Sunday, October 29, 2023

Broccoli Cheddar Nuggets


Ingredients

  • 16 oz steamed and blended broccoli
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dry oregano
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 3 large eggs, whisked

Instructions

  1. Blend the broccoli 
  2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together
  3. Add the blended broccoli to the mix and stir to mix
  4. Ball the mix into two-tablespoon portions and place on a cookie sheet
  5. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 mins, then flip and bake for another 15 minutes
Comments


Sunday, July 16, 2023

Brussels Sprouts With Walnuts and Pomegranate

 

From here

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped walnuts
  • tablespoons pomegranate seeds, plus more to taste
  • Pomegranate molasses, for drizzling (optional)
  • Flaky salt, to serve
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts with the olive oil. Season well with the salt and black pepper and toss again. Spread everything evenly on a sheet pan cut-side-down and roast until crisp and deeply golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes, flipping the sprouts halfway through to ensure even browning.
  2. Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to ensure they don’t burn, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. When the brussels sprouts are done roasting, toss them with the toasted walnuts and the pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with the pomegranate molasses (about 1 teaspoon or so), if using. Season with flaky salt.
Comments
  • Could use more walnuts
  • One pomegranate suffices for seeds

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Gochujang Potato Stew




From here

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
  • 1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 5 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons gochujang, plus more to taste
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon honey or dark brown sugar
  • 1 pound baby gold or fingerling potatoes, large ones halved
  • 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or butter beans, rinsed
  • 1 large bunch Tuscan kale, stems and leaves chopped (6 packed cups)
  • Cooked white rice, for serving
  • Sour cream and chopped flat-leaf parsley (both optional), for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Melt the butter and add the onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and gochujang, and stir until heated through and fragrant, just a few seconds.
    1. Stir in the vegetable broth, soy sauce, honey, potatoes and beans. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, then add the kale. (It will seem like a lot at first but will wilt down considerably.) Tamping down the kale, continue gently boiling the covered stew, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the broth is thickened to your liking, 10 to 20 minutes. Taste the broth and add more salt, pepper and gochujang as desired.
    2. Serve the stew alongside white rice and, for coolness against the heat, top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley, if using.
    Comments

    • Chop the potatoes finer
    • More greens!

    Friday, March 24, 2023

    Baked Spanakopita Pasta With Greens and Feta

    From here (mirror)

    Ingredients

    • Kosher salt and black pepper
    • 4cups chopped spinach, Swiss chard or other mild greens (tough stems removed)
    • 4cups chopped arugula, watercress or other peppery greens
    • 1cup chopped fresh dill or parsley leaves and tender stems, or a combination
    • 6scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, whites and dark green parts separated
    • 1pound tubular or curvy pasta, like rigatoni or fusilli
    • 2tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 4garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
    • 8ounces cream cheese (1 cup), cut into ½-inch cubes
    • 4ounces mozzarella, grated (1 cup)
    • 4ounces crumbled feta (1 cup)
    Instructions
    1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
    2. In a 3-quart/9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss the chopped spinach, arugula, herbs and scallion greens with 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Squeeze the mixture with your hands to wilt, then set aside.
    3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until 2 minutes shy of al dente; reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta and set aside. Return the pot to the stove.
    4. Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the scallion whites, garlic and a pinch of salt, and sauté until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese and pasta water and stir until smooth. Stir in the wilted greens, half the mozzarella and half the feta until combined. Stir in the pasta until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
    5. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish, then top with remaining mozzarella and feta. Bake until the sauce has thickened and bubbly and the top has browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. If you like a crisper top, broil for a few minutes.
    Comments
    • Chop up the greens a bit before putting them in the pot, otherwise they'll bunch up together in clumps
    • Buy already-crumbled feta instead of a block of feta to more easily sprinkle on top towards the end
    • Goes well with: Pita chips, olives, other Mediterranean stuff 
    • Step #2 is a bit strange; squeezing seems unnecessary, as is reusing the baking dish

    Saturday, February 25, 2023

    Tomato Soup (Instant Pot)


    From here

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 large yellow onion, diced
    • 5 cloves garlic, diced
    • 1 cup vegetable stock (250 ml)
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon Italian herbs or dried basil
    • 6 sun-dried tomatoes (in oil)
    • 4 x 15 oz cans of whole Italian tomatoes
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1/2 cup thickened cream or sour cream
    • To serve: croutons and Parmesan cheese
    Instructions

    • Turn the Instant Pot on and press the Saute button. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and onions and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring a few times, until slightly translucent and browned. Now add the garlic and stir, cook for 1 minute.
    • Pour in 1 cup of stock to deglaze the pot. Stir and scrape the bottom with a spatula to prevent a possible BURN error that might happen if anything is stuck. Press Cancel to stop the Saute process.
    • Add the tomatoes and all the juices from the cans. Follow with the remaining ingredients except for cream. Stir through briefly and pop the lid on top.
    • Secure the lid and press the Pressure Cook/Manual button. Adjust the time to 5 minutes, on HIGH pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 10-12 minutes to come to pressure and then the 5-minute countdown will begin. Once the timer is done allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes and then use the quick release button/lever to let off the remaining pressure.
    • Open the lid and stir the soup. Use an immersion stick blender to puree the soup. You can also use a food processor and puree the soup in batches, make sure to cool it slightly first.
    • Finish the soup by stirring in the cream and tasting for salt. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and croutons or grilled toast on the side. Cheese toasties are fabulous with tomato soup!
    Comments
    • Goes well with grilled cheese sandwiches