Month: January 2013


Jan
2013

Ratatouille

categories: Recipes

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Ratatouille – a delicious french vegetable dish that is usually kind of like a stew.  I found a recipe from WendyinKK that was inspired by the more upscale version presented in the Disney film.  Beautifully sliced veggies layered in a casserole – this is so gorgeous and hearty.  It is time consuming though, so be prepared.

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Eggplant, bell pepper, roma tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini.  You will probably want to bust out the mandolin slicer for this one, unless your knife skills are really good.

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Such beautiful slices!  You will need to saute the eggplant and squash slices to release their moisture and enhance their flavor. (more…)


Jan
2013

Broccolini and Feta Tart

categories: Recipes

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My friend Melissa (at Smells Like Brownies) and I are trying to make our lunch date a weekly thing, so hopefully these posts will become more frequent.  The last two times we made quinoa dishes, so we wanted to stay away from that this time.  I saw this recipe for a broccolini and feta galette that looked yummy, but thought it might be even better on puff pastry like this broccoli rabe tart.  I suggested this to Melissa, who agreed it sounded delish, and she decided to attempt making the puff pastry herself!

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I was super impressed that she was willing to take that on – brave woman!  But she said that it wasn’t as difficult as she thought it was going to be, so I may have to try it myself.  I mean, it was pretty freaking delicious.  I believe she used this recipe, and I will add a link to her blog when she posts about it.

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So, we pressed the beautiful dough into a pan (through we probably should have used a bigger one, as the crust ended up being pretty thick), and layered it with blanched broccolini, feta, garlic, scallions, and pine nuts.  Then we baked it at 350 until the crust was golden, adding some Parmesan towards the end.  This took a while because the dough was a bit thick, but it was so worth it! (more…)


Jan
2013

Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Broccolini

categories: Recipes

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It’s time for another vegetarian lunch dish with Melissa from Smells Like Brownies!  Similar to our last lunch (post here) we went with quinoa and roasted butternut squash, but changed up the rest of the flavors.  This time we added in broccolini, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, and a delicious avocado cream.

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We started out by cooking the quinoa and roasting the squash, which should take about the same time.  We followed the directions and added the broccolini into the partially cooked quinoa to blanch, but it wasn’t really cooking, so we put the lid on to steam it which turned it brown.  Next time, I think I would blanch the broccolini in a separate pot from the quinoa. (more…)


Jan
2013

The Hunger Games Stew – Food ‘n Flix

categories: Recipes

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Holy Mockingjay, Batman – I am so excited about this post!  Food ‘n Flix and Cook the Books have teamed up to do a double post for The Hunger Games, with Heather from girlichef hosting!  Announcement post is here.

The Hunger Games is the first book of a trilogy about a dystopian alternate timeline where war has reduced America to 12 Districts ruled by a Capital.  As punishment for a rebellion, all 12 Districts must offer up 1 boy and 1 girl between the ages of 12 and 18 as a tribute to compete in the Hunger Games each year.  These children must then fight to the death in a televised spectacle with only 1 survivor.  To make things even worse, all of the Districts are purposefully kept in a state of starvation except for the District of the winner – which is given ample food for a year until the next Hunger Games (hence the name).  Food, therefore, is extremely important and a focus throughout the series.

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The protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, is an extremely tough teen who would do anything to protect her family and especially her little sister, Primrose.  When Prim is selected as Tribute (a death sentence for the timid 12 year-old), Katniss volunteers to take her place.  Before being entered into the death-match proper, the Tributes are primped and pampered and paraded around the Capital.  It is here that Katniss experiences luxury and an overabundance of food for the first time in her life.

Her favorite dish is a Lamb Stew with Dried Plums – it is mentioned frequently and even sent to her as a present when she is fighting for her life.  I decided that the stew would be the perfect dish to make for this post, served on some wild rice that seemed fitting for the setting.  I also served it with goat cheese rolled in herbs (inspired by the cheese that Primrose makes from her prized pet) and rustic seed bread (inspired by Peeta – Katniss’s love interest and fellow Tribute, whose family owns a bakery). (more…)


Jan
2013

More Figs!

categories: Recipes

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I’ve stated before how obsessed I am with figs.  I snatch them up whenever I see them at the store.  Jasper does not share my love of these little jewels, which means more for me!  Bwahahahaha!  …Okay I’m fine now, sorry about that.

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Mostly I like to eat my figs with cheese – this makes me ridiculously happy.  Coincidentally (or not), I also like to eat my cheese with fig jam.  Anyway, one of the most popular pairings for figs is blue cheese, so I wanted to play around with that a bit.

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I broiled the figs with blue cheese so that they were hot and melty, but I didn’t stop there…

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I topped them off with crispy prosciutto and honey.

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It’s okay if you drool a little, I understand.

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Going in a sweeter direction – I also made some balsamic glazed figs with mascarpone.

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Adapted from this recipe – I tossed the figs with a glaze made from balsamic vinegar, sugar, orange juice, and orange zest and broiled them.  Then I served them on top of mascarpone whipped with cream and sugar.

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The cream melting into the hot figs with the sweet and tangy glaze… yeah – this was pretty much heaven.


Jan
2013

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

categories: Recipes

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Spiced butternut squash puree?  Creamy bechamel?  Gooey cheese?  Yes please!  This dish is so comforting and delicious – just perfect for fall.

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Roast  some butternut squash with olive oil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Mash it up with mascarpone, Parmesan, brown butter, garlic, and shallots.

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Stuff the filling into large pasta shells – I used whole wheat to add a semblance of health.  I found one box of shells to be too many, actually – so I filled the others with cheese and tomato sauce. (more…)