Shrimp Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

At best this is labeled a WIP (Work in Progress.) But it was tasty enough to warrant a mention, so that perhaps I can work on it in the future. Tastes sort of like fried coconut shrimp.
-Amanda

Shrimp Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

4 portobello mushrooms, gills removed
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
1/4 stick of butter
3/4 package of cream cheese
2 cups raw shrimp, diced
splash of soy sauce
splash of Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp apricot jam
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 1/2 cup toasted, unsweetened coconut flakes
salt & pepper
Olive oil

Coat mushrooms in olive oil and grill or broil to get them started cooking. Chop onion, ginger and garlic and saute it in the butter. Remove to a bowl. Mix in cream cheese, apricot jam, worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Add coconut flakes. Stir until everything is mixed well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Then add raw shrimp. Stir. Mound up on mushrooms. Place in a baking dish and cook for 15 minutes at 425 or until shrimp is cooked through.

Rood Vegetable Slaw with Cinnamon and Maple Syrup Dressing

I wish I was creative enough to have come up with this side dish, but since I've hardly ever eaten most of the root vegetables in it, I needed a recipe to follow. I found a recipe on a Raw food site that sounded really good. Her version was a bit different (she cut the vegetables differently and served it on lettuce) But it gave me a jumping off place to start. She also had some different vegetable choices. Use what you can find and go with it! I served this with fried haddock and butter. I had a bit of batter left at the end so I tossed in a few zucchinis too.
-Amanda

Root Vegetable Slaw with Maple Syrup Dressing

2 carrots
1 beet
about half a cup worth of rutabega
about half a cup worth of daikon radish
handful of dried cranberries

Cinnamon and Maple Syrup Dressing:

1/2 cup oil of choice (I used olive and coconut)
2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup grade B maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tbsp dijon mustard (I got to use my homemade!)
1/4 tsp salt
water, if needed

I used a food processor to grate all of my root vegetables after washing and peeling each one of them. You could also use a mandolin to slice them if you want bigger pieces, use a hand grater or cut by hand if you really feel like your knife skills need that much work. I did wear gloves when handling the beet because I did not want red hands. Put all the vegetables in a large bowl along with the dried cranberries and toss well.

In a small bowl mix all the ingredients for the dressing. Taste and adjust as needed. I did not think mine needed the extra water that the original recipe called for, but I might have done less vegetables than she did. Pour over the vegetables and stir everything together. Let sit for a couple of hours in the refridgerator to let the flavors develop. This is really good!

Tequila Lime Salmon Packets

 

I was super excited to find wild caught salmon on sale for $6.99 a lb a couple of weeks ago at my grocery store. It often goes for double of that. I only wish I had bought double what I did! Even so, I still got quite a bit of salmon and so now it's time to eat it all up. Luckily it was frozen, so I just brought it home and stuck it back in my freezer and didn't have to worry about freezing thawed out pre-frozen fish. (If that makes sense!) Salmon is also one of my kids favorite proteins. I think because it is pink and they are three year old girls. Whatever, it's a super good for you protein so I'll take whatever the reason is! Cooking fish in packets is a very easy way to prepare fish, so give it a try if you have never done it before!
-Amanda

Tequila Lime Salmon Packets w/mixed vegetables

Tequila Lime Marinade:

(all measurements are close approximations and can be tweaked to your liking!)
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
zest of one lime
juice of one lime
2-3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp tequila
1/2 cup olive oil

Vegetables:
2-3 carrots
1 zuchinni
2 handfuls of snow peas

Salmon:

4 filets


In a small bowl, grate the garlic and ginger. Add lime zest, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, tequila and olive oil. Whisk until mixed well. Taste and adjust, although it will be a bit strong because of the tequila. Pour in a small sauce pan and bring to a rapid boil for 15 minutes. Carefully (it's hot!) taste again, it should be more mellow. Adjust as needed. Set aside to cool down.


Cut carrot and zucchini into small sticks. Place in a small bowl along with the snow peas. Pour half of the marinade over the vegetables, cover and refrigerate.


Make packets about 1-2 hours before cooking. On a large sheet of parchment paper, place 1/4 of the vegetables in a pile, draining the marinade away. Place one salmon filet on top and season with salt and pepper. Add a bit of the marinade to the fish and rub it in. Seal the packet by crimping/folding all the way around. Do the same to the remaining 3 packets. Let marinade for 1-2 hours, no longer because the acid in the marinade will make the fish tough if you go too long.


Preheat oven to 400 and cook for 12-15 minutes. Before you cook the fish, press the fish gently with your thumb to see how much give is in the fish. After 12 minutes, press fish again through the packet with your fingers, it should be firm when done. Cook for a few minutes longer if it doesn't feel firm enough. Do not overcook or it will be dried out!

Roasted Tomato Salsa

First off, I know this isn't the best photo. But I was so busy eating it, I didn't want to slow down to photograph it! I really want to write down this recipe so I can repeat it in the future but I didn't really count everything so it's just sort of a guess. I plan on adding whey to what we didn't eat tonight and fermenting the rest to make it last longer (ha!) and to add probiotics to it. That is if it can sit on my counter for 3 days without being gobbled up... we'll see.
-Amanda

Roasted Tomato Salsa

8-10 tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
3 pablano peppers (you can throw in a spicy pepper or two also, but I just wanted the flavor, not the heat this time.)
1 large onion
5-6 cloves of garlic (paper still on)
Olive oil
sea salt

Line a cookie sheet (that has edges!) with foil. Lay the peppers out. You can keep them whole or go ahead and cut them in half and seed them. I seeded my bell pepper but kept the pablanos whole. Toss the garlic cloves still in their husks on the tray. Quarter the onion, removing the outer skin and place it on the tray. Cut each tomato in half and with a melon scooper, scoop out all the seeds and juice. Place cut side down on the tray. Liberally drizzle olive oil on everything and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes or until everything starts to brown a bit.

Add vegetables to your blender, removing the skins from the tomatoes and peppers as much as possible. They should peel right off. Pulse a few times to keep things chunky but blended. Add salt as needed. Enjoy!

To ferment add 3-4 tbsp of whey, put in mason jars and let sit out on counter for 3-4 days until bubbles form. Refrigerate when done fermenting.

Yeast Free Pizza Dough

Today at the grocery store, I splurged and bought a ball of REAL mozzarella. Then I bought some roma tomatoes and had an idea in the back of my mind to make a homemade pizza for dinner. I love homemade pizza because the possibilities are endless. I went in the kitchen to make the dough while my twins were taking a nap, knowing the dough needed to rise for at least an hour. I was so frustrated when I opened the pantry and didn't have any yeast. It's one of those staples I always keep, and I guess I didn't realize I had used up the last of it. So, now, having my taste buds set on pizza, I decided to take a risk and make a yeast-less pizza dough. Crossing my fingers I wouldn't hit disaster, I was actually pleasantly surprised. My husband actually liked it better than some of my yeast dough recipes!

Yeast Free Pizza Dough

2 cups of flour (I use wheat in most of my recipes)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano (or Italian herb mix)
1/8 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 egg
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp olive oil (reserved)
cornmeal (optional)

In a food processor (I'm sure a stand mixer would work just as well) mix all ingredients except olive oil. Process for 2-3 minutes until dough forms a tight ball. Place dough in a clean bowl and cover. Let stand for an hour. The dough will not rise much, but giving it time to rest will make stretching it out to make a pizza easier.

Preheat oven to 425º. While oven is preheating, stretch pizza on a stone. I put down cornmeal so pizza doesn't stick. It adds a crispy texture, also. Top with your favorite toppings, tonight I chose: pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, thinly sliced garlic and fresh basil. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is toasted. Let stand for 10 minutes (if you can) before cutting.
-Amanda

I'm bumping this recipe since it's a fan favorite!  Originally posted 5/26/09.

Fish with Fermented Strawberry Mango Salsa

Do you remember the Fermented Strawberry Mango Salsa that I made almost two weeks ago? I finally got around to serving it. The strawberries really made the entire salsa a bright red color. It's nice to see the vibrant colors. I think it's a sign of spring. I think this past winter, a lot of my foods were brownish with nice deep roasted colors but it was fitting for the season. A lot of times we get out of touch with what foods are grown in what season. You expect to find strawberries in the grocery store year round, but at least here in Texas they should just be making fruit right about this time. The strawberry plants in my front flowerbed are starting to put out little baby strawberries. Eating foods that are season is a goal I strive for, I'm not there all the way yet though. For instance, the broccoli on my plate isn't in season I don't think. I'm pretty sure broccoli is harvested in the fall. But like I said, it's all part of the journey to eating real, local foods!

Dinner tonight was flounder that was gently poached in a butter/olive oil combo. I served it with the salsa on top and steamed broccoli with butter. My husband I really liked the fish and the fruit salsa, but it was a bit too spice for the girls. They ate fresh strawberries with plain fish and the broccoli which they helped me cook.
-Amanda

Buttered Leeks

The first time I heard about leeks as a side dish, I thought how could that possibly be good? Leeks are part of the onion family after all. But the leeks come bundled together in bunches of three and the Potato Leek soup I made the other day only need half a leek. I didn't want the rest to go to waste. I decided to try out this easy side dish and discovered I really, really like it! Then again it uses a lot of butter so what isn't to like! But don't worry, Butter is actually good for you, despite the reputation it has gotten  in the past couple of decades. Real butter from grass fed cows is high in vitamins A, D and E. And despite what our culture tells us, you don't get fat off fat. Well, real fat that is. People gain weight from margarine, canola oil and other industrial oils. Real fat is used as energy and doesn't get stored in your body as fat. Gotta hand it to those marketers at Crisco for misleading the public about Real Fat! So make this yummy dish, and use a high quality real butter and enjoy every delicious bite. By the way the darker yellow your butter the healthier it is. By the way... Land O'Lakes may make "real" butter, but it isn't a grass fed butter.
-Amanda

Buttered Leeks

1-2 leeks (I used 1 and the half one I had left over)
6 tbsp of butter
1/2 tsp thyme
sea salt and pepper

Cut your leeks up, I cut mine in half lengthwise and then cut them in half again. We decided that the pieces were too big, so cutting them smaller would probably be better. However you cut them, after cutting you need to put them in a big bowl or sink of water and swish them around. Leeks grow up through dirt and dirt gets trapped in their tight leaves. Shake, pat or salad spin them dry.

Melt butter in a large skillet. Place leeks in and stir until they start to get wilty on medium heat. Add thyme, salt and pepper and cover. Cook on low for about 10 minutes until they are soft. Serve!

Kale Chips

Why haven't I tried this sooner? These are so good! Next time you are craving a savory salt treat, try these. Kale is super good for you and you won't even know you are eating something healthy when you munch into this crispy treat. As a matter of fact, my three year old twin daughters who have been known to turn their noses up at a vegetable or two literally couldn't get enough of these tonight. I should have made twice as many!

-Amanda

Cristpy Kale Chips

1 bunch of kale
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
garlic powder
sea salt
splash of apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 with your cookie sheet in the oven. Cut the stems out of the kale leaves and cut the kale into smaller pieces. Place them in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, garlic powder, sea salt and apple cider vinegar. Coat really well, make sure the olive oil is on each part of the leaves. Remove cookie sheet from oven and pour kale onto hot sheet. Spread in one layer. Bake 10-12  minutes. Remove before they start to turn brown. The brown parts are a bit bitter. Enjoy! I've known people to crumble this up on their popcorn, it's that good.

Cabbage Egg Rolls

This is an old Weight Watchers recipe that is so good that you don't have to be on Weight Watchers to enjoy them. I took them to a pot luck dinner last night because they are fine at room temperature. I only made about 30 of them, but they all disappeared, I should have made more!
-Amanda

Baked Cabbage Eggrolls

1 small head of cabbage, shredded
3-4 carrots, shredded
4 scallions, sliced thin
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sesame seed oil
1 tsp (or more if you like it hot) Asian Chili Garlic Sauce
3 tsp grated fresh ginger
3 tbsp corn starch
25-30 wonton wrappers 
cooking spray

Put shredded cabbage in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave 8-10 minutes until cabbage is wilted. Drain any excess water and return to bowl. Add shredded carrots and scallions. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame seed oil, chili sauce and ginger. Add cornstarch and mix until the cornstarch has dissolved. Drizzle over cabbage mixture and stir until well mixed. Taste your cabbage at this point to make sure it has enough flavor. You may need to mix up a bit more of the sauce an add it, depending on how much cabbage you have and how strong you want your eggrolls to be.


Take one wonton wrapper, and place about 2 tbsp of cabbage mixture in the lower bottom corner. Roll the bottom corner up towards the middle of the wrapper. Fold the left side in and then the right side. Continue rolling, wetting the top corner with a bit of water to make wonton stick. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Continue with all of your wrappers. Keep about 2 inches space between each eggrolll so they will get crispy. Spray each eggroll with cooking spray and bake at 350degrees for about 25 minutes or until golden and crispy on the edges. For an easy dipping sauce I make another batch of the soy sauce mixture leaving out the cornstarch. Float a few sesame seeds & cut scallions on top for a nice finish. Makes about 25-30 rolls depending on the size of your cabbage. 

If I'm making these for myself at home, once they are completely cool, I store them in the refridgerator in a large ziplock back with a papertowel to catch moisture. I either eat them cold or toast them in my toaster oven for a minute or two.

Quinoa

I tried quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) for the (second) time tonight. The first time was a disaster, I completely over cooked it and it was horrid. Tonight, I vote it was great, John did not like it and the girls ate about half of their serving. For those who have never heard of quinoa, it is a very healthy "grain." It's more like a seed and is actually related to beets and spinach. Which is why it is go good for you. It's very high in fiber and protein. For more information on it, read this wiki page.

I cooked 1 cup of quinoa in a smidge more than 1 cup of water for 10 minutes in the microwave. I was in a hurry tonight and had heard of this method. I'd like to try toasting it and cooking it on the stove top to develop more flavor, but this turned out really great. I then added a pat of butter and a few tablespoons of homemade vinaigrette. (3 tbps of olive oil & red wine vinegar, tsp of honey mustard, grated garlic clove, salt and pepper whisked well) Last I stirred in some sauted mushrooms (I like to add veggies wherever I can in a meal!)

I served the quinoa with a grilled steak and fresh greenbeans.
-Amanda

Carrot & Barley Stew

This isn't exactly a summer dish, but I had all the right ingredients for it and as you might have noticed (due to the lack of posts) I haven't been inspired to cook as much lately. Ever since returning from our vacation at the beginning of the month, I just  haven't been in the mood to cook. I'm trying to change that. This stew turned out very delicious. My husband even went back for seconds which is unheard of when it comes to soups and stews.
-Amanda

Carrot and Barley Stew

4 carrots, peeled and cut in chunks
1 pint of mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup of barley
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
4 cups beef broth*
2 stalks of celery
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium soup pan, saute onion and mushrooms in olive oil and butter. Add the barley and toast it in the oil. When it starts to brown, quickly add the carrots, celery, ginger and beef broth. Season to taste. Let simmer for an hour and half.

*use vegetable broth for a vegetarian meal. Omit butter for a vegan meal.

Carrot & Zucchini Coleslaw

Here is a very simple side dish to take to your next picnic. I made a small amount for dinner, but you can easily make more. I didn't measure, so use your best judgment, depends on how big your vegetables are to how much yogurt you use.
-Amanda

Carrot & Zucchini Coleslaw
1 carrot
1 zucchini
1 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp honey
2-3 tbsp raisins
salt

Grate carrot and zucchini in a small bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.

Zeytinyağlı Taze Fasülye

This dish has become one of my favorites. It is an “olive oil” dish, typically means it is served cold. It makes a great light meal, with fresh bread to dip in the juices. The technical name is Zeytinyağli Taze Fasülye  which translates into Fresh Beans with Olive Oil.

-Jules

Zeytinyağli Taze Fasülye

1 pound of fresh green beans
2 onions onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 big fresh tomatoes, finely chopped,
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp of salt
Clean and cut the green beans into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces.
In a deep pan, heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onions and garlic until translucent.
Add the beans, stir, and cook them until they are brighter green
Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes and then add sugar, water, and salt.

Cover the pan and cook on low until the beans are soft (about 45 minutes.)

Serve cold with fresh bread on the side.

Avocado Black Bean Veggie Wrap

Last night my mom and I went to a presentation put on by Dee McCaffrey at a Sprouts Market. I heard about the class from the Dallas Morning News Moms Blog. The topic was "How to eat Organic on a Budget." Dee is also a proponent of getting all processed foods out of your diet, including white flour and white sugar. She lost 100lbs this way and has kept it off for 17 years. And when she said that you should eat some avocado everyday, she had my attention! She did a demo of this recipe and it was really great! I did not buy her Plan-D Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas, but I did make my own from scratch using The Homesick Texan's recipe. Currently I am using 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white but in the future I want to play around with a "white" wheat that Dee McCaffrey told me about; she said it was good for baked goods.
-Amanda

Avocado Black Bean Veggie Wrap 

1 1/2 cups black beans (about 1 15oz can, drained and rinsed)
1 large, ripe avocado
1/2 cup shredded or crumbled cheese
2 tbsp minced red onion
1 cup shredded red cabbage (I used green, since it is what I had on hand)
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 cup cucumber, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup salsa
4  whole wheat tortillas*

Mash the beans adn avocado in a bowl with a potato masher or fork. Add in the cheese, minced onion and salsa. (I also added the juice of one lime.) Stir to mix.

Warm tortillas by placing on a hot griddle on high heat. Spread about 1/2 cup of the avocado-bean mixture onto one of the tortillas. Top with cucumber, carrot and cabbage. Roll up and serve. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and ingredients.

*Homemade Tortillas, courtesy of The Homesick Texan
(adapted from The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)
Ingredients:
Two cups of all-purpose flour (can make them whole wheat by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil**
3/4 cups of warm milk

**UPDATE: I don't use processed vegetable oils any more. I now would make this with coconut oil**
Method:
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.
Slowly add the warm milk.
Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)
After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. (If you roll out pie crusts you’ll have no problem with this.) Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.
Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.
Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.
While you probably won’t have any leftovers, you can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.
Makes eight tortillas.

Potato Salad for a crowd

I'm going to a farewell party for one of my husband's co-workers today. He's moving from the company's Dallas location out to the San Jose location. So everyone is getting together to say goodbye. The theme of the party is Farewell to Texas since they are moving away from this awesome state that has such good food. I'm contributing Texas Potato Salad, Jalapeno Cheese Bread and Sausage Balls. Here's my family recipe for Potato Salad.
-Amanda

Potato Salad

5 lb bag of red potatoes
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (Not miracle whip!)
3-4 tbsp yellow mustard
4 hard boiled eggs
2-3 stalks of celery,,finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced (red is nice, but whatever color onion you have)
1 cup cut up mini dill pickles (you can use relish, but I like bigger chunks)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Clean potatoes and cut them up into big chunks. Boil them until they are fork tender, but be careful not to over cook them. You want them to maintain their shape, and not turn into mashed potatoes. In a medium size bowl mix the diced onion, pickles, mayo, mustard, celery, sugar, chopped hard boiled eggs, salt and pepper. In a very large bowl (the biggest you have) place the drained, cooked potatoes. Add the dressing mix and stir together gently until all the potatoes are coated. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. The potato salad will taste better after it has cooled in the refridgerator. Serve cold.

Spaghetti Pie

I'm not sure where I learned this dish, but it is really easy to make and I hope it can become a family favorite. This is a method, the ingredients are up to your imagination! I made enough for two pie dishes because the leftovers are so great!
-Amanda
Spaghetti Pie

1 pound of spaghetti noodles
2 cups of mozzarella cheese
1 cup parmesan
10 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup diced ham (or whatever veggies/meat you'd like)
marinara sauce served on the side to dip

Pre-heat oven to 350º. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain well and place half of the noodles in a greased pie plate, the other half of the noodles in the second pie plate.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, cheese (reserve 1 cup of mozzarella to top the dish with), salt & pepper and any ham or veggies you'd like (mushrooms, bell pepper, onion etc.)

Pour egg mixture evenly in both pie plates. Take a spoon and wiggle noodles around to evenly distribute egg mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and eggs are set all the way through. Cut into pie pieces. Serve with marinara sauce on the side. Serves 12.

Kuru Fasülye and Cacik

This Turkish bean stew is a staple of casual home cooking.  Kuru Fasülye is usually served with rice pilaf and sometimes accompanied by cacik.  I LOVE cacik!  It is watered down salted yogurt with chopped up cucumbers.  I like to spoon it over my pilaf, then have a bite of Kuru Fasülye.  You can also just eat it with a spoon as a side.  Something about the warm beans, soft pilaf and cool yogurt is just fantastic.

-Jules

Kuru Fasülye

2 cups of cooked white beans --I use dried beans.  I think it tastes better that way.
Pour a good swirl of olive oil in the pan.  at least 4 or 5 tablespoons. 
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 chopped onions
2 chopped red peppers (bell or sweet)
3 chopped tomatoes
2-3 cups of water
1 teaspoons of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon of black pepper
2 teaspoons of salt

Treat your beans normally. If you used dried beans, soak beans them in water over night and then the next day, boil them until they are soft.
If you use canned beans, drain and rinse them.
In a pan, add the oil and the onions and peppers and sauté until onions are translucent and the peppers are soft. Add the tomato paste (about 10 minutes.)
Drain the beans whether they were dried or canned, pour into the pot with the onions and peppers.  Add the tomatoes and then the water.  Make sure the water covers the beans.
Add the peppers and salt.  Simmer for 30 minutes or until the stew has thicken.

Serve with rice pilaf

Cacik

1-2 cucumbers shredded
2 cups of yogurt
1 cup of water
salt to taste (about a teaspoon)

Combine ingredients and mix well.
Serve chilled

Carrot and Tomato Soup

This cold weather must have me on a soup kick. That and I thought I might be on a way to get the girls to eat some more vegetables. The carrots make this soup a bit sweeter than a normal tomato soup and the starch from them lend to a terrific creaminess.
-Amanda

Carrot and Tomato Soup

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 leek (or 1/2 a sweet yellow onion)
2 tsp olive oil
2 cans of diced tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp Italian season blend
salt and pepper
Splash of chicken broth, vegetable broth or water if needed
pat of butter

In medium stock pot saute diced leek in olive oil. Add minced garlic. Cook on medium low heat for about 2-3 minutes. Add seasonings, sugar and carrots. Add canned tomatoes and simmer on medium until carrots are very fork tender, about 20 minutes. Add broth/water if it gets too thick. Blend using an immersion blender or regular blender until smooth. Add a pat of butter to finish. Serves about 4.

Curried Potato Leek Soup

This is a clash of cultures. A bit of curry and a poblano chili takes this leek potato soup across a couple of borders but it tastes really rich and creamy. Perfect for a cold day like today!
-Amanda

Curried Potato Leek Soup

4-5 medium russet potatoes
1 poblano chili
2 leeks
4 cloves of garlic
4 cups of chicken stock (use vegetable broth for vegetarian soup)
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup fat free half and half
salt and pepper

Cut the tips off leeks and cute lengthwise in half. Fill a large bowl or clean sink with water and rinse the leeks thoroughly. They hold a lot of dirt and this is the only way to get them clean. Shake the excess water off of them and cut into 1/4" pieces. In a small stock pot, melt butter and olive oil. Add leeks and sweat on medium-low heat until tender and wilted. Mince garlic and add it to the leeks as they cook. Chop potatoes into small cubes. You can peel them first if you want, I like the added texture (and vitamins) of the skin. Before adding the potatoes to the pot, salt and pepper the leeks and add the curry powder. Add potatoes and stir until everything is coated with the seasonings. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Either broil the poblano pepper turning every few minutes OR if you have a gas stove, place pepper directly on the flame to blacken also, turning every few minutes. When entire pepper is nice and soft and black, place inside a glass bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. This will allow the pepper to steam itself and after it is cool, the black skin will peel easily off. Remove the top and the seeds. Cut half of the pepper into tiny little bites and add to the potatoes. Reserve the other half of pepper as garnish.

With an immersion blender blend potatoes into a thick creamy soup. If you do not have an immersion blender you can use a regular blender but add a bit of soup at a time and be careful of splatters, since the soup is hot. Add the fat free half and half. Garnish with diced poblano pepper and bacon or diced fried ham.

Acorn Squash Raviolis

How does one spontaneously decide to make homemade ravioli? I guess that is just how I am. So last night about an hour before dinner I decided to make ravioli. I make fresh pasta from time to time on a whim, but ravioli are a bit harder and I usually (notice the usually part) plan them out in advance. Well I got a ravioli press for my birthday and have been wanting to use it. I made a quick attempt a few days after I received my press but I over stuffed my ravioli and they exploded. Well last night my dough didn't come together so I had to ditch that and whip up a fast dinner. So I woke up this morning feeling challenged. I made fresh ravioli for lunch!
-Amanda

Acorn Squash Ravioli with a simple Bechamel Sauce

Filling:
1/2 acorn squash (Butternut squash would be tasty too!)
olive oil
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp ground sage
salt and pepper

Cut acorn squash in half. Scoop out seeds and discard. Drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper on squash. Roast in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes. (This can be done ahead of time.)

When squash is very fork tender and has cooled down, scoop out into a bowl. Add ricotta cheese and seasonings. Stir until well incorporated. Place filling in a pastry bag or ziplock back with the end snipped off.

Pasta:
1 1/4 cup flour
2 eggs
or wonton wrappers

Place ingredients in a food processor and process until a ball forms. Use a pasta machine to roll out sheets.

Assemble Raviolis:
If you have a ravioli press lay pasta out and put a tiny amount of filling in each square (depending on the size of your press.) Lay a second sheet of pasta ontop and with a rolling pin, roll the sheets together sealing in the filling.
OR
If you don't have a ravioli press but still have a pasta machine, lay out a sheet of pasta. Place about a tbsp of filling every 2 inches or so on the pasta. Lay a second sheet on top. Gently press around each mound of filling making sure to press out any air. Cut around each mound of filling into ravioli squares.
OR
Place filling in wonton wrappers and fold over into triangles.

Cook Pasta:
Fresh pasta only needs to boil for a couple of minutes. When the raviolis float to the top, cook for one minute longer and then drain.

Sauce:
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/2 tbsp butter
pinch of sage, salt and pepper
3 tsp flour
2 tbsp ricotta cheese

Melt butter in a pan. Add flour and stir until flour is wet. Add half and half and seasonings. Stir until there are no lumps in the flour. Add ricotta cheese. Serve over ravioli.

This complete recipe made about 3 servings.