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Spinach and Asparagus Casserole

20 Apr

I mentioned I am trying to eat less cheese, right?  So here is one of the recipes I have come up with to feel satisfied without adding cheese to my food.  It’s hard, like getting rid of an addiction.  But with dishes like these, it is getting easier each day…

 

 

SPINACH AND ASPARAGUS CASSEROLE

1 tbs sofrito
½ cube of vegetable bouillon
1 shallot, finely sliced
½ green or cubanelle pepper
½ cup frozen corn
1 ½ cup cooked brown rice
½ container cream of asparagus soup
½ cup buttermilk or sour cream
10 grape tomatoes, quartered
2 cups of fresh baby spinach, washed well and spun dry
1 tbs Extra virgin Olive oil
Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to taste
1 tbs sliced almonds

 

  1. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, pour the olive oil and add the sofrito.   After a few minutes, add the vegetable broth cube, add the shallot, pepper and corn and sauté. 
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked rice, sautéed vegetables, asparagus soup, buttermilk or sour cream, tomatoes, spinach.  Mix together well.  If the mixture is too dry, you can add extra sour cream, olive oil or even a little bit of soy milk to add some moisture.
  3. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and add the almonds on top.
  4. Bake in a 350 F degree oven for about 30-45 minutes so all the flavors meld together and the top is golden brown.

Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

 

 

This is a great dish to “clean out your fridge”… the ingredients I used were the little things I had left over from other dishes or little things I wanted to use up already.  So feel free to adapt this recipe to the things you want to clean out in your fridge.

 

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Eggless Scramble – A Taste of Yellow 2008

19 Apr

Barbara at Winos and Foodies is hosting A Taste of Yellow 2008 to celebrate LiveSTRONG Day.  As you may recognize, LiveSTRONG is the organization Lance Armstrong created to raise awareness and funds for the research and eventual cure of cancer.

Barbara is a cancer survivor and when I read her story in her original round-up of A Taste of Yellow 2007, I was inspired and touched, because my family, like many, many families around the world has been struck by cancer too…  my grandma developed a skin cancer tumor in an ankle, my aunt had cancer cells in her bladder and my grandpa passed away from complications from prostate cancer.  Plus, she is a traveler just like me… and learned about her diagnosis right after completing the challenging and spiritual Camino de Santiago.

I am a firm believer that food can be your nourishment as well as your medicine.  I also believe that what we eat over our lifetime determines how healthy we will be overall.  We can stray to savor some goodies here and there, but overall we need to eat as naturally and organically as possible to give our body the best fuel possible.

Soybeans are the only vegetable containing all the essential amino acids needed for human health.  Soy protein has been linked to benefiting and decreasing risks of certain cancers, when consumed in moderation. Also, tofu is a vegetable source of omega-3 fatty acids.  This is why I decided to submit my Eggless Scramble recipe to A Taste of Yellow 2008.

 

 

EGGLESS SCRAMBLE

Scramble:
½ package of firm silken tofu
3 tbs soymilk or buttermilk
1/3 cup water
1 tbs olive oil
Squirt of Dijon mustard
3 tbs cornstarch
½ tbs garlic salt
½ tsp turmeric
A pinch of paprika
 
Filling:
¼ Small onion, chopped small
½ Tomato, chopped small
¼ Green bell pepper, chopped small

 

  1. Spray a medium non-stick skillet with canola oil spray and heat over medium-high heat.  If your skillet has a cover, even better.
  2. Sautee the filling ingredients of your choice until softened – I was going for a western-style scramble here at the beginning. (You’ll see why the qualifier later on).
  3. Blend together all scramble ingredients until smooth.
  4. When the skillet is very hot, pour the batter in the center of the skillet, turning it around a few times until the batter reaches the edges evenly.   
  5. When it has set somewhat, sprinkle the filling ingredients on top.  Cover the skillet for a few minutes to help the scramble batter cook thoroughly.
  6. Check the bottom for doneness and browning.  With a heat-proof spatula, break the tofu mixture to resemble scrambled eggs.  The filling will combine with the scramble.

 Serve hot.  I added my Tomato Relish on top for added veggies and a little zing!!

 

 

TOMATO RELISH

10 grape or cherry tomatoes, chopped small
2-3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped small
4-5 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2-3 tbs extra-virgin olive-oil, or as much needed to almost cover the tomatoes
Salt and freshly cracked Black Pepper
  1. Mix everything in a small dish.
  2. Let all ingredients macerate together for about 30 minutes, mixing it all occasionally during that time.

 

 

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Hummus Pastelón

11 Apr

These days I am trying to eat less cheese…  And it’s difficult because  I truly love cheese.   I believe the tag cloud on the right is a testament to the amount of recipes I make with cheese.  But the thing is that I should not eat as much cheese as I do. 

Ever since I was 21, I was diagnosed with a chronic IBS (Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome) condition.  Most people react to different things… my main culprit is stress.  So when I am stressed and on top of that, eat too many dairy products, things get ugly.  I promise I won’t go into the details.

My condition was partly why I became a vegetarian…  I started noticing that by eating healthier I could manage my condition without the need of traditional chemical medication.  I would focus on eating as naturally as possible and see what effects that would have on my condition…  the results were positive, to say the least.

April was designated IBS Awareness Month… so in an effort to educate my palate to think outside the boundaries of cheese-laden dishes and to raise awareness of IBS, but more in particular, the fact you CAN BE a vegetarian and thru diet manage your IBS condition you’ll see more and more recipes without using  cheese.

 

 

Hummus Pastelón

2 potatoes, washed well and cut into quarters or eights
½ cup of hummus – it can be home-made or store-bought
Juice of ½ a lemon
5-6 grape tomatoes
1 tbs butter or canola margarine
1 tbs olive oil
Garlic salt and Pepper to taste
2 tbs slivered or sliced almonds

 

 

  1. In a medium saucepan, boil the potatoes.  I cover the potatoes only half way with salted water.  I find they cook faster this way.
  2. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the hummus filling.  You can use my recipe for hummus here or buy it from the store.   If you’re using the store-bought kind, I like to “revive it” by adding a drizzle of olive oil and the juice of ½ a lemon.  I like the tangy lemony taste in hummus.   Set aside.
  3. When the potatoes are done, drain them and return to the same pot.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil, add the butter, buttermilk and mash to desired consistency.  It can be as chunky or as smooth as you prefer it.  Season with a bit of garlic salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Now we assemble the pastelón…  in a medium casserole dish spread ½ the mashed potatoes creating the bottom layer of the pastelón.  Spread the hummus layer as evenly as possible.  Place the cut grape tomatoes on a layer on top of the hummus. Add the remaining mashed potato layer and smooth out the top.  Sprinkle the almonds on top.
  5. Place in 350 degree F oven for about 20-30 minutes, basically to brown the top a bit and for all the flavors to combine and meld.

 

This dish, with its great flavors and all, turned out  a bit monochromatic for me…  so next time I will make sure and include something that will impart some added color to the hummus filling… stay tuned.

 

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Spinach, Tomato and 5 Cheese Rissotto

8 Apr

I have to confess here…  I do not necessarily enjoy watching Sandra Lee’s cooking at the Food Network, but I do identify a lot with her philosophy of Semi-Homemade.  I love the idea to make everything from scratch, but if there are products that fit my dietary requirements and at the same time can help me along time-wise – hey why not use them?

I’ve had a box of Arborio rice in my pantry for the longest time.  I am fortunate this rice comes vaccum-packed, because if it was not, I am sure it would have spoiled by now.  Why would I leave a perfectly nice box of rice unused in the cupboard for so long???  Because there are pretty nice packaged risottos varieties that allow me to make this wonderful rice dish, without the need to dirty at least 2 pots (one for the stock and another one for the rice) or to stand in front of the stove stirring.  I know I will indeed try it someday; however, that day has not come yet.  

I used to buy the Lipton bag of Creamy Garlic Parmesan Risotto – it was superb.  When the nice parent company started tweaking with the brand and flavors, for some reason the perfect risotto bag disappeared from the supermarket aisle.   I used to have 2 bags of this at hand ALWAYS…

Enter our good ol’ friends at Target – they make the nicest boxed risotto mixes now.  They have risotto mixes with asparagus, with red pepper, with butternut squash.  But my favorite is the 4 cheese blend.  It’s a nice clean canvas for us to embellish with the flavors we’re in the mood for, making this the perfect semi-homemade meal, in my humble opinion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This time I’ll show you my version using fresh baby spinach and fresh tomatoes… 

 

SPINACH, TOMATOES AND 5 CHEESE RISOTTO

1 box Archer Farms’ 4 Cheese Risotto
2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and spun dry
15-20 grape or cherry tomatoes, washed and halved
About 2 oz of cream cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
A tiny bit of garlic salt to taste – optional

 

  1. Prepare Risotto mixture according to package directions in a medium heavy bottomed pot.
  2. When the risotto is about 10 minutes to be done…  add the cream cheese in little pieces to help it melt in the sauce.  Mix it together well.
  3. When the cheese is mostly integrated into the sauce, add the spinach and the tomatoes.    Mix it well so the spinach wilts and the tomatoes integrate into the rice and sauce.
  4. Wait a few minutes , by this time, the rice should be done according to the package direction timing.  Turn the stove off.  Add the grated parmesan or pecorino.  Cover the pot and let the rice stand for at least 10 minutes so the sauce thickens a bit.

In my opinion…  if you wait about 30 minutes after the stove is turned off, the rice will be perfectly cooked, the sauce would have thickened and it will be warm enough to be able to eat without burning your tongue and enjoy the flavors of the risotto.

I love to have this with my Cinnamon Baked Plantains or with a simple salad on the side. 

To me this is a very simple dinner I can make in a jiffy, even when I am busy doing other stuff.  Taking something store-bought and adding fresh ingredients to make it your own is my interpretation of the semi-homemade meal. 

I have a full line-up of other flavors we can play with in the future… just wait and see.

 

 

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Croque Monsieur Sandwich

2 Apr

I am fascinated by France – their language, their cuisine, their joie de vivre…  I wish we can learn more to enjoy the pleasure French people derive from the simple things in life.

Every since I leartned about Croque Monsieur sandwiches, I’ve been wanting to eat one…  but I knew I had to make it at home because they’re typically a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with a cheesy béchamel sauce and more melted gruyere cheese. Hmmmm.  Need I say more?

So here is my karma-free version for all of you…

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CROQUE MONSIEUR SANDWICH

2 slices 100% whole wheat country bread
2 slices aged Swiss cheese
2 slices of soy-protein smoked ham – I buy mine frozen at NYC’s Chinatown, but you substitute with any veggie cold-cut of your preference
Dijon mustard
Bechamel Sauce, recipe follows
About ½ cup Shredded gruyere cheese
  1. Using a slicing mandolin, slice the ham.  In a small skillet, brown the ham slices a bit.  This will warm them up and cook them a little.  Set aside.
  2. Make the béchamel.
  3. Toast bread slices.  Assemble sandwiches by spreading some Dijon mustard on the inside of the bread slices.  Place swiss cheese, ham, a bit of the shredded gruyere cheese on one side and top with the remaining slice.
  4. Place sandwich in a baking sheet.  Pour a ladleful of the béchamel sauce on top of the sandwich and sprinkle additional shredded gruyere cheese.
  5. Broil in oven for about 4-5 minutes until the cheese has melted and turned a bit golden brown.

Béchamel Sauce

I know this is not the traditional way a béchamel is made, but this is easy, it works and it works better for me than the traditional method.  For some reason, I always end up with a flourly taste when I do the traditional version…  OK?

1 cup plain soy milk – make sure it’s not the vanilla kind…
3 tbs cornstarch
Salt and Pepper to taste
A dash of ground nutmeg
About ½ cup gruyere cheese
  1. In a medium saucepan, heat most of the soymilk. Leave a little bit of soymilk aside to mix with the cornstarch.  Add the remaining milk/cornstarch to the warmed soymilk and let it boil slowly to thicken.
  2. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
  3. Remove from heat and add gruyere cheese.  Set aside

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