Autumn Ratatouille

This is my all time favorite Fall recipes, perfect for Meatless Monday. Only he has the patience to make it. The recipe is little involved, but the results are fantastic. Luxuriously rich, smooth, and flavorful, this ratatouille is practically the best way I know of preparing vegetables that people can't get enough to eat.

Preparation time:  3 hours 

Ingredients

• 1 lb of yellow onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 lb zucchini, chopped
• 1 lb yellow squash, chopped
• Bell peppers, seeds removed, chopped into 1/2 inch square pieces:
• --1 lb green bell peppers
• --1/2 lb red bell peppers
• --1/2 lb yellow bell peppers
• 1 lb eggplant, 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 (14 1/2oz) can of good quality diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt to taste
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-inch sprig rosemary
• 3/4 cup white wine, vegetable broth or tomato sauce
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

Method

1 Preheat oven to 250° F.

2 Using a large oven-proof pan over medium high heat, sauté onions in olive oil until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and reduce heat to low.
3 While the onions and garlic are cooking over low heat, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a another frying pan over high heat. As soon as oil starts to smoke, quickly add enough zucchini cubes all at once to cover the bottom of the pan. Keep on cooking over high heat, stirring, until zucchini is lightly browned on all sides. Remove zucchini cubes, and add them to pan with the onions.
4 Working in batches, repeat this process until all of the zucchini cubes have been cooked. Do the same with the yellow squash. Make sure to add a little olive oil between each new batch. Continue with the bell peppers, then the eggplant cubes, adding the browned vegetables to the onion pan as soon as they are cooked.
5 When all the vegetables (except the tomatoes) are browned and in the pan with the onions, increase the heat to high and stir, making sure they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add salt to taste, thyme, bay leaf, and rosemary, the vegetable stock, and stir well. Place in oven, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring occassionally.
6 Add the chopped tomatoes and cover. If serving as a warm side dish, let the ratatouille stand for 10 minutes, just enough to "cook" the tomatoes. The ratatouille can be served at room temperature or refrigerated and reheated the next day.
7 When ready to serve, remove the bay leaf, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

I like to serve this with Creamy Polenta....
Serves 6-8.

Squash Quesadillas, Meatless Monday

It’s not too difficult to go meatless Monday in the summer. I mean, have you been to the farmers’ market lately? The stands are overflowing with tomatoes in every variety and color, squash, zucchini, onions, beans, peppers, nectarines; from a produce standpoint, it’s the best time of the year. My struggle with the market is restraining myself from wiping out the full stock of heirlooms or those tiny, yellow tomatoes that taste like candy. And if you’re lucky enough to have a garden, you’re bringing in quite the bounty from your yard, too. So like I said, eating vegetables on a summer Monday shouldn’t be a challenge. It might be tougher to stop scarfing down vegetables than it is to start.
So while you’re at the farmers market or in your garden, grab a bunch of zucchini or summer squash and some tomatoes. You’ll need them for this irresistible squash quesadilla. It’s comforting in the way that Tex-Mex food is, with little pockets of melted cheese topped with spicy salsa, but this version of the standard quesadilla is full of smoky, grilled squash. It’s so good, you might want to make two batches.

This recipe is flexible; you can use your outdoor grill or a grill pan inside. Make homemade roasted tomato salsa if you’ve got fresh tomatoes, or take a shortcut and serve the quesadillas with your favorite store-bought salsa.

Grilled Squash Quesadillas with a Charred Tomato Salsa

Makes 8 quesadillas

2 zucchini or summer squash, sliced lengthwise 1/4-inch thick
About 3 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter or a combination
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 GF white corn tortillas
1/4 to 1/2 cup Ancho Chile Paste, recipe follows, or store-bought
8 ounces thinly sliced or shredded Manchego cheese, Monterey Jack is a good substitute
2 green onions (scallions), white and green parts, very thinly sliced

Charred Tomato Salsa, recipe follows, or your favorite green or red salsa

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the zucchini with the oil or butter and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once until just soft, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Halve the grilled zucchini so they will fit into the tortillas.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add about 1 tablespoon of the oil or butter. Lay a tortilla in the skillet and paint a light covering (more or less depending on your taste) of the Ancho Chile Paste over the tortilla. Scatter or lay a slice of cheese just big enough to cover half the tortilla (about 1/2 ounce). Then add a strip or 2 of zucchini and some scallion slices and cover with another layer of cheese. Cook until the tortilla softens, about 1 minute. Fold the tortilla over into a half moon. Flip and cook on each side until golden brown and crisp and the cheese melts, adding more oil or butter if the pan gets dry, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Cut the quesadillas into wedges and serve with the Charred Tomato Salsa, or your favorite homemade or store bought salsa..

.
Ancho Chile Paste:
6 dried ancho or pasilla chiles or a mixture
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
Stem, seed and pull the chiles in half. Toast the pieces in a dry skillet over medium heat, turning until fragrant and blistered but not charred, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl of boiling water and set aside to soften, 30 to 40 minutes.
Put the chiles in a blender with the salt (not a food processor, it won’t be fine enough) and puree until very smooth. Add some of the soaking water, about 1/2 cup, if needed to engage the blender. Strain if desired.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the paste and fry, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Charred Tomato Salsa:
Position rack in the upper part of the oven and preheat the broiler. Line a small broiler pan with foil.
Place the tomatoes and jalapeno in the pan and broil, turning them as needed, until the skins blacken and split, 15 to 20 minutes. Wrap completely in aluminum foil and cool.
Core the tomatoes and stem the jalapeno (remove the seeds if you want to temper the heat). Puree the tomatoes, skins and all, with the jalapeno, oil, garlic and scallions and in a blender to make a smooth sauce. Pulse in the cilantro. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. (The salsa thickens a bit if prepared ahead and chilled; stir to loosen it up before serving.) Makes about 1 1/2 to 2 cups.
4 ripe medium tomatoes (about 1 pound)
1 jalapeno
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 scallion, white and green parts chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Kosher salt

Welcome Sunshine

Well, we are in the middle of May and it has been a wet one in California. It has felt more like February, mor elike cooking comfort foods rather than spring foods. Today we have sunshine though, at least for the time being, there are scattered showers predicted for the afternoon. I will take this bit of sunshine and write to you all. I am going back a few days to my meatless Monday, yet it is Wednesday. On Monday I tried my hand at a new recipe, something like a cross between eggplant parmesan and lasagne roll-ups. Think Lasagne minus the noodles and add the eggplant minus the breading and frying. I have to say it turned out great. Served with Creamy Polenta and a mixed herb salad. It was the perfect meatless meal.

Feel free to use your favorite fresh tomato sauce or a purchased sauce in place of the tomato and roasted red pepper sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant
• Olive oil, to brush the eggplant with
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup diced red peppers
• 2 large tomatoes, seeded, peeled, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ***Filling***
• 1 cup ricotta cheese or cottage cheese (I used cottage cheese because that is what I had at home)
• 1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper

Preparation:

Remove ends from the eggplant. Slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Brush a large baking sheet with  olive oil and arrange the slices on the baking sheet in a single layer. Brush the sliced eggplant with olive oil. Broil until browned. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and sauté just until tender. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer. Add peppers, tomato, 1/2 teaspoon basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a dash of pepper. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes, until vegetables are softened.
Combine the filling ingredients, mixing to blend well.
Heat oven to 375°.
Spoon half of the tomato mixture into a baking dish. Spoon a few teaspoons of the cheese mixture onto the end of each slice of eggplant. Roll up and place on the tomato mixture, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices. Top with remaining tomato sauce. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, top with shredded mozarella cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes, uncovered.

Asparagus Risotto

     In California winter can transition to spring in a flash. It seems like yesterday we were beset by chilly storms while the forecast for this week is all sunny and 70s. Daffodils are blooming, as are cherry trees, and the truest test of spring, asparagus in the market can be found for less than $2 a pound. I just couldn't resist these at the market today, and cooked them up into a creamy risotto, perfect for meatless Monday. This is a classic asparagus risotto recipe. You can easily dress it up with some lemon zest, lump crab meat, green onions, truffle salt, fresh thyme or chopped mint. Serve with a freshly baked loaf of Gluten Free Bread, such as Breads from Anna, Gluten Free Herb bread mix. https://breadsfromanna.com/products/gluten_soy_nut_rice_free
You won't be disappointed.

Asparagus Risotto Recipe

 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound asparagus
• 3 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 cup arborio rice, http://www.lundberg.com/products/rice/2_lb_rice_varieties/Eco-Farmed_White_Arborio_Rice.aspx
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• About 3 1/2 cups Gluten Free stock (use vegetable or chicken stock), can substitute some of the asparagus cooking water for stock*
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

.

Directions

1 Prepare the asparagus by breaking off discarding the tough ends (about the last inch of the spear). Cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces (tips longer, base shorter). If your asparagus are especially large, cut into even smaller (bite-size) pieces. Bring a saucepan with a quart of water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes. At the end of two minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus pieces to an ice water bath to shock the asparagus into a vibrant green color and to stop the cooking. Drain from the ice water bath and set aside.

2 In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.
3 While the shallots are cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan.

4 Add the wine. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
Note the stock amount given is approximate. You may need a little more or less. If you end up needing more stock and you find yourself without, just use water or the cooking water from the asparagus.

5 Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining 1 teaspoon butter, and the asparagus. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Meatless Monday, Here we go again, So simple, and so delicious!

Fried onions are mixed with rice and lentils, and topped with yogurt or sour cream.

This may sound like a plain recipe, but believe me, it's wonderful! It is an easy-to-make vegetarian comfort food that combines lentils, rice and delicious fried onions. The yogurt really gives it a super flavor!

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 large white onion, sliced into rings

1 1/3 cups uncooked green lentils

3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook about 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2. Place lentils in a medium saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes.
3. Stir rice and enough water to cover into the saucepan with the lentils. Season with salt and pepper. Cover saucepan, and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender.
4. Mix half the onions into the lentil mixture. Top with yogurt or sour cream and remaining onions to serve.

1.	Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook about 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2.	Place lentils in a medium saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes.
3.	Stir rice and enough water to cover into the saucepan with the lentils. Season with salt and pepper. Cover saucepan, and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender.
4.	Mix half the onions into the lentil mixture. Top with yogurt or sour cream and remaining onions to s

Another Meatless Monday, Asian Style

This recipe for Asian Peanut Noodles is similar to Pad Thai noodle dishes popular at Thai restaurants. Add some stir-fried chicken and veggies (recipe for my favorite vegetable stirfry is included on the bottom of this page), and you've got a tasty dinner that's almost as good as that takeout place down the street.


Asian Peanut Noodles

• 14.5 oz GF Vegetable broth
• 5 tbsp natural  peanut butter
• 1 tbsp sriracha chili sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp GF tamari (soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 8 oz rice noodles
• 2 tbsp chopped peanuts 
• 1 lime, sliced
• 3/4 cup scallions (green onion), chopped
• Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Combine 1 cup vegetable broth, peanut butter, sriracha, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until sauce becomes smooth and well blended, about 5-10 minutes.
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and toss with peanut sauce, adding additional chicken broth if needed to loosen sauce. Top with chopped peanuts, scallions, cilantro (if using), and squeeze of fresh lime.

I like to serve this with my Thai inspired Stir Fried Vegetables

• 1 medium-size carrot, sliced
• 1-2 cups baby bok choy
• 1 red pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
• 5-6 mushrooms, sliced, or left in halves or quarters
• 3 spring onions, cut in thirds
• 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets

STIR-FRY SAUCE:

• 1/3 cup vegetable stock
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (or substitute 2.5 Tbsp. GF tamari  (soy sauce))
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 5-7 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. liquid honey (or substitute agave nectar), plus more to taste
• 2 tsp. corn starch dissolved in 4 Tbsp. water
• 1 red chili, minced

Start by making the stir-fry sauce. Place all ingredients - except garlic and cornstarch - in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.

1. When sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat to medium-low. Now add the minced garlic and cornstarch (dissolved in water). Stir until the sauce thickens slightly - about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Do a taste test. You're looking for a balance of salty (fish sauce), spicy (garlic and chili), sour (lime), and sweet (sugar). Adjust these flavors to suit your taste.
3. Place a little oil in a wok/frying pan over medium to high heat. Add the carrots and mushrooms.
4. When the wok/pan becomes dry, add a little of the wine or sherry, 1 Tbsp. at a time, to keep ingredients frying nicely. Stir-fry in this way, adding more wine or sherry as needed, for 2-3 minutes, or until carrots start to soften.
5. Add the rest of the vegetables plus 1/3 of the stir-fry sauce and continue stir-frying another 2 minutes, or until the broccoli has softened but still retains some of its crispness.

Another Meatless Monday brings us Broccoli Cheese Soup

As spring arrives and there is still a slight chill in the air, I decide to do a Meatless Monday Soup Dinner. I love soup for dinner, especially hearty soups. What better than a Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup, thinking back to the days them I would get it at one of my favorite restaurants. Now being Gluten free and not having the option to go out and have my Broccoli Cheese Soup, I recreated this recipe to make it at home Gluten Free. Boy, is it yummy. This is a thick, rich delicious soup that the entire family will love. I suggest doubling the recipe.

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup Potato Starch/Flour or Rice Flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups vegetable Stock
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and Potato flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the vegetable stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.