Winter Squash and Spinach Pasta Bake

 This is Smitten Kitchen's version of a recipe originally by Ottolenghi. We made it tonight and I really loved it. The down side is it take 1.5 hours to bake and then another half hour to rest, but other than that it's pretty easy and infinitely variable which I really like in a recipe so I definitely hope i make it again. I have varied it a little here.

Winter Squash and Spinach Pasta Bake

From Smitten Kitchen

 Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 1 cup (250 grams) ricotta
• 1 cup (100 grams) finely grated parmesan, divided
• 1 cup (85 grams) coarsely grated fontina cheese (I substituted cheddar for this and it was fine)
  
• 1 1/4 cups (300 grams) water
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil, divided
• 2.5 teaspoons kosher salt (use less if you are using table salt)
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste (I omitted this for kids)
  
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 5 ounces (140 grams) baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons thinly-sliced sage leaves or 1 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves (optional) (I substituted 1/2 t. dried sage)
  
• 1 1/4-pound (560-grams) butternut or another sturdy winter squash, peeled, seeded, sliced thin or 1 pound (455 grams) in prepared chunks, sliced thin
• 8 ounces (225 grams) dried pasta (see Note), broken into pieces if large/long (I used penne and it was great)
• 3 Tablespoons pine nuts
  

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a 9-inch springform with 3-inch sides (see Note) with parchment paper, pressing it across the bottom and creasing the sides to get it to fit as best as possible. If the sides aren’t well covered, repeat with a second piece of parchment in the other direction.

Whisk egg and ricotta in a large bowl. Stir in half of the parmesan, fontina (or cheddar), water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, a few gratings of fresh nutmeg, lots of freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes (if using), and garlic. Stir in squash, spinach, pine nuts, and sage or thyme, if using. Add dried noodles and stir until everything is coated.

Pour into prepared pan and press gently so everything is in as even of a layer as possible. Sprinkle with second half of parmesan. Gently fold any parchment that extends over the rim of the pan into the center and cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake on a sheet (for extra security against drips) for 1 hour, then remove foil, reopen the parchment folded over the top, and drizzle the dish with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Return to the oven uncovered for 30 minutes. Pasta will be baked through and the top will be crisp. If it doesn’t have as much color as you’d like on top, you can finish it under the broiler for a minute or two.

Cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes before removing the springform ring, sliding the pasta bake by its parchment onto a serving plate, and cut it into wedges.

Do ahead: This keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week. Rewarm uncovered in a 350-degree oven. I haven’t frozen it, but would expect it to freeze well, tightly wrapped.

Notes:
* Structural note: Like a lasagna, this is more wet and messy when it first comes out of the oven. I recommend a 30-minute rest at minimum (what you see here in the loose slices) but it will be cleaner to cut and more set the longer it hangs out. It reheats fantastically and keeps up to a week in the fridge. Last night, we reheated wedges from 6 days ago and they were (still) perfection.

* Pan size: I only tested this in a 9-inch springform but would expect it to also fit in a 11 to 12-inch ovenproof skillet and also, less glamorously, a 9×13-inch baking dish. No need to line with parchment if you’re serving it from the pan or not worried about leakage

Classic Chickpea Noodle Casserole

I saw this recipe for a chickpea casserole, and I immediately bookmarked it to try out. But then I started thinking about tuna noodle casserole, which I love, and wondering if I could make something more like that, but with chickpeas (garbanzo beans). So I made half Chickpea Casserole with Lemon, Herbs, and Shallots, and half classic Tuna Noodle Casserole (the kind with the cream of mushroom soup) with chickpeas substituted for the tuna in one 9x13 dish. I asked Mahesh and Kiran which casserole they preferred, and both preferred the classic casserole over the new version, which is good  So I will make it again, it was good but a little bland and needed a little salt, and might be good to try adding in some canned artichoke hearts for a little extra flavor next time. It's quite filling due to the high chickpea content, which is nice. Here is the recipe:

Classic Chickpea Noodle Casserole

Makes one 13x9 pan, can halve the recipe (with one can chickpeas) for an 8x8 pan.

Ingredients:

• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (I might try cream of celery soup next time)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained
• 4 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles (8 ounces dry)
• Salt
• (might be good to try adding in canned artichokes next time)
• 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs 
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

1. Stir soup, milk, peas, garbanzo beans, noodles, and artichoke hearts, if using, in 3-quart casserole (I used a 9x13 pan).
2. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot. Stir.
3. Mix bread crumbs with butter in bowl and sprinkle over garbanzo bean mixture. Bake for 5 minutes more.

Chilaquiles Casserole

Eatingwell magazine often features inventive, healthy vegetarian main dishes that are easy enough to make on a weeknight, so when one is good, it ends up being a real keeper. This is a dish we tried recently, Kiran helped me make it and we all agreed it was good. I changed the recipe a bit, this is what I made:

from Eatingwell

Ingredients

• • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 medium zucchini, grated 
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 19-ounce can black beans, rinsed
  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1½ cups corn, frozen (thawed) or fresh  
• • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 12 corn tortillas, quartered
  • 1 10-ounce can mild red or green enchilada sauce-- it is excellent with this homemade enchilada sauce
  • 1¼ cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. 

 

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and red pepper and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are heated through, about 3 minutes.  

 

3. Scatter half the tortilla pieces in the pan. Top with half the vegetable mixture, half the enchilada sauce and half the cheese. Repeat with one more layer of tortillas, vegetables, sauce and cheese. Cover with foil.

 

4. Bake the casserole for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the casserole is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes more.

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 3 and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

This is the recipe my mom uses to make Macaroni and Cheese, which was a staple on our dinner table growing up, and it is also the recipe I use! I believe it was originally from Betty Crocker.

HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

-- 1/4 c. minced onion
-- 3 Tablespoons butter
-- 1/4 c. flour
-- 1 1/2 c. milk
-- 8 ounces cheese (I typically use extra sharp Cabot cheddar)
-- 1 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles

DIRECTIONS

1. Get a big pot of salted water boiling, add in macaroni and boil according to package directions.

2. While that is happening, melt butter in pan on low-medium heat. Add in onions and cook until softened and transluscent, about 10 minutes. DO NOT BROWN ONIONS. When onions are cooked, sprinkle in flour slowly to make a roux. Cook the roux over the flame to get rid of the raw flour taste, about 60 seconds or so.

3. Get your whisk out and add in the milk, whisking well so all the flour is incorporated and you don't end up with lumps. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens.

4. Add in cheese, stir until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste and your sauce is done.

5. Meanwhile, your macaroni has been cooking and is finished. Add boiled and drained macaroni to sauce, mix to incorporate, put in an oven-safe dish and bake 30 minutes uncovered in a 350 degree oven.

POSSIBLE VARIATIONS

-- 1/2 cup mushroom, minced (add it in with the onion in the beginning)
-- substitute goat cheese for some cheddar
-- a little basil
-- spinach ?
-- anything you like!

Veggie Quinoa Loaf -- Thanksgiving style

I had made this recipe for a vegetarian loaf from Whole Foods once before, in muffin tins. It came out pretty well but there were a few more tweaks I wanted to try. Today I wanted to bring a vegetarian dish to Canadian Thanksgiving at a friends house, and this was my chance to make another version of the loaf!

I was a bit worried the loaf would be bland, so I made the mushroom gravy in the next post to go on it. It was a great success (if I do say so myself)! Everyone really liked it, even the meat eaters. One meat eater even took seconds of the loaf, with a full turkey dinner to choose from.

Here is the version of the recipe I made today:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 cup (about 1 onion) chopped red onion

1 stalk celery, minced

1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon tumeric powder (optional)

1 teaspoon sambar powder (or any masala or curry powder you have on hand) (optional)

1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup rolled oats
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
10 sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped finely

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch loaf pan with oil; set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside in large mixing bowl.

2. Heat more oil in pan, saute onion, celery, garlic, jalapeno (with tumeric and curry/masala spice if desired) until soft, put in bowl with mushrooms.

3. Meanwhile, put beans, oats and 1/2 cup water into a food processor and pulse until almost smooth. Add this bean mixture to the large bowl, along with quinoa, peas, parsley, tomatoes, onion, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Transfer mixture to prepared loaf pan, gently pressing down and mounding it in the middle. Bake until firm and golden brown, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Set aside to let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Can be served with vegetarian mushroom gravy, below.

Veggie New England Shepherds Pie

I have been wanting to make something like this for a while, but all the versions I could find online did not have corn! So, I added some. I think it came out very good! Will definitely be making this one again. Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegetarian-Shepherds-Pie-II/Detail.aspx

INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 sage leaf, minced, or 1/4 t. dried
• 1/4 t. dried thyme
  
• 3 cups vegetable broth
  
• 1 teaspoon yeast extract spread, e.g. Marmite/Vegemite (optional)
  
• 1/2 cup dry lentils
  
• 1/4 cup pearl barley
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1/4 cup walnuts or cashews, finely chopped
• 3 potatoes, chopped
• roughly 1/2 c. milk and 1 t. butter for mashing
  
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon water
• 1 can creamed corn
• salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
   
2. In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, fry onion in a little oil until translucent.
   
3. Add in the broth, herbs, yeast extract, lentils and barley. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add in diced carrot and chopped nuts, simmer until lentils and barley are cooked through, about 10 more minutes.
5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash with butter, milk, salt and pepper to taste.
6. Combine flour and water and stir into lentil mixture; simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. It should be pretty thick. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
   
7. Pour lentil mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish. Spread corn in a layer on the lentil mixture. Spoon mashed potatoes over corn and smooth top.
   
8. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes.

Quinoa Loaf with Sun-Dried tomato gravy

I found out that quinoa is really high in iron, so I have been looking for ways to serve it for dinner. Today I made this quinoa loaf with a few modifications, including:
-- sauteeing the onion, adding in garlic and celery
-- adding in 1/2 jalapeno and some chipotle sauce
-- making it in a muffin pan for mini muffin loafs

I wanted to make a gravy for it so I tried this one (minus the bacon):

Overall, the quinoa loaf was a lot of work, I was thinking it wasn't going to be worth it, but it is such a healthy recipe, and tasted pretty good with a delicious brown crust and soft middle, so I will make it again. But the sun dried tomato gravy was not that great (but ok), so next time I will try it with a mushroom gravy, I think that will be better. Mahesh loved it and compared the muffins to a pakora he likes in India.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Casserole

Fall is here and so is an urge to turn on the oven and bake up something warming that will make the house smell great. When I saw Susan V's recipe for this casserole, I knew I would have to give it a try. It has so many of my favorite ingredients, black beans and squash and that hit of spiciness. The recipe is vegan but I am not (no one tell Susan!) so I de-veganized the cheese sauce for this casserole and it was very delicious. I will definitely be making this again. Here is the recipe, with my changes:

PUMPKIN AND BLACK BEAN CASSEROLE

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or one can, rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon canned chipotle pepper (or more, to taste)
10 drops spicy habanero chili sauce
15-ounce can of tomatoes

1 pound pumpkin (about 1/2 small pumpkin) or any winter squash (butternut, acorn, etc.) peeled and cut into thin slices, 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick

1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
1/2 teaspoon mustard (I used prepared mustard, you can use powdered too)
1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika

In a large bowl, combine the black beans with the next 8 ingredients and set aside.

If you haven't already, peel the squash/pumpkin and slice it into very thin slices about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick and 2 inches long. Use one pound of pumpkin or squash for this recipe, save the rest for another use.

Preheat oven to 425F. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with canola oil. Lay one-third of the pumpkin slices in the bottom of the dish, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cover with half of the bean mixture. Repeat layers with another third of the pumpkin and the remainder of the beans. Finish with the final third of the pumpkin slices.

In a blender or mini food processor, combine the milk, cheese and remaining ingredients. Blend well and pour over the pumpkin as evenly as possible. Cover tightly with aluminum foil or lid, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for 20-30 minutes, until sauce is thick and bubbly and pumpkin is tender.

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This was a great recipe, we just ate it as enjoying the sweet squash paired with the smoky/spicy bean mixture. I think it would also work very well as a burrito filling with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think!

Veggie loaf: attempt one

I found this recipe online and wanted to give it a shot:

Vegetable Soybean Loaf

6 servings

Measure	Ingredient
1 teaspoon	Olive oil
2 cup	Carrots; finely shredded
2 cup	Broccoli; finely chopped, both stems and florets
½ cup	Red bell pepper; diced
3 medium	Scallions; finely chopped
1	Stalk celery; diced
1 teaspoon	Minced garlic
1½ cup	Cooked soybeans; (or 15 oz can)
2	Eggs
2	Plum tomatoes; in 1/2 inch cubes, 3/4 cup
¼ cup	Dry bread crumbs; or toasted wheat germ
2 teaspoon	Fresh basil; minced
½ teaspoon	Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon	Salt
1 dash	Paprika

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with the cooking spray. Heat the oil and saute the carrots, broccoli, bell pepper, scallions, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, but not brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic during the last minute. Remove from heat. Process the soybeans and eggs in a food processor until smooth. Then add it to the saute pan. Stir in the remaining ingredients (except the paprika). Press the mixture into the loaf pan; sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow o stand for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve the slices topped with sauce of your choice. =

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I added in roughly 2 t. vegetable bullion powder, 1 T. nutritional yeast, and some spicy rooster sauce, but other than that I kept pretty much to the recipe as stated. My verdict is that it was pretty good but the main flavor was salt, and I thought it needed a more complex flavor, so next time I want to try adding in some goat cheese or caramelizing some onions/mushrooms and adding those in, also I think this would be good with a mushroom sauce.