Vegetarian Moussaka

Moussaka is essentially the Greek lasagna--there are thousands of recipes for it, and everyone says theirs is the right one.  I learned recently that the "traditional" topping may not be a bechamel sauce, but a yogurt mixture, which sounded great to me!  So I decided to try it out!  I actually prefer the flavor to the bechamel, and it feels a bit more, I don't know, nutritious.

I love moussaka, and my mom requested it this week, but I wasn't feeling a heavy meat-filled meal.  So, we did a vegetarian version with lentils, which came out delightfully!  Even better the next day!

Ingredients:

500 grams eggplant, thinly sliced (about one LARGE eggplant, or two small ones/2 lb.)
250 grams zucchini, thinly sliced (about two medium/1 lb. zucchini)
250 grams Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced (about 2 medium/1 lb. potatoes)
2-3 T. olive oil

Filling:
1 cup cooked lentils
2 carrots, diced
2 stalk of celery, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 T. cider vinegar
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. gluten-free soy sauce
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground allspice
1/2 t. fennel seeds
14 oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes
Salt & pepper to taste

About 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Topping:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
Pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon
1 t. fresh thyme leaves
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Toss your eggplant and zucchini slices in a large bowl with some salt.  Allow to sit and sweat out their water for at least 30 minutes.  Rinse and pat dry on a few layers of paper towels.

Toss eggplant, potatoes, and zucchini in olive oil until lightly coated.  Preheat your broiler and place a rack on the highest slot.  Spread the vegetables over a few foil-lined cookie sheets, in single layers, and broil for 5-10 minutes, until lightly browned on top and tender.  Set aside and allow to cool.

Now preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large, lidded skillet, heat 1 T. oil over medium heat.  Saute onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until cooked through and lightly browned.  Add in your spices and allow them to "bloom" (i.e. until you can REALLY smell them), about 2 minutes.  Toss in the lentils, vinegar, sauces, and tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and partially cover the pan.  Cook until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is thick and pasty (30 min. to an hour).  Taste and correct seasonings to your liking.

Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 inch glass/ceramic baking pan.

Arrange 1/3 of your vegetables in the bottom of the pan in the order of:  eggplant, potatoes, zucchini.  Spread half of the lentil filling mixture over this, and top with half of the feta.  Repeat.  Then, for the last layer, reverse the vegetable order (zucchini, potatoes, eggplant) and you are done assembling!    Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.

While that's baking, in a food processor, combine the topping ingredients until smooth.  Once the first bake is finished, remove the moussaka from the oven and remove the foil.  Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.  Spread the yogurt mixture over the top of the dish and place back in the oven, uncovered.  Bake for 30 minutes more, until the top is lightly browned and the sides are bubbling.

Enjoy alone, or with a lovely Greek salad!

Braised Pork and Red Cabbage

This is a great, one-pot dish that takes very little effort to prepare and comes out tasting delicious!

Ingredients:

2-lb. pork tenderloin
7-8 cloves of garlic, peeled
Salt & pepper to taste

6 strips of bacon, chopped
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tart apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup chopped celery
1-2 lb. head of red cabbage, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 T. sugar or Splenda
1 t. marjoram
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cut 7-8 slits, about an inch apart, into the pork tenderloin.  Place the garlic cloves in these slits.  Salt and pepper the pork and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until the fat begins to render out and the bacon is browning.

Move aside the bacon and brown the tenderloin.  Brown on all sides and remove from the pan.

You can take this opportunity to chop up your other ingredients.

Add in the onion and cook until they begin to caramelize.

Once done, throw in the other ingredients and stir around.  Cook until the cabbage starts to wilt.  Place the pork on top of the cabbage mixture and put the lid on the Dutch oven.

I took the opportunity to deglaze the pan with the vinegar.

Put this in the preheated oven and bake for an hour, or until the cabbage is tender and the pork is cooked through.

You may have a bit too much liquid still in the pan.  If so, place it on a burner over high heat until it boils off.

Remember to taste your cabbage and adjust any flavors to your taste.

Slice up your pork and serve!

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Vegan Monday was not on Monday this week, hehe.

This is actually a great variation on Shepherd's Pie--comfort-food-favorite of many--and it also leaves much up to the cook as to what veggies/legumes to use to adjust it to tastes and health requirements.  The mushrooms give it a really meaty flavor and texture, while the lentils provide a creaminess and body.  It's super-duper healthy, "slow-carb", and very filling.

The topping could be made with any mixture of starchy vegetables--mine just happened to be mostly pureed cauliflower, with a couple of small white potatoes thrown in.

Add cheese if you want, but that would make it not vegan ;).  I actually didn't think it needed it.

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
300 g. baby bella/cremini mushrooms, chopped
200 g. lentils (I had red on hand), rinsed, cooked, and drained  (if using canned, I think one 15-oz. can would be enough)
3 T. tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine
2 T. worcestershire sauce
2 T. coconut milk
1 t. of dill
1 t. marjoram
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. sweet paprika
1/2 t. smoked paprika
2 bay leaves
Salt & pepper to taste

1 1/2 pounds (.6-.7 kg) starchy vegetable, steamed or blanched
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2-4 T. coconut milk
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F while you cook.  Prepare either a large casserole dish or multiple small baking dishes (for individual portions) by spraying the sides down with oil.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, lidded skillet over medium heat.  Toss in onion, carrot, and celery and cook until tender (about 10 minutes).

Add in the mushrooms and garlic.  Cook for about 10 more minutes, until cooked through.

Add in the lentils, liquids, and spices.  Pop the lid on and allow everything to cook over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, to allow all the flavors to meld together.  Taste after cooking and correct any seasonings.

Allow excess liquid to cook off (you don't want it to be too "saucy").  Pour into the casserole dish(es).

In another skillet, saute the shallot over medium-high heat in a bit of oil until caramelized.

In a large bowl, using an immersion blender, blend up your starchy vegetables, the cooked shallot, and add the coconut milk gradually until it reaches the consistency you desire (like mashed potatoes).  Season with salt & pepper.  Pour over the filling in the casserole dish(es), spreading it out to evenly cover everything.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the edges are bubbly and the top is a light golden-brown.

It doesn't quite behave like normal Shepherd's Pie, but it sure tastes great!  My husband likes to top his with some ketchup, while I throw on the ubiquitous Sriracha.  It's even better leftover.

Slightly Sweet & Spicy Baked Beans

I threw this together, not wanting typical sweet baked beans, not quite wanting charro beans, but something in between.  We had it with our delicious barbecue pork!  (It was then somehow glutened, so, alas, I cannot eat the delicious leftovers.)

Ingredients:

6 oz. bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can of white beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 t. yellow mustard
1 T. (or more) sriracha
3 T. fancy molasses
1 T. worcestershire sauce
3 T. red wine vinegar
Dash of liquid smoke
2 t. dried oregano

Instructions:

Stir all ingredients together!

Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed.  Uncover if it's not absorbing enough!  Taste and adjust any seasonings.

Eat the deliciousness!

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

I'm back!

Spent a week with Charles in Boston.  Had a great time, I really love that area.  Told myself I would update, but I didn't.  Oops.

Today's recipe is one I've had saved for over a year, and last night, I finally decided to make it.  I frequent a site called Reddit (Frequent?  Ha, it's really an addiction to a time sink!), and I give all the credit to user sardonicsalmon for posting his in-law's grandmother's recipe for chicken jambalaya.

Be warned, you can feed a small village with this recipe.  But, it freezes well, so do what you will!  It also takes up a large chunk of time to prepare, so it's a great all-day weekend food-project.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, giblets removed (mine was about 3 lbs.)
2 quarts, or more, of water
5-6 hot Italian/cajun/andouille sausage (whatever you can find)
6 (yes, 6) medium onions, diced
3 green bell peppers, diced
3 red bell peppers, diced
6 stalks of celery, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 serrano chiles (or jalapenos, or chipotles), minced
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1 T. thyme leaves
2 t. marjoram
Hot sauce to taste
1 T. salt
1 t. black pepper
2 cups of rice (not instant; I used a wild rice blend per the recommendation of a commenter)

Instructions:

You can do this in one pot or two.  Use a heavy-bottomed stock pot or a dutch oven, but whatever you use, make sure it has a heavy lid.

Take your chicken and place it in a large pot, pour the water over it (enough water to cover it) and bring to a boil over high heat.  Turn down your heat and simmer until the chicken meat is falling off the bones (about 30-45 minutes).  Remove, allow to cool a bit, and pull all the meat off, chopping into bite-sized pieces.  Place the chicken bones, skin, etc. back into the pot and continue boiling to create your chicken stock.  After about an hour, remove the chicken parts, strain the mixture, and cook down until it is about 1/3 of the original amount of stock.  Make sure you have enough to cook the rice per package instructions (about 4-5 cups).

You can empty out the pot and reserve the stock in a bowl, or use another pot now.

Place sausages, whole, in the pot and brown over medium-high heat.  Make sure it's fatty sausage so that you render out some grease.  When just cooked through, remove the sausage and reserve, slicing it into bite-sized pieces.

Add in all the chopped veggies (onions, peppers, garlic, chiles, celery) and turn the heat down to medium-low.  Cook for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are cooked down a bit and translucent (no browning, though).   It looks like a lot, but as the original poster said, it will reduce by half, at least.

Add in the herbs, salt, pepper, and hot sauce.  Stir and cook about 5 more minutes, taste, and correct seasoning.

Add in the meats and rice.  Stir in your stock.  My veggies had let out a lot of water, and I ended up only using a few cups of my chicken stock to cook the rice properly.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to LOW and place the lid on the pot.  Cook for 50 minutes, no stirring, no bothering.  It won't burn.

When done, remove from heat, and allow to sit for about 10 minutes with the lid on.  Serve!

This is fantastic, and I hear it's even better leftover.  Enjoy, everyone!

Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole

This is a recipe direct from Kalyn's Kitchen, and I don't believe I made many changes at all, so here is the direct link to the recipe!

This was really flavorful and tasty, though if you're feeding a larger family, you may want to double it (or serve it with a side dish).  For my husband and I, we nearly ate the whole thing!  I'd say it makes 3 adult-sized meals.  Then again, I also only used 3 chicken breasts.  But, still, it's really good.

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 t. poultry seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste
1 head of broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1.5 cups homemade chicken stock (or 2 cups of canned stock reduced to 1.5 cups)
1.5 cups mayonnaise (not fat free)
1-2 T. lemon juice
2-4 tsp. sweet curry powder
2-4 tsp. garam masala
2-4 tsp. hot curry powder (I used Vindaloo, because that's what I have)
(I used more than these amounts because I like really spicy flavors.  Start small and add to your tastes!)
2 tsp. ground fenugreek (if you have it, mine is from Penzey's)
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (optional, but good!)

Instructions:



Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet, add about 2 inches of water (enough to cover the breasts when they're added), along with a sliced lemon, and bring this to a boil.  Add the chicken breasts and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit for 15 more minutes, or until the breasts are cooked through (this is poaching).  Remove chicken.

Cube up the chicken and place it in the bottom of an oiled 9x9 casserole dish.  Sprinkle salt & pepper (and poultry seasoning, if you have it) over the chicken.

Steam or blanche your broccoli until the broccoli is JUST cooked and bright green (you don't want it fully cooked yet).  Drain and place over the chicken in the dish.

In a medium saucepan, place chicken stock and spices and whisk until combined.  Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat (once it's boiling).  Remove from heat and add in the mayonnaise & lemon juice.  Taste the sauce and adjust your spices.

Pour over chicken and broccoli.  You don't need to mix it in.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and top with the cheese, and cook it for another 10-15 minutes.  Tasty tasty!

You could easily do this with turkey as well, and switch up the broccoli (or mix it in) for some cauliflower.  I think adding other veggies would be feasible as well without damaging the flavors.

Stuffed Zucchini, Southwest-Style

Good day, everyone!  I hope the weather is nice and beautiful for you all, like it is here!

I get asked a lot what my best advice for people looking to get healthier/lose weight is, and here is the most important piece of information I may be able to give you:

STOP EATING WHEN YOU STOP FEELING HUNGRY.  Not when you feel full.  Not when you feel stuffed.  When you stop feeling hungry.  You will likely feel full in 10-20 minutes.  And if you're not, you can eat a bit more.  No matter what food you're eating, this rule will help you with control.  And, you know, you don't have to feel really uncomfortable for the next couple of hours while all that extra food shifts around and digests!

On with the recipe!  I have a really bad habit of not writing down recipes while I make them, so this may be slightly off.

Ingredients:

4-5 medium zucchini, halved and scooped out
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, diced
1-2 chipotles in Adobo, minced (also, some sauce if you want more spice)
1 T. cumin
1 T. chili powder
1 t. salt
1 T. oregano OR epazote
2 T. sour cream
1-2 cups chopped canned tomatoes (depending on your tastes)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Oil a glass casserole dish and place the zucchini "boats" into it, scooped-side up.

Heat a pan over medium heat (add oil if your meat is REALLY lean).  Add meat to the pan and begin to brown.  Once about half of the meat is browned, add the onion and garlic.  Cook until meat is fully browned and onion is cooked through.

Add bell pepper, chipotles, spices, and tomatoes and bring to a simmer.  Add in the scooped-out chunks of zucchini.  Cook until bell pepper is tender, about 10 minutes.

Right before pouring the sauce/stuffing over the zucchini boats, stir in the sour cream.  Pour into casserole and top with cheddar cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, until zucchini is tender (but NOT squishy).  For nice browned cheese, remove the foil about 10 minutes before it's finished and turn up the heat to 425.

I just served this on its own.  It's a pretty complete meal, but I think it'd be good with maybe a side salad or guacamole.


Finally reaching my goal "feel," very ecstatic!  I can't say weight, because my weight doesn't seem to be budging, despite clothes fitting better.  I think I'm building some muscle with my longer runs (Running a 10k by the end of this month, on my birthday!  Not a real 10k, just one around my neighborhood that I map out, haha).

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Hi, everyone!

We are heading to Maryland this weekend to visit my parents (!!!) and so Charles can do some work for his company, so I don't know how much I'll really be around after Sunday.

I'm getting up what recipes I have at my disposal for your viewing/cooking pleasure.

And, see what happens?

I started this post two days ago and got busy. Whoops.

Stuffed bell peppers are one of my favorite go-to meals every week. Really simple, really tasty, and hearty! You can easily switch up flavors and go from southwest to Italian to Mediterranean to whatever. Have fun! Taste as you go!

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced small (obviously, adjust this to your tastes)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1-2 cups black beans (or pinto or kidney, whatever you prefer), depending on how much you like beans (cooked, not dry)
2 cups canned tomatoes (if whole, chop them up a bit)
1 T. chili powder1 T. cumin
2 t. oregano
Salt & pepper to taste
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
4 bell peppers (green or other is your choice), tops sliced off and membranes/seeds removed

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a casserole dish big enough to place the standing, hollowed-out bell peppers in.


Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and peppers and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in beans, tomatoes, and spices and allow to cook until most of the liquid has cooked off.


Once cooked to your liking, spoon filling into the bell peppers. If you have extra, save it! Or spread it around the peppers in the pan. Top with cheese and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until browned and bubbly on top! Enjoy!


**I was cooking for two, hence only two peppers.**

For an Italian flair, use more tomato, cut out the beans, use oregano and basil, and stir in some parmesan to the filling, topping everything with mozzarella. Yum yum! The possibilities are really endless with these.

Baked Italian Savoy Cabbage and Sausage Casserole

This is a really filling, really tasty, comforting dish that almost satisfies a lasagna craving! Incredibly flavorful and hearty.

Ingredients:

2 lb. savoy cabbage, sliced into 1/2 inch ribbons
1 T. olive oil, plus more as needed
4 sweet Italian sausages, removed from casings and crumbled
1/2 cup diced tomatoes in juice (or more, depending on your taste)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup grated mozzarella
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (I used a little more)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (you can do this while preparing the dish).

Bring a large pot of water to boil, and prepare an ice bath (cold water + ice) in a large bowl. Add cabbage to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon (or drain in a strainer) and add immediately to the ice bath to stop the cooking. Allow to cool, then drain well. Using a salad spinner, dry the cabbage well.


In a medium skillet, heat 1 T. oil over medium heat. (I actually didn't find the oil necessary, as I had normal pork sausage, which is fatty enough.) Add crumbled sausage and cook until done through. Stir in the tomatoes, and season with salt & pepper to taste (I didn't find salt to be necessary). Allow the water from the juices to cook off.

Oil a medium-sized casserole dish (my Le Creuset was too large...a 2.5 quart round casserole dish would have been way better).

Place 1/3 of the cabbage into the bottom of the dish. Season generously with salt and pepper. Top with half the mozzarella and sauce. Repeat this layer. Top with the last third of the cabbage and all the parmesan cheese.

Pour the cream over the top and bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until browned and bubbly.


Serve in shallow bowls (there will probably be some liquid) with a lovely glass of wine! And bread, if you're not doing low-carb :D.


(Once more, excuse my dumb cell phone pictures.)