry and season with salt and pepper, stirring gently.

3. add beaten egg and 1/2 cup bread crumbs, again stirring gently to combine.

4. place remaining bread crumbs in shallow bowl.

5. in a skillet, heat 1/4 inch oil.  (oil is sufficiently heated when a drop of water makes oil sizzle.)

6. while oil heats, shape crab mixture in balls and roll in bread crumbs to coat.  once coated, press flat into cake shape.

7. place cakes in oil and cook until they are browned (3 or so minutes per side).  *keep a close eye - oil cooks quickly and spritzes.  (...craig learned the hard way when he was "attacked" by the oil...)

8. remove cakes from oil and drain on paper towel.

serve with tartar sauce or yogurt dill sauce (that's what we had) and fresh lemon.  and enjoy (of course) with your cocktail of choice!



for someone who "doesn't cook", craig made some of the best crab cakes i've enjoyed in quite a while!  well done, babe.  very well done.

and don't forget to enter for a chance to win these lovely earrings!!!  you have until monday, march 7th to enter the spiral style giveaway : )

click {here} to enter

black bean cakes

black bean goodness

craig and i have been attempting to do carb-free dinners.  i tend to subsist on carbs, so the transition has given me a much needed daily reprieve from my cereal, oatmeal, rice, pasta, bread lifestyle.  in my ongoing attempt to be creative in the kitchen, i made black bean cakes last night...and they turned out pretty good : )  so, i thought i'd share the recipe in case any of you want a crab-free evening!

black bean cakes (for two)

1 small onion, chopped
1/4 red pepper, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed
salt & pepper

chopped peppers

1. saute onion, pepper and garlic in 1 tsp olive oil until softened and lightly browned.  season with salt & pepper.

2. mash all but 1/3 cup black beans and add 1/2 of onion/pepper mixture (reserve other 1/2 for topping).

3. toast the reserved 1/3 cup beans in 1 tsp olive oil  for a few minutes (season with salt, pepper and additional garlic if you want).

4. add toasted beans to mashed beans/onion/pepper mixture.  form patties - you should be able to get approximately 8 small cakes.

5. saute cakes in remaining olive oil over medium heat for a few minutes on each side until browned.  season with more salt & pepper.  (beans can be bland, so be sure to "layer in" seasonings.)  fyi: cakes will be soft (like mashed potato texture) with a thin crispy shell.

dinner time.  come and get it!

serve over chopped romaine and top with curry sour cream and remaining onion/pepper mixture.
feeling crazy?  also top with chopped pickles.  they add a great salty crunch!

yum!

for you health nuts out there: 75 calories/cake.  oh yeah, and they're vegan!

squatternut bosh quiche : )

picture credit {here}

craig has been hounding me for days about posting the recipe for a quiche i made (up) the other night.  i guess he liked it or something : )  it's a butternut squash quiche with bleu cheese and (turkey) bacon.  yum!

squatternut bosh quiche (that's for all you f.r.i.e.n.d.s. fans out there)

1 pie crust (pillsbury works just fine...)
1 medium butternut squash, chopped into 1/2 in cubes
1/2 large onion, chopped
2-3 slices of (turkey bacon), chopped
1/8-1/4 cup crumbled bleu
2 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk
curry
salt
olive oil

toss squash and onion with drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt.  roast in oven on large baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet for 30-40 min at 375 until slightly browned and fork tender.  while that's cooking, chop bacon and crisp in saute pan.  (or crisp bacon then chop it : )

in a separate bowl, scramble two eggs with milk, dash of curry and salt.  line pie plate with crust and fill with squash, onion and bacon.  sprinkle cheese over hot fillings so it begins to melt.  then pour egg mixture over top and crimp pie crust into a fancy design.
bake at 375 for 30-40min until eggs are set and crust is golden brown.  allow quiche to cool for a few minutes (if you can control yourself) before you cut into it.  enjoy!


joey:  remember when ross tried to say "butternut squash" and it came out "squatternut bosh"?
oh, f.r.i.e.n.d.s. how i miss you....

squash, acorn squash

when i was grocery shopping today, i came across a squash display.  spaghetti squash.  butternut squash.  and (ahha) acorn squash.  feeling inspired and "fallish", i was compelled to purchase said acorn squash and craft a hearty meal.  stuffed acorn squash it is...

stuffed acorn squash for two

1 acorn squash
1/2 large vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 frozen veggies (i chose corn & peas)
1/4 lb ground turkey
1/4 cup red sauce
5 tsp maple syrup (i know that's a weird way to write it, but you'll see why...)
cinnamon
curry
salt
garlic, chopped

preheat oven to 375.  cut acorn squash in 1/2 and scrap out seeds and place cut-side up on a baking sheet.  i didn't have butter (oh well) so i did a light spray of butter-flavored cooking spray, a drizzle of syrup (1 tsp on each half) and a sprinkle of sea salt and ground cinnamon.  on to the filling...


i then sauteed the onion, (defrosted) veggies, garlic (about 1 tsp) and turkey.  i seasoned the filling with another dash of cinnamon & curry, salt, 1 tsp of maple syrup and the red sauce.  then i spooned the mixture equally into the two halves (there was a little extra for craig to enjoy) and covered both halves loosely with foil.

then i put the squash in a preheated 375 degree oven and baked it for 30-40 minutes, until flesh was getting tender (check w/ knife).  i then removed the foil, drizzled each 1/2 with 1 more teaspoon of syrup and baked for another 15-20 minutes.

the best way to enjoy it is to scoop out all the tender squash and mix/mash/mush with the fillings and dispose of the skin.  (it may not be pretty, but it tastes so good!)
yummy!

how to win friends & influence people

so, you want to know the real secret to winning friends and influencing people?  bake them bread.  it never fails.  my sister shared this no-knead (super easy/simple/fun) bread recipe with me a while back, and i've been enjoying homemade, fresh baked, yummy bread ever since.  so, i guess the cat's out of the bag.  i can no longer impress people with my super refined bread baking skills once they read how easy it is...

bread

...oh well.  it's totally worth it.  fresh baked bread for all!  (this recipe makes 3-4 boules)

3 cups warm water
1 tbsp yeast
1/2 tbsp salt
6 1/2 cups flour

1 large bowl - that will allow dough to quadruple in size
clean dish cloth

mix yeast and warm water.  add salt.  add flour.  mix with wooden spoon until dough forms a loose ball.  do not to over mix.

leave dough in bowl and cover bowl with dish cloth.  allow to rise for 2 hours.  dough will quadruple in size.

at this point, you have a few options.  you can cover dough/bowl with plastic wrap and foil and refrigerate for a few hours (or up to 3 days).  i recommend this because cool dough is much easier to handle.  or you can freeze the dough (for months).  or you can bake it immediately.  or a combo of all three : )


mmm...bread....

whichever you choose, when baking time comes, flour your hands and work surface and take approx. 1/4 of the dough and form a boule (i.e. round loaf) by folding dough in on itself, so the top is round and smooth and all "loose ends" are tucked under loaf.  (tip: when forming boules, it's a great time experiment with add-ins.  my personal faves are homemade pesto, asiago cheese or pecans, cinnamon and sugar.  to evenly distribute, flatten dough and spread fillings over it.  then fold dough in half.  then in half again.  then form boule by tucking ends under loaf to form a sphere. yum!)

place the boule on an oiled baking sheet (sprinkled with cornmeal if you have it) and allow to rise, uncovered, for 40-60 minutes.  before baking, cut a slash or two across top of dough to allow air to escape during baking.

then bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  when dough is golden brown and smells intoxicating, it's done.

(if you're going to use the dough to make a pizza crust - which i highly recommend - you can skip the "second rise".  just take dough out of fridge, flatten it, top with sauce, cheese, veggies, amazingness, etc. and bake at 425 for 25 minutes or so and enjoy : )

pizza pizza

once people sample your fresh baked bread, you'll have more friends (and allies) than you'll know what to do with.

happy weekend!  hope it includes the smell of homemade bread - mine will : )