Spinach Kugel

Spinach Kugel

4 eggs, well beaten
1 lb. spinach
1 lb. whole wheat egg noodles
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix*
1/4 lb butter (1 stick, 1/2 cup)
1 c milk

Cook the egg noodles.

Cook the spinach if using fresh spinach; defrost and dewater the spinach if using frozen spinach.

Blend eggs, onion soup mix, non-dairy creamer, and margarine (you can use your blender).  

Pour onto hot noodles, mixing well.  Add spinach.  Mix well.  

Pour into a baking pan and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

*I've been trying out substitute recipes for Lipton's onion mix but they have yet to measure up.

This is one of my dogs; his name is Kugel.
He is eating kugel! 

Quesadillas

Chicken & Veggie Cheese Quesadillas with Salsa & Sour Cream

Heat up a little bit of oil in a flat pan.  Let both sides of a whole wheat tortilla begin to brown.  Sprinkle on your cheese (I used raw cheddar) and other ingredients (including spices - I leave out salt because the cheese is salty enough).  When the cheese is melted, either fold in half or put another tortilla on top.  Press together; flip.  Eat with salsa and sour cream (guacamole would be good, too).

My veggies - onions, green and red peppers.

How to poach chicken

I used shredded chicken for the quesadilla.  To make shredded chicken, the first step is to poach your chicken.

You can use any liquid bath you want for this - stock, mead, water...  You can add juice, soy sauce, oil, herbs, vinegar, etc.  Whatever you want, you really can't go wrong.  You can marinate the chicken in an acid first or you can not.  It's hard to go wrong when you poach chicken.  Put the chicken in a saucepan and make sure it's covered with the poaching liquid.  The liquid should not be hot - room temperature is fine.

Put the stovetop on medium heat.  When the liquid begins to boil, turn off the heat.  Set your timer for 15 minutes and let your chicken sit in the liquid covered.  Your chicken is now cooked!

Some people suggest shredding chicken with a fork, but your fingers work just as well.  Up to you how finely shredded you want it!

The free-range chicken breasts I poached and shredded.

Pesto Pasta

Whole grain pasta with pesto, peas, and ground lamb.

Lentils & Rice

Pictured with a little bit of aged provolone melted on top.

This is a family food I my mom used to make.  1 part cooked rice, 1 part cooked lentils, and LOTS of onions, all mixed together.  Sweat or caramelize the onions (for at MINIMUM 10 minutes) depending on your preference.  Mix at least half of the onions in with the lentils and rice but reserve some of the cooked onions for putting on top of the lentils and rice when you serve it.

Feel free to keep as bland as you like or spice as much as you want!  Cooking the rice and lentils in stock will add flavor, and other good things to add include salt, pepper, chili, cumin, garlic, paprika, parsley, etc.  I squeezed some lemon juice and mixed it in.  Any rice or lentil will work or even a mixture (For the lentils and rice above, I used three different lentils and used up three different rices that were all quite low).

I was bored of the leftovers so I added ketchup and some soy sauce and then baked it into a lentil loaf.  Serve with ketchup on top!

A "Lentil Loaf" sandwich

Chocolate Pudding

Spiced Chocolate Pudding with Whipped Cream

I made a recipe I found at http://www.evilshenanigans.com/2009/03/spiced-dark-chocolate-pudding/

The only changes I made were that when I made fresh whipped cream I added in lemon zest.  This recipe would work well as a basic pudding recipe without the spices as well.

Serves 4

1.  In a saucepan, heat 1 cup of the milk with the a cinnamon stick, 2 lightly crushed cardamom pods, 1 clove, 1 1/2 t vanilla extract, and 1/4 t salt.  Bring to a simmer then shut the heat off, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes.  Then remove the cinnamon stick, cardamom pod, and clove from the milk.

2.  Whisk well 1 more cup of milk, 2/3 c sugar, 1/4 c cocoa, and 3 tbs corn starch.  Stir constantly over medium-low heat until it begins to thicken, 5+ minutes.

3.  Pour a ladle of the chocolate mixture into a bowl with a beaten egg and whisk well together.  Then return the egg mixture into the main mixture and cook over medium low heat until it begins to boil.

4.  Remove from heat.  Stir in 2 tbs butter and 3 oz chopped bittersweet/extradark chocolate.

5.  Pour into containers and chill for 2 hours.

6.  Top with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.

Ricotta Gnocchi with Beef Tomato Sauce

Sauce:  Onion, garlic, sage, ground beef, peas, crushed tomatoes, vegetable bouillon paste, agave syrup, fresh basil

Gnocchi:  This gnocchi recipe is from one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia - Mercato.  They have a delicious short rib ragu with ricotta gnocchi, broccoli rabe, and shaved locatelli.  A good combination I've done at home but braised short rib gives the meal a different flavor and takes many hours to cook.

Mercato posted their gnocchi recipe here.  I have also included it below.  I used whole wheat flour but otherwise followed the recipe.

1 pound low-moisture Ricotta cheese (note: the stuff in the tub, NOT ricotta salata)
1 whole egg
1 egg white
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup fine ground parmesan cheese
1 - 2 cups flour

Mix all ingredients together well except flour.  Gradually add in flour in increments until you have reached a dough that can be rolled but it still delicate and soft.

To form the gnocchi, flour work surface, roll out a quarter cup of dough at a time into long thin lines.  Cut with a knife into 1 inch long pieces.  Indent each with a fork to help catch sauce.  (Or if you are not as concerned with appearance, you can just roll them up and pull them apart).

Drop into boiling water, gnocchis are ready when they float to the top of the water.

Strain and serve.  (A helpful time to have a spider/skimmer)

Red Curry Beef and Vegetables w/ Cous Cous

I made a stir fry with whole wheat cous cous.  For the vegetables, I brought a can of coconut milk mixed with the curry paste to boil and let it heat up for 5 minutes.  This way when I put in the vegetables they are almost "fried" in the oil from the coconut milk.

Cous cous is a great grain to use not only for its taste but when time is short.  1 part cous cous to 2 parts near boiling water (or stock).  Stir and let sit covered for 5+ minutes.  All ready!