Black Rice Salad: Way Too Much Vinaigrette Used; Please Don't Make the Same Mistake I Did

I decided to make a rice salad to get back on the whole dieting thing after some craziness involving school and work. The good news is, this is my last year as an undergraduate. The bad news is, I have to struggle to get into graduate school. Wish me luck, everyone! Anyway, here's the recipe.

Cook one cup of black rice (also frequently known as Chinese forbidden rice or just forbidden rice) in one and three quarter cups boiling water for 45 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, thaw and drain frozen edamame (also known as shelled soybeans), French cut green beans, and corn.

To make the vinaigrette, combine one third of a cup of white wine vinegar, three Tablespoons grapeseed oil, and one Tablespoon agave nectar. Whisk this mixture to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss the rice and vegetables together in the vinaigrette and add salt and pepper to taste if necessary.

As I said in the title, this had WAY too much vinegar. All I could taste was the acid. Will found it so vinegary that it turned his stomach and he couldn't actually stand to eat it. If I ever make this again, I will cut down the vinaigrette by at least half. Also, if you have stomach problems, make sure to cut down the vinaigrette or else your stomach will complain at you forever.

Cauliflower Gruyere Souffle: Labor Intensive, But Tasty

I've made this dish once before, and it's relatively easy and flavorful. However, it requires a lot of dishes, so be prepared with an empty sink and dishwasher before taking on this particular recipe.

First, bring a quart of salted water to a boil. Add a cauliflower head that has been broken into florets; cover and cook for 25 minutes.

Drain the cauliflower and return them to the same pan to dry off any excess water on high heat. If you don't use high heat, the water won't evaporate off, and trust me when I say that cauliflower retains a lot of water, so it may take a while.

Once your cauliflower is nice and dry, add it to a food processor and puree it to a nice, almost mousse like consistency. Set it aside.

Next, combine a quarter cup each of butter and flour to form a roux; do not let this get too brown. Add one and a quarter cup of milk (I used almond milk, so it works out just fine), salt and pepper to taste, and a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. This should take about five minutes. Add four ounces of grated gruyere cheese and whisk it until it's smooth. Add two cups of the cauliflower to the mix and stir.

Now is where things get a bit tricky because you are tempering eggs. This demonstrates one of the proofs that cooking is applied organic chemistry. In order to temper eggs, you have to add about a quarter cup of your hot mixture to four egg yolks, because if you just add the yolks to the hot mixture without tempering them, you'll end up with scrambled solids, and nobody wants that. Once you've whisked the hot mixture into the yolks, add this well-blended mixture to the cauliflower mixture and set this aside.

Take your four egg whites that came from separating the four egg yolks and whip these into soft peaks using a hand mixer. You can do it by hand, but unless you have a strong pair of arms and like to whisk things for ten minutes straight, I recommend using the mixer. Fold the whites into the cauliflower mixture in such a way as to not break down the whites.

Pour this mixture into an ungreased souffle dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour or until brown. Serve this immediately because it will collapse almost as soon as you take it out of the oven.

Will and I liked this dish, but I need to work on getting the cauliflower as dry as I can. I need to remember not to worry about burning the food.

Baked Portobello Pizzas: Just as Easy, Just as Flavorful

It's been getting chillier here, and I decided that I should grill one last time. Well, the cold set in further than I expected, so I ended up baking this instead of grilling it.

Just follow the same direction in my other post on portobello pizzas and you'll be fine; just remember to bake them on a baking sheet without browning the gill side until the cheese is melted, the frozen spinach is hot, and the mushrooms are fragrant.

Will and I both loved these. They definitely don't lose any flavor from being baked instead of grilled. The only thing I would suggest is, use a baking sheet with a lip on it because the mushrooms end up leaking liquid all over when they start to get fragrant.

Farfalle Casserole: Easy and Cheap

I've had this recipe in my arsenal for years now, but I've never used it before last night. I decided, why not try it? Sadly, I didn't get to try it, but Will appears to have loved it.

First, cook your farfalle according to the package directions. Meanwhile, mix two ounces of alfredo sauce with two and a half cups milk (I used almond milk), a splash of red wine, and a Tablespoon of butter. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, and then turn the heat to low. Let the mixture simmer for a minute or two.

Next, add 9 oz trimmed and chopped asparagus, the pasta, and 4 oz of drained sundried tomatoes; mix this well. Pour this into a prepared casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Remove the casserole from the oven and cover with grated havarti cheese. Return the casserole to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.

Will liked it, but thought it needed Parmesan cheese and seasoned salt. Next time I make this, I'll try adding that stuff to properly tweak it.

Fusilli in Sundried Tomato Sauce: Simple yet Delicious

I had a lot of sundried tomatoes, so I decided to try to find something good to use them in.

First, place three ounces of sundried tomatoes in three cups of water and let it sit at least five minutes. Once it's ready, set aside one third of the tomatoes and process the rest of the tomatoes and the water in a food processor.

Saute a diced onion until the onion is cooked through. Add one minced garlic clove and saute until they just begin to color. Add the reserved tomatoes and the processed tomatoes and simmer ten minutes. Add dried rosemary, seasoned salt, and dried oregano to taste and simmer five minutes; put on low.

Meanwhile, cook fusilli according to the package directions. Toss the sauce with the pasta to coat and toss in ten shredded fresh basil leaves. If you aren't vegan or vegetarian, garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

Stilton Soup With Dijon Mustard: Easy and Delicious

I wanted something to help me use up some potatoes that were getting a bit old and the stilton cheese that was in my fridge. This was really useful for using both.

In a pan, combine four stalks of roughly chopped celery, one chopped onion, and two Tablespoons of melted butter in a saucepan; cook this for ten minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Add a quart of water to the pan along with two cubed potatoes. Simmer this until the potatoes are soft.

Add a teaspoon of dijon mustard (I used pommery, but any will do), a teaspoon of vegetable base, seasoned salt to taste, six fresh sage leaves, and five ounces of stilton cheese. Stir this until the cheese is melted. Once it's melted, use an immersion blender to blend it until smooth. Then stir in a heaping Tablespoon of creme fraiche and it's ready.

Will didn't like the smell of it, but he certainly loved the flavor. Even better, it reheats well, for those of you who like to bring leftovers to work with you.

Vegan Couscous With Curried Vegetables: Easy, Quick, and Tasty

I was looking for a good meatless recipe. Little did I know, I would find a great vegan recipe that is packed with nutrition and loaded with flavor.

First, bring two cups of salted water to a boil. Stir in two cups of couscous and take the pan off the heat. Let it stand for five minutes and fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat a Tablespoon of oil and add two minced cloves of garlic and one finely chopped onion. Cook until slightly browned. Add one thinly sliced zucchini, one can of drained garbanzo beans, and one thinly sliced and quartered eggplant as well as cumin and curry powder. Add the couscous and toss it to coat. Salt it to taste with seasoned salt and remove it from the heat.

Will loved it. I was surprised just how quick it cooked up and loved just how filling it was. I will make this again because it is so cheap and easy; it's perfect for nights that we have meetings.

Cheese Stuffed Shells With Marinara Sauce: Easy and Flavorful

This sounded amazing when I looked up the recipe; however, it had no sauce and my husband doesn't like crunchy baked pasta, so I quickly defrosted some of my homemade spaghetti sauce (see my post on spaghetti and meatballs for the recipe) and used that for the sauce.

First, cook your 11 ounce box of large pasta shells according to the package directions; while that's cooking, combine a pound of ricotta, 8 ounces of feta cheese, one egg, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, and two cups of spinach. This should make a stiff filling. Add two crushed garlic cloves and seasoned salt to taste.

By now, your shells should be cooked through; drain them and rinse them off with cold water to make them cool enough to handle. Spoon the filling into the shells and arrange them in a glass dish greased with olive oil; pour the spaghetti sauce on top. Bake this in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes, checking at 25 to make sure your sauce doesn't scorch.

Will loved this dish. If I wasn't mistaken, he had two helpings. I loved it, but unfortunately, I still have indigestion from last night, so evidently it didn't love me. I had a ton of shells left over, probably from adding too much cheese filling, so I will make it without the sauce and see what happens.

Fettuccine With Grilled Vegetables: Good, But I Made a Mistake

Since it's summer, I decided it would be time to grill some vegetables. This recipe is a good one, but I made a mistake that made it taste less than great. I will explain below.

First, chop up an eggplant and a bell pepper and skewer the pieces in a pattern along with eight ounces of crimini mushrooms. Set this aside.

Combine half a cup of dry white wine, a quarter cup of water, a Tablespoon of arrowroot, tarragon, and dried basil. Put this on high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Cook a minute or two longer and remove from the heat. Brush the skewers with the sauce you just made and cover the rest to keep it warm.

Put the skewers on a heated grill and cook until it's browned on all sides. Meanwhile, cook fettuccine according to the package directions.

Once everything is ready, put the pasta on a plate, toss the sauce you set aside with the pasta, add the vegetables, and top with grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

The mistake I made was in tossing the pasta in the sauce too soon; needless to say, the pasta absorbed the sauce and glombed together. I added olive oil to help un-stick the pasta, but that made it taste really funky because evidently, the sauce I used mixed with the vegan pasta I used and the olive oil resulted in an odd flavor. However, other than that, it was decent enough for my liking.

Dairy Free Pancakes: Unusual Flavor, But Easy to Make

As I said before, I have a duodenal ulcer. I discovered that eating dairy gives me heartburn, so I decided that it would be a good idea to give my stomach a break by eating something I know my body can handle: pancakes. I converted a recipe from The Antoinette Pope School Cookbook to be dairy free and low fat.

Sift together a cup of flour, two teaspoons of baking powder, one Tablespoon of sugar, and three quarters of a teaspoon salt. In another bowl, combine one large beaten egg, a cup of room temperature almond milk, and two Tablespoons safflower oil. Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry and combine only until the ingredients are moist but slightly lumpy. If you can't combine all the ingredients, add a little more almond milk.

Put a nonstick skillet on medium heat and test by sprinkling a drop of water on the skillet; if it forms tiny bubbles or bounces, it's ready. Pour the batter in the pan to form the pancakes using a spoon that will give them the desired size. Flip the pancakes like you would any normal pancake.

The pancakes tasted a bit like toasted nut butter, but once you put a bit of grade B maple syrup on it, they taste like any other pancake. Otherwise, the consistency and texture was the same as the full dairy ones.

Potato Leek Soup: Delicious and Easy

A former friend of mine made a potato leek soup with kielbasa. I loved the concept and decided to make it meatless.

First, wash and cut up five potatoes and one leek, put it into a pan, and cover it with coconut milk and water and add seasoned salt to taste; add less than you think because it will get stronger as it simmers. Let this simmer for an hour or until the leeks are tender and clear and the potatoes practically fall apart.

This was fantastic; Will didn't use as many crackers as he normally does, which I would say is a pretty big win for me. It was more flavorful than said former friend because I added more seasoning and had a richer flavor because I let it simmer longer and added the coconut milk sooner.

Penne with Gorgonzola and Asparagus Sauce: Easy, Quick, and Tasty

Asparagus is one vegetable that's in season, so I thought, why not make a pasta or something with it? This turned out surprisingly well and has now added some variety to our menu.

First, make a blue cheese sauce using cream and about five ounces of gorgonzola; once the cheese has melted and the sauce is thickened, add chopped asparagus pieces. Cook this until the asparagus is tender and heated through. Meanwhile, cook and drain the pasta. Place the pasta in a bowl and pour the sauce over; serve immediately.

Will loved this dish; he went back for at least thirds. The asparagus really mellows out the gorgonzola in a way that every other vegetable I've cooked in gorgonzola sauce has not. I think next time that I'll cross two recipes together and make this with asparagus and walnuts to add some extra protein and good fats to this recipe.

Butternut Squash Soup: Tasty and Warming

As I mentioned before, I had a lot of leftover squash, so I decided to make a butternut squash and apple soup. This was really quick and easy, but super tasty and warming.
First, cube about five cups of butternut squash and three cubed apples; put them in a pan with just enough water to cover them. Boil these until tender and then blend it until smooth.
Add a quarter cup each of stock and cream, a teaspoon of thyme, a quarter teaspoon of sage, a quarter teaspoon of cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.
Will loved this; he said it ranks up there with my cream of tomato soup. I loved this, and it was a perfect way to deal with the cold snap we've been experiencing.

Tricolor Pulao: Easy Vegan Meal

As I've said before, I'm always looking for good vegetarian or vegan options. I was looking through recipes and found this one; after a bit of tweaking, I got it to where it would be palatable for Will and me. He said it's one of his new favorites and, better yet, I should make this often because it's one of the best meals I've ever cooked.
First, lightly fry half a cup of cashews in grapeseed oil. Once they're golden brown and aromatic, remove them from your skillet or wok and set them aside. In the same pan, toast about a teaspoon and a half of cumin seeds until they spark and then add four green cardamom pods, two bay leaves and a half teaspoon of ground cloves. Once that's aromatic, add one diced onion and cook it until browned.
Next, add twelve diced baby carrots to the pan and cook for four minutes. Add a cup of basmati rice, the fried cashews, and a half cup each of frozen peas and corn; mix this until combined and the rice is a bit toasted. Add two cups of water, two teaspoons of ground cumin, and salt to taste. Let this simmer until the rice is cooked through, take it off the heat, and let it sit ten minutes before serving.
As I mentioned, Will and I loved it. I also made a discovery about myself when I made this: I don't like cashews raw, but I love them fried. I accidentally bought too many, so I'm thinking of frying what's left and using them as a snack or a component of a snack mix. This is another dish where I generally always have the ingredients, so I will be making this again.

Butternut Squash Risotto: Easy, Meatless Meal

I think I've said this before, but Will and I love risottos. The only problem we have with them is, they can be really fatty. This dish solves the problem and, better yet, it can easily be made vegetarian and vegan with one simple change.
First, take two cups of cubed butternut squash and combine it with two and a half cups of water. Bring this mixture to a boil, lower the temperature and let it simmer for five minutes, then take it off the heat and let it stand for five minutes. Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend this mixture until smooth.
Add three and a half cups of chicken or vegetable stock to your squash mixture; bring it to a simmer, then lower the heat to low. Set aside a quarter cup of the mixture. Heat a pan and add a Tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Add two cups arborio rice to the pan with the heated oil and toss, stirring constantly until the rice is coated. Add one cup of butternut squash, two and a half cups of the squash mixture, and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt. Once the rice has just about soaked up all the stock, stirring constantly, add the remainder of the squash mixture, one cup at a time, until the rice has soaked it all up, stirring constantly. Once all the squash mixture is gone, stir in the final quarter cup of the squash mixture and sprinkle ground time and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Will and I loved this very much. We did end up with a lot of leftover squash, though, since butternut squash are huge, so I will be making a butternut squash and apple soup later this week. As I said before, this can easily be made vegetarian and vegan by simply using vegetable stock instead of chicken.

Mushroom Rollatini: Easy and Tasty

I can never find cannelloni tubes, so I use the recipes to make rollatini using lasagne noodles. This time I ended up making my own red sauce, and it worked out pretty well. This recipe does contain bread crumbs, but you could always try making it gluten free by using rice or rice flour.
First, make a variation on duxelles by combining finely chopped crimini mushrooms with a finely chopped onion and adding thyme and a quarter cup of dry white wine. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer ten minutes. Mix in the breadcrumbs until just combined and it binds the duxelles together. Take it off the heat and set it aside.
Make the sauce by combining three quarters of a cup of dry white wine, a can of whole tomatoes with basil, a small can of tomato paste, salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Bring it to a boil and simmer it for ten minutes.
To assemble them, spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Take a cooked lasagne noodle and scoop some of the mushroom mixture into it and roll it up. Repeat with the remaining noodles, top with the remaining sauce and bake in a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes. Serve piping hot.
Will loved this recipe. I can see this becoming a winter staple. If you want some added flavor, add some Parmesan or Romano cheese to the top.

Vegetarian Lasagne Alfredo: Nutrtitionally Dense and Super Tasty

This recipe has been used by my mom for years. It is one of my favorite all time recipes, and has become a winter staple for Will and me.
First, make your alfredo sauce using cream, Parmesan cheese, and a splash of white wine. Once it's thickened and tastes like an alfredo sauce, it's ready; set it aside. Saute sliced crimini mushrooms and add about ten ounces of thawed and drained frozen spinach. Once everything is warm, add it to the alfredo sauce and mix thoroughly until hot.
Cook your lasagne noodles according to the package directions; if you have oven ready or no boil noodles, you may skip this step.
While your lasagne noodles are cooking, mix together a pound of ricotta cheese, two cups of shredded cheddar cheese, half a cup of Parmesan cheese, a beaten egg, a can of drained and broken up artichoke hearts, and salt and pepper to taste.
To assemble, put a layer of three lasagne noodles in the bottom of a casserole, followed by a layer of spinach mix, followed by a layer of ricotta mix, followed by a bit of Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Continue this layering until all the filling is used, ending with lasagne noodles on top. Top this with mozzarella, cover with foil, and bake in a 350 oven for forty-five minutes. Let it rest at least fifteen minutes; if you don't, the custard won't set properly.
As always, Will and I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I didn't have any mozzarella, but I discovered that it works just fine without.

Eggplant Parmigiana: Not Quick, But So Good

I had an extra eggplant and a ton of spaghetti sauce, so I decided to make eggplant parmigiana and use the eggplant before they went bad.
If you read my entry on zucchini and eggplant parmigiana from a couple months ago, you'll know the basic assembly; just remember to sprinkle the mozzarella and eggplant with Parmesan cheese before adding another layer of eggplant.
I forgot that I made my spaghetti sauce too runny, but it all worked out okay  because baking it seemed to have thickened it up a bit. Will and I both liked it, as we always do. Next time I'll add a bit more Parmesan, though.

Chili Rellenos Casserole: A Staple at My House

As I said two posts ago, I had a lot of leftover green chilies. One of my favorite things to do with said chilies is to make this casserole. I still had a couple more left over, so I'll be making Spanish tortilla later this week to get rid of it.
First, take your drained green chilies and split them open so they lay flat in a casserole dish. Place a slice of mozzarella cheese in each chile and fold the other side over. Don't be afraid to pack them in. Mix together four eggs, seasoned salt and pepper to taste, and a quarter cup of milk; pour this over the chilies. Sprinkle chile powder and shredded colby jack cheese over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the eggs set.
As always, Will loved it. He didn't eat too much of it, though, because if he did it would upset his ulcer, and nobody wants that.

Eggplant Muffulettas: Quick and Tasty

One of Will's favorite foods is eggplant, and I desperately needed to find a meatless recipe. Thankfully, I found this while browsing one of my holiday themed cookbooks.
First, make your olive spread by blending a cup of green olives, a cup of giardiniera, four halved garlic cloves, three Tablespoons of white wine vinegar and a quarter cup of olive oil. Saute eight ounces of sliced crimini mushrooms with one thinly sliced onion in equal parts butter and oil until the onion is clear and the mushrooms are lightly browned; set them aside. Combine a cup of flour and salt and pepper to taste in a plastic bag; place your sliced eggplant in the Ziploc one at at time, and shake to combine. Fry the eggplant in the same pan you used on the mushrooms until browned. To assemble the sandwiches, place your halved legnthwise focaccia bread on a baking sheet; I made my own, but you can just as easily buy focaccia if you aren't much of a baker. Spread the focaccia with the olive spread, place your eggplant, mushroom mixture, and slices of provolone and mozzarella cheeses and place this under the broiler until the cheese is melted, then take it out and top it with the other half of the focaccia.
Will and I loved these. Just as a warning, these are super messy; we outright had to use a fork and knife to eat them!