Tag: Food

Stuffed Cremini Mushroom Quiche

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My last post was Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms . I had left over filling so I used it to make these two cute little quiches.

Ingredients For The Custard

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup cheese for custard and a bit extra to surround the mushrooms. Use any grated cheese you like.
  • any herb you like (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Prepping The Custard

Add all ingredients to a large measuring cup.

Whip together till well mixed.

Prepping The Mushrooms

See my last post, Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms , for details. Here is a summary:

Season the mushrooms with salt, pepper and my Italian Spice Mix. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 400 F or 200 C, until the water releases. Let them cool so you can handle them without burning your hands. I used small custard cup (also called ramekins.)

Collect the water. You can use it in another recipe to add an umami flavor.

Stuff the cremini mushrooms with the left over filling from the Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms recipe. Top and surround with grated cheese.

Place the custard cups in a baking dish. Then place the baking dish on a baking tray lined with a silicone liner or some foil. This will catch spills so your oven stays clean.

Place in the oven at 350 F or 180 C. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the egg custard gets puffy and golden brown.

Serve as soon as it comes out of the oven with a salad or any side dish you like. Hope you enjoy.

I am going to continue the mushrooms series because I get so many lovely mushrooms form Brenda Lera’s farmers market stand.

Next post will be Buttery Pan Seared Oyster Mushrooms.

POST UPDATE: Sachi mentioned in her comment that she is not a fan of mushrooms. You can substitute zucchini or plum tomatoes for mushrooms. Please go to the Italian Stuffed Vegetables for the directions on the zucchini. Leave out the mozzarella because you will be using the grated cheese from this recipe. For the plum tomatoes, use the filling from the Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms, but substitute any vegetable you like for the mushrooms in the filling.

Hope the update helps to customize the recipe for your tastes and dietary restrictions.

Cheesy Cranberry Pistachio Crostini

Posted in Italian FoodTagged , , , , 7 Comments

Cheesy Cranberry Pistachio Crostini was the snack that was served with cocktails, to make up the Aperitivo for our Halloween Italian Cooking Class/Pop Up Supper Club in Support of the Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry.

I wasn’t planning to post this recipe because it is so simple, but during the event the guests enjoyed this snack so much, and many of them asked me for the recipe. So here it is.

Crostini means “little crusts” in Italian. They are an Italian appetizer consisting of small slices of grilled or toasted bread and toppings.

Ingredients: makes about 25

  • 1/2 loaf of cranberry pistachio bread that I bought at our local HEB supermarket. You can use your favorite fruit and nut bread if you can’t find this one.
  • Cracker cut cheese slices. I used extra sharp white cheddar and a sharp yellow cheddar so that I would have a color contrast.
  • Extra virgin olive oil to coat the bread pieces.

Prep:

Cut the bread into small slices. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on both sides. Place in a plastic storage bag. Refrigerate until you are ready to make the crostini. This can be done up to a day in advance to free up your time on the day of the party. Placed on a lined baking sheet about 30 minutes before you are ready to serve.
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the tray of bread slices in the oven and bake until they are golden brown. This should take about 5 minutes. Flip the slices and brown the other side. Keep an eye on them so them so they don’t burn.
Use a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter to cut out pumpkin shapes from your cheese slices. I usually do this while the bread slices are toasting.

By the way, set aside the extra cheese that is leftover after cutting out the pumpkin shape. These can be eaten or used for other purposes. At the end of this post I will show you an example of how they can be used.

Once the bread slices are toasted, top them with the pumpkin shaped cheese slices while the bread is still warm. This way the cheese will melt a bit and make the crostini taste even better. 😋 Warm melty cheese always tastes better than cold cheese.

The day after the event, my husband decided to make a salad for his lunch. He used the left over cheese slices.

The salad turned out so cute. I thought it was very creative. 😀

I had created an ambitious menu for our cooking class/pop up supper club, so I decided to make an easy snack for the cocktail hour. This was a tasty timesaver. For the most part I make everything from scratch, but once in a while it does not hurt to make things easier by using some quality pre-made products.

Do try this simple recipe and let me what you think. 💕

Carrot Tops & Parsley Pesto Pasta

Posted in Italian FoodTagged , , , , 12 Comments

Carrot Tops & Parsley Pesto Pasta, is the fourth in a series of six recipes inspired by Vegetables From Down The Road.

Carrots Tops & Parsley Pesto Pasta Feature

The fresh carrot tops in my vegetable basket, inspired me to create a playful twist on the classic pesto made with basil.  Another twist is that I mixed in cabbage with the pasta.  The addition of the cabbage ups the nutritional value and lowers the carbohydrate content.  It also tastes great.

INGREDIENTS:

Carrot Tops & Parsley Pesto Pasta Ingredients

  • 1 large bunch of flat leaf parsley
  • 1 small bunch of carrot tops
  • 1 small head of green cabbage
  • 1 small red onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic–1 clove for the pesto and 2 cloves for the pasta base
  • 1/2 cup of pine nuts
  • 1 cup of grated Parmesan
  • 3 small sweet bell peppers
  • 3 twigs of thyme
  • 1 tsp of dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp of tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup of white wine (use the same wine that you will have with the pasta.  This way the wine and pasta will pair perfectly.)
  • 1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil for the pesto.  A little bit extra to coat the pan for the pasta base.
  • 2 cups of dried gemelli pasta
  • salt and pepper to taste

PREP:

Carrot Tops & Parsley Pesto Prep

  • Separate the parsley and carrot top leaves from their stems–set aside for the pesto
  • Toast the pine nuts–set aside a handful for garnish.  The rest will be used in the pesto.
  • Chop the head of cabbage into strips that are about the same size as the pasta
  • Chop the red onion, peppers and garlic
  • Separate the thyme leaves from their woody stems

MAKING THE PESTO:

  • Add the parsley, carrot tops, 1 clove of garlic, and extra virgin olive oil to a small food processor
  • Blend till smooth

  • Add the grated Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts
  • Blend till smooth
  • Taste the pesto.  Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

COOKING THE PASTA BASE:

  • Coat a heavy duty stainless steel pan with extra virgin olive oil and place it on medium heat
  • Add the red onion, peppers, 2 cloves of garlic, thyme and oregano
  • Saute till lightly brown.
  • Make a hot spot in the center of the pan by moving the sauteed vegetables aside
  • Add the tomato sauce, let it cook down for 2 minutes
  • Deglaze the pan with the white wine
  • Add the cabbage and saute till it is ‘al dente’ (firm to the bite)
  • While you are cooking the cabbage base, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water.  The pasta should also be cooked ‘al dente’.
  • Add the pasta to the cabbage and toss.

Since the cabbage is about the same size and shape as the pasta it doesn’t even get noticed.  Next add the pesto to the pasta and toss.

Adding the Pesto

Plate the pasta onto a beautiful platter and garnish with toasted pine nuts and extra grated Parmesan.

Carrots Tops & Parsley Pesto Pasta Feature

Serve with a glass of the same wine that was used during cooking.  You will be surprised at how good the cabbage in the pasta tastes.  It adds an unexpected twist of flavor and texture.

I hope you like this dish.  Next Saturday, I will be posting the fifth in a series of six recipes inspired by Vegetables From Down The Road.

I am having a lot of fun creating these recipes.  Let me know your thoughts in the comments section.  Bye for now 🖐

 

Grilled Rabbit “Stew”

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This Grilled Rabbit “Stew” is my husband’s creation.  I am a pescatarian, but my husband is an omnivore.  We both eat a lot of vegetables and now follow a Ketogenic Lifestyle.  My mom was a vegetarian and raised me that way.  However, my dad does eat meat and I learned how to cook meat for him.  I myself was a vegetarian until about 20 years ago when I started eating fish.  Most of my recipes tend to be vegan, vegetarian or seafood.  These days my husband cooks meat for himself and I cook the other dishes.  If grilling is involved, I may do the marinade, but the grill is my husband’s territory.  He made this dish and I have decided to let him write up his recipe.

INGREDIENTS:Grilled Rabbit Stew Ingredients

  • 1 red onion halved and sliced
  • 2 medium sized tomatoes cut into 8ths
  • 2 medium sized green peppers cut into 6ths
  • 1 jalapeno sliced including seeds, leave the seeds out if you don’t want it spicy
  • 1 zucchini cut lengthwise and sliced
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 Shiner beer, I used a mango kolsch, I drank the rest.
  • 1 rabbit cleaned and cut into 8 pieces

Someone gave me the rabbit, if you don’t have rabbit you can use chicken, skinned.

PREP:Grilled Rabbit Stew Prep

  • place a sheet of tin foil in an aluminum roasting pan
  • drizzle olive oil on the sheet of tin foil
  • lay the veggies on the sheet
  • drizzle more oil and add salt and pepper
  • add the rabbit and add more oil and salt and pepper
  • put your grill on medium heat and start the cooking with grill lid open
  • when it starts sizzling add the beer
  • close the grill lid and cook for about 40 minutes
  • turn up the heat to high to finish the dish and add color to the rabbit. Cook on high for about 10 minutes.

When the rabbit is browned and cooked through it is ready to eat.

Grilled Rabbit Stew Cook

You will find a delicious golden gravy under the veggies to pour over the dish when it is served.

 

Happy Fourth of July–Roasted Ravioli & Blistered Tomato Skewers

Posted in Italian FoodTagged , , , , , , 4 Comments

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY to everyone!!!

Happy Fourth of July 2019My husband and I are just about to go to a neighborhood pool party to celebrate with our friends.  I came up with this easy red, white and blue appetizer for the party pot luck.

INGREDIENTS:

Toasted Ravioli & Blistered Tomato Skewers Ingredients

  • 48 ounces of grape tomatoes
  • 24 ounces of basil and cheese ravioli
  • blue toothpicks
  • olive oil to coat and toast ravioli

PREPPING THE RAVIOLI

Boiling the Ravioli

  • Bring 4 quarts of water to boil
  • Add a table spoon of salt
  • Add the ravioli and boil till they float to the top and puff up.  This takes about 4 minutes.

Placing the Ravioli in an Oiled Baking Dish

  • Drain cooked ravioli into a glass baking dish that has been oiled with olive oil.  This prevents the ravioli from sticking to each other.

Toasting the Ravioli

  • Coat a large non-stick skillet with olive oil and place on medium high heat.
  • Place the cooked ravioli in a single layer and toast on both sides.
  • Do this in batches and keep adding the toasted ravioli to a glass baking dish.

Toasted Ravioli

Follow the instructions from my Blistered Tomatoes post to prepare the tomatoes.

Toasted Ravioli & Blistered Tomatoes

ASSEMBLY

Skewer Assembly

Assembling the skewers is very simple. Gently pierce the center of the ravioli and push it to where the blue decoration starts. Then pierce the stem end of the blistered tomato placing it on top of the ravioli.  Arrange on a platter to resemble an American Flag.

Toasted Ravioli & Blistered Tomatoes Feature

 

Let me know what you think in the comment section.  We are off to the party now.  Hope you are all having a good time with your friends and family. !!!

Curried Baby Turnips (tops & all)

Posted in Indian FoodTagged , , , , , , , 11 Comments

Curried Baby Turnips, is the first in a series of six recipes inspired by Vegetables From Down The Road.  Curried Baby Turnips (tops & all)The baby turnips from our neighboring farm were so fresh that I decided to use them tops and all.  This is a classic Indian dish which is usually made with cilantro.  Here I substituted the tender, fresh turnip tops for the cilantro.

INGREDIENTS:

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  • 2 bunches of baby turnips (each bunch had 5 turnips)
  • 3 peppers (use whatever variety you have on hand–here I used a Fresno, a sweet orange pepper and a fiery hot green scotch bonnet pepper.)  Mixing up the type of peppers results in a more complex flavor.
  • 2 inches of ginger root
  • 2 inches of turmeric root (if you cannot find fresh turmeric, use 1/2 tsp. of powder instead)
  • 8 ounces of frozen peas
  • 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp. black mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp. nigella seeds
  • 1 tsp. chili flakes (optional if you want to make the dish more spicy)
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp. garam masala (I make my own, but you can purchase it at an Indian grocery store or a spice market)
  • 2 Tbsp. grape seed oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

PREP:

Curried Baby Turnips Prep

  • Trim off the turnip bottoms and tops.  Leave the skins on.  Cut the turnips in half and then slice them into thin moon shapes.
  • Roughly chop the turnip tops.
  • Finely dice the chilies and ginger.

COOK:

  • Coat a large stainless steel skillet with grape seed oil and place on medium heat.
  • Add the turnips, chilies and ginger.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Sprinkle on the cumin, black mustard and nigella seeds.  Add the optional chili flakes.
  • Using a micro plane or mini grater, grate the fresh turmeric at this point.  If you are using powdered turmeric, it will be added later in the recipe.  If you add it now, it will burn.

  • Saute the turnips until they are translucent and the added seeds begin to pop.  You will be able to hear them popping.
  • Turn the heat to medium-low.
  • Add the tomato paste and smoked paprika.  If you are using powdered turmeric, add it at this point.  Continue to saute for another 2 minutes.

  • Add the chopped turnip tops and saute until they wilt.  This should take 2 or 3 minutes.

  • Add the peas and sprinkle on the garam masala.
  • Add additional salt and pepper as needed.
  • Toss everything together.
  • Turn off the heat and cover with the lid.

Leave the turnips on the stove without removing the lid for about 10-20 minutes or until you are ready to serve.  This process is called “DUM” in Hindi.  It allows all the flavors to marry and become one harmonious flavor. This is a very important step in traditional Indian cooking.

As a side note.  At the end of February 2019, I found out that I have high blood sugar.  For the past 4 months, I have been following a ketogenic lifestyle along with intermittent fasting.  I have been successful in controlling my blood sugar and I also lost 30 pounds.  I will write more about this in a separate post.  This recipe just happens to fit a keto lifestyle.  Turnips are a great substitute for potatoes on a keto program.  Try this recipe because it is delicious.  Let me know how it turns out in the comment section.

Oatmeal Your Way

Posted in BrunchTagged , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Inspired by the Polar Vortex, a recipe to warm your bones and your soul.

I call this recipe “Oatmeal Your Way” because it is very easy to customize to your liking.  Once you make oatmeal from scratch you will never want to open an instant oatmeal packet again.  This is the way my mom and Nani (my mom’s mom) made oatmeal.  It is as easy to make as it is nutritious and delicious.

I made it for my godchildren, Sachi and her sister, Michi when they were about 4 and 5 years old.  Sachi sent me the following letter asking me to make it again.

oatmealletter

It is a very popular dish with children.  It is also served to new mother’s and people who are ailing because it is nutritious and easy to digest.  Sachi came to visit me a few years ago with her daughter, Aleia and I made the oatmeal for the cute little one.  Here is a photo of Sachi, all grown up now, feeding oatmeal to her daughter, Aleia.  Made me feel warm all over to pass on my memory of my mom feeding me oatmeal when I was little.

oatmealnextgeneration

As I said, it is very popular with children.  I modified the recipe for Aleia because she cannot have lactose.  I used almond milk instead of regular milk.  I also ground the almonds in a spice grinder so that Aleia could easily eat the oatmeal.

INGREDIENTS:

oatmealingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. almond oil (customize by using butter or any flavor oil you like.  For example, if I am making pecan flavor I use pecan oil.  The options are endless–walnut oil, hazelnut oil, avocado oil, etc…)
  • 1 cup of organic old fashioned oats (organic oatmeal actually has more of a nutty flavor besides being better for you.  DO NOT USE INSTANT QUICK COOK OATS–they will turn out mushy.)
  • 1/2 cup raw slivered almonds (customize by using whatever nut you are in the mood for.)
  • 1/4 dried berries (here I used a combination of goji and cranberries.  When Aleia was visiting, I used dried blueberries because she loves blueberries.)
  • 1/4 tsp. of my Chai Masala (basically a combo of ground cardamom and fennel seeds)
  • 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon (customize by using your favorite spice.  Depending on the flavor you want to create, use pumpkin spice, apple pie spice mix, etc…)
  • 2 cups of milk (will make a porridge like consistency.  You can use more milk if you want to make it thinner.)  I used Fairlife Milk here.  It is lactose free and high in protein.  You can use any milk you like–almond milk, cashew milk, soy milk, etc…
  • 2 Tbsp. of Agave nectar (customize by using your favorite sweetener–maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, molasses, etc…)
  • 1 medium sized organic apple diced into large chunks.

oatmealapplesprep
Again, you can customize the flavor by using your favorite fruit.  You can also leave out the fruit.  I use what seasonal fruit is available.

  • Freshly ground nutmeg as a garnish for those who want it.

NOTE:  by customizing and changing the ingredients, the flavor combinations are endless.  One Christmas morning, I made a giant potful of banana walnut oatmeal sweetened with maple syrup and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.  I used a whole can of oatmeal to make sure there was enough for everyone’s breakfast.  It disappeared in 10 minutes.  I had to make another batch!!!

COOK:

  • Coat a medium sized stainless steel saucepan with 2 Tbsp. of almond oil.

oatmealcook1

  • Add 1 cup of oats and turn the flame to medium-low.  Toast the oats while stirring occasionally.  You will know the oats are done when you smell a nutty flavor and the oats turn slightly golden.

  • Add the 1/2 cup of slivered almonds and continue to toast till the nuts turn slightly brown.oatmealcook4
  • Add the 1/4 cup of dried berries along with the spices.  Stir and toast for another 30 seconds.  The toasting will bloom the spices and you will smell them.

  • Add the 2 cups of milk.  You will hear a sizzling sound when you add the milk.

oatmealcook8

  • Stir in the milk.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the milk starts to boil.  Small bubbles will appear.

oatmealcook9

  • Turn off the heat.  Stir in the diced apples and place the lid.  Let sit for five minutes.  This is enough time to warm the apples while still leaving them crunchy.

 

Remove the lid and serve.

Oatmeal Feature

Garnish with a grind of fresh nutmeg if desired.  Enjoy as is, or with a cup of tea or coffee.  Makes a great breakfast, brunch dish or dessert.

Cauliflower Stuffed Peppers

Posted in VegetarianTagged , , , , , 7 Comments

I had cauliflower and peppers on hand so I decided to create this dish.  It is vegetarian and gluten free.  It can be served as a side dish or a main dish.

INGREDIENTS:

Cauliflower Stuffed Peppers Ingredients

  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • 4 peppers
  • 2 Serrano chilies (optional)
  • 1/2 a bunch of parsley
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 4 cups of marinara sauce.  Use your favorite.  I have used a homemade mushroom marinara sauce.
  • 1 teaspoon of red chili flakes (optional)
  • 2 cups of grated Parmesan cheese (preferably grate your own)
  • 6 ounce bag of shaved cheese (mix of Parmesan, Romano and Asiago)
  • 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 4 Tbsp. of olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

PREP:

Cauliflower Stuffed Peppers Prep

  • Break the cauliflower head into large florets
  • Don’t throw away the stalk and leaves, instead dice up the good parts.  The small bowl on upper right side shows them diced up.
  • Cut the peppers in half.  Remove the seeds, stems and whitish pith.
  • Dice the onion
  • Mince the garlic and Serrano chilies
  • Remove the parsley leaves from their stems.  Set aside a few for garnish.  The rest will go into the food processor along with the cauliflower florets.
  • Place the cauliflower florets and parsley leaves in a food processor.  Pulse to make cauliflower granules.

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COOK:

  • Coat a large, heavy stainless steel skillet with olive oil.  Turn the heat to medium.
  • Add the chopped onions, cauliflower stalks, garlic and Serrano chilies.  Toss in the dried oregano and red chili flakes.
  • Mix all the ingredients and saute until light brown.
  • Add the cauliflower and parsley granules.  Continue to saute until cauliflower is light brown.
  • Turn off the flame and mix in the Parmesan cheese

    STUFFING THE PEPPERS:Oiled Peppers

  • Place the peppers in a oven proof baking dish
  • Drizzle with olive oil
  • Sprinkle with salt and pepper
  • Fill each pepper with a layer of cauliflower mixture, then a Tbsp. of marinara sauce.  Repeat once more so the pepper is full.Stuffed Peppers
  • Place in a 350 F oven and bake until peppers are tender
  • Pull out the cooked peppers and top with shaved cheese and a parsley leaf.

Cauliflower Stuffed Peppers Feature

Serve as a side dish with any protein you like.  If you are eating meatless, serve a larger portion as a vegetarian main dish.

ENJOY!!!  Let me know your feedback by leaving a comment.