Greek-Inspired Feast

Well, hi, friends!  It's been too long!

I'm back for a surprise appearance!

So, at my parents' house, we have a garden.  It's been very warm and rainy here in MD, and therefore the garden has just exploded with growth!  That, coupled with working at an organic market and two Costco memberships in the house, means we sometimes have an over-abundance of produce that needs to be cooked.

I cannot emphasize enough, though, the growth in the garden.  Oregano, basil, thyme, mint, cilantro, parsley, dill, kale, chard, squash, peppers, tomatoes, green beans...it's ridiculous.  Oh, and there's a cucumber plant in there somewhere, but I'm afraid the squash is gonna choke it out.

I had to cut out at least half of our thyme and oregano that were taking over the garden.

Who needs coat hooks?  Those are for herb drying!

Some of the massive amounts of Swiss chard that are springing forth.

So, the following is what I'm preparing right now in order to get rid of some of what we have laying around!

Keftedes-Inspired Burgers
1 pound 20/80 ground beef
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
3 T. finely chopped mint
3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1 egg
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
Salt & pepper

Preheat your grill to medium-high or high heat.

Mix together ingredients in a small bowl.  Allow to sit for at least one hour in the fridge.

Form into four equal-sized patties and grill over high heat for about 5 minutes on each side  (for a well-done burger).

Marinated Portabella Mushroom Caps
3 large portabella caps, washed and dried
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
2 T. finely chopped fresh oregano

Toss ingredients into a ziploc bag and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.  Shake it around every now and then to redistribute.

Grill over high heat for about 4 minutes on each side, or until charred and tender.

Mediterranean Sauteed Greens and Beans

2 T. olive oil
1-2 bunches of Swiss chard, chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 15-oz can of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
A handful of cherry tomatoes
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Toss in chopped chard stems and cherry tomatoes.  Allow to cook until the tomatoes are tender and squishy.

Toss in your chopped chard.  It will look like a lot, but trust me, it cooks down.

Once the greens have cooked down, add the white wine, beans, lemon zest, lemon juice, and garlic cloves.  Allow to simmer, cooking off the liquid.

Before serving, season with salt and pepper and allow to cook a bit more.  Taste and serve!

Greek-Style Zucchini
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 pounds zucchini/summer squash, sliced into 1/2 inch think pieces (if large, quarter them, if medium, half them)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red onion, sliced
Zest of 1/2 a lemon, juice of a whole lemon
Salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh oregano

Heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add in your sliced onion and cook until tender.

Add in the garlic and zucchini.  Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, until the zucchini begins to soften.

Now add in 2/3 of your oregano and the lemon zest and juice.  Stir to combine.

If you are impatient like me for the zucchini to cook through, you can place a lid over the top so the squash cooks faster.  Make sure it's not too liquidy by leaving a gap.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve, sprinkling with the remaining oregano.

Serve everything with a healthy sprinkling of feta cheese!

Who ever said low carb and gluten free had to be boring?

Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf and Maple-Dijon Brussels Sprouts

Somehow I have never posted this recipe.

And yet, it's one of my favorites, and completely worth all the effort.  I've made it for guests and they say it's the best meatloaf they've ever had--and I have to agree!

Total credit to the original recipe!  The only thing I have ever changed is leaving out the panko--which kind of works, but you have a more crumbly loaf.  Or, instead of panko, I toast GF bread and then grind it up in the food processor.

You can go to her website to get the recipe since I change nothing.

Now, the Brussels sprouts, I will give you that one.  Roasted, caramelized Brussels sprouts are DELICIOUS.  Try them.  Really.  You must.

Ingredients:

1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
2 T. maple syrup
2 T. Dijon mustard (I used large grain)
2 T. olive oil
1 T. red wine vinegar

Instructions:

Toss everything together and place in a baking dish.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, or until caramelized and tender.

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.

Vegan Mondays: Sweet Potato (or Butternut Squash) Hash

This is a great, great recipe for a very simple and quick meal that's also high in protein, fiber, and satisfaction!  While it's fantastic for dinner, I also think it'd make a great breakfast dish.  Credit to the original: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/10/sweet-potato-tofu-hash-vegan-comfort.html

Tofu hash is basically a mimic of scrambled egg hash, so crumble your tofu about the size you would want your eggs to be.  Seasonings and vegetables can also be adjusted to your own tastes.

I roasted my squash to get it caramelized, but if you're in a rush, you can very simply just pop your cubed squash in a bowl in the microwave and cook it for 5 minutes in there.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash or sweet potato
1 T. olive oil
Dash of salt, pepper, ancho chili powder

1 T. olive oil (more as needed)
1 shallot, diced
1 yellow/red/orange bell pepper, diced
1 15-oz block of firm tofu, pressed, crumbled
1 bunch green onions, chopped
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 T. coconut milk
2 t. cumin
1 t. turmeric
1 T. paprika
Dash of Hungarian paprika (optional, for heat)
1 t. salt
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2-1 t. liquid smoke (depending on how smoky you want it)
2-3 T. maple syrup

Instructions:

Cook your squash/potato by roasting in the oven at 425 degrees F (coated in the olive oil and spices) for 20-25 minutes, or in the microwave for about 5 minutes on high.

Heat up your oil in a large skillet (with a lid) over medium-high heat.  Toss in your shallot and bell pepper, sauteing until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.

Add in your tofu, green onions, and mushrooms, and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the tofu is firming up.

Then add the coconut milk and spices/seasonings/liquids, stirring to coat, and allow to cook with the lid on for about 5 minutes (to let all the flavors mesh!).

Toss in your cooked squash/potato last, heat through, and serve!  I, of course, had to top mine with a healthy dash of Sriracha deliciousness.

Vegan Mondays: Ramen

Last weekend, my husband, Charles, came to me and asked if we could start having less meat-centered meals during our weeks.  Sparked by an article he read about human evolution and diet, he concluded that perhaps we should be consuming less animal products.  Combine that with the environmental aspect and cruelty of the meat industry, and we now have our reasons for Vegan Mondays.  (By the way, I was always for this, but you know how dudes can be about their meat.)  This may expand to a few more days of the week later on, but right now, we're trying it out once a week.

If this ramen is any sign of what's to come, we're going to be having many, many more meatless meals.

Forget the ramen you had in high school and college that was ten cents a package and came with a little packet of MSG seasoning.

This is the real stuff. It's man-approved.  I was even asked to make this for the in-laws about five minutes into eating.  And we couldn't believe that it's animal-byproduct-free!

This is a bit of work for a meal, but I think it's so worth it.  It'd also be a GREAT idea to double the broth recipe and have a ramen party where people bring their own little topping.

The original recipe also used smoked shiitake mushrooms and features guidelines for David Chang's Momofuku ramen broth, so if you're interested in that, you'll find it here.

Ingredients:

Shiitake Mushroom Broth

3 quarts (12 cups, or almost 3 liters) of water
3 oz. dried shiitake mushrooms, enough to result in 1 cup of ground mushrooms (these come in tiny bags at my supermarket that are very expensive--I used 3 .5-oz bags and it was enough, so YMMV)
1 sheet Kombu seaweed, rinsed (I could not find this at the supermarket, so I used 3-4 sheets of toasted seaweed sushi wrappers...I have no idea if that was really different)
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
8 whole peppercorns
3 whole cloves
1/4 cup mirin
1/3 cup soy sauce (or more, to taste)
2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, and 1 medium onion, tossed in olive oil and roasted at 425 degrees F until lightly browned (if you have the time)

Toppings
Tofu, cube
Chopped green onion
Bamboo shoots
Roasted cauliflower
Roasted butternut squash
Lightly steamed bok choy (or other sturdy greens)
Bean sprouts
Enoki mushrooms
Roasted/smoked/sauteed shiitake mushrooms
Soy sauce (to top)

Noodles (udon, if you're not eating GF, but for GF people, I suggest soba or shirataki noodles)

Instructions:

Powder up your dried mushrooms in a food processor.

Shiitake!

The dried portobella mushrooms powdered up easier.  (They didn't have enough shiitake bags at the store.)

 Place all broth ingredient in a large stockpot.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove seaweed pieces, then simmer 30 minutes more until reduced by half.

Strain the mixture with cheesecloth, return to the pot, and keep warm.  Once it's time to eat, bring the broth back to a full boil.

Prepare your toppings and noodles.  We tried these low-carb, low-calorie shirataki noodles for the first time.  If you can ignore the smell when they first come out of the bag, they're fantastic!

Serve by placing noodles in a bowl, and toppings in their own bowls around the table so people can add them as they wish.  Pour the broth over everything, once assembled.  (You may need to reheat your bowl if your toppings are cold when you add the broth.)

The set-up!   Note the ubiquitous Sriracha.

Bowl of deliciousness, and a Japanese cucumber salad on the side.

This is an incredible meal, and it gets a 10 on the healthiness scale.  Dig in!

Happy 100th, Julia!

Today would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday, if she had been able to grace us with her amazing presence for any longer.  I never watched her show (I think I was too young), but she greatly inspired and aided me in my creativity and technique in the kitchen.  I grew up constantly hearing about how wonderful she was and how she revolutionized cooking in the United States.

So, today, I honor her by making a couple of her recipes (gluten-free, of course) and feast upon the deliciousness.

Both recipes are adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

Aubergines (Eggplant) Stuffed with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized eggplants, stemmed and halved lengthwise
3 T. butter, divided
3 T. olive oil, divided
1/2 a large yellow onion, finely minced
1/2 pound of mushrooms (I had buttons, but you could easily use portobellos or something else to your liking), finely minced
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 1/2 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled (the original recipe had cream cheese)
1/2 t. dried parsley
1/2 t. dried thyme or basil

Instructions:

Take the eggplant halves and score the flesh within 1/4 inch of the skin.  Sprinkle salt onto the flesh and place them, cut-side-down, on paper towels to allow the water to seep out of them.  Leave them for 30 minutes to an hour.

Once the eggplant have drained some of their water (give them a good squeeze to get even more out, preheat your broiler on high, and place the halves cut-side-up on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with a small bit of oil (I used my Misto sprayer) and broil 5-6 inches from the heat for 10-15 minutes, until the flesh is golden brown and fork-tender.

Scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving the skin and about 1/4 inch of flesh, and place in a medium mixing bowl.  Set scooped-out eggplant in a roasting pan big enough for them to fit side by side.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat 1 T. butter and 1 T. oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add onion and saute for 5-6 minutes, until it is beginning to turn translucent.  Add in the mushrooms and saute together until both are cooked through and slightly browned, about 5-6 minutes more.

Combine eggplant flesh, mushrooms, and onions.  Stir in the goat cheese, herbs, and salt and pepper.  Be sure to taste and correct any seasonings you desire.

Place filling in the eggplant halves in the pan. If you desire, top with grated Swiss cheese and bread crumbs (I didn't think it needed it).  Add 1/8 inch of water to the pan, and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until tops are browned and everything is heated through.

Before cooking!

After cooking!

I had a helper for some of this.

Chicken in a Tomato and Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
2 T. butter, divided
2 T. olive oil, divided
1/2 pound of mushrooms, sliced (again, I had buttons, but you could use others)
2 shallots, minced
1 cup of peeled, seeded tomatoes, chopped (I used canned whole San Marzanos)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 t. tarragon or basil
1/4 t. salt
Pinch of pepper
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock, mixed with 1 T. cornstarch (I used GF potato starch) and 1 T. water

Instructions:

In the same skillet as before (I used it out of haste and not wanting to clean another pan), heat over medium-high heat and brown both sides of the chicken thighs (this should take about 6-8 minutes).  Set aside on a plate.

Heat 1 T. butter and 1 T. oil over medium heat in that pan, add mushrooms, and saute until browned.  Set aside with chicken.

Heat remaining butter and oil and saute shallots for a minute or two.  Add tomatoes, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper, bring to a simmer, and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Add wine and broth mixture, bring to a boil, and allow sauce to cook for 5 minutes or so, until the sauce is reduced a bit and thickening.

Add the chicken and mushrooms back into the pan.  Cover and allow to cook through (about 5-10 more minutes).

Serve hot!  Enjoy!  The sauce would be GREAT over some rice or something, but I am avoiding too many carbs lately due to lack of exercise (I injured my foot a while ago).

Here's to you, Julia!

OPERATION GLUTEN UPDATE:

Also, after going GF for a month, I glutened myself and reacted badly.  So I will be GF from now on.  I feel great, it just sucks having to entirely avoid anything with gluten in it.  Oh well, at least I know!  But, oh my, I miss my beer.