Baked Ratatouille Salad with Feta

Inspired by Bon Appetit, August 2000

Ingredients:

1 12-14 ounce eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch-thick rounds

1 large tomato, diced into large chunks

1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise

1 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into 6 strips

1 medium onion, cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves of garlic

2 to 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

2/3 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese

2 tablespoons slivered fresh basil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Mix eggplant, tomatoes, red bell pepper and onion in a bowl. Add olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat all vegetables with oil. Place oil-coated vegetables on baking sheet.

3. Bake for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, remove baking sheet from oven and flip as many vegetables as possible. Then, return baking sheet to oven for 12 additional minutes.

4. Allow vegetables to cool for 5 minutes, then place in large bowl.

5. Drizzle vegetables with vinegar. Sprinkle with cheese and basil. Serve.

Variation: Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place eggplant, zucchini, red bell pepper and onion on baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; turn to coat. Grill vegetables until tender and tinged with brown, turning frequently, about 6 minutes for eggplant and zucchini and about 10 minutes for red bell pepper and onion.

Divide vegetables between 2 plates; drizzle with vinegar. Sprinkle cheese and basil over and serve.

Baked Portobello Mushrooms

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 portobello mushroom caps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix the balsamic vinegar, red bell pepper, garlic, oil, onion powder, salt, and ground black pepper.

3. Place foil on a baking sheet and lightly spray cooking oil on the foil. Place mushrooms on the foil. Spread mixture over gill side of the mushroom caps.

4. Bake mushrooms in the oven for about 15 minutes. Then, turn on the oven's broiler and broil for an additional 5 minutes.

Variation: To grill the mushrooms, follow step 2 as above. Then, spread the mixture over the gill side of the mushroom caps. Lightly oil grill grate and place the mushrooms over indirect heat. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Vegetarian Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

This is my favorite lasagna recipe. Don't boil the noodles; this recipe is so soupy that the noodles will cook in the oven. If you are nervous, you can use noodles that are specially marketed as "no-boil".

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

9 uncooked lasagna noodles

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1.5 cups frozen artichoke hearts (or 1 14 oz. can marinated artichoke hearts), drained and chopped

1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

16 oz. cottage cheese or ricotta cheese (your choice!)

1 28 ounce jar tomato pasta sauce

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 4 oz. package feta, crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.

4. Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish, add 1/2 cup of cottage cheese; top with three uncooked noodles. Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers two more times, ending with a final layer containing only the artichokes, cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.

5. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Cheese, Potato and Bacon Soup

This is a wonderful soup for a chilly fall or downright cold winter day. It's not fancy, but it does the trick when you're craving something with potatoes and cheese.

Adapted from Bon Appetite December 1995

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

2 cups milk

2-3 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup packed shredded sharp cheddar cheese (approx. 4 oz.)

1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon

Hot pepper sauce

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat and add celery, carrot, onion, and thyme. Saute until all vegetables begin to soften, about five minutes.

2. Sprinkle flour over the cooking vegetables and stir for two minutes. Gradually whisk in broth and then milk.

3. Add potato and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup until potato is tender, about 20 minutes. While soup simmers, crisp bacon strips in a skillet.

4. Add cheese 1/3 cup at a time, stirring until melted and smooth after each addition. Mix in bacon.

5. Season soup to taste with hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Serve!

Enchiladas Calabaza

Adapted from Recipezaar.com

As my friends and family to whom I constantly gush about this meal know, I LOVE Enchiladas Calabaza. I love the combination of the sweet cinnamon with the spicy chili powder. I love the color of the butternut squash mixed with cream cheese. I love it all. Until now, whenever I had an itch for this meal, I had to buy it from my favorite restaurant in town (or politely ask for a free dish on my birthday). Therefore, having a recipe for this is a MAJOR success.

Ingredients*:

1 2-3 pound (large) butternut squash**

1/2 block neufchatel cheese (about 4 oz.), or more to taste, cut into chunks

4 green onions, sliced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 corn tortillas

12 ounces tomato sauce (approx. 1/2 jar)

approx. 1/2 cup spicy salsa

approx. 1 tablespoon hot sauce (more or less to taste)

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Optional toppings:

Lettuce sliced into small strips

Diced tomatoes

Plain nonfat yogurt or sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out stringy parts and squash seeds and discard. Score each half of the butternut squash using a sharp knife. Add approx. 1/4 inch of water to a pyrex baking dish. Place butternut squash in baking dish with inside of squash facing up. Bake butternut squash for approximately 1.5 hours, or until soft. When squash has finished baking, lower temperature of oven to 350 degrees.

2. After butternut squash has cooled enough to touch (or if you are like me, until the risk of burns does not outweigh your impatient urge to start cooking), scoop butternut squash from skins. Discard skins. Place squash in a large bowl.

3. To bowl with squash, add neufchatel cheese in chunks, green onions and all spices and salt. Start by mashing mixture using potato masher. Once the combination is beginning to combine, mix using an electric mixer, until smooth. Taste the squash mixture at this point and if necessary, add more spices, salt, or neufchatel cheese. Note: this mixture can be made earlier in the day or even the day before, refrigerated, and used as the filling when you are ready.

4. Place plain corn tortillas in oven-safe baking dish and place in oven for a few minutes to warm them so that they are pliable. While tortillas are warming, in a separate medium bowl, combine tomato sauce, salsa, and hot sauce to taste. The goal here is to create a "spicy tomato sauce". Stir until blended. If you'd like, add more salsa. Once tortillas are pliable (approximately 3-5 minutes), remove them from the oven but keep the oven on.

5. Assemble enchiladas by placing a heaping soup spoonful (approx. 1/4 cup) in each corn tortilla, rolling, and placing seam-side down in a baking dish. Cover filled tortillas with tomato sauce mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.

6. Cover dish with foil and bake until warmed throughout, approximately 30 minutes.

7. Provide lettuce sliced in strips, diced tomatoes, and plain yogurt as optional toppings.

*My friends Heather and Andrea also love Enchiladas Calabaza and made this dish with a few variations. They recommend adding additional chili powder to the squash mix, adding enchilada sauce to the tomato sauce mix, and adding cilantro to the top of the enchiladas after they have finished baking. They also said that next time, they'd try putting some sauce in the bottom of the dish before adding the enchiladas to the dish. Thanks for your tips, Heather and Andrea!

**I haven't tried it but if you're short on time, I'm sure that you could substitute the whole squash with some frozen cubed butternut squash from your grocer's frozen veggie section. I would just spread the squash out on a baking dish and bake it or would boil it in water to cook.

Sweet Potato, Caramelized Onion, and Goat Cheese Frittata

Inspired by the "Frittata Zola" at Cafe Zola in Ann Arbor

Ingredients:

3 cups peeled sweet potato rounds (1/2 inch thick) [about 2 large sweet potatoes]

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions

4 eggs

1/4 cup water

1/4-1/2 cup crumbled or thinly sliced goat cheese

ground black pepper to taste

hot sauce (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a bowl, stir together the sweet potatoes with 2 cloves of the minced garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on an unoiled baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes, until tender.

3. While sweet potatoes roast, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a large broiler-proof skillet (no plastic handles!) and saute the onions with the rest of the garlic and salt until the onions have softened and caramelized, about 5-8 minutes.

4. When the sweet potatoes are tender, remove them from the oven. Turn the oven to broil.

5. Add the sweet potatoes to the skillet containing the onions and stir the onions until the potatoes and onions are mixed. Shift the sweet potatoes into one flat layer as best as you can.

6. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the salt until smooth.

6. Place the skillet containing the onions and potatoes on medium-high heat. Once skillet is hot, pour the egg mixture on top of the potatoes and onions. Add goat cheese to the skillet. Then, immediately lower the heat to medium-low and cook, without stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the edges are firm and pulling away from the sides of the pan. If the frittata is still very wet in the middle, push in the edges of the frittata with a spatula or spoon and allow the runny middle to run down into the sides of the skillet. Do not worry about fully cooking the entire middle of the frittata, as this will finish cooking under the broiler in the next step.

7. The frittata should be mostly cooked but with the top still a little wet. Place the skillet under the broiler until the top is firm and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.

8. Slide the frittata onto a large plate or serve directly from the skillet in generous wedges.

9. Add black pepper and salt to taste. If desired, serve with a bottle of hot sauce on the table.

Lumpy Potato Burritos

Not many recipes make it into my cooking rotation, mostly because I don't have one. I enjoy trying new recipes and have never really overcome the feeling that there are 'so many cookbooks and so little time'. I think that this stems from my childhood goal of reading every library book that the library owned. Needless to say, I've long given up on my overzealous library goal (thank goodness) and although the now adult me recognizes that I will never cook every recipe that there is to be cooked, I can't give up without a good fight.

So, for me to temporarily set aside my goal of trying new recipes and to make a recipe not once, not twice, but many times, then it must fall into one of three categories: 1) It must be an extremely delicious recipe; 2) It must be fast and/or easy to make (bonus points for both); 3) It must involve ingredients that I usually keep around. Luckily, this recipe satisfies all three of the criteria. It's not exactly gourmet - it's only a burrito dish, afterall - but it is yummy, easy, and requires common ingredients (which are also cheap, might I add).

Lumpy Potato Burritos
adapted from Nancy O'Connor's Rolling Prairie Cookbook

Serves 8-10.

4-5 russet potatoes (approx. 1.5 pounds.), scrubbed and unpeeled

1 tablespoon canola or olive oil

1 medium-sized yellow or red onion, chopped (approx. 1/2-1 cups, chopped)
2 bell peppers, chopped (approx. 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons dried parsley (or 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped)
2 teaspoons dried cilantro (or 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped)
8 to 10 large flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups refried black beans, or one can (can substitute traditional refried pinto beans)
1 1/2 cups grated lowfat sharp cheddar cheese (or other lowfat cheese)

Garnish (all optional):
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
Fresh spinach or lettuce, cut into slices
Yogurt or sour cream
Salsa and/or hot sauce

Soak the potatoes and scrub them with a stiff vegetable brush to remove any dirt, then cut the potatoes into large cubes. In a large sauce pan, cover the potatoes with water and bring the water and potatoes to a boil. Boil the potatoes until they are just tender but firm. You should be able to pierce the potatoes with a fork but they should not be falling apart in the boiling water.

While the potatoes are boiling, heat the oil in a large skillet (I use my 12 inch skillet) over medium heat for approximately one minute. Add the onions and peppers to the oil and saute until just tender, then remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350°F. When the potatoes are tender, drain them well and add them as well as the cumin, salt, and pepper to the onion-bell pepper mixture in the skillet. Continue to cook the mixture for about 7-10 minutes, or until the potatoes have a bit of color and the flavors have had a chance to combine, then remove from heat. Add the parsley and cilantro.

To assemble the burritos, lay out a tortilla, place 2-3 tablespoons refried beans down the center, top with a heaping helping of the potato-mixture, and sprinkle on 2-3 tablespoons cheese. Roll up the burritos by folding in the two short ends first and then folding over the long sides. As expected by the title of this recipe, they will be lumpy so do not fret. As you complete each burrito place it in an ungreased 9x13-inch baking dish and an additional 8x8 baking dish if you run out of room. Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered.

Provide the garnishes on the side, unless you plan on eating all of the burritos in one sitting. This will keep your burritos from becoming soggy. Serve the burritos hot, topped with the tomatoes, spinach or lettuce, yogurt or sour cream, salsa, and hot sauce.

Braised Tofu and Peas in Curried Coconut Milk

From Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian"

I just made this recipe and Ben asked me to share it with him. It was delicious and easy! I only wish that I had bought some naan to soak up some of the sauce's delicious flavors.

Ingredients:

3 large onions, quartered (I diced mine)

28 oz. of canned tomatoes with their liquid

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons garam masala or curry powder

1 1/2 to 2 pounds of extra firm tofu, cut into 3/4 in. cubes*

1 1/2 c. peas (frozen or canned are fine)

1 1/2 c. coconut milk

Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

1. Combine onions and tomatoes in a food processor and puree (I used a blender)

2. Put the oil in a deep skillet or broad saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion-tomato mixture, along with some salt and pepper and the garam masala or curry powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it thins and becomes saucelike, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the tofu and peas and cook for about 5 minutes, until the tofu swells slightly and peas are tender; stir in the coconut milk and bring just about to a boil, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the cilantro.

4. Serve over rice or with a side of naan.

*Note: Bittman suggests either adding the tofu to the sauce while uncooked or frying the tofu in a bit of olive oil ahead of time. I went the olive oil route, although it was slightly less healthy!

Chicken "Tikki" Masala

as adapted from the Chicken Tikka Masala recipe from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

(Marinade):

1 c. nonfat plain yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

5-6 boneless skinless chicken tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces

(Sauce):

1 tablespoon butter

1 clove minced garlic

1/4-1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (to taste)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 c. half and half*

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, garam masala, cayenne, pepper, ginger, and salt (all amounts are from the marinade ingredients list). Stir the bite-sized pieces of chicken into the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for several hours (3-4 hours).

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with cumin, paprika, garam masala and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, add the chicken (in the sauce that it has been marinating in) to a preheated George Foreman grill. Grill until tender and cooked through (approximately 5 minutes).

After the sauce has simmered for 20 minutes, add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes.

This meal goes very well with cooked basmati or jasmine rice. We haven't done so yet, but this also would go well with some nan bread.

*Note: My bud, Beth, used "a couple of dabs of yogurt and milk" rather than half and half and said that it worked out just fine. So, if you'd like to be a little more health concious, there you go! (Thanks, Beth!)

Beer Pizza Crust

Adapted from Jeanne Lemlin ("Carmelized Onion, Walnut, and Goat Cheeze Pizza with a Beer Crust, www.food.com)

This recipe is for those of us who are far from affording a food processor, but who can still afford a beer. AND those of us who happen to be over 21 years of age. I think that within our family, I am the only Harrington that meets these qualifications (until August 14, 2008).

Makes 2 pizza crusts (or one exceptionally large pizza crust). If you just need one crust right now, make two and stick the extra in a ziplock bag in your freezer for next time. Thaw the night before by placing frozen dough in the fridge and it will be thawed by dinner.

Ingredients:

3 c. unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 12 ounce can or bottle of your favorite beer 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour in the beer and mix well. The dough will be sticky. Spread a handful of flour on your work surface and dump the dough onto it. Toss the dough around to coat it with the flour and prevent it from sticking. Knead it 2 or 3 times to make it pliable. Shape the dough into a ball and then divide it into two.

Grease 2 baking sheets. Use your hands to stretch the dough out to the edges of your baking sheets.  I often add just a bit more flour to help with spreading out the dough, so do so if it will help!  Par bake crust (i.e. bake without any toppings) for about 8 minutes. Then, spread sauce, cheese, and all toppings on the pizza. Add desired toppings and bake until golden brown on top or underneath (approximately 8 more minutes).

Note: The picture of the pizza above (as taken by Ben) is one of my favorite topping combinations ever. After par baking the crust, spread pasta sauce all over. Add slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil leaves, sliced tomato, sliced kalamata olives, and browned, sliced sausage. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

La Leche League Pizza Dough

from "The Tightwad Gazette" June 1992, Issue #25

(as made by Mom for over a decade)

Makes 1 pizza crust

Ingredients:

1/2 to 3/4 c. warm water (105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit)

115 degrees Fahrenheit

1 package dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

2 cups flour

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. salt

Note: Food processor needed for this recipe.

Combine 1/4 c. of the water with yeast and sugar so that the yeast have something to munch on. Stir to dissolve the yeast and let stand until bubbly (about 5 minutes).

Combine flour, oil, and salt into the food processor and process about five seconds with the steel blade attachment. Add yeast mixture to flour mixture and process about 10 seconds or until blended.

Turn on processor and drizzle just enough of the rest of the water through the feed tube so the dough forms a ball that cleans the sides of the bowl. Process so that the ball turns around about 25 times.

Put dough ball onto a 14-inch greased pizza pan or large cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or a bowl and let stand 10 minutes.

Pat the dough out so that it covers the pan, leaving a ridge on the edges.

Par bake the crust for 8 minutes at 425 degrees before putting on the toppings (this will make it nice and crispy).

Spread with pizza sauce, add cheese and desired toppings.

Bake at 425 degrees for 7 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.

Mom's French Dip Sandwiches

by Beth E. McDermott Harrington

Serves: approximately 6

Ingredients:
2-3 pounds chuck or rump roast
1 Au Jus sauce packet
1 large onion, sliced
Water (amount indicated on Au Jus sauce pack)

Rolls

Note: This recipe requires a crock pot.

Combine roast, Au Jus sauce packet, sliced onion and water in the crockpot. Cook approximately 8 hours on low. Serve on rolls or buns and provide guests with extra Au Jus sauce in which they can dip their sandwiches.