Broccoli, Cheddar & Spinach Frittata

From here

Ingredients

• 8 eggs
• ½ cup milk of choice
• 2 small-to-medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• ½ teaspoon sea salt, divided
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• ⅓ cup water
• 2 cups thinly sliced broccoli florets
• 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
• ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onions

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 °F. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, garlic, ¼ teaspoon of the salt and about 5 twists of freshly ground black pepper until well blended. Then whisk in about half of the cheese, reserving the other half for later.
2. In a 10-inch, well-seasoned cast iron skillet or oven-safe sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the broccoli and water to the pan, then cover it with a lid (or a baking sheet) and steam the mixture until the broccoli is brighter green and easily pierced by a fork, about 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover, and add the spinach and green onions. Cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach has wilted, about 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Arrange the mixture in an even layer across the skillet. Whisk the egg mixture one last time and pour it into the pan. Sprinkle the frittata with the remaining cheese. Put the pan in the oven and bake until you can shimmy the pan by the handle (careful, it’s hot!) and see that the middle is just barely set, about 12 to 15 minutes.
5. Once the frittata is done baking, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing it into 6 large or 8 smaller wedges. Serve immediately. Leftover frittata will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days. Enjoy chilled or gently reheat.

Comments

 Used 12 eggs (and similar proportional increases of other ingredients) to fill a baking pan

Red Lentil Barley Stew

 

From here

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced into half-moons, or 1 cup sliced onion
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 cup chopped fennel, fronds reserved
• 1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems mostly separated and chopped (don’t worry too much about leaves and stems mingling)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ teaspoons fine sea or table salt, more to taste
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon baharat or garam masala
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 quarts vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 cup pearled barley
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in carrots, fennel, cilantro stems, garlic and salt. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, baharat, turmeric and cinnamon stick, and cook until the tomato paste begins to caramelize, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the broth, barley and red lentils, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour to 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the barley and lentils are tender. (Add some water if the pot starts to look dry; this can be as thick or soupy as you like.)
4. Stir in a tablespoon of lemon juice and the chopped cilantro leaves. Taste stew and add salt and lemon juice if needed (you might need a lot more salt if you started with unsalted broth). Serve in bowls drizzled with olive oil and garnished with chopped fennel fronds.

Comments

• I just tossed all of the cilantro in at the start; worked fine
• Skipped the fennel

Buffalo Cauliflower Dip

From here

Ingredients

• 1 small head cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored and cut into small florets (about 4 cups)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup Buffalo-style hot sauce, such as Frank’s
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces and softened (about 1/2 cup)
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ½ cup freshly shredded Cheddar (about 2 ounces)
• ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese (about 1 ounce)
• 1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped chives or scallions, or to taste
• Celery sticks, carrot sticks, bread, potato chips or tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a 9-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet, toss the cauliflower with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and cook on the stovetop over high to steam, 5 minutes.
2. Uncover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is fork-tender and caramelized in spots, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the butter. Once melted, stir in the hot sauce and simmer until the sauce has reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat, then stir in the cream cheese and sour cream until combined. Sprinkle the Cheddar on top.
5. Bake until bubbling around the edges and the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes. If you’d like the top to get browned, run it under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Immediately sprinkle with blue cheese and chives. Serve with vegetables, bread or chips for dipping.

Comments

• First step is kind of weird; there's probably a better way to steam (or pressure cook?) the cauliflower to soften it up
• Cut the florets into as small pieces as possible (or perhaps even rice them?)
• More blue cheese = better

Mushroom Risotto With Peas

From here

Ingredients

• 6 to 7cups chicken, vegetable or garlic broth or stock, as needed
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup finely chopped onion, or 2 shallots, minced
• ¾ to 1pound wild mushrooms, cleaned if necessary and torn or sliced into smaller pieces if thick (small wild mushrooms should be left whole, mushrooms like maitake can just be separated into small pieces)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or chopped sage
• 1½ cups arborio or carnaroli rice
• ½ cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or a mixture of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano

Instructions

1. Bring stock or broth to a simmer in a saucepan, with a ladle nearby. Make sure stock is well seasoned, and keep it simmering on the stove.
2. Heat oil in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add onions or shallots and cook gently until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Turn up heat and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they begin to sweat, about 3 minutes, then add garlic and thyme or sage. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and continue to cook over medium heat until they are soft. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Add rice and stir until grains begin to crackle. Add wine and cook, stirring, until wine is no longer visible in pan. Stir in enough simmering stock to just cover the rice. The stock should bubble slowly. Cook, stirring often and vigorously, until stock is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of stock and continue cooking, not too fast and not too slowly, stirring often and adding more stock when rice is almost dry, for 15 minutes.
5. Add peas, if using, and continue adding stock and stirring for another 10 minutes. Rice should be tender all the way through but still al dente. Taste now and adjust seasoning.
6. Add another ladleful or two of stock to rice. Stir in parsley and Parmesan, and remove from heat. Season with black pepper and serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates.

Comments

• Requires a lot of chopping and stirring
• Go heavy on spices