Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter

I had a butternut squash to use and a recipe for Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter was going around the dinner group. I made it over a few days because it was a lot of work. It also made a lot of gnocchi, so I cooked all the gnocchi, but only used half with half of the butter sauce and threw the other half into the freezer.
I like how it turned out, but the rest of family didn’t agree. Oh well...


Ingredients

1 1-pound butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 12- to 14-ounce russet potato, peeled, quartered
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (or more) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
Additional grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut squash lengthwise in half; discard seeds. Place squash halves, cut side up, on baking sheet and brush with oil. Roast until squash is very tender when pierced with skewer and browned in spots, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool slightly. Scoop flesh from squash into processor; puree until smooth. Transfer to medium saucepan; stir constantly over medium heat until juices evaporate and puree thickens, about 5 minutes. Cool. Measure 1 cup (packed) squash puree (reserve remaining squash for another use).
2. Meanwhile, cook potato in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. While potato is warm, press through potato ricer into medium bowl; cool completely. Measure 2 cups (loosely packed) riced potato (reserve remaining potato for another use).
3. Mix squash, potato, 1/2 cup Parmesan, egg, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl. Gradually add 1 3/4 cups flour, kneading gently into mixture in bowl until dough holds together and is almost smooth. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls. Turn dough out onto floured surface; knead gently but briefly just until smooth. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces.
4. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Sprinkle parchment lightly with flour. Working with 1 dough piece at a time, roll dough out on floured surface to about 1/2-inch-thick rope. Cut rope crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll gnocchi along back of fork tines dipped in flour, making ridges on 1 side. Transfer gnocchi to baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep chilled.
5. Working in 2 batches, cook gnocchi in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, 15 to 17 minutes (gnocchi will float to surface but may come to surface before being fully cooked). Using slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to same parchment-lined baking sheets. Cool. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover loosely and chill.

Cook butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat just until golden, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sage; stir 1 minute. Add gnocchi; cook until heated through and coated with butter, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Serve with additional Parmesan.

Apple Pandowdy

After someone from my dinner group suggested that this apple pandowdy from Bon Appetit was easier and tastier than an apple pie, I had to try it.

This was the first time I’ve worked with puff pastry and I thought it was fairly easy. I put together the filling portion the night before, though I forgot about the ginger and didn’t add it. I think if I were to make it again, I would use ground ginger for simplicity’s sake.

Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 pounds Pink Lady and/or Granny Smith apples

⅔ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 lemon

1 ½-inch piece ginger

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (preferably Dufour), thawed by covering pastry sheet with plastic and leaving at room temperature 30 minutes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Cook 6 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling often, until bubbling and golden, about 5 minutes; set aside.
2. Prepare your apples: Using a vegetable peeler, remove peel from apples. Stand them upright and slice down along core, working all the way around to remove big lobes of flesh. Cut lobes lengthwise into 1" pieces (irregular shapes are fine). Discard peel and cores. Transfer apples to a large bowl.
3. Add ⅔ cup dark brown sugar, 3 Tbsp. flour, 1 Tbsp. vanilla, 2 tsp. cinnamon, and ½ tsp. salt to bowl with apples.
4. Using a microplane or fine rasp grater, grate zest of ½ lemon over apples. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice from zested half over apples, catching any seeds. Using peeler, remove peel from ginger, then grate over apples.
5. Toss apple mixture until combined, then transfer to a shallow 3-qt. baking dish. Drizzle all but 2 Tbsp. brown butter over apples.
6. Dust cutting board with a light coating of flour and unfold puff pastry on floured surface. Dust top with flour. Cut puff pastry into irregular 1" pieces (any shape is fine).
7. Arrange pieces of puff pastry over apples, overlapping but spreading to cover almost completely. Brush pastry with remaining brown butter. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
8. Bake pandowdy until pastry is puffed and golden around edges, 25–30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and continue to bake until juices are thick and bubbling and pastry is brown all over, 30–35 minutes longer.
9. Using a spoon, press pastry down into warm juices (but don’t submerge); let cool slightly. Serve pandowdy warm with ice cream.

Do Ahead: Pandowdy can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool. Cover loosely with foil and store at room temperature. Reheat uncovered in a 200° oven 20 minutes before serving.

Pressure Cooker Mushroom Risotto

I had some mushrooms to use up after making a gravy and I had been in the mood for risotto, so I went with this recipe from Serious Eats.

I used white mushrooms and shiitake which may have contributed to it tasting just ok. I thought it  tasted kind of cream of mushroom soup. Also I cannot figure out why my risotto always ends up so dry.

Ingredients

• 1 quart (950ml) homemade or store-bought low-sodium vegetable stock
• 1 ounce (30g) dried shiitake  mushrooms (optional)
• 1 1/2 pounds (700g) mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, oyster, and chanterelle, trimmed and thinly sliced, stems reserved
• 4 tablespoons (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons (50g) unsalted butter
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 6 ounces; 170g)
• 2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 1/2 cups (about 300g) risotto rice, such as arborio or vialone nano
• 2 teaspoons (10ml) soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) light miso paste
• 3/4 cup (175ml) dry white wine
• 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream (optional; see note)
• 1 ounce (30g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
• Handful finely minced mixed fresh herbs, such as parsley, chervil, tarragon, and/or chives

Directions

1. 1.
   Place stock and dried mushrooms (if using) in a microwave-safe container and microwave on high power until simmering, about 5 minutes. Remove from microwave. Using a slotted spoon, transfer porcini to a cutting board and roughly chop. Add fresh mushroom scraps to container with porcini-infused stock and set aside.
2. 2.
   Heat olive oil and butter in the base of a pressure cooker over high heat, swirling, until foaming subsides. Add fresh mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until excess moisture has evaporated and mushrooms are well browned, about 8 minutes. 
3. 3.
   Add onion, garlic, and chopped shiitake (if using) and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and aromatic, about 4 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until rice is evenly coated in oil and toasted but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. (Rice grains should start to look like tiny ice cubes: translucent around the edges and cloudy in the center.) Stir in soy sauce and miso paste until evenly incorporated. 
4. 4.
   Add wine and cook, stirring, until raw alcohol smell has cooked off and wine has almost fully evaporated, about 2 minutes.
5. 5.
   Pour stock into pot through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding mushroom stems. Scrape any grains of rice or pieces of onion from side of pressure cooker so that they are fully submerged. Close pressure cooker and bring up to low pressure (10 psi on most units). Cook at low pressure for 5 minutes, then depressurize cooker, either by running it under cold water if it is not electric or using the steam-release valve if it is electric.
6. 6.
   Open pressure cooker and stir to combine rice and cooking liquid; a creamy consistency should begin to develop. Stir in cream (if using), cheese, and herbs. If risotto is too soupy, cook for a few minutes longer, stirring, until it begins to thicken more. If it is too thick, stir in some hot water. It should flow slowly when you drag a trail through it with a spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately on hot plates, passing extra cheese at the table.

Cucumber Salad

At one point this summer, we were swimming in cucumbers and I was trying to figure out ways to use them. I found a recipe for Cilantro lime cucumber salad. I thought it tasted great, but I like all of those flavors. I left out the jalapeño, but since L didn’t eat it, it didn’t matter.
I would make this again, but it needs to be eaten quickly, as this round seemed to go bad after just a few days.

Ingredients

• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cucumbers, very finely sliced (see photos)
• 4 tablespoons minced cilantro, to taste

Instructions

1. Dice the jalapeno and garlic and add to a medium-sized bowl.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Use a whisk to incorporate the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
3. Finely slice the cucumbers. Use a mandolin if you have it, but a very sharp knife will do the trick. (See photos below.) Add the cucumbers to the dressing and stir together.
4. Finely mince the cilantro and add it to the bowl. Stir to combine. You can either let it sit in the fridge to marinate for a couple hours, or serve immediately.

Roasted cabbage and apples with veggie sausage

I had (and still have half) a huge cabbage to use up. I’ve made cabbage and apples with veggie sausage before, but not sure if I followed a recipe. This time, I used a recipe from Bon Apetit. It as easy enough, but not sure of the flavors. My cabbage was green, so perhaps that might have changed the flavor profile slightly. There was lots of cabbage leftover, to.


INGREDIENTS
1/2 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium apple, sliced
2 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 package veggie Italian sausage
Crusty bread (for serving)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°. Toss cabbage, onion, apple, thyme sprigs, vinegar, 1 Tbsp. oil, and 1/4 cup water in a 13x9" baking dish; season with salt and pepper and roast, covered, until cabbage is wilted and softened, 35–45 minutes.

Lentil “Meatballs”

Someone in my dinner group made these “meat”balls and I had it bookmarked for the longest time until I finally made them. I served them with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

I used bread crumbs and thought they were a little dry, but I think they are worth trying again.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dried green, brown, or French lentils (I used green French lentils)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable, plus additional as needed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced yellow onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
1 cup shredded carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking oats (do not use instant or steel cut)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large egg

Directions:

1. I cooked the lentils in my Instant Pot with about 2 cups of water for 3 min on high pressure.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until onion is translucent and lightly brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the carrots and cook for another 2 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 additional minute.
3. Place the oats/bread crumbs and parsley in the bottom of a food processor fitted with a steel blade or a blender, then pulse a few times to begin breaking up the oats. Add the cooked lentils, onion mixture, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few times to start combining the mixture, then crack in the egg. Pulse a few more times until the mixture is combined but the lentils still have some texture. Set aside and let rest for 10 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then coat the paper with nonstick spray. Roll the lentil mixture into balls that are roughly 1 1/2 inches across, about the size of a golf ball. Arrange them in a single layer on the baking sheet and mist the tops with nonstick spray. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn, mist again with nonstick spray, and continue baking 8 to 10 additional minutes, until the meatballs are browned and lightly crisp. Serve warm with pasta or vegetable noodles and your desired sauce.

Eggs baked with spinach

I made Ottolenghi's Skillet-Baked Eggs with Spinach, Yogurt, and Spiced Butter Recipe, but made quite a few substitutions. I used both spinach and arugula, non-strained yogurt instead of Greek. I thought it was just ok. Maybe I would make it again if I needed to use up spinach or arugula.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large leek, chopped (white and pale-green parts only, about 1 cup)
• 4 scallions, chopped (white and pale-green parts only)
• 1 pound fresh curly spinach
• 1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon kirmizi biber (Turkish chili powder), or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of paprika
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

Directions

1. 1.
   In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
2. 2.
   Adjust oven to center rack and preheat oven to 300°F. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat until the foam subsides. Lower the heat to low, then add the leek and scallion and cook until completely soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
3. 3.
   Add as much spinach as will fit and lemon juice to the skillet, along with a pinch of salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently and adding spinach a handful at a time as it wilts until all the spinach is just wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt or more lemon juice as needed.
4. 4.
   Using tongs, remove the spinach to a second 10-inch oven-proof skillet, leaving any excess liquid behind. Make 4 indentations in the spinach and crack the eggs into them, taking care to keep the yolks intact. Sprinkle each egg with a pinch of salt, then transfer to the oven and cook until the whites are just set, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. 5.
   Meanwhile, melt the last tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chili powder and/or paprika and continue cooking until the butter just begins to brown. Add the oregano and cook for 30 seconds longer, then remove from the heat.
6. 6.
   Serve the baked eggs with the yogurt mixture, and top with the spiced butter.

Pasta with eggplant sauce

I made this pasta with eggplant sauce from Smitten Kitchen.
I thought it was just ok. I probably won't make it again unless I need to use up an eggplant.

Instant Pot Yogurt

I finally made yogurt in the instant pot! It was super easy, but it did require some planning about the different steps.
I followed the method from This Old Gal.

Sterilize (Optional)

1. Add three cups of water to the Instant Pot cooking pot, lock on lid and close Pressure Valve. Push the Steam button and adjust time to 5 minutes. When Beep is heard, open Pressure Valve (Quick Release). When all pressure has been released, remove lid and dump out the water. Dry and cool off cooking pot.

Make Yogurt (Not Under Pressure)

1. Pour Milk into cold/cool Pressure Cooker cooking pot. Cover with IP Lid or Glass Lid. Close the Pressure Valve, if desired.
2. Push Yogurt button and then the Adjust button, until it says "boil."  {For IP Plus, push Yogurt button until it says "boil"}  A few times during boil cycle, remove lid and whisk Milk.
3. When Beep sounds, open lid, whisk and take temperature. If the temperature is not 180 degrees, repeat last step or use the Sauté/Low function to get it up to temp, whisking continuously.
4. When 180 degrees is reached, remove cooking pot and place in kitchen sink full of cold water. Cool Milk down to 95-110 degrees, whisking often.
5. Temper starter - scoop out some Milk and whisk in the Starter. Pour Milk (w/the Starter) back into cooking pot, whisk thoroughly.
6. Place cooking pot back into the Instant Pot and cover with IP Lid or Glass Lid.  Press Yogurt button.
7. The display screen will say 8:00 (hit again or Adjust, if necessary). {For IP Plus, press Yogurt button repeatedly until the display says 8:00 Normal}  Make sure display says "Normal." Use the +/- button to adjust time to your desired level of tartness. The program will end after whatever time you have set to incubate.
8. When Cycle ends, remove cooking pot (covered) to refrigerator, until cool, 6-8 hours (undisturbed).

Make it Greek Yogurt

1. Use a Yogurt Strainer and strain the yogurt in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Your whey should be translucent/clear. If the whey is cloudy, add another layer of cheesecloth/butter muslin to your straining device. The Euro Strainer should produce clear whey.
   
   
   Next time, I will let the yogurt sit for a longer. Probably 10 hours, maybe more, but I thought that after 8 hours it wasn't tart enough. I also didn't strain the yogurt.

Pesto vegetable soup

I made this Pesto Vegetable Soup with veggies from the CSA share and from the garden. Even though it was hot out, the bowl tasted like summer!

Roasted Chickpeas

I am trying to work through stuff in the freezer, so I decided to make some roasted chickpeas to prevent me from putting something back in the freezer (after using some to make stuffed peppers).
I decided on Ranch-flavor, as I had a ranch seasoning from Penzey's I wanted to try.
About 1-2 cups of drained, cooked chickpeas,
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning

Mix everything in a bowl then roast in the oven at 400degF for 20-30 min.
I mixed things around about halfway through so they cooked evenly.

I probably didn't roast long enough, as some were still a bit soft, but others were charred, so I'm not sure what I did wrong. Otherwise they are a good snack!

Stuffed green peper

I've made this before, see previous post, but this was fairly quick and helped use up some CSA veggies:
2 cups cooked rice
about 1 cup cooked chickpeas
about 1 teaspoon cumin
about 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
one medium tomato chopped
1/2 cup green pepper chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
small white onion chopped
two veggie Italian sausages, chopped
two med-large green peppers cut in half with seeds and ribs removed
about 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Saute the onion, garlic and green pepper in olive oil until soft, add in the sausages until warmed through.
Mix all the ingredients (except the cheese and host peppers) in a bowl.
Put some cheese in the bottom of the pepper "bowl" then put the filling and top with cheese.
Bake at 350deg F for 20-30 min or until the pepper bowl is soft/cooked.

I thought it turned out great, but E thought it would taste better with the morningstar sausages instead. I'll try it with that next time

Instant Pot caramelized onions

I got a bunch of Elisa Craig onions in my CSA share so I decided to make caramelized onions. I used the method from serious eats to do this. I did a half recipe. It was easy to do and mostly hands off.


Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3 ounces; about 90g)
3 pounds yellow or mixed onions, sliced 1/8 inch thick (1.4kg; about 4 to 5 large onions)
1/2 teaspoon (2g) baking soda
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method
1. Melt butter in an electric or stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat. Add onions and baking soda and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until onions slightly soften and start to release liquid, about 3 minutes. Seal pressure cooker and heat to high pressure (12.5 to 15 psi). Cook at high pressure for 20 minutes. Release pressure by allowing steam to vent, then remove lid.
2. Continue cooking with lid off, stirring constantly, until liquid inside has completely reduced and the onions are deep brown and sticky, about 5 minutes. Caramelized onions can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days or frozen for several months.

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Instant Pot Caramelized Onion Risotto

I was inspired after reading a Wall Street Journal article about using the Instant Pot to make a couple dishes. I didn't have access to the recipe the author used so I improvised. The first, a ratatouille, turned out o. The second, soubise, or caramelized onion risotto, turned out quite a bit better. I caramelized the onions a day or two beforehand, also in the instant pot. For the risotto general process, I used this recipe from hip pressure cooking. I halved the recipe and instead of the sautéed onion, I just put in the caramelized onions, and I added at least a quarter cup of cheese at the end. It was super quick and I thought turned out great!


Ingredients
2 cups of Arborio Rice (can be substituted with "Short Grain White Pearl" rice)

4 cups (or 1L) of chicken or vegetable broth 

1 onion, chopped 

1 swig of white wine

 Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

 salt and pepper to taste 

INSTRUCTIONS

 In the pre-heated pressure cooker on medium heat add the oil, and onion. Sauté the onion until it becomes translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the rice and lightly toast it to release the starch. When you add the Arborio rice to the onions, the rice will turn from solid white to translucent as it absorbs the oil and onion juice, then in about a minute back to white. Wait until just a couple of grains look golden and your rice is toasted! Add a swig of white wine and un-stick any grains from the bottom of the cooker with it and stir the rice until the wine has fully evaporated. Add the broth (or broth and veggie mixture), mix and close the top immediately. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker. For electric pressure cookers: Cook for 5-6 minutes at high pressure. For stove top pressure cookers: Turn the heat up to high and when the cooker indicates it has reached high pressure, lower to the heat to maintain it and begin counting 7 minutes pressure cooking time. When time is up, open the cooker by releasing the pressure. For electric pressure cookers cook for a minute less (since the release takes longer) and remove the inner pot from the cooker immediately to keep the rice from over-cooking . The risotto should appear just slightly too wet. Stir, and the rice will continue to absorb the extra liquid in about 30 seconds. If the rice is still very wet, put the open pressure cooker back on a medium flame, without the lid, and finish cooking it this way - stirring often- until it reaches the right consistency. Add in the cheese and stir.

Tomato and Summer Squash Gratin

My CSA share partner was out of town last week so we got the entire share. I've been scrambling to use everything up before things go bad. I found a recipe for a tomato and summer squash gratin. I followed it pretty closely and used barley as the grain.

I thought it turned out really good. I also liked how many CSA veggies it used up. E and L didn't like it too much. If I was to make this again, I would use rice.

Ingredients
2 pounds tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced½ medium or 1 small onion
½ pound summer squash (1 good-size zucchini, for example), cut in 1/2-inch dice Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
1 cup cooked rice, farro or barley
3 eggs
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
1 to 2 tablespoons slivered or chopped fresh basil leaves

1. Method
   Peel and seed half the tomatoes, and chop fine. Slice the rest and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish.
   Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, until it begins to smell fragrant, and stir in the squash. Cook, stirring often, until the squash is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and the thyme, season with salt and pepper, raise the heat slightly and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the rice or other grains and remove from the heat.
   Beat the eggs in a large bowl.
   Stir in the cooked vegetables, salt and pepper to taste, and the cheese and combine well. Scrape into the gratin dish.
   Slice the remaining tomatoes and cover the top of the gratin in one layer. Drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Bake 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and the gratin is sizzling. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the basil over the top. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Instant Pot Ratatouille

I made this instant pot recipe for ratatouille last night. I didn't use the PIP method and didn't reduce the water, so the result was more liquid than I would have liked.  Also I added marjoram and basil. if I make this again I will not add any water. I served this with polenta. I liked the way it tasted but the rest of the family didn't.
Update: I made this recipe again (about a year later and still without the PIP), but I did not add any water. Even without the water, it was still a bit soupy and the vegetables were a little mushy. I turned on saute afer it was done to try to reduce the liquid a bit. I think if I were to make this again, I would try to sweat out the veggies (especially the squash and eggplant) with salt and drain/squeeze before hand.

• 1 large zucchini, sliced into thin circles
• 1 medium eggplant/aubergine, sliced into thin circles
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced into thin disks
• 1 small red onion, sliced into thin circles or ½ large red onion, halved and sliced into half moons
• 2 large cloves of garlic, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon of thyme leaves (dry or fresh)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar (sweet balsamic or regular)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup water

Instructions

1. Slice all the vegetables (see the picture) and sprinkle with half of the thyme, sea salt and pepper.
2. Line a round springform tin with foil. This is to trap all the cooking juices inside. If using a solid metal dish, then no foil is needed as the juices won't leek through the bottom.
3. Scatter some chopped garlic on the bottom. Going in circle, and alternating between eggplant, zucchini, onion and tomato slices, layer the vegetables into a tight snail. I like to start with the outer circle and make my way inwards into the middle. See image for reference. Keep the slices close together, overlapping slightly. Once in place, sprinkle with the remaining garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Drizzle over evenly with vinegar and olive oil.
4. Alternative: If this arrangement proves to be tricky, feel free to layer the vegetables in no particular form on top of each other. Sprinkle some thyme, salt, and pepper in between. You can also simply dice the vegetables and combine them with garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, vinegar and olive oil in the inner pot of the pressure cooker and set to cook for the same amount of time.
5. Place a wire rack inside the pot and add a cup of water. Carefully, place the tin inside the pot on top of the rack (see image). Place and lock the lid, make sure the steam releasing handle is pointing to Sealing. Press MANUAL (High Pressure) and set to 6 minutes. After 3 beeps the pressure cooker will start going.
6. Once the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 6 minutes, then use the quick release to let off the rest of the steam. Carefully remove the springform tin from the pot, using tongs if needed.
7. Serve on a plate in foil or transfer to a platter.

Summer pasta

I now subscribe to the New York Times food emails and get more than I actually read, but this recipe for a summer pasta with zucchini came across and it looked really good!
I used yellow squash, dried basil, and garlic scapes instead of the counterparts.
It really was quite tasty and Leela liked it too!

INGREDIENTS
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 pounds zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick pieces (for larger zucchini, cut in half lengthwise before slicing)
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced, or 2 tablespoons chopped green garlic
1 ounce basil, about 2 cups loose leaves
1 pound ziti or other dry pasta
8 ounces ricotta, about 1 cup (see recipe)
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
2 ounces grated Parmesan, pecorino or a mixture, about 1 cup, plus more for serving

Put a pot of water on to boil. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onions in 3 tablespoons olive oil until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat as necessary to keep onions from browning. Add zucchini, season generously with salt and pepper, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until rather soft, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.Meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle to pound garlic, basil and a little salt into a rough paste (or use a mini food processor). Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil.Salt the pasta water well and put in the pasta, stirring. Boil per package instructions but make sure to keep pasta quite al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.

Add cooked pasta to zucchini in skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Add 1/2 cup cooking water, then the ricotta, crushed red pepper and lemon zest, stirring to distribute. Check seasoning and adjust. Cook for 1 minute more. Mixture should look creamy. Add a little more pasta water if necessary. Add the basil paste and half the grated cheese and quickly stir to incorporate. Spoon pasta into warm soup plates and sprinkle with additional cheese. Serve immediately.

Okonomiyaki with cabbage and garlic scapes

CSA season has come upon us! This week's  box had lots of cabbage and garlic scapes, among other things. But when I harvested the scapes from my garden garlic, I came upon this recipe for  okonomiyaki that I had to try.
They came together easy enough and I thought they turned out pretty tasty. I didn't make the sauce because spicy, but thought it did need some sort of dipping sauce. Leela ate them, so I was doing something right.
I would make these again if I had an excess of the key ingredients.

Okonomiyaki with garlic scapes and cabbage (makes about 10 2-inch pancakes)

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 Tbs. sriracha (hot chile sauce)
• 1 Tbs. ketchup
• 2 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage
• 4 thinly sliced garlic scapes (or 1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced)
• a pinch of salt
• 5 eggs
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup flour
• Olive oil, butter, or peanut oil for frying
• 1/2 lime

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, sriracha, and ketchup.  Taste and adjust the amounts of everything until you like it.  This is what my friend calls “the funky pink sauce,” and she advises that you just don’t think about what is in it.  I support that advice
2. Heat a Tablespoon of oil or butter in a large frying pan, stir in the cabbage and scapes (or scallions) and saute with a big pinch of salt for a couple minutes, until the vegetables just start to soften.  Then, remove from the heat.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.  Then, whisk in the flour until smooth.  Stir in the cooked vegetables.
4. Using the same big frying pan (I didn’t even wipe it out), heat more butter or oil over medium-high heat.  Drop large spoonfuls of the batter into the pan and squash them flat as they cook (they should sizzle when they hit the pan, otherwise the pan isn’t hot enough).  Cook for a couple of minutes, until brown, then flip and cook until the second side is brown (just another minute).
5. Transfer cooked pancakes to a plate.  Repeat until all of the batter is cooked.
6. Squeeze the half lime all over the okonomiyaki.  Serve them accompanied by the pink sauce for dipping or spreading.  And, if desired, sprinkle them with chopped peanuts, cilantro, sesame seeds, or bonito flakes to garnish.

Garlic Scape Dip

I made this garlic scape dip to take to a friend's house tonight. I may have added too much salt, but otherwise, thought it turned out pretty good. Even Ebon said it wasn't bad, which I'll definitely take as a compliment!

INGREDIENTS

• 10 garlic scapes
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 2 tbs. sunflower seeds
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• sour cream and/or mayonnaise

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash the garlic scapes and cut off the ends so you are left with just the tender fragrant spiraly part. Chop them into small pieces.
2. Add everything to the food processor except Greek yogurt and sour cream/mayonnaise. Pulse until you have a pesto-like consistency.
3. Put the “pesto” into a small bowl and add the Greek yogurt. Take half of the pesto yogurt mixture and put it back in the food processor. Puree until almost smooth. Add back in to the small bowl.
4. Finally, mix in 3 tablespoons sour cream and mayonnaise. (This is totally up to you – you can add as much or as little sour cream/mayonnaise as you want to get your dip to just the right level of creaminess! I added more depending on what I was using it for and how creamy/garlicky I wanted it to be.

Kohlrabi Carrot Fritters

I had a CSA kohlrabi bulb to use and I didn't want to eat them raw in a salad.
I found this fritter recipe to use. I didn't make the dipping sauce because I didn't have the ingredients, but I did make a version of the sauce from this recipe .

I made sure to squeeze most of the liquid out of the veggies, and that definitely helped during the frying process. For the sauce, I made a 1/4 recipe m because 1 cup of mayo is a lot!! I also used up some green garlic that I had.

I really liked how it all turned out, but the rest of my family disagreed. At first Leela was enthusiastic, but said she didn't like it after one bite. Then I made the mistake of making her try the sauce. It was a mistake because raw garlic to her I spicy, so she took the bite and promptly spit it out.

Oh well, more for me! This was eaten with pizza for the others and a really good quiche made by a friend for me. Also we had salad- Leela will definitely eat salad with balsamic "dressing," girl loves her sweets!

Fritters

• 2 kohlrabi
• 1 carrot
• 1 egg
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ½ cup grapeseed or vegetable oil (enough for ¼-inch depth in a large skillet)
• ½ avocado
• ¼ cup plain yogurt
• ½ lemon
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• Green onions (for garnish)

1. Cut the leaves off the kohlrabi and peel the bulb. Peel 1 carrot. Shred the vegetables in a food processor, or by hand using a grater. Squeeze the shredded vegetables in a tea cloth (or with your hands) to remove moisture, then add to a medium bowl with 1 egg, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne. Mix to combine.
2. Place ½ cup oil in a large skillet (enough for ¼-inch depth). Heat the oil over medium high heat, then place small patties of the fritter mixture into the oil. Fry on one side until browned, then fry on the other side. Remove and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess oil.
3. In a small bowl, mix ½ avocado, ¼ cup plain yogurt, juice from ½ lemon, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt to make the avocado cream (or blend the ingredients together in a food processor).
4. Serve fritters with avocado cream and sliced green onions.

Dipping sauce 

20garlic cloves, peeled (about 2 heads)
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup chives, minced

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees, put garlic cloves in a small baking dish and add enough olive oil to cover. Roast until garlic is soft and golden, about 30 minutes. Cool.
2. Drain garlic, reserving oil. Transfer to a food processor, add 1 tablespoon reserved oil and the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper and purée. Transfer to a bowl and stir in chives. Use remaining oil for another purpose.

Maple glazed walnuts

I made these walnuts for snacks and to put on top of salads. I did two batches, the first one I may have over cooked, and they came out a bit dry. The second batch maybe was undercooked because they were sticky. I'll have to work on the technique, but they were definitely tasty!

Lemon poppyseed muffins

I have wanted to make lemon poppyseed muffins for a while. I found this recipe and it was super easy.
I had a bunch of frozen lemon zest, so I used all of it, way more than the recipe called for. I also used about half Greek yogurt and half whole milk for the dairy portion of the recipe.
They were not too sweet, and they produced at least 18 small/regular sized muffins. I froze most, but ate a few. Leela didn't seem to like them that much, but I would definitely make them again.

Pizza dough, NYT "easy"

This recipe for pizza dough was easy, and I thought it came out pretty good.

Tabouleh

I made this tabouleh, but scaled it down for the amount of herbs I had. Also I used CSA cilantro instead of parsley.
It's such a simple salad, but it was great.

Chard, potato, and white bean stew

I've been trying to use up things in the freezer and some white beans were calling my name. It has been generally colder and rainy than normal this spring, so I found this recipe for Chard, potato, and white bean stew.
I used cooked beans and did this in the instant pot, so it was quite a bit faster than the original instructions. After sautéing the onions and garlic, I did 4 min on high with a quick release with the potatoes, beans, herbs, and 4 cups of water. This took a while to come to pressure, but once done, I added the chopped chard. I also didn't use the stems so as to appeal more to the picky eaters.  I probably could have left the beans and added with the chard because they got even softer. Overall I thought it was good. Leela ate most, but didn't like the chard. Ebon ate some, probably out of pity. Not sure if I will make this again, but it's definitely a good use for chard and beans.


INGREDIENTS

1 cup dried white beans, soaked for 6 hours or overnight in 1 quart water 

A bouquet garni made with 1 bay leaf, a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme, and a Parmesan rind, tied together with kitchen string

Salt

1 generous bunch red chard (3/4 to 1 pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), sliced
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

PREPARATION

1. Drain the beans and combine with 1 quart of fresh water in a casserole or Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer. Skim off any foam, then add the bouquet garni. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Add 1 teaspoon salt.
2. Meanwhile, stem and clean the red chard leaves in 2 changes of water. Rinse the stems and dice. Set aside. Cut the leaves in ribbons, or coarsely chop, and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the onion and chard stems. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the potatoes and stir together, then transfer to pot with the beans. Bring back to a simmer, cover and simmer 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and beans are tender. Taste and adjust salt.
4. Add the chard and thyme leaves to the pot, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. The chard should be very tender. Stir in freshly ground pepper to taste and the parsley. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve, passing the Parmesan to sprinkle on the top.

Banana Bread

I have been trying (and failing) to cut back on sugar consumption, but I wanted to make a banana bread. My previous go-to recipe called for a cup of sugar per loaf, so I searched the interwebz for something a little heathier. I found a recipe from Cookie and Kate, a blog I follow, that sounded pretty good.

I followed the recipe pretty well, though, I used about three bananas that I had previously frozen then thawed to use. I had to leave while it was baking and wasn't there for the end, when I had set the timer for 55 min. Not everything in the middle cooked all the way, so something needed a little more heat or more time. Other than some of the middle not getting completly done, I thought it turned out really good, it definitely wasn't too sweet. Leela really liked it too. I will definitely try this one again.

INGREDIENTS

• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil or high quality vegetable oil*
• ½ cup honey or maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 ½ medium or 2 large bananas)
• ¼ cup milk of choice or water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
• 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
• Totally optional: ½ cup mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, fresh banana slices…

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey together together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then whisk in the mashed bananas and milk. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 10 seconds in the microwave.)
3. Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, and whisk to blend. Lastly, switch to a big spoon and stir in the flour, just until combined. Some lumps are ok! If you’re adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them in now.
4. Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. If you’d like a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.
5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (typically, if I haven’t added any mix-ins, my bread is done at 55 minutes; if I have added mix-ins, it needs closer to 60 minutes). Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

Sprinkles!

Leela loves sprinkles and Ebon occasionally brings home cookies from a bakery close to his work. The other day he promised that we could bake some, so we did last night. I used this recipie from none other than Just Add Sprinlkes!

It was a very easy recipe (Leela enjoyed helping), and I thought they turned out great. They did need to sit after baking for a bit to cool off. Ebon ate one too soon, while it was still warm, and he thougth they weren't done baking- too soft in the middle. After they completley cooled, they were fine and I consumed way too many of them!

Also I have recently developed a paranoia that the recipie links will disappear, so I'm going to start including the recipe in the body of the post.

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened to room temperature)
2. 1 cup Sugar
3. 1 Large Egg (room temperature)
4. 1/2 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
5. 1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract
6. 2 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
7. 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
8. 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
9. Additional sugar or sprinkles for rolling-about 1 cup.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir dry ingredients together for a few seconds to just mix it together. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together using a hand held mixer or stand mixer on medium speed. Mix for 2-3 minutes so butter is light and fluffy. Add in egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Continue mixing until egg and both extracts are combined. Turn the mixer speed to low and slowly add in dry ingredients. Continue mixing on low speed until dry ingredients are fully incorporated and cookie dough is formed.
4. Pour additional sugar or sprinkles (or both) onto a small plate for rolling. Scoop 1.5 tablespoon sized dough balls and roll each one in between your palms to make a circular shape. Roll individual dough balls in sugar/ sprinkles until completely covered. Place dough balls on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart, you may need to make smaller batches at a time. Using the bottom of a small drinking glass, light press on top of each cookie to slightly flatten it. Do not completely flatten, cookies should still be thick. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Remove cookies from oven and all to cool for about 15 minutes so the cookies have time to firm up slightly. Serve immediately.