Roasted Cauliflower and Aged Cheddar Soup

Some of y'all asked for the recipe to the soup I made for Christmas Eve and here it is. I went the slow cooker route to make it easy to transport and keep warm. I doubled this recipe and it made plenty - would be great to do and freeze half.

Bottoms up!

ingredients

• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets

• 2 tablespoons oil

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped

• 3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth or chicken stock *

• 1 1/2 cups aged white cheddar, shredded

• 1 cup milk or cream

• salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Toss the cauliflower florets in the oil along with the salt and pepper, arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

1. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

1. Add the broth, deglaze the pan, add the cauliflower, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

1. Puree the soup until it reaches your desired consistency with a stick blender.

1. Mix in the cheese, let it melt without bringing it to boil again.

1. Mix in the milk, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Slow Cooker: Implement step 1, optionally implement steps 2 & 3, place everything except the cheese and milk in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2-4 hours before adding the cheese and milk and cooking until the cheese has melted.Note: The amount of broth that you are going to need will depend on how large your head of cauliflower is and how thick or thin you prefer the soup to be.

http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/02/roasted-cauliflower-and-aged-white.html?m=1

Cindy's Calico Beans

I know we all love Cindy's baked bean recipe. Thought I would add it here so its always on file.

1/2 pound hamburger

1/2 pound bacon

1 cup chopped ham

1 can kidney beans

1 can butter beans

1 can pork and beans

1 can lima beans

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tbl.vineger

2 tbl.prepared yellow mustard

1/2 tsp.salt

1/2 cup catsup

 

brown and drain bacon and hamburger.

crumble bacon add ham and rest of ingredients.

include all liquid from beans (or at least half).

put in casserole and bake 40 minutes uncovered at 350 degrees.

*crockpot option- follow directions above but put all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on medium-high for 2 to 3 hours stirring occasionally.

 

ENJOY!

Easy Tuscan Bean Soup

I made this tonight and it was so so good! I added turkey meatballs for Rob and Bo. Bon appetito!

Easy Tuscan Bean Soup

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Serves: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 yellow summer squash, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 quart vegetable (or chicken) broth
• 2 (14 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14 ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with juices
• 3 cups chopped kale, ribs removed
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (I didn't have this so I used apple cider vinegar)

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 6 quart or larger Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, and squash. Saute for 4 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme and rosemary. Cook 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the broth, beans, and tomatoes. Bring the contents to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and add the chopped kale. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender* to partially puree the soup, leaving some chunks of beans vegetables for texture.
5. Add the salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
6. Serve topped with Parmesan or Dubliner cheese and a side of crusty bread.

Notes

*Alternatively, transfer small amounts to a counter top blender and puree as desired.

Cheddar and chive scones

Full disclosure - I haven't tried these yet. They sound amazing (has anyone else had the cheddar/chive scones from Nordstrom Cafe? They're delicious! This recipe reminds me of them) and not too difficult to bake. Posting the recipe here so I can refer back to it when the time comes to make these.

Makes 12

• 1/2 cup milk (plus 2 tablespoons for brushing over scones)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour , more for rolling out biscuits
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cup grated sharp or aged cheddar , divided

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup milk and eggs until blended. Stir in chives and set aside. Blend flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in a food processor or large bowl. Add cold butter and pulse, or quickly blend with your fingertips, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Do not over-mix. Add 1 cup of the grated cheese and pulse just to combine. Add milk mixture and process just until moist clumps begin to form.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Cut dough ball in half, then flatten each half into an 8-inch round circle, about 1/2-inch thick. Cut each circle into 6 wedges, as you would cut a pie. Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Place on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Spicy Black Bean Soup - Slow Cooker

This was spicier than I thought it would be. Rob and I love hot, hot, hot, but this was too much for Bo. You could cut down on the jalapeño and chili powder to make this more kid-friendly. INGREDIENTS: 1 pound dry black beans, soaked overnight 1 medium white onion 2 cloves garlic 1 large diced jalapeño pepper 2 Tbsp olive oil 6 cups veggie broth 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt, black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

	Drain black beans, and rinse. Saute onion, jalapeño, garlic in olive oil till soft in slow cooker base on stove top.
	Add beans and broth. Season with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, pepper, and salt.
	Transfer base to slow cooker. Cook on Dual for 6-8 hours. *Serve over rice, with sour cream, limes, tortilla strips, avocado.

Vegetarian Enchilada Soup

I got this recipe from Lexi about a year ago and just gave it a go. I made a few changes to make it vegetarian - Lexi's recipe includes chicken while it's cooking, plus chicken stock instead of the veggie. 

It's easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. Hope you all give this a try. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1 large jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, undrained
• 2 cups veggie broth 
• 1 (15-ounce) can yellow corn, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
• 8 corn tortillas
• canola oil, enough to fill a small skillet 1/2-inch high
• garnish options: sour cream, shredded chihuahua cheese, sliced green onion, avocado, fresh squeezed lime, chopped cilantro, grilled and shredded chicken

DIRECTIONS

1. Sauté onion and jalapeño in a bit of oil until soft and onions are just starting to caramelize 
2. In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender, purée the onion, jalapeno, garlic, chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and green chiles. Transfer to a large stock pot.
3. Add veggie broth, corn and black beans to the pot. Heat over medium heat until ingredients are heated through.
4. While soup warms up, prepare tortilla strips. Stack the tortillas and slice into 1/4-inch strips, then slice the larger strips into halves. Heat oil in a small cast-iron skillet to 350 degrees F (or until very hot so when the tip of a wooden spoon is inserted into oil, the oil will bubble around the spoon). Add a handful of tortilla strips and fry until golden and crispy, 1-2 minutes, separating with tongs so they don’t stick together. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate or baking sheet and immediately season with kosher salt.
5. When ready to serve soup, garnish with tortilla strips and anything else you'd like!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin & Spaetzle

I know a lot of the gals on here aren't meat/pork eaters, but I wanted to post this dinner idea and figured everyone could tailor it to their liking. Rob and Bo love the pork tenderloin, but I make tofu for myself. I'm sure you could do this with chicken, butter beans or any other protein. Let me know if you try it, and what you choose to prepare it with!

Ingredients for your protein:
Pork tenderloin (I just ask the butcher for enough for a big guy)
1/2 block extra firm tofu, drained
Fresh thyme, 1 Tbs
Fresh basil, 1.5 tsp
Garlic powder, 1.5 tsp
Dried oregano, 1.5 tsp
Cumin, 1.5 tsp
Minced garlic, 1 tsp
Olive oil

Ingredients for your spaetzle:
Spaetzle
Heavy cream, 3/4 C
Butter, 2 Tbs
Fresh sage, 2 Tbs
Minced garlic, 2 cloves
Salt & pepper, to taste

*Side serving suggestions: Peas, beets, salad

Directions for your protein:
Mix together all herbs and garlic to make your rub. Lightly brush your protein with olive oil so it does not stick to the grill grates. Pat both sides of your protein with the rub and get grilling. Adhere to the 7-6-5 rule…7 minutes on high heat (keep the grill closed), flip over, 6 minutes on high heat (again, keep that grill closed! It's not going anywhere, so you don't need to check on it). Turn off the heat and keep the grill closed for another 5 minutes.

Directions for your spaetzle:
I got this recipe from the back of the Maggi brand spaetzle box and it is delicious. It tastes like an adult mac'n'cheese. Bring the water to a boil, add spaetzle, boil for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking. Drain. Add butter to the pan, melt. Mix in the garlic and sage. Cook for 2 minutes on a low-med heat. Add heavy cream and cooked spaetzle. Mix well, and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Eat right away, or put a top on the pan to keep it warm.

Funfetti Cheesecake Cookies

Caitie recently sent this recipe. While I haven't made them yet, I don't want to forget about them. Putting them here so we can all enjoy!

Author: Skinny Not Skinny

Recipe type: Dessert

Cook time:  9 mins

Total time:  9 mins

 

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) box Funfetti Cake mix
• 1 small (3.4 ounce) Instant JELLO Cheesecake Pudding mix
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup sprinkles
• ¾ cup white chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs and vanilla until completely combined and dough forms.
3. Stir in the ¼ cup sprinkles and ½ cup chocolate chips. (I added more sprinkles than the original recipe because I LOVE sprinkles and it makes them more fun!)
4. With a cookie scoop or just a spoon, scoop cookie dough balls onto baking sheets. Use the remaining ¼ cup white chocolate chips to press into the tops of each cookie to make them look even tastier.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly golden brown. The centers will still be very soft. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

http://skinnynotskinny.com/2013/08/14/funfetti-cheesecake-cookies/

Coconut Curry Tofu and Stuffed Peppers

Forgive me for posting another coconut milk/curry recipe, but I'm suddenly obsessed. I made this one up and it's delicious. Thankyouverymuch.

1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs Sriracha sauce or chili paste
14 oz culinary coconut milk

1 tsp curry powder (or more if you really like it)
1 block extra firm tofu, cut into 8 squares, or boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces
Handful of fresh baby spinach
1 Broccoli crown, stem removed cut into bite-size pieces
Ginger and cilantro for serving

Heat first four ingredients in a dutch oven or medium saucepan until lightly bubbling. Add tofu/chicken and coat. Add spinach and let it sit on top. Put top on dutch oven and let simmer on very low for 20 minutes, stirring and flipping tofu/chicken half-way through, and stirring in spinach. Add broccoli and simmer with top on for another 10-15 minutes.

Top with fresh ginger and cilantro when serving.

Serve with: Stuffed yellow peppers
2 large yellow peppers, tops cut off and seeds removed
15 oz chickpeas
3/4 C farro
1 Tbs olive oil
1/4 C cilantro, diced
1.5 Tbs fresh ginger, diced
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Add farro to water and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. Drain. Put farro back in pan. Drain and rinse chickpeas, add to pan. Add oil oil, cilantro, ginger and salt. Mix together ingredients well.

Fill peppers with your farro mix. Place top-up in baking dish. Fill about 1" of your baking dish with water to help the peppers retain moisture during baking. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn heat off and let sit for 10 minutes. Chickpeas and farro at the top of the pepper will be nice and crispy.

*Double check that your farro doesn't need to soak in water for 6 hours. I found a great brand at Whole Foods, Montebello, that doesn't require soaking.

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I went over to my friend Sarah's house the other day for an afternoon of baking with her and her friend Jenna.  Jenna is a personal trainer and trained pastry chef, so it was fun chatting with her.  While we were talking, she told me about her recipe for Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies - apparently, it is a big seller wherever she takes it!

She just emailed me the recipe - I haven't tried it yet, but I want to post it here so I don't lose track of it :)

1.5c flour
1t soda
1/2t cinnamon
1/2t salt
1c soft butter
1c brown sugar
2eggs
1.5t vanilla
3c oats
1c dried cherries
8oz choc chunks

Combine first four ingredients in separate bowl.
Beat sugar and butter til fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time beating until well combined.
Add vanilla.
Gradually add in first 4 ingredients til just combined.
Stir in cherries and chocolate.
Bake 350 10min or so

Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas with Lemon

Omg this was amazing. I served it over quinoa, with fresh cilantro on top, and it couldn't have been more perfect. Make it this week and you won't be sorry :)

Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas with Lemon

serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side

2 teaspoons oil or ghee
1 small yellow onion
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger, from a 3-inch piece
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 2 tablespoons juice)
1 dried hot red pepper or dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 pound baby spinach
14-ounce can coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground ginger

To serve:
Whole roasted sweet potatoes
Cilantro leaves, to garnish
Toasted unsweetened coconut, to garnish

Heat the oil or ghee in a large, deep Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is beginning to brown. Add the garlic, ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest and red pepper, if using. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chickpeas and cook over high heat for a few minutes or until the chickpeas are beginning to turn golden and they are coated with the onion and garlic mixture.

Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time. This will take about 5 minutes; stir in a handful or two and wait for it to wilt down and make room in the pot before adding the next handful. When all the spinach has been stirred in, pour in the coconut milk and stir in the salt, ground ginger, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the chickpeas are warm through. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice, if necessary.

Serve hot over roasted sweet potatoes, with cilantro leaves and toasted unsweetened coconut to garnish.

Serving note: This is thick enough to eat on its own with a fork; it's not terribly soupy. But it's saucy enough to eat over pasta, rice, brown rice, quinoa, or another grain.

• http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-braised-coconut-spinach-chickpeas-with-lemon-164551

Lentil and Barley Vegetable Soup

Made this the other night and it was fantastic. Very filling, and it has lots of protein, so veg-friends rejoice!

Lentil Vegetable and Barley Soup

• 1/2 large onion or one small onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 medium summer squash (or zucchini), halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
• 1 C carrots, thinly sliced (I forgot to get carrots, so I subbed with corn)
• 1/2 C red lentils
• 1/2 C yellow split peas
• 1/2 C barley
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 3 C vegetable broth (or chicken or beef), plus ~2 C extra water
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t sugar
• 1/4 t black pepper
• fresh or dried basil to top (optional)

Dice and layer all the veggies, and top with the grains, liquids and the spices (except the basil).  The order I used was: onions and bell peppers, squash and corn, lentils, peas, and barley, diced tomatoes and broth, salt, pepper, sugar, and finally the extra water.

Set the crock pot on low for eight hours or on high for four hours.  The lentils, peas, and barley will absorb a lot of water, so you may need to add even more water. 

Top with a sprinkle of basil and some pepper and enjoy!

Simple red sauce

Made this tonight and wanted to share. It was super simple to whip up and very delicious.

1 jar Jovial whole peeled tomatoes (found at Whole Foods), diced and sauce
2 Tbs capers
2 cloves garlic, diced
3 green onions, diced
2 Tbs olive oil
Crushed red pepper, to your liking
Oregano, 2 tsp
Salt and pepper

Sauté garlic and onions in olive oil till garlic is softened. Add red pepper and capers. Add tomatoes and their sauce. Add oregano, salt and pepper. Cook on med heat, covered loosely and stirring occassionally, for 15 mins.

Serve over farro, and alongside roasted Brussels sprouts (see below) and chicken/Quorn naked "chicken" cutlets

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-brussels-sprouts-recipe2/index.html

http://www.jovialfoods.com/organic-tomatoes.html

Pappardelle Nicoise with Tuna

Pappardelle Nicoise with Tuna

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
salt and pepper, to taste
3 T olive oil
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1/2 C chopped roasted red peppers (from jar)
1 C steamed green beans, cut 1 inch, or same-steamed brocolli flowers
1/4 C capers
2 T anchovy paste
2 T black olive tapenade
1 jar Tuna in olive oil
2 t dried Mediterranean oregano
2 t lemon zest
3 T butter
1/3 C seasoned croutons, ground fine
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz pappardelle pasta, cooked according to package instructions (use fresh if possible)

Preheat oven 400. Mix tomatoes w/salt and pepper and 1 T olive oil. Spread onto baking pan and roast 10 minutes, until carmelized.
Mix together crouton crumbs and cheese.
In skillet, heat remaining 2 T oil and sweat onion until translucent. Add beans (or broccoli), capers, anchovy paste, olive tapenade, tuna (and oil), and oregano to pan and stir to mix and heat. Add cooked pasta and toss with butter and lemon zest. Serve with sprinkled w/crouton/cheese mix.

Vegan vegetable "lasagna"

Gals - below is the recipe of the veggie stack I brought to Christmas Eve last night. It's super easy - you just need patience for all of the washing and slicing :)

Ingredients
3 green zucchini, very thinly sliced
3 yellow squash, very thinly sliced
1 large white onions, very thinly sliced
2 sweet potatoes, peeledes, very thinly sliced
5 Roma tomatoes, very thinly sliced
8 asparagus spears, cut into 1/2" pieces
4-5 garlic cloves, thoroughly smashed
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat large baking dish with olive oil. Layer each vegetable, except the asparagus, in the order listed above. Once you've added one later of each, place the smashed garlic across everything - don't be shy about it. Use more than 4-5 cloves if needed. Then repeat with another layer of veggies. Top with asparagus.

Whisk together a dressing with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour a healthy amount on the stack. Let it sit for 5 mins to soak in.

Bake, covered, for 25 mins. Remove cover and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Tomatoes should be wrinkled and the whole thing should be smooth and easy to cut.

I imagine a dusting of Parmesan would be amazing on this.

Serving suggestions: roasted chicken (tofu or fake chicken), couscous, quinoa, lemon/dull orzo

Whole Foods Salads

We went to Whole Foods for dinner tonight.  It is one of our favorite places for several reasons:
1. We all get to pick exactly what we want.
2. The food is good.
3. It is already noisy in there, so no one seems to notice our noisy kids.

For my dinner tonight, I chose a bunch of different salads.  They were all so good and seemed pretty simple.  I snapped a few pictures of the ingredients as a reminder - I'm always looking for good simple salad recipes, and these seem easy enough.  Thought I would post them here so we can all refer back to them when the mood strikes!

Steamed Mussels With Celery Leaves

Chris and I went to Publican for a quick dinner on Saturday night (thanks to Wes and Lexi for babysitting!).  We ordered one of our favorite dishes, the mussels, and while we were eating them a fellow diner let us know the recipe was recently posted in the Wall Street Journal.  A quick Google search and here it is!

The broth is so good - I might make it as a soup someday!

Steamed Mussels With Celery Leaves

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon sliced celery

1 tablespoon sliced garlic

1 tablespoon sliced shallot

1 fresh bay leaf

2 sprigs thyme

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

2 pounds mussels

4 ounces Gueuze (available at most large wine and beer outlets) or 1/2 cup white wine

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons chopped celery leaf, taken from celery bunch's center

What To Do

1. Melt half the butter in a wide pot set over high heat. Add celery, garlic, shallot, bay leaf, thyme and chili flakes. Sweat until sizzling and richly perfumed, 1-2 minutes.

2. Stir in mussels, coating in butter. Add beer, cover pot and wait until mussels open, 3-5 minutes. Once open, keep the pot covered for 30-45 seconds longer so the mussels' flesh sets. Remove pot from heat.

3. Stir in remaining butter until melted. Season with salt and lemon juice. Stir in celery leaves and serve immediately.

Lentil Stew w/smoked turkey and sweet potatoes

Another great recipe from Williams-Sonoma Fast + Fresh! This one was delicious the night I made it, and even more flavorful for lunch the next day.

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 3 tsp. minced fresh thyme
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used veggie)
• 1 lb. smoked turkey leg, deboned, skinned and diced (about 2 cups meat) I used 2 hot Italian sausages as that's what I had on-hand...I'm sure the smoked meat would create a different flavor
• 1 1/2 cups brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1 1/4 lb. orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 bunch kale or chard, stems removed and leaves chopped
• Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Optional: I added some diced tomatoes to this because I love tomatoes and put them in everything :)

In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and celery and sauté until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tsp. of the thyme and cook, stirring, until the onion is brown, about 4 minutes. Add the broth, turkey and lentils. Cover, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes to the pan and simmer until almost tender, about 12 minutes. Add the kale and simmer until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season the stew with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining 1 tsp. thyme. Ladle the stew into warmed bowls and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Sausage and Pepper Ragout w/Polenta

I've gotten into a bit of a dinner rut. I have some great go-to meals that I can make with my eyes closed, but I've decided to make more of an effort to try new recipes at least one night per week. Good thing I have stacks of great cookbooks that have helped me spice things up in the kitchen :) 

This one comes from the Williams-Sonoma Weeknight Fast + Fresh. As with all new recipes, it took me a bit longer to prepare than it probably should have, but now that I'm familiar with the steps, the next time I make this it will be "Fast"

Olive oil, 2 Tbs

Hot or sweet Italian turkey or pork sausages (veggie sausage if you like it), 1 lb

Large red onion, 1, sliced

Large red bell peppers, 2, thinly sliced

Large poblano chile, 1, seeded and thinly sliced

Red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp

Italian tomatoes, 1 can (28 oz)

Dry white wine, 1 C (I used a sauvignon blanc...I enjoyed a glass while I cooked)

Small white onion, 1/2, chopped

Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Polenta, 1 C (the recipe calls for uncooked, but I used instant polenta...just follow the instructions below, but add only about 1 C water or broth; it will need to cook just until it's to your desired warmth)

Romano cheese, 3/4 C, coarsely grated

Fresh marjoram, 4 Tbs, chopped (Whole Foods didn't have this, so I subbed with oregano)

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs of the oil. Pierce the sausages several times with a small knife, and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer the sausages to a plate. Pour off all but 2 Tbs fat from the pan. Add the red onion, bell peppers, chile and pepper flakes, and saute until they begin to brown, stirring up the browned bits, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the wine. Simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Return the sausages to the pan, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, turning occasionally, until the sausages are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, warm the remaining 1 Tbs oil. Add the chopped onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 4 C water, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper and bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly, stirring frequently, until the polenta is thick, about 18 minutes. Mix in the cheese and 1 Tbs of the marjoram/oregano. 

Bring the sausage mixture to a boil. Mix in the remaining 3 Tbs marjoram/oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the polenta onto 4 warmed plates. Spoon the sausage* mixture on top of the polenta, dividing it among the plates, and serve right away.

*Cut the sausages at an angle into bite-sized pieces prior to serving

Pizza in a Cast Iron Skillet

My friend JJ recently posted his recipe for what he calls the "best" pizza.  The dough rises in the same cast iron skillet the pizza is eventually cooked in.  I can't wait to try it!

Here is exactly what he shared:

Here’s how I did it. Start with the dough. Store bought is fine, but making your own is so easy and much tastier. We use Pioneer Woman’s simple recipe, available here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/.../2010/02/my-favorite-pizza/
 
Once you’ve got the dough, grab a 12 inch cast iron skillet (smaller would work but then you’d probably want less dough). Drop some olive oil in the skillet, roll the dough around in the oil, cover with plastic wrap and let that sucker rise for about an hour.
 
In the meantime, make your sauce. Put a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan, get it hot over medium heat but don’t burn it! Drop in 1-2 cloves of minced garlic for like 15-20 seconds. Add a can of diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Cook that up for about 10 minutes, then add herbs of your choice. I went with straight basil but oregano would be a good choice as well. The tomatoes will cook down and you can mash them up, but I opted for an immersion blender to get it really smooth. Cook it until it reduces a bit and you look at it and say, “now that looks like pizza sauce.” Bam.
 
At some point, preheat the oven to 500.
 
When it’s time to start the fun, punch the dough down and arrange it in the pan so it covers the bottom and up the sides to your desired crust level. Put the sauce on there and whatever other goodness you crave (last night was ham, fresh mozzarella, and minced garlic). Fire up your stove-top burner at medium high and put the skillet on that for 4 minutes. This gives the crust a head start. Then, throw it in the bottom rack of the oven for ten minutes. After ten minutes, drop the temp to 400 and cook for another 5-15 minutes until done. Slide it onto a cutting board, resist the urge to attack it zealously, and let it rest for like 5 minutes.