Week of Meals

I started off last week with food on the mind.  On Sunday, I put together a week of meals (five meals). 

It didn't take too much time, maybe an hour or so, and I was able to reward myself for the effort with a nice home brew. I tend to get sick of planning, but I was motivated this week, and so I'd like to share. First here's the list of meals, and I'll post recipes below. 

Day 1: Mixed beans with tomato bruschetta

Day 2: Spaghetti with zucchini and basil

Day 3: Taco salad

Day 4: Mushroom and wild rice soup with peach-bibb lettuce salad

Day 5: Quinoa stuffed tomatoes with Cajun oven potatoes

On Sunday evening, Allison and Nico, came over for some dinner. We had gone on a bike ride to Mechelen along the canal or Vaartkom just north of the city. It was warm and sunny and was a break from how cold it has been in August.  During dinner, Nico and Allison talked about their 25 favorite meals. It was pretty hilarious because I think they have a shared Google Doc to plan meals. Nico is a fabulous cook (see here).  I loved their idea of a fondue-TV-movie dinner night and was inspired by their list of favorites, especially fried brie.

Here are the recipes:

Meal 1: Mixed beans with tomato bruschetta on homemade bread (Karl baked the bread).  

The beans are a simple recipe from my Deborah Madison cookbook.  It's a good way to use the small quantities of leftover dried beans. 

For the beans:

1 cup mixed beans, soaked and drained (any variety of beans will do, I used adzuki, chickpeas, white beans, and kidney beans)
6 cups water
1 bay leaf
few sprigs parsley and thyme
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp olive oil

Directions
1. Bring the beans, water, oil and aromatics to a simmer. Cover the beans slightly and simmer for 1 hour or until tender.
2. Season with salt, and serve with shredded parmesan, black pepper and fresh chopped parsley or other herbs.

Meal 2:  Spaghetti with Zucchini and Basil

This also came out of my Deborah Madison cookbook. I've made it a few times because the zucchini just melts in your mouth and the fresh basil is very tasty.

Spaghetti with Zucchini and Basil 

2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise, then in bits across

1/3 cup olive oil (use much less on a non-stick skillet, 3 T is fine)

2 garlic cloves, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup milk or half and half (I used milk)

1 lb of spaghetti (or enough for 4-6 persons)

fresh parmesan

1/2 cup of basil, torn into chunks

1. Heat up olive oil  in a wide skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Start heating up the water for the pasta

3. When olive oil is hot, add in garlic. When garlic is fragrant add in zucchini. Cook over medium heat until the squash is soft and brown (about 20 minutes)

4. When pasta water is boiling, cook pasta.

5. When squash is done cooking, stir in milk, salt and pepper. Adjust for seasoning. 

6. Combine the spaghetti with the squash and top with basil and parmesan

Meal 3: Taco salad with chips

I substituted lentils for the smart grounds featured in the recipe.

Meal 4: Mushroom and wild rice soup with peach butter lettuce salad

The soup comes out of my Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast Weeknight Meals. It's a pretty good collection, although I found many recipes to be very meat heavy. 

Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

1 T olive oil

2 cups mushrooms, sliced (any mix of mushrooms will do)

1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped fine

1/2 cup red onion, chopped fine

1 package boil-in-the-bag wild rice blend

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

2 T basil

2 T parsley

1 tsp dried garlic

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups milk (I used 1 cup soymilk, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 cup milk)

1. In a soup stockpot heat olive oil and add bell pepper and onion.

2. In a separate sauce pan heat up 2 cups water. 

3. Mix together ricotta, dried garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside. 

4. Add mushrooms to soup stockpot and cook 7 minutes. 

5. When the saucepan full of water boils, add in a boil-in-the-bag wild rice blend, and cook according to package directions. 

6. When mushrooms have cooked down, stir in cheese and milk. Add more salt if needed. Bring to a boil until the soup thickens a bit. 

7. Stir in wild rice and heat through. 

For the salad (serves 2)

1-2 cups washed Bibb lettuce

1 peach, sliced

2 T pumpkin seeds

Dressing:

1.5 T fig or other flavored vinegar

1 T olive oil

1 T water

salt and pepper to taste

Mix together dressing and toss with the salad. 

Meal 5: Quinoa stuffed tomatoes and Cajun oven potatoes

I made this when Nico and Allison came over. It looks like a lot of work, but if you prep things in order everything comes together in about an hour.

For the potatoes:

8 small-medium waxy potatoes, washed and scrubbed

3 T olive oil

For the tomatoes:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

2 and 1/2 cups water

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1-2 cups chard, chopped

6 ripe medium-large Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise and pulp removed in a bowl

1/2 cup ricotta

1/4 cup basil

1/4 cup parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp red chili powder

1/2 (or more) mixed beans (leftovers from earlier this week), omit if you don't have

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Quarter the potatoes in wedges and toss with 3 T olive oil. Set in a casserole dish and place in oven once hot. Ignore the potatoes while you prep everything else. These will take the longest to cook so get to them first. 

3. In a small sauce pan combine 1 cup quinoa and 2 and 1/2 cups water over medium-high heat.  Stir every 10 minutes. Quinoa will take 15-20 minutes to cook.  The quinoa is done when the water is evaporated and the quinoa looks light and fluffy. While the quinoa cooks you can prep the tomatoes and stuffing. 

4. In a wide skillet, heat up olive oil over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add in garlic and onion and saute for 3 minutes, or until onion is soft. Add in chard and continue to cook until chard is wilted. Turn off heat and set aside. 

5. In a greased oven casserole dish set tomato halves up.  Break apart the tomato pulp by chopping it up. You can mix it in with the stuffing or stir it with the chard-onion mixture

6. Mix ricotta, herbs, quinoa, salt and pepper and red chili powder together, stir in beans if you have them. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Fill the tomatoes with the mixture and then set them in the oven.  The tomatoes will cook for about 30 minutes.  Turn the potatoes to ensure they are getting nice and roasted. 

You can serve the roasted potatoes in any way, these are my 2 faves:

Rosemary with coarse salt and fresh pepper

Cajun seasoning

Just sprinkle over the potatoes once done and serve. 

The Best Portobello Mushrooms. Ever.

Guffawing at my overinflated title post much? Well go on, try it and see for yourself.

Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 medium to large portobello mushrooms, wiped clean
2 T olive oil and cooking spray
1/2 to 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 clove garlic, minced fine or shredded
1 T parsley, chopped
1/2 t marjoram, chopped
1/2 t thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 jar of hot salsa
1 14 oz can of white beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

1. Preheat broiler to the hottest setting. 
2. Pick clean firm portobellos, and wipe off any spots. Carefully trim the stem off and scoop out the gills with the side of spoon. 
3. Arrange the mushrooms cap side up on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Drizzle 1 T of the olive oil over the tops. 
4. Broil 3 minutes.
5. Flip mushrooms over, drizzle with the remaining 1 T olive oil, and broil 3 minutes.
6. Meanwhile combine ricotta with herbs, and season with salt and pepper. Adjust herbs as needed. 
7. Once mushrooms are done, flip over so the gill-side is facing you. You will be layering the salsa, ricotta cheese and beans. 
8. Spoon about 1-2 T of salsa in the inside, top with 2 T of the herbed ricotta cheese, and about 2 T of beans. You may be able to use more or less depending on the size of the mushroom. When all are finished, broil 3-4 minutes. Check often to make sure they don't burn. The beans should be barely golden once finished. Serve with some steamed green beans and focaccia.

Saucepan Lasagna

I call this saucepan lasagna (my lack of casserole dishes at the moment) because that is how it's getting served. Biking home today in 25 F degree weather caused hallucinations of comfort food. Try this when your pressed for time and don't feel like waiting around for the baking time. Assemble the ingredients in a large skillet (like a lasagna) and heat. Of course, you can also assemble in a casserole and bake (400 F, covered with foil, for 35-45 minutes).

Serves 4-6

1-1.5 cups uncooked bowtie or farfalle pasta (you can use fettucine or whatever you desire)
Water for boiling
salt to get it going faster
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium zucchini, quartered
1 lb mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt to taste
Marinara sauce (recipe below, or your own)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup to 1 cup fresh mozzarella (the rubbery wet kind), sliced

Ingredients for Marinara Sauce:

2 T olive oil
3 T carrots, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
few parsley springs
2 T mixed herbs (basil, marjoram, oregano etc), chopped
1 28 oz can pureed tomatoes (low-sodium)
generous pour of red wine (I used this merlot)

Directions:

1. Boil water for the pasta, and cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile prep the veggies for the sauce and lasagna. 
3. Drain pasta and reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, to use if the pasta sticks. 
4. In the same pan (or a new one), heat 1 tsp of olive oil over medium-high heat, and add mushrooms. Cook 4-5 minutes or until golden, turn heat to medium.
5. Add in peppers and zucchini. Continue to cook 5 minutes.
6. Stir in crushed red pepper and season with salt, set aside.

Directions for Marinara Sauce:

1. In the same pot (no need to dirty a new one, right?) heat up 2 T of olive oil over medium-high heat, and add in garlic and onions. Cook for about 3 minutes, and turning heat down to medium, add in carrots, and parsley sprigs.
2. Add in pureed tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Cook covered, over medium-high heat until the marinara thickens (about 20 minutes). Remove parsley sprigs before using, adjust salt if needed.
3. Next, assemble your lasagna, layering sauce, noodles, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, and veggies.
4. Heat up, over low-medium heat for about 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh herbs and parmesan. While its cooking you can make a salad =)

Stuffed Shells

This stuff shelled dish has been streamlined from most of the cheese-laden dishes to a healthier tastier one. Spinach, mustard greens, and onions replace over half the cheese that is used in regular cheesey stuffed shell recipes. The stuffing can easily be used in lasagna or manicotti as well. Assemble ahead of time, and pop in the oven for a quick weeknight meal. While it cooks you can prepare a salad or other side dish. Serves 4. If preparing the entire box of shells, double the ingredient amounts below.

Stuffed Shells Recipe
1/2 of a package large shells
1 bottle marinara sauce (you'll use maybe 1-2 cups, I use the Trader Joe's low-salt marinara). If using regular marinara omit salt below, but adjust as needed.

The cheese mixture:
8 oz ricotta cheese
3/4 - 1 cup shredded cheese (Italian pre-shredded mix)
1-2 T shredded parmesan
1 egg
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
1 tsp dried basil (opt for fresh herbs if you have them)
salt and pepper to taste
pinch cayenne or 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 carrot, shredded (set aside - it'll be one of the last things you'll do)

The veggies:
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped or diced fine.
10 oz frozen spinach
8 oz chopped mustard greens (8 oz frozen, or 1-2 cups fresh)
1-2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

Directions:
1. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add in garlic through mustard greens. Stir often, until cooked through.
2. While the veggies are cooking, combine the ricotta and egg, and gradually add in shredded cheeses, spices, and herbs. Adjust for salt and pepper and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, top with the shredded carrot and crushed fennel and mix into the ricotta.
3. Bring a 4 quart-sized pot to boil, and once the water is boiling, add in shells. Cook until halfway through. If you cook them to al dente, they tend to break apart when stuffing. I add in a little oil to the pot while everything is boiling. I also only bring it to a gentle boil. When done, drain and rinse with cool water. Reserve some of the water in the same pot with the shells so they don't stick to each other and break.
4. If cooking, preheat oven to 350. Oil a nonstick oven proof casserole dish and place 1/2 to 1 cup of the marinara at the bottom.
5. One by one, stuff shells with spoonfuls of the ricotta veggie mixture and place in the pan.

When finished, top the shells with a generous portion of marinara and garnish with some shredded parmesan and Italian cheese blend mix.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes. The foil keeps the marinara sauce from evaporating.

Note: If preparing to serve later in the week wrap casserole in airtight plastic wrap, and set in fridge until ready to use. Save your garnishes (marinara and cheese) for right before you put in the oven.

I hope you enjoy!