Warm Winter Meals…my go-to’s

11 Dec

I AM FREEZING!

Let’s you and me warm up with some cozy winter meals. I am rounding up a few of my go-to warm recipes that I find myself craving again and again.

Chicken Marbella: This chicken never fails to please…makes the house smell so cozy!

African G-Nut Stew: Savory recipes that call for peanut butter make me swoon.

Green n’ Yellow Risotto: Nothing screams warmth like a piping hot bowl of creamy risotto.

Mushroom Etc. and Sausage Ragu over Polenta: Cheesy polenta + Savory Sausage + Quickly Sauteed Veg

Lasagna! Layered pasta filled with veggies, basil, and ricotta. With a touch of fresh nutmeg for good measure.

Minestrone Soup. Warm broth, hearty beans, crusty bread.

Quiche. The savory pie that can be eaten morning, noon, or night.

Get your ovens preheating and your stove-tops flaming because it is time to warm things up for the cold winter ahead of us.

(Rustic) Kabocha Squash Pie

28 Nov

I have an extremely rustic and homemade pie for you. This is a Kabocha Pie. You can call it a Pumpkin Pie if you like. Same thing, really (sort of).

I pre-sliced my pie so that my Thanksgiving guests could easily take a piece without the fuss of cutting it themselves. And of course I did a sloppy slicing job and the pie cracked and crumbled a bit. Hence the rustic homemade look. This pie’s got love in it.

I made the crust for this pie at midnight. Midnight dough making. Can someone please get me out of the kitchen? The next day I roasted my Kabocha squash. Sliced in quarters, seeds scooped out, dabbed with oil, onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and into the oven until super soft.

NOTE: Kabocha squash can be very dry when roasted, much more dry than butternut or pumpkin. Just keep that in mind. Actually, I quite like the dryness for a pie filling because my moisture is coming from my eggs and cream.

I had a few pie crust mishaps. When I went to parbake my crust, I neglected to weigh it down enough (I used rice rather than dry beans or pie weights) and the middle of the crust poofed up like crazy. FAIL. Major fail. I then decided to use some heavy ramekins to weigh down the middle and it worked just enough to barely save my poofy crust.

So my advice is to go buy some dry beans and you can keep them forever for all of your parbaked pie crusts. Do it. Don’t be like me.

Ooo, and remember to try not to beat yourself up if you make a mistake in the kitchen. I do it way too often and then I realize that everything can be fixed and that there can be a lot of beauty in the imperfect.

Kabocha Squash Pie

I love the firm yet silky filling of the pie, the dry sweetness of the kabocha, and the slight tang from the sour cream.

recipe from the traveler’s lunchbox

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) pumpkin or winter squash puree (preferably homemade)

1 1/2 cups (375ml) creme fraiche or sour cream (I used sour cream)

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

pinch ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar

1/2 cup (100 g) white sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 9-inch parbaked pie crust (I used the pate brisee recipe from Sherry Yard’s Desserts by the Yard, but you can use whatever crust you like…The Traveler’s Lunchbox has directions on how to parbake (the paragraph above the actual recipe); and you can use this crust recipe if you like, too)

TO PUREE YOUR OWN PUMPKIN/SQUASH:

I preheat the oven to about 375 degrees F. I simply slice my squash in half, scooped the seeds out, and cut each half again in two. I drizzle with some olive or canola oil or butter and a few pinches of salt. I place the cut sides down atop of a parchment lined baking sheet and into the oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork/knife. Alternatively you could wrap your prepared squash in aluminum foil and bake.

For this particular pie, you can just let your squash cool, peel the insides away from the outer flesh, and mash roughly with a fork. Note that your squash does not have to be completely smooth because it will get blended with the rest of the ingredients later. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of puree for the recipe and leave the rest to use for pumpkin soup, pumpkin mac n’ cheese, pumpkin quinoa…!

FOR THE FILLING:

Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place everything for the filling except for the sugars and cornstarch into a blender or food processor. In a small bowl, stir together brown and white sugars with the cornstarch until no lumps remain (I stirred with a fork). Add to the pumpkin mixture and blend until smooth and homogeneous.

Pour the filling into your parbaked crust. Place the pie onto your preheated baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour, until the filling is just set. NOTE: if your crust is starting to brown, you can cover it with a little bit of aluminum foil. Cool the pie and top with whipped cream!

Psst…here are a few snaps of the little pumpkin tartlettes that we made for the staff at work. CUTIES!:


Oatcakes

15 Nov

Oatcakes! Oatcakes! Getchyour oatcakes. Dense and delicious. Sweet with a hint of coconut. Walnut-filled and ready to go. Oatcakes! Oatcakes! Get’em while their hot.

My camera is officially broken. Technology loves to play tricks on me. The camera on my phone will have to suffice for now.

My last few blog posts have been devoted to how I am on a serious Heidi Swanson kick. This woman is amazing. Major girl-crush. And she really makes me miss the Bay Area.

I love the natural ingredients in Swanson’s recipes and her style of rustic, healthy, and nourishing meals and snacks for everyday cooking. I already blogged about making her Miso Curry Delicata Squash and her Baked Oatmeal (dang that Baked Oatmeal is getting around the food blog world). I also made her tempeh with eggplant and her museli.

Today I bring you Swanson’s oatcakes. With coconut butter, walnuts, flax seeds, and tons of rolled oats, these are the perfect breakfast, snack, or dessert. She writes:

“…These nutty, golden oatcakes are filling, slightly moist, and not too sweet. Best of all, they can usually stand up to an entire day tucked into my purse without falling apart…”

Now that is my kind of snack. Homemade (freaking delicious and good-for-you, too), portable, and sturdy. As with almost anything sweet and carby, these are great with coffee, tea, or a tall glass of milk.

Initially I was a tad upset because I used all-purpose instead of whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour (…was too tired to go back to the store to buy some). Hey, at least I am getting my benefits from the oats, from using coconut butter (cholesterol-free!) to replace some of the butter, and from the walnuts and flax seeds.

I put a few of the oatcakes in the freezer, but left most of them on the counter in an air-tight container because I know they will get gobbled up for breakfasts and snacks this week.

I wonder what I will make next from Heidi’s lovely cookbook?!

Oatcakes

from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Everyday

makes 12 oatcakes

Ingredients:

3 cups/10.5 oz/300 g rolled oats

2 cups/8 oz/225 g spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour (I used All-Purpose Flour)

1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

2 teaspoons salt (fine-grain sea salt or Kosher salt)

1/4 cup/1.5 oz/45 g flax seeds

3/4 cup/3 oz/85 g chopped walnuts

1/3 cup/2.5 oz/ 70 g extra virgin coconut oil

1/3 cup/3 oz/85 g unsalted butter

3/4 cup/180 ml maple syrup

1/2 cup/2.5 oz/70 g natural cane sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 deg C). Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

Combine the oats, flour, baking powder, salt, flax seeds, and walnuts in a large mixing bowl.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the coconut oil, butter, maple syrup, and sugar and slowly melt together. Stir just until the butter melts and the sugar has dissolved, but do not let the mixture get too hot. You do not want it to cook the eggs on contact in the next step.

Pour the coconut oil mixture over the oat mixture. Stir a bit with a fork, add the eggs, and stir again until everything comes together into a wet dough. Spoon the dough into the muffin cups, nearly filling them.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges of each oatcake are deeply golden. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for a couple of minute. Using a small knife or an offset spatula, tip the cakes onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Miso-Curry Delicata Squash

26 Oct

This meal cannot get any more “fall.” There is bright orange, deep purple, and forest green. Delicata squash gets roasted in the oven with purple potatoes and tofu and then everything gets combined with raw dino-kale and toasted pepitas. Dressed to the heights with a miso-curry sauce. Yum yum in the tum. I could eat this for days.

The dressing (or sauce?) is my favorite part about this dish. There are only 3 ingredients: olive oil, Thai red curry paste, and white miso. So easy and perfectly salty and savory, I was literally licking my plate clean because this sauce was so perfect. And what a great way to use more of the Thai red curry paste that I had from when I was making this Tofu Panang Curry. I recently bought a small tub of sweet white miso from Whole Foods and this was the perfect opportunity to use some (I’m also dying to make miso soup and this vegan fettuccine alfredo with my white miso).

This past Monday, October 24th, was “Food Day.” From the website:

Food Day seeks to bring together Americans from all walks of life—parents, teachers, and students; health professionals, community organizers, and local officials; chefs, school lunch providers, and eaters of all stripes—to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way. We will work with people around the country to create thousands of events in homes, schools, churches, farmers markets, city halls, and state capitals.

In honor of Food Day I went to Eataly in NYC where farmers working with Eataly were there to give samples of their produce, dairy, meat, wine and chat with the customers. I purchased all of my produce and the pepitas for this Miso-Curry Delicata Roast from Eataly. And the best part? I only spent $12 (including a few other fruits and miscellaneous nuts and seeds purchased)!! Granted, I already had olive oil, red Thai curry paste, and miso at home. But 4 servings worth of food for only about $12 is dang-good. And this is what Food Day is all about. Healthy food should be affordable, accessible, easy to prepare, and tasty.

I feel healthy and comforted. Rock on.

Miso-Curry Delicata Squash

adapted from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Everyday 

serves 4

Ingredients

12 ounces/ 340 g delicata squash (aka 1 decent sized squash)

1/4 cup/ 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

Scant 1/4 cup/ 2.5 oz/ 70 g white miso (I purchased mine at Whole Foods, I bought the “sweet” one)

Scant 1 tablespoon red Thai curry paste

1 package of extra firm tofu, cut into small cubes (I used a 14-oz pkg)

1 large handful of small purple potatoes, unpeeled and cut into chunks

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 bunch of dino-kale, tough stems removed and leaves chopped

1/3 cup/ 1.5 oz/ 45 g pepitas, toasted

optional: 2/3 cup/ 1 oz/ 30 g chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the delicata squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to clear out all the seeds. Cut into 1/2-inch thick half-moons.

In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, miso, and curry paste.

Combine the tofu, potatoes, and squash in a large bowl with 1/3 cup/ 80 ml of the miso-curry paste. Use your hands to toss well, then turn your vegetables onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment and arrange everything in a single layer. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until everything is tender and browned. Toss once or twice along the way, after things start to brown a bit. Keep a close watch, though; the vegetables can go from browned to burned in a flash.

In the meantime, whisk the lemon juice into the remaining miso-curry paste, then stir in the kale until coated.

Toss the roasted vegetables gently with the kale, pepitas, and if using, the cilantro. Serve family style in a large bowl or platter.

Baked Oatmeal, With Apples and Bananas

26 Oct

I like to ate ate ate apples and bananas
I like eat eat eat epples and benenes 
I like to ite ite ite ipples and bininis

I like to ote ote ote oplles and bononos
I like to ute ute ute upples and bununus

Mornin’ ladies and gents. I have oatmeal for you today. Baked oatmeal. Baked oatmeal that is so good I want to eat it for my breakfast, my mid-afternoon snack, and my dessert.

I recently purchased Heidi Swanson’s cookbook Super Natural Everyday. She has beautiful photos and healthy recipes using all of the ingredients that I want in my food. I want to be her. I want to make every recipe in the book. I am inspired.

This baked oatmeal has bananas, apples, and dried apricots. Baking everything together with milk and maple syrup gives the oats a sweet hearty taste. I like eating  mine with vanilla soy milk poured over the top and a little nob of peanut butter. What a cozy way to start the morning now that the weather has started cooling off here in New York.

As per usual, you can use any seasonal fruit and nut that you prefer in here, you can add extra spices like nutmeg and ginger, and feel free to throw in a few flaxseeds and some wheat germ for more oomph. You can even make it vegan by using non-dairy milk and adding ground flaxseeds instead of an egg. I only used about half of the amount of butter that the recipe calls for; you can omit it altogether or use Earth Balance buttery sticks.

Throughout her book, Heidi provides measurements in grams and ounces. After purchasing a food scale a few months ago, I am obsessed with measuring my flour, sugar, etc. in grams (155 g=1 cup of flour; 200 g=1 cup sugar…). Especially if you are an avid baker, I highly recommend you invest in a nice scale. You will use it all the time and it is less messy than using cup measures.

Happy Breakfast, Happy Fall, Happy Eating.

Baked Oatmeal

from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Everyday

serves 6 generously or 12 as part of a larger brunch spread

Ingredients:

2 cups/ 7 oz/ 200 g rolled oats

1/2 cup/ 2 oz/ 60 g walnut pieces, chopped

1/3 cup/ 2 oz/ 60 g maple syrup (or natural cane sugar)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

2 cups/ 475 ml milk

1 large egg

1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups/ 6.5 oz/ 185 g berries or chopped apples or dried fruit such as golden raisins or apricots

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch/ 20 cm square baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, half the walnuts, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt (NOTE: if you are using sugar instead of maple syrup, add it here).

In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup (if using), the milk, egg, half of the butter, and the vanilla.

Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 2/3 of the berries/apples/dried fruit over the top. Cover the fruit with the dry oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Gently give the baking dish a couple of thwacks on the counter-top to make sure the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and remaining walnuts across the top.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on top and serve. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar or drizzle with maple syrup if you want it a bit sweeter. Or, pour some more milk (I like vanilla soy milk) over an individual portion and enjoy with a spoonful of peanut butter.

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