Casseroles and Cookies

Here are some incredibly useful words of wisdom: For busy work weeks, try to plan ahead - make one or two dishes on Saturday or Sunday, and then you'll be set for lunch and dinner throughout the week. This strategy recently became a mantra of mine, and it works very well. On the weekends I spend a couple hours making a big dish. During the work week I come home from a late night of work (at about 8:30pm) and don't need to fuss over the stove or with the oven. In fact, I don't really need to think. I simply take out my precooked dish, put it on a plate, microwave for a few minutes, and presto! dinner's done. Same concept as a store-bought frozen meal, except that you made the meal, so you know exactly what is in it (i.e. no unpronounceable ingredients). You all know I love to cook; but sometimes there just isn't time to do so every night of the week. That's why it's so important to plan ahead.


Here's another useful piece of advice: if you're going to take time on the weekend to make dinner for the week, then take a bit of extra time to also make yourself some tasty treats! Last weekend I followed my own advice by making a polenta & squash casserole, and butternut squash cookies (more delicious discoveries from Moosewood Restaurant Cooking For Health). I can already hear the skeptical groans. 


First, some of you are probably thinking, butternut squash...cookies? Do you eat pumpkin pie? How 'bout pumpkin cookies? Dude, same concept! Pumpkins are a type of squash. So why not use butternut squash? To be honest, I did not seek out the butternut squash cookie recipe. Fortuitously the casserole only used half of a butternut squash, and while I was deciding what to do with the remaining half, I came across the cookie recipe. I'm very happy that I did.


Second, those of you who read my last couple of posts may be noticing a polenta theme. Honest to goodness this was completely unintentional. But now that it's happened, aren't you glad that you're about to have a third recipe for which you can use the corn meal you might have purchased after reading my Keep It Simple or Make Use of Magazines posts? You're welcome. 


If you take away one message from this post, let it be this: plan ahead. Sure, there's a greater and deeper applicability of this statement to life in general, but right now I'm just talking about your dinners and meals. Plan ahead. Take the time you have on weekends to make your weekday life a little easier. In the words of Peter Pan, think lovely thoughts. Think casseroles and cookies. 

Polenta Casserole with Winter Squash & Greens

This makes 4 servings (2 lunches & 2 dinners!)

What you need: 

-1/2 butternut squash (about 1.5 cups mashed)

-1 bunch of kale, chopped

-3 cloves of garlic, minced

-2/3 cup whole grain cornmeal
-1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
-pinch of dried thyme
-1 1/4 cups grated cheese (cheddar, feta, or fontina...I used the latter)
-1 egg
-salt & pepper
-olive oil

1. Cut squash into quarters, remove seeds, roast in preheated oven (350 degrees fahrenheit) for 45 minutes to 1 hour (until you can easily pierce the skin with a fork)

2. Scoop out 1 1/2 cups of squash and mash with a fork

3. Cook kale: heat pan on medium, add olive oil and sauté garlic for about 1 minute, add kale, cook so that kale is still bright green, but reduced in size

4. Cook polenta: bring 2 1/3 cups water to a boil. Add polenta a little at a time, whisking constantly to prevent clumping. Once polenta is thick, add sun-dried tomatoes & thyme and cook for about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of cheese and stir for another 5 minutes.  

5. In lightly oiled 8x8 pan, add polenta (layer #1)

6. Next, add cooked kale (layer #2)

7. Combine mashed butternut squash, egg, 2/3 cup of cheese, and pinch of salt & pepper.

8. Add squash mixture on top of kale (layer #3)

9. Top casserole with remaining cheese

10. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes (until cheese is bubbly and melted)

ENJOY!

What to do with the other half of your cooked squash:

Butternut Squash Cookies

Makes 40-50 small cookies

What you need (slightly modified from original recipe): 

Wet ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups cooked & mashed butternut squash

-1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

-1/2 cup olive oil

-1 egg

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry ingredients:

-2 cups whole wheat flour

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

-1 teaspoon baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

-1/2 teaspoon salt

Extra add-ins:

-1/3 cup chopped walnuts

-1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

-1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped (or raisins, if you prefer)

What to do:

1. In medium bowl, mix wet ingredients: butternut squash, sugar, oil, egg, vanilla extract

2. In another bowl, mix dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt

3. Fold dry ingredients into wet bowl, mix well

4. Add walnuts, chocolate chips, and dried cranberries

5. Drop teaspoonfuls of batter onto unoiled baking sheets

6. Bake in preheated oven (375 degrees fahrenheit) for 10-15 minutes

7. Let cookies cool on rack

YUM!

Make Use of Magazines

Let it be known that I am a proud recipient of Vegetarian Times (thanks Auntie Karen!), Bon Appetit (thanks Katy!), and soon to be Food Network Magazine (I received the December 2011 issue for Hanukkah and fell instantly in love...thanks mom!). It may sound nerdy, but every month I eagerly anticipate arrival of these magazines in the mail. I relish the time during which I can devour all the new recipes that lie beneath the beautifully photographed cover page, and in between obnoxious advertisements. Each issue is filled with page after page of new and intriguing recipes, and my eyes become glued to the glossy pages the instant I get my hands on the magazine. I guess you could say that food magazines are like a drug to me...I'm addicted, I like it, and there's no turning back. 

But sadly, a month is not nearly enough time for me to test out all the magazines' new recipes that cause my salivary glands to go into overdrive. Usually I only get around to trying one (maybe two) recipes from each magazine, at best. There are just so many recipes to try - not to mention all the recipes from cookbooks that I want to make. What is a girl supposed to do? I'm certainly not going to save almost a year's worth of magazines so that maybe someday I can make all the recipes...I do NOT have the space for all that paper! I recently clipped a number of "must-try" recipes, but that did not solve my problem of wanting to utilize my magazines more than I currently do. So this past weekend, I came up with a little challenge for myself: make recipes solely from magazines, all weekend long.  

I came up with the challenge when I realized that I'd be spending my monthly trip to DC cooped inside, basically all weekend long. My boyfriend had knee surgery on Friday and I was there to take care of him. So in preparation for my trip, I packed up my collection of January through March 2012 food magazines. One of the wonderful things about magazines is that they are SO much more portable than cookbooks. Sure, some of you tech-savvy people are probably thinking "why not just use an Iphone or computer"...well, I do not own an Iphone, and reading a recipe online requires putting my computer in the danger zone that is the kitchen - I sometimes do this, but I did not want to spend an entire weekend with my precious computer permanently stuck between the blazing stove and leaky sink. 

There was plenty of time for me to dissect the various magazines and choose some recipes for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. I had time to kill in the airport, on the plane, and at the hospital (6.5 hours at the hospital, to be exact; and side note: the surgery was only 15 minutes of that 6.5 hours...). Obviously I asked my boyfriend what he wanted to eat - he was, after all, the recovering patient - but as he kindly reminded me, he will eat anything I cook for him. Reason #869584 why we're dating. 

I ended up spending the weekend totally immersed in my magazines. When I wasn't switching out ice packs or getting glasses of water to go with tablets of Vicodin, I was in the kitchen, cooking. Every meal I made was amazing, flavorful, and yum-yum-yummy beyond belief...my taste-testers can attest. Some recipes were more nutritious, some more complex, some more expensive, but they were all equally delicious. The challenge was a success! All the recipes I made for the weekend came from magazines (8 recipes, in case you're interested). And the end result (aside from leftovers) was my re-realization that food magazines are like an untapped gold mine. After this weekend I am resolved to no longer let my food magazines sit on kitchen shelves - read only once and begging to be used. Now, I will make use of my magazines...the recipes will not disappoint.

Friday Night:

Creamy Polenta with Sausage & Roasted Grapes

Bon Appetit, January 2012

The recipe says to cook the polenta in the microwave, which works really well, BUT make sure your bowl has enough room for the polenta to boil; my bowl was not big enough, and so I had a minor polenta overflow accident...woops! Also, this is a super easy recipe to make, now that you've bought polenta after reading my Keep It Simple post.

Saturday Night:

Baked Parsnip Fries with Rosemary

Bon Appetit, March 2012

As you can see, I added carrots...I highly recommend this addition!

Fennel, Roasted Red Pepper, and Goat Cheese Quiche

Vegetarian Times, March 2012

Ingredients, including my modifications: 1/2 fennel bulb (thinly sliced), 1 onion (chopped), 3 garlic cloves (minced), 1 cup jarred roasted red pepper (diced), 6 eggs, 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit and coat 9x13 inch baking dish with spray oil

2. Heat sauté pan with oil, add fennel & onion, cook for 8-10 minutes

3. Stir in garlic, cook for 30 seconds

4. Stir in roasted red peppers; remove pan from stovetop

5. Whisk eggs and cottage cheese; add cheddar & goat cheese

6. Stir veggies into egg & cheese mixture; pour into baking dish

7. Bake about 45 minutes (top should be browned, center should be cooked through and NOT runny)

Sunday Morning Brunch:

Leftovers!

Use sweet potatoes instead of parsnips in the "Baked Parsnip Fries with Rosemary" recipe. It makes great homefries!

Sunday Night Dinner:

Bucatini with Shrimp and Pesto

Food Network Magazine, March 2012

A few changes I made: used spaghetti instead of bucatini; used 1 package of basil, 1 package of mint, and about 1-2 cups of parsley instead of just basil and mint; used regular all-purpose flour to coat the shrimp instead of the "instant flour" called for in the recipe

Shaved Fennel and Apple SaladVegetarian Times, March 2012

Ingredients, with my modifications: 1/2 fennel bulb (thinly sliced), 1 Granny Smith apple (thinly sliced), [1 orange (sliced) not in original recipe], 1 lemon, olive oil, salt & pepper, fennel fronds from 1/2 fennel bulb (tops of fennel that look like dill)
Directions: combine fennel, apple, orange, and fennel fronds in a bowl; squeeze juice of 1 lemon into bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper; keep in fridge before serving

DESSERTS!!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Food Network Magazine, March 2012

Rocky Road Brownies

Food Network Magazine, March 2012

From the "50 Brownies" Insert

Be warned, these are really hard to cut through because of the marshmallow topping!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fun Cake

Bon Appetit, March 2012

Keep It Simple

We live in a world where the zanier and more complex something is, the better. I just finished making a soup that required two pans, a soup pot, and an immersion blender. It tastes fantastic. It required a lot of time, skill, and energy, so I'm proud of the accomplishment. It also left me with a big frickin' pile of dishes to clean. I don't know about you, but sometimes I forget that "simple" can be quite enjoyable; at times, simplicity is actually what we're looking for to satisfy a craving, desire, or need. 

This past Thursday I arrived home exhausted from a late evening of work, but excited to cook myself a delicious dinner. While deciding what to make I came across this recipe in the Moosewood Restaurant Cooking For Health cookbook: Polenta with Greens and Eggs. I was intrigued, and astonished, by how few ingredients are involved (basically three) and how effortless the dish seems. Then I became skeptical if the dish would even taste good...if it's not a challenge, how could it be great, right? However, I had all the ingredients, and the recipe called for greens of any kind - the perfect chance to use the remainder of the broccoli rabe I had from Saturday's fish dinner. So despite my apprehension, I decided to try the recipe out. Boy am I glad I did. 


Even though the original recipe is for four, I easily adjusted it for one: 
Three main ingredients: polenta (aka yellow cornmeal), greens (you choose...swiss chard, kale, spinach, broccoli rabe), eggs (1-2...your choice).
Pantry item ingredients you'll need: 1-2 garlic cloves (minced), olive oil, red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar.


First, make the polenta: cook one serving (3 tablespoons) according to the package. Once cooked, turn the burner off & keep polenta warm by keeping the top on the sauce pan. 

Second, make the greens (make sure you chop the stems and leaves of your greens separately): sauté minced garlic cloves, a little bit of olive oil, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and the stems from your greens for a few minutes. 

Then, add the leaves of your greens and cook until leaves are just wilted and still a nice, bright color. Turn off burner, add a dash (like, 1/2 tablespoon) of balsamic vinegar, then transfer greens to a bowl.

Third, make the eggs: in the same pan, drizzle a tiny bit more olive oil. Crack each egg carefully (make sure the yolk doesn't break!), add about 1 teaspoon of water on top of the eggs, cover the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes (until egg whites are completely set, but yolks have not hardened).

*Side note: I have never made eggs this pretty before and turns out it is SO easy to do!


Fourth, put it all together: polenta on the bottom, greens on top, eggs over greens.

I added a bit of grated parmesan cheese and cracked pepper, which is not in the original recipe.

Delicious, nutritious, easy, and quick. Don't underestimate the value of recipe that only uses a few ingredients, with hardly any prep work, and very little cook time. In addition to being the perfect meal for a hectic workday, this dish is a great slap in the face when you need a reminder that not all satisfying parts of life need to stem from conquering a challenge. Sometimes simplicity is just what we need. Keep it simple - you won't be disappointed.

Roasted Veggie Recipes

As promised, here are the two roasted veggie recipes. They use similar ingredients, so I suggest making the two recipes within a few days of each other. Also, I must warn: you may become addicted to roasting vegetables after making these recipes...Enjoy!


Roasted Veggies Mixed With Orzo
Serving size = 1 (but can easily be doubled!)
**also, feel free to use whatever veggies you want. These are just the ones I had on hand. 

Ingredients:

-1 sweet potato
-1/2 medium eggplant
-1/4 cauliflower
-1 small onion
**cut the above ingredients into 1-2 inch pieces
-4 beets, remove greens (save for Roasted Veggies Over Cheesy Polenta recipe) and trim off tops and bottoms so that beets have a flat surface
-3 cloves of garlic, minced & separated (you'll need 2 cloves for roasting and 1 clove raw)
-1/4 cup parsley, coarsely chopped
-2 cups kale, chopped (separate stems & leaves)
-1/4 cup orzo
-1/2 cup canned chickpeas, drained & rinsed
-2 tablespoons olive oil (separated)
-1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
-1 tablespoon dried herbs of your choice (I used herbs de provence)
-pepper, to taste
-optional: some nice italian cheese (Pecorino Romano, for instance) to grate on top


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit; place saucepan filled with water on the stove on high heat
2. Combine sweet potato, eggplant, cauliflower, onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, dried herbs, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well. 

3. Evenly spread veggies on a baking sheet; wrap beets in aluminum foil (like a tent) and place them on the same baking sheet.
5. Place baking sheet in oven for 20-25 minutes (after 10 minutes, check on the veggies, mix them around with a spatula, then let them continue cooking for 10-15 more minutes). 

6. Heat sauté pan on stove on medium heat; once the pan is hot, add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil 

7. Add kale stems & cook for 2 minutes; then add kale leaves (you may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan)

8. Meanwhile, your saucepan with water should be boiling. Add orzo to water and cook according to package.

9. Remove veggies from oven after 20-25 minutes; carefully remove beets from foil and peel off their skin; chop the beets into 1-inch pieces and combine with the rest of roasted veggies --- you will only use half of this roasted veggie mix. Save the other half for another meal!

10. Drain orzo. Combine 1/2 of roasted veggie mix, sauteed kale, orzo, 1 clove minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, parsley, and chickpeas in a bowl. 
11. Top with grated cheese and serve!

Roasted Veggies Over Cheesy Polenta
Serving Size: 1

Ingredients:
-remaining 1/2 of roasted veggie mix from Roasted Veggies Mixed With Orzo recipe
**if you don't have leftover roasted veggies, you can follow the directions for the above recipe as to how you should roast some veggies!
-2 cups beet greens (or other greens like swiss chard, spinach, kale, etc.)
-1/2 cup canned chickpeas, drained & rinsed

-1/4 cup yellow cornmeal 
-1 cup water 
-2 tablespoons cheese (this time I used crumbled blue cheese, but grated cheddar tastes really good as well!)
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-pepper, to taste


Directions:
1. Heat sauté pan on stove on medium heat; when hot, add olive oil, followed by beet greens
2. Cook greens for 2-3 minutes, until wilted, but still bright green; turn heat to low.

3. Combine cornmeal and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer immediately, stirring the cornmeal constantly until it turns to a thick porridge-like consistency (about 5-10 minutes); this is your polenta.

4. Add cheese to polenta (be sure to keep stirring); add a few grinds of pepper.
5. Once polenta has formed an almost solid consistency, turn the heat off and place a top on the saucepan to keep the polenta warm. 
6. Turn saute pan up to medium-low heat, add chickpeas, and cook for 2 minutes. 

7. Add roasted veggie mix to saute pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, until veggies are heated through

8. Pour polenta into a bowl; top with roasted veggie, beet green, & chickpea mix, and serve! 

BON APPETIT!