Brocolli rabe fennell pasta

I am always making up weeknight pastas with whatever we have on hand, this one is a combo of several different recipes I found on the internet and the veggies we needed to use up in the fridge.

INGREDIENTS

-- 1 T. olive oil
-- 1 bunch brocolli rabe, chopped
-- 1/2 large onion or 1 small onion, chopped
-- 3 small cloves garlic, minced
-- 1/2 head fennel, with greens, chopped small
-- 1/2 lb whole wheat penne pasta
-- 1 regular-size can tomato sauce
-- 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
-- 1 teaspoon fennell seed
-- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or spice to taste
-- 1 teaspoon other herbs (I used rosemary and basil)
-- one large pinch sugar (optional)
-- shredded parmesan cheese

METHOD

-- Get water boiling for the pasta.  When the water is boiling, put pasta in and cook according to package directions.
-- Meanwhile, heat up some olive oil in a large frying pan. Fry fennel and onion for a few minutes until starting to become translucent. Add in garlic and fry until onion is translucent. Add in brocolli rabe and fry until partially wilted. Add in tomato sauce, garbanzo beans, herbs and spices, salt and pepper to taste, and boil until sauce is tasting good. I found this needed a big pinch of sugar to balance the flavors. 
-- When sauce is done, add in cooked pasta and a little of the pasta water, boil together for a few minutes. I find this allows the sauce to be partially absorbed by the pasta. Add a good grating of fresh parmesan cheese over the top.
-- Enjoy! I really loved this hearty vegetarian pasta with sausage-y flavors, I hope you do too!

carrot soup

We like this soup a lot and I want to remember the recipe

CARROT SOUP

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno, chopped
• 2 pounds carrots, cut into medium dice
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger (I use fresh)
• 1/2 head fennel and fronds, chopped OR 1/2 tsp fennell seed (better with real fennel though)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute onion, garlic, celery, jalapeno, and fennel in the bottom of a soup pot
2. Add in carrots, ginger, and vegetable broth, boil until carrots are tender
3. Puree soup, add in salt and pepper to taste, sometimes I also add in a tiny bit of cinnamon

meme

It's time for the blogger ABC game... 

A. Age: 33
B. Bed size: Queen
C. Chore you hate: Cleaning the bathroom. I have successfully avoided doing this for most of my adult life, sometimes responsibly, sometimes not. 
D. Dogs: eh. 
E. Essential start to your day:  breakfast, including coffee.
F. Favorite color: red
G. Gold or silver: both
H. Height: 5’10"
I. Instruments you play: I own a guitar but haven't played in over a year. I used to play piano and trumpet.
J. Job title: Writer/Story Editor, but I do lots of things
K. Kids: maybe
L. Live: Canada
M. Mom’s name: Jacinthe
N. Nicknames: Mona, Mo, pork
O. Overnight hospital stays: no
P. Pet peeve: Many, but today it's Facebook friends who block me from seeing their wall. Like, isn't that the point?
Q. Quote from a movie: I don't watch movies enough to quote them. How about a quote from a tv show? I guess the only one that comes to mind is "Don't tell me what I can't do" from Lost.
R. Right or left handed: Right.
S. Siblings: Older. My twin sister Becky is technically older but I consider us tied for oldest.
T. Time you wake up: lately around 7:00 AM but I am still jet lagged a bit, usually later.
U. Underwear: yes
V. Vegetables you dislike: OKRA! Also overcooked asparagus.
W. What makes you run late: Losing track of time, which I do very often. I'll look up and it will be 15 minutes later than I had realized. Teh internets are out to get me.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Not many. They regularly X-ray my teeth at the dentist which I think is a bit of a scam. I think they did an X-ray on my lungs to check for tuberculosis?
Y. Yummy food you make: LOTS! My latest favorites have been lasagne, roasted squash, and a delicious yogurt tahini sauce that is good on anything.
Z. zoo- favorite animal: elephant

Our go-to lasagna recipe

I have tried just about every version of vegetarian lasagna on the planet, and this is the one that we keep coming back to time and time again, I keep tweaking and re-tweaking the recipe, but here is the latest, after a few failed attempts I have figured out how to not pre-cook the lasagne noodles and have it still come out good:

Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1/2 of a (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium chopped red bell pepper
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1/2 large bulb fennel, chopped
• 1 small zucchinni, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, minced (or some spicy sauce)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1(26 ounce) jar pasta sauce, or 1 big can tomatotes
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 (15 ounce) container 2% cottage cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large frying pan, melt a little butter or oil. Fry mushrooms in oil in a single layer in the pan without moving them until they start to brown, then stir and cook until brown on all sides as much as possible. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, cook and stir fennel, green peppers, onion, garlic, and zucchinni in oil. Stir in pasta sauce or canned tomatoes, cooked mushrooms, and basil; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until it tastes good. Taste for salt and pepper. 
3. Mix together cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and eggs.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread 1 cup tomato sauce into the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer 1/3 each, uncooked lasagna noodles, ricotta mix, sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Make sure noodles are covered with sauce, if it doesn't cover add a little water to the sauce. Repeat layering, and top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
5. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover lasagna, then bake for an additional 20 minutes or until brown on top. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Why did I not think of this before: Easy way to peel butternut squash

Okay so I wanted to eat Ina Garten's Butternut Squash Salad but I was not looking forward to the somewhat arduous task of peeling the squash. So I made Mahesh do it.

Just kidding! I turned to my good friend Google for advice. I found a blog suggesting to poke the squash with a fork a few times and then microwave it for 3 minutes to soften the skin before peeling.

I tried it and it worked like a charm! The squash was peeled and cubed before the oven was preheated. Great tip!

Vegetarian split pea soup

There's nothing better on a cold winter day than a big pot of healthy soup. This version comes together super-fast due to the use of a pressure cooker.

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

Adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups dried split peas, yellow preferably
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 7 cups water
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 potatoes, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or savory, or both (UPDATE: I have recently decided I don't like dried thyme and now use fresh instead)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a pressure cooker over medium high heat, saute the oil, onion, celery, bay leaf and garlic for 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, then close pressure cooker and cook for 4 whistles. Allow pressure to come down naturally, it can take a long time for a very full pot.
3. Puree the soup and taste for seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

hot cereal for breakfast -- seven grain cereal

I am mostly an eggs-for-breakfast (and lunch, and dinner) type, but every once in a while I go on an oatmeal kick. I bought this seven grain cereal from our local co-op, and it does not come with cooking instructions on the bag, so in between kicks I always forget how to cook it. So, for future reference, here is the recipe:

-- 1 cup dried seven grain cereal (the one I buy is steel-cut and takes a long time to cook)
-- 4 cups water
-- dash salt

Put ingredients in pot, bring to boil, simmer for 25 minutes on low, or until cooked through, stirring every few minutes. Eat immediately, with any of the following toppings:

-- brown sugar and milk
-- chopped apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, a little sugar microwaved for 1 minute until cooked
-- berries, microwaved with a little sugar or raw
-- savory oatmeal
-- anything else your brain can think up!

Makes 3 servings, leftovers can be refrigerated and re-heated throughout the week, mix up the toppings for variety.

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For future reference, here are ingredients and nutrition information for a similar product,

Ingredients: organic whole grain cracked wheat, organic steel cut oats, organic whole grain barley grits, organic soybean grits, organic wheat bran, organic whole grain buckwheat grits, organic yellow corn grits, organic whole grain hulled millet.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/3 cup (44g)
Servings Per Container: 14
Amount Per Serving
Calories 140			Calories from Fat 10
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g							2%
	Saturated Fat 0g						0%
	Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg							0%
Sodium 0mg							0%
Potassium 290mg							8%
Total Carb. 28g							9%
	Dietary Fiber 6g						25%
	Sugars 0g
Protein 8g
Vitamin A		0%	•	Vitamin C			0%
Calcium		2%	•	Iron			10%
Thiamin		20%