cooking

Cauliflower Steak with Jalapeno Creamed Spinach

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Cauliflower Ingredients

  • 1 or 2 heads cauliflower, 3 pounds
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup pepitas – optional

Jalapeno Creamed Spinach Ingredients

  • 16 oz. fresh spinach
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove outer leaves from the cauliflower and trim stem, leave the core. Turn cauliflower heads core side down. Cut cauliflower vertically into 1-inch thick steaks.
  2. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add cauliflower steaks and cook 4-6 minutes until brown, turning once. Sprinkle with salt, cumin and pepper. Put the pan into the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until tender. Remove cauliflower from Dutch oven and cover to keep warm. Carefully wipe out Dutch oven.
  3. In the Dutch oven cook the spinach in two batches until wilted. (I add a little butter). Put into a colander and squeeze out the access liquid. Add the oil to the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and jalapeno pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes, stir occasionally. Stir in heavy cream and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until cream starts to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. (If you want it thicker add a little of the cream into a teaspoon of flour or cornstarch, mix until dissolved and then add to the Dutch oven, add more if needed). Stir in spinach and simmer until desired consistency is reached.
  4. Spoon the creamed spinach onto a plate and place the cauliflower steak on top. Sprinkle with pepitas if desired.

If you want a little more flavor I would go heavier on the seasoning. Some parmesan cheese might be good on top, too. Also, this jalapeno creamed spinach was not very spicy at all. So if you like spicy I would add another pepper.

Slightly altered from Better Homes & Gardens

Kimchi Wonton Soup

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cups shanghai or baby bok choy, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 package frozen mini pork or chicken wontons (I used pork and vegetable)
  • 1 cup kimchi, chopped (This is usually in the produce section)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. In a Dutch oven heat oil over medium high heat. Add bok choy and carrot and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender, stir occasionally. Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in wontons, cook for 2-3 minutes.
  2. Stir in kimchi and soy sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

This is nice because it is quick and easy and has minimal ingredients (great for a weeknight), but still has a lot of flavor. I never eat just a cup of soup. I have a heaping bowl! If that is you as well, I would double the recipe if you want to have it throughout the week or for lunches. As is, my husband and I each had a bowl for dinner and then I had a bowl for lunch.

Veggie Soup

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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped butternut squash
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 3/4 cups sliced parsnips
  • 3 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/2 a head of green cabbage
  • 1 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes
  • 3 cups stemmed and chopped rainbow chard
  • 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • chopped fresh parsley for garnish

  1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, onions and parsnips. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
  2. Add broth, tomatoes and cabbage. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chard and chickpeas, stirring occasionally, until chard is bright green, about 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat. Stir in apple cider vinegar. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

Great for winter! Serve with Ricotta Bread

(slightly altered from the Eating Well recipe.

Venison Tips in Mushroom-Onion Gravy

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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/4 pounds venison meat – comparable to a beef sirloin, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • salt and pepper
  • 10 ounces sliced mushrooms
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 lb. package egg noodles
  • chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Season the venison with salt and pepper to taste. (You can also season with a little creole seasoning)
  2. Place the meat in the Dutch oven in a single layer. Cook 3-4 minutes per side until browned. Remove from pan, cover to keep warm.
  3. Melt butter in the Dutch oven. Add mushrooms and onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook 5-6 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  4. Add flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly add beef broth. Whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook 2-3 minutes until thickened. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. (for thicker sauce, add a little more flour)
  5. Add the venison back into the Dutch oven. Toss to coat and cook another minute or two, or until venison is heated through.
  6. Serve over egg noodles (cook according to package directions) and sprinkle with parsley.

Venison has such a pungent flavor! When looking for a wine, I needed something that could stand up to it. I went with a Pinot Noir – Robert Mondavi Private Selection. Yum.

In the pictures there are also Ricotta Bread and Butterbeer Cupcakes

Borscht

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Soup Ingredients

  • 3 medium beets, peeled and shredded
  • 3 carrots, peeled and shredded
  • 3 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded
  • 1 8 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste
  • topping options: sour cream, mayonnaise, or horseradish cream
  • garnish options: parsley, chives, tarragon, or dill

Horseradish Cream Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh horseradish
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • pinch of granulated sugar
  • 1 cup creme fraiche or thick sour cream (I thickened regular sour cream by combining 1 cup of sour cream with half a tablespoon of gelatin, stir and heat until its temperature reaches 140 degrees, cool)

Soup Directions

  1. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender. Stir in tomato paste and 3/4 cup water until well blended. Add garlic and cook one minute more.
  2. Add 6-8 cups of water (depending on how brothy you want it) to the Dutch over and stir. Add the beets and cook until they are more pink than red. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook about 15 minutes or until tender. Add cabbage and diced tomatoes. Simmer until the cabbage cooks down. Season with salt, pepper and sugar.
  3. Ladle into bowls and serve with your desired toppings and garnishes.

Horseradish Cream Directions

  1. Put the horseradish, lemon juice, salt and sugar in a small bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. Stir in creme fraiche or sour cream.

I am in love with this Borscht! I have been searching and searching for a Borscht that I really like. I always compare it to the Borscht I had at my friend’s aunt’s house when I was 14 and nothing has ever measured up. But FINALLY, I found a recipe that I really love.

I tried all the different toppings and garnishes and they are all really good. I thought mayo was going to be weird, but I liked it. The horseradish cream was great! Sour cream will probably always be my favorite because it gives me that sense of nostalgia. Dill with the sour cream is probably my favorite.

I chose to make this vegetarian because that is how my friend’s aunt made it, if I am remembering correctly. You can make it with sausage, too.

I read that German riesling goes really well with Borscht, so that is what I got. Out of my options at Giant Eagle, the Von Wilhelm Haus Spatlese got the best review. It was very yummy. Nice and light and paired well.

Hands down; one of my favorite soups. My mom loved it, my boss devoured it, and even my husband loved it and he’s so darn PICKY! lol

Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Sausage

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Ok, so this is an original recipe so I’m sorry if I am all over the place. 😉

Ingredients

  • 1 box spaghetti – or whatever your favorite pasta is
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • dried basil
  • butter
  • 1 jar of your favorite sauce or homemade sauce – for this we used “Cleveland’s Own Little Italy Pasta Sauce” (I have a “recipe” for homemade sauce, but that is for another post)
  • a blend of your favorite sausage, 5 links total, sliced – we used Johnsonville Italian sausage: cheese blend and hot
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 pound mini sweet peppers, seeded and chopped – or you could use bell peppers
  • 1 package sliced brown mushrooms
  • sprinkle of salt
  • sprinkle of pepper
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
  • cheese for topping – we used mozzarella and goat cheese

Directions

  1. Pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil into a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, salt, pepper and italian seasoning. Add peppers about 4 minutes after onions. Cook until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until they start to get dark and shrink up a little bit. Add minced garlic and cook a couple more minutes.
  2. Add sauce and stir. Taste to see if you would like more seasoning. Reduce heat to low and simmer.
  3. Add sausage links to a saute pan. Fill the pan with water until the links are half-way covered. Saute over medium heat until the water level gets low and the sausage is almost cooked through. Keep adding water if you need to. When they are almost cooked through start adding olive oil instead. When finished, remove from pan and slice into bite size pieces.
  4. Add the sliced sausage to the sauce and continue to lightly simmer.
  5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a sprinkle of salt, a tablespoon or so of olive oil and a tablespoon of dried basil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain pasta and return to pot. Coat with butter.
  6. Place pasta in a bowl. Top with mozzarella cheese. Cover with sauce and sausage mixture. Top with goat cheese (or whichever cheese you prefer).

Suggestions

Wine. I love wine. I can’t even eat anything Italian without wine. Ha! With this we had Duckhorn Merlot. (Duckhorn Chardonnay is really scrumptious by the way.)

Serve with garlic toast. We were feeling lazy so we got the freezer stuff for this, but I can post homemade garlic toast later on.

Yes – goat cheese. We are obsessed! It adds a creaminess to it that is pretty awesome! I feel like goat cheese is one of those things you either love or hate, it can be an acquired taste, but oh man was it good in this. 🙂

Yes, we always put basil in with our pasta water. A bunch of it will stick to the pasta. We also butter our noodles before putting the sauce on. We have a butter obsession, too. And we don’t seem to notice any issues with the sauce sticking or not sticking with the butter on there.

My husband claims that if you slightly cut the spicy italian sausage and cook it that way, it makes it taste better. I have no idea if there is any truth to that. LOL!

Also, if you are ever in Cleveland, Mia Bella in Little Italy is the best Italian place to go – make sure you make a reservation first. 😉

Honey Maple Glazed Carrots

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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced on a long angle
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
  • decorative flowers, optional

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a sheet pan. Place carrots on prepared pan and drizzle with olive oil, maple syrup and honey. Sprinkle with coriander, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Spread in an even layer.
  2. Roast for 10 minutes, stir to redistribute. Continue roasting 15-20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes. Look for caramelized edges and tender carrots.

Make sure you use pure, quality maple syrup. The generic stuff just burns.

Brussel Sprouts and Butternut Squash

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
  • 1 pound brussel sprouts
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • pepper
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pinches kosher salt
  • pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place veggies on large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and stir. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir.
  2. Arrange brussel sprouts cut side down. Roast 20-30 minutes. Toss gently a couple of times during cooking.
  3. Whisk mustard and vinegar. Slowly pour olive oil and whisk. Season to taste.
  4. Toss veggies with vinaigrette. Serve warm, luke warm, or cold.

If you like your veggies very soft you can cook them in the pressure cooker with a cup of chicken stock, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. You can also add about 4 cloves of minced garlic.

Buffalo Chicken/Jackfruit Stuffed Peppers

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In these pictures I used jackfruit.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium multicolored peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken, or jackfruit
  • 1/2 cup plain whole milk greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup shredded low moisture part-skim mozzarella
  • 1/4 cup hot sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions
  • 3 tablespoons blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Brush all sides of bell peppers with oil. Arrange cut sides down. Bake until slightly softened, about 10 minutes.
  2. Stir chicken or jackfruit, yogurt, mozzarella, hot sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne and 2 tablespoons scallions in a large bowl.
  3. Remove peppers from oven, pour off remaining juices. Flip peppers. Spoon chicken/jackfruit mixture evenly into peppers (about 1/3 cup each). Bake until tender and heated through, about 15 minutes. Drizzle with dressing and scallions.

Sweet Potato and Coconut Stew

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Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 small yellow onions, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
  • 4 one inch pieces fresh ginger, peeled and grated, or 2 two inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • lime wedges

Directions

  1. Set sauce pan over medium heat. Add coconut oil, sweet potato, 2 pinches of salt and 2 twists of black pepper. Cook until potatoes begin to soften and brown, about 12 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low.
  2. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, ginger and coriander and cook until onion softens and the mixture is fragrant, about 4 minutes.
  3. Add vegetable stock, coconut milk and chickpeas and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are very tender and the liquid has reduced and thickened, about 30 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and spoon into bowls. Serve with a squeeze of lime.

I got this recipe from my best friend, Jessica. Very tasty! I doubled the original recipe to get more out of it. I noticed the cook times vary depending on your stove and what you are using to cook. Everything goes faster in my dutch oven. I also noticed when I used my stove and dutch oven I always have to set the heat a little lower than what the recipe calls for, otherwise it cooks too fast and I can’t keep up and before I know it stuff starts burning.

I like a lot of lime juice with mine!

ALSO! Don’t cut jalapenos with your bare hands. Even if you wash your hands several times, touching your eyes will burn really bad. I discovered this as I was taking out my contacts the night I made this. Ha!