Ricotta and Spinach Crepe Lasagna

Yes, I am guilty of neglecting everyone. So Sorry! The truth is that I've lost a bit of inspiration lately and even dropped out of my lunch group at work for a while! I also recently discovered Facebook, which is definitely procrastination-central.

But another reason I haven't posted in a while is because of the holidays and because I'm actually starting to repeat recipes, believe it or not! This blog is doing what I hoped it would do by grouping my favorite recipes in one place so I wouldn't forget them and would try them again.

I recently compiled my favorite recipes from this blog, from Cooking Light, and from Epicurious and created a cookbook on Tastebook. I then sent this homemade cookbook to several relatives for Christmas. It was a hit! Let me know if you'd like to share your own recipes with me on Tastebook or on this blog!

Today, I am posting a recipe I made a few weeks ago. I had intended to make canneloni, but the crepes I made were falling apart, so it turned out to be easier to make a lasagna. The crepes are different than my previous posts because they're made with chickpea flour (completely wheat-free) and no eggs. The chickpea flour gives them a smoky flavor, which goes well with marinara.



Ricotta and Spinach Crepe Lasagna
For the crepes:
1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons light sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
olive oil

For the filling:
15 ounces container fresh ricotta (or 1 pound)
1 egg, lightly beaten
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound fresh baby spinach
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper

For the sauce:
4 cups Homemade Marinara

Parmesan cheese, grated

To make the crepes, whisk together 3 1/2 cups cold water, flours, oil, and salt in a bowl to form a thin batter. Strain through a sieve, cover, and set aside for at least an hour. Heat a non-stick crepe skillet on medium-high heat. Brush with olive oil and pour 1/3 cup batter. Heat until the bottom is browned, about 1 minute, and flip and heat for 30 seconds more. Pile on a plate and set aside.

For the filling, mix ricotta and egg in a medium bowl. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add garlic. Heat the garlic until fragrant. Add the spinach, and cook until wilted and liquid is absorbed. Drain and cool spinach and chop. Add spinach to the ricotta mixture and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

To build the lasagna, spread a 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Spread crepes on top until the pan is covered in 1 layer. Top with half of ricotta cheese mixture and then with 1 cup of marinara sauce. Then add another layer of crepes, ricotta, and sauce. Top with a final layer of crepes and the rest of the marinara and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Heat in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes or until heated through.

Vegetarian Feijoada

Feijoada is Brazil's national dish and is traditionally made with black or brown beans and many different kinds of fresh and cured meats. It is usually served with rice, a shredded green, such as mustard greens, and with fried pork chops, farofa (manioc crumbs with spices), orange slices, and caipirinhas to cut all the fat and heaviness in your stomach. It is truly a well-designed meal that satisfies!

In the US, it's not easy to find farofa, nor is the many kinds of meats seen as acceptable. So instead of these ingredients, I use bread crumbs and hickory-baked tofu. This version of feijoada is very good and satisfying and is also appropriate for my vegetarian lunch group at work.



Vegetarian Feijoada
Serves 8

1 pound dried black beans
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cumin
dried red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
12 ounces baked tofu (hickory or savory flavor), cut into small cubes

Soak beans by covering beans in a bowl with the boiling water, 2 inches above the beans. Let sit for an hour or until the beans have doubled in size. Rinse and drain. Place the beans in a large pot with 4 cups water. Bring water to a boil and cook the beans for 2 hours.

In the meantime, heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt. Heat until the onions are starting to brown and the spices become fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook until they are soft and incorporated into the mixture. Turn off heat and set aside.

When the beans are finished cooking, they should be soft. Take a cup of beans from the pot and mash with a fork. Return the mashed beans to the pot and mix them well. The gives the dish a creamier texture. Add the cooked onion mixture, the vinegar, the tofu, and adjust salt to taste. Bring back to a bubble and simmer for another twenty minutes or until the stew has reached its desired consistency. Serve with the following:

Mustard Greens
Serves 8
1 bunch mustard greens, washed and sliced as thin as possible

Steam the greens in a bamboo steamer and saute in a skillet with some olive oil and salt. I often also add garlic and red pepper flakes here to taste.

Garlicky Rice
Serves 4, Double to serve 8
1 tablespoon butter
2-3 cloves garlic
1 cup rice
2 cups water
Pinch of salt

Melt butter in a small pot. Add garlic and cook over medium-low heat until soft. Add rice, increase the heat a little, and cook until the rice is translucent. Add the water and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Bread Crumbs
Choose a few slices of a good bread. I used sourdough this time. After all, we live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Add bread. Turn off the oven and let it cool. Take out the bread and place in food processor. Process until finely ground. You can add salt and spices, such as oregano.

Sliced Oranges

Autumn Pizza with Eggplant, Leeks, and Oyster Mushrooms

As you can see by our posted weekly menus, we make pizza quite often. I found a favorite pizza dough, which I will post here. I used to cook the pizza on a pizza stone by dividing the dough to make two smaller, round pizzas, but I found that I actually prefer how the dough tastes when cooking it as one large pizza on an oiled cookie sheet. It cuts the time in half, and the dough gets a different, crispy sheen on the bottom from the cookie sheet (non-stick).

I vary the toppings depending on what I have on hand. Here, we had leftover leeks and eggplants and 3 bunches of fresh oyster mushrooms, the fruits of Autumn. I used the homemade marinara from earlier this week, which I had frozen to keep fresh and thawed for use. Drizzling the top of the pizza with a little olive oil, Parmesan, and oregano makes all the finishing difference.



Autumn Pizza
Serves 4

Pizza Dough (for 2 small pizzas or one large pizza)
1 package yeast (2 /14 teaspoons)
1 cup lukewarm water
2 1/3 cup white flour
2/3 cup white whole wheat flour (a special kind of wheat, white wheat, makes a lighter flour than red wheat and is fantastic for breads)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Autumn Toppings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small Chinese eggplant, chopped
1 leek, halved and sliced
3 bunches oyster mushrooms chopped
1 cup homemade marinara sauce
2 cups 5 cheeses mix (Parmesan, Asiago, Provolone, Mozzarella, Romano)
Oregano

For the dough, activate the yeast by combining the yeast with the water in a large bowl for 5 minutes. Add the flours, oil, and salt, and knead and slap down on a wooden cutting board for 10 minutes until light and elastic. Place back in the bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise for 1 hour.

In the meantime, heat oil in a non-stick skillet and saute leeks until tender. Add eggplant and mushrooms and a sprinkling of oregano and cook until the eggplant have turned brown and the mushrooms have released their water. Turn off heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. When dough is ready, punch down and spread with fingers on a lightly oiled 9 by 13 inch cookie sheet so that the edges have more dough to hold in the sauce. Spread the marinara sauce evenly over the dough and top with sauteed vegetables. Top with cheeses, more oregano and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

Multi-grain Penne Rigate with Goat Cheese and Ricotta Salata

On Friday nights, I'm exhausted by the work week I've just completed. I'm always happy to see that I've planned an easy and comforting meal for those nights. The ideal for me is to have a warm meal in minutes and watch a movie wrapped in a blanket.

This week, I left the planning somewhat open, but I knew that I had penne rigate in the cupboard and tomatoes and veggies. From other recipes, I had goat cheese and ricotta salata left, so a new pasta dish was born!

The beauty of pasta is that you don't need to know much about cooking to prepare a sauce of your choice with the pasta shape of your choice. It's always a wonderful fall-back.

We usually buy fresh pasta from our hippie friend at the farmer's market, but he told us the week before that he'd be spending some time in Amsterdam. We always miss his presence! He's become our weekly friend, the only person who noticed my husband's new glasses, the only person who could sense that my husband and I had been fighting one week (he said, "you guys need a vacation"), and the only person who asked how we were holding up after having my parents visiting for the weekend. So this week, as an alternative, I bought multi-grain dried pasta at the store. It's good, but not like the fresh pasta from a friend!



Penne Rigate with Goat Cheese and Ricotta Salata
Serves 4

14.5 ounces dried penne rigate
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 sun-dried tomato Tofurky sausages, sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts
3 multi-colored heirloom tomatoes, chopped
1/2 jar pasta sauce
4 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled
4 tablespoons ricotta salata, grated
1/2 cup parsley, coarsely chopped

Bring water to a boil in a large pot, add pasta and cook according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and heat until fragrant. Turn up heat to medium-high and add sausages and cook until slightly browned. Add red pepper, red pepper flakes, and pine nuts and saute until pine nuts are slightly browned. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until heated through. Add sauce and cook again until heated through. Mix in parsley and take the sauce off the heat.

Combine pasta and sauce in a large bowl. Serve immediately with 1 tablespoon each of goat cheese and ricotta salata per serving.

Barley Risotto with Summer Vegetables

This is based on a recipe from Cooking Light. I modified the recipe slightly by using red pepper instead of orange pepper, zucchini instead of yellow squash, red onions instead of shallots, and more green beans than called for in the recipe. It was tasty, but took much more time to cook the barley than the recipe claimed. I won't post the recipe here because I provided the link to it above, but I wanted to share the photo.

Heirloom Tomato and Mozzarella Tart

I have to admit that this is not my recipe. I got this from Cook's Illustrated. It's so simple and yummy! The only thing I don't like about this recipe is the fact that puff pastry has trans fats, but with the way foods are changing these days, I doubt that will be an issue for long. Instead of Roma tomatoes, I used the plump heirloom tomatoes from our CSA box. Neither variety is very wet or seedy, so both suit the tart well. Varient recipes in Cook's Illustrated use either prosciutto on top of the mozarella (for the meat-eaters) or smoked mozzarella. Enjoy!



Heirloom Tomato and Mozzarella Tart
Serves 6 to 8

Flour for work surface
1 (1.1 pound) box frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator overnight
1 large egg, beaten
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
1 pound Roma or Heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
Salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Ground black pepper
8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded (I used fresh mozzarella, cut into small pieces)
2 tablespoons sliced basil leaves

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Dust work surface with flour and unfold both pieces of puff pastry onto the surface. Create one large sheet with a border, using these two sheets by: brushing egg along the short edge of one sheet and overlapping the second sheet on the egg by about an inch, pressing to seal together; cutting 1 inch strips from the long sides of the dough and the short sides and pressing those strips onto the main piece of dough to create a border; transferring the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat; trimming excess dough to create even edges; brushing the dough with egg. Sprinkle Parmesan evenly over shell and bake for 13-15 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 350 and continue to bake until golden brown and crisp, 13 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer to wire rack; increase oven temperature to 425.

While shell bakes, place tomato slices in a single layer on double layer of paper towels and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand 30 minutes. Place second layer of paper towels on top of tomatoes and press firmly to dry tomatoes. Combine garlic, oil, and pinch each salt and pepper in a mall bowl; set aside.

Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over baked shell. Shingle tomatoes on top of cheese; brush tomatoes with garlic oil. Bake until shell is deep golden brown and cheese is melted, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, sprinkle with basil, cut into pieces and serve.

Ratatouille

I never actually liked Ratatouille that much, especially because my experience has been a bland mash of vegetables that resembled water more than anything. I always found myself hungry after eating it. However, after seeing the movie Ratatouille, my interested was piqued again. I noticed that in the movie, the dish was baked rather than cooked on the stove. It also appeared that the little rat chef, Remy, spread a tomato-y sauce in a casserole dish and topped it with zucchini and eggplant, thinly sliced. That was then topped with some sort of cover which allowed the veggies to steam in the sauce. That version is one I've never seen before and would like to try, but I have to admit that I'm a bit embarrassed to try a recipe I saw in a children's animated movie!

The following recipe is an adaptation from the Joy of Cooking's rendition. The eggplant turned out to be very flavorful in this rendition, but we still found ourselves somewhat hungry and protein-deprived after eating it. Be sure you eat something else with it!



Ratatouille
Serves 6

1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups onions, chopped
1 large red bell peppers, cut into large chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups sliced baby heirloom tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped basil

Saute first three ingredients in a large skillet on high heat for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Remove the vegetables to a bowl and heat the skillet on medium high heat. Cook the remaining olive oil and onions until softened. Add red pepper and garlic and cook for 8 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and zucchini and cook 20 minutes more, covered. Add basil before serving. Serve over saffron rice.

Teriyaki Sea Scallops and Chili-Rubbed Sweet Corn

It's been quite a while since I posted a recipe here. I've been in the process of building a new PC for fun, and also so that I can do these kinds of activities more quickly. I now have a media card reader for all of my digital photos, and upload/download speeds are so fast! Thanks for being patient.

Here is a dinner we had about a week ago. The sea scallops looked fabulous at the market, and we couldn't resist. I concocted a "teriyaki" marinade for them and quickly pan-seared them so they cooked and didn't dry out. A person can really only eat a maximum of three of these because they're so rich!

For the one of the sides, we blanched some sweet corn from our Eatwell box and used a dry rub from Cooking Light after the cobs were cooked. While still hot, we dolloped some creme fraiche, which made this a real treat.



Teriyaki Sea Scallops
Serves 2

6 sea scallops
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon rice wine

Place all marinade ingredients in a small bowl and whisk. NOTE that the amounts in the marinade are approximate. Adjust to suit your taste and smell! Place scallops in a shallow baking dish and cover with marinade. Leave at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.

Heat non-stick skillet at medium-high or high heat. Be sure to turn on the exhaust fan if you have one! Add scallops to the hot skillet and cook until browned on both sides, a couple minutes each side. Serve warm.

Rainbow Shepherd's Pie

Most of the ingredients in this pie come from the Eatwell Farm box this week. I used a somewhat general recipe for shepherd's pie from Heaven's Banquet and substituted the vegetables I had this week. The result was every color of the rainbow, except for blue!! I served this pie with a green salad with sliced turnips and radishes.

You'll also see in the first picture a bunch of lavender, also from Eatwell. It smells divine!





Rainbow Shepherd's Pie
Serves 6

Topping:
6 Yukon Gold potatoes (or 10-12 baby potatoes) (yellow)
1/4 cup creme fraiche
2 tablespoons butter

Filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup fresh Genovese basil, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 cups zucchini, finely chopped (green)
2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced (purple)
2 cups baby carrots, thinly sliced (orange)
8 ounces crumbled firm tofu
3/4 cup vegetable broth
salt and pepper

paprika (red)
parsley

For the topping, boil the potatoes in their jackets until soft. Drain and peel. Mash with a potato masher with the butter and creme fraiche.

For the filling, heat olive oil in a skillet. Add basil and thyme and saute for 1 minute. Add veggies and broth with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cook covered until veggies are tender.

Butter a casserole dish and fill with veggie mixture. Top with mashed potatoes. Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve garnished with paprika and parsley.

Tomato, Lettuce, Provolone, and Arugula Pesto Lavash Sandwiches

I called these "clean-out-the-fridge" sandwiches because I needed to make lunch for my vegetarian lunch group at work, but I didn't want to buy anything new because of our upcoming vacation a few days later. This was a sandwich that took advantage of our leftovers and ended up being surprisingly tasty. It's a sandwich I don't want to forget!!



Tomato, Lettuce, Provolone, and Arugula Pesto Lavash Sandwiches
2 Servings

1 piece lavash bread
arugula pesto
4 slices provolone
1 small tomato, thinly sliced
1 cup ripped lettuce

Lay lavash bread flat and spread pesto over entire bread. Top with provolone, tomato, and lettuce and roll tightly from the short side of the bread. Cut in half with a sharp knife. Each half fills the belly as a main course sandwich with other sides.

Salmon, Asparagus, and Dill Potato Crepes with Sauce Mornay

While walking through the farmer's market this weekend, we saw a new stand, which was preparing fresh crepes. I'm always astounded by the amount of money vendors can charge for crepes since they are so easy to make and with very cheap ingredients. My practical and cheap side immediately turned to the idea of making them myself. My husband then mentioned that he had a craving for smoked salmon. The ingredients started to fall in place in my mind and became a whole new craving. I hope you have a chance to try these. They were great!



Salmon, Asparagus, and Dill Potato Crepes with Sauce Mornay
Makes 6 or 7 crepes

Filling:
1/3 pound smoked salmon
Dill Potatoes
asparagus, cut diagonally and steamed

Crepes:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup low fat milk
1/4 cup lukewarm water
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt (I actually omitted this and it tasted fine)

Sauce Mornay

Combine crepe ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Let batter site for at least 30 minutes while preparing filling and sauce. The batter may be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

When ready to cook crepes, heat a crepe pan on medium heat until water droplets flicked onto the pan bubble and evaporate. Add 2 tablespoons of the batter to the pan and swirl quickly to coat the pan in an even and thin layer. I don't actually coat the pan with any butter because I use a non-stick Calphalon pan which handles the crepe batter just fine.Cook until lightly browned on the underside and until the edges of the crepe begin to pull away from the pan. Flip the crepe with a spatula or your fingers and cook until the other side is also browned. Stack crepes on a plate until ready to use. These crepes may be frozen if layered with wax paper between them and tightly sealed.

To fill crepes, place potatoes down the middle of the crepe, topped with asparagus and salmon. Roll the crepe, seam-side down and top with Sauce Mornay and fresh dill.

Mini Pinto and Broccoli Tacos

My husband mentioned perhaps stopping for Mexican yesterday while walking to our small downtown street (in Alameda, CA), mainly because he wanted a Margaritas, but I thought of beans and corn tortillas. These tacos were inspired by our excursion on a beautiful day and by what we had available to eat in our kitchen. Paired with a good beer, these tacos are nice when you want something satisfying.



Mini Pinto and Broccoli Tacos
Serves 4 (2 mini tacos each)

Canola oil
8 corn tortillas
1 14 oz. can low sodium pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup finely chopped broccoli florets
1 cup shredded jack cheese
8 leaves shredded baby lettuce
Salsa Fresca

Warm a tablespoon of oil in a skillet and add broccoli. Cook until bright green. Add beans and cook until heated through.

Coat heated griddle with oil and add tortillas. Fry until slightly browned on each side.

Top fried tortillas with bean mixture, cheese, lettuce, and salsa. Serve with fruit.

Artichoke Phyllo Pie

I hosted a birthday brunch this past weekend, and this Artichoke Phyllo Pie was the favorite recipe, probably because of the cheese and butter content. The amazing quality to this pie is actually the small amount of broccoli added, which enhances the flavor of the artichokes. I even had a guest who hates broccoli but loves this dish. One guest said that this was the "best thing ever!" I warn you though, it IS fattening and should only be prepared when serving a large group of guests. Otherwise, you'll be tempted to eat it all! I have to thank one of my favorite cookbooks for this recipe, Heaven's Banquet.



Artichoke Phyllo Pie
Serves 10-12

Vegetable Ingredients
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced fennel or celery
1 cup finely chopped broccoli florets
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
Bragg's amino acids or salt

Filling Ingredients
1 pounds ricotta cheese
2 cups grated Gruyere or Swiss Cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot
2 1/2 cups sliced, cooked artichoke hearts (I used the frozen ones and let them thaw)
Salt
Black pepper

Pastry Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup olive oil
1 pound filo pastry

To prepare the filling:
Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the fennel or celery, broccoli, and parsley. Sprinkle liquid seasoning or salt, cover, and saute on low heat until tender, stirring occasionally (about 15 minutes).

Mix together the ricotta, grated cheeses, and arrowroot or cornstarch. Mix in the sauteed vegetables and the artichoke hearts. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

To assemble the pie:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 C). Melt the butter with the olive oil over low heat. Using a pastry brush, coat the bottom and sides of a 10 or 12-inch springform pan with the oil mixture. Lay a sheet of filo in the pan, draping the edges of the pastry over the sides. Brush with a few gentle swipes of the oil. Lay another sheet of filo in the pan with the long edges drapes in another direction. Continue to fill the pan with filo, brushing each sheet with the oil, until half the pastry has been used.

Spoon the filling inside and spread evenly.

Lay the remaining sheets of filo on top, brushing each sheet with the oil. Turn up all the edges over the pie. It should look rough and rustic. If there is any remaining oil, pour a little over the top.

Bake until the filo is golden brown, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Allow to stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Undo the sides of the springform. I serve the pie on the bottom of the springform pan and on another plate. To serve, cut into wedges with a serrated knife.

Penne with a Chickpea-Tomato Sauce

The sauce for this pasta is actually a recipe for chickpeas to be served on their own. In my Italian mother's household, pasta and beans are a staple for lunch, so she decided to use this recipe for chickpeas as a sauce for penne or shells. They're statisfying and include carbs and protein. Here, we served it with salad and two different kinds of focaccia. It heats well as leftovers.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 1/3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
* 1 tablespoon dried oregano
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
* 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
* salt and ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, and stir in the onion, garlic, and oregano. Cook and stir about 10 minutes, until onions are tender.
2. Mix tomatoes into the skillet, and cook until heated through. Mix in wine, and continue cooking about 15 minutes, until thickened.
3. Stir garbanzo beans and feta cheese into the skillet, and cook 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and allow to cool about 5 minutes before serving.

Black Beans and Rice

I make a large batch of the beans so I can freeze half and use it later. This is an Ayurvedic version with no onions or vinegar. The recipe is from Heaven's Banquet.

Black Beans and Rice
2 cups dried black beans
12 cups water
2 bay leaves
6 tablespoons light olive oil
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 cups sliced celery
1 chopped bell pepper
3 cups pureed fresh tomatoes
salt and pepper
cooked rice
lemon wedges

Clean the beans and allow them to soak overnight.

Drain, rinse, and place beans in a large stock pot with the water and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 1/2 hours. The water should end up barely covering the beans. At this point, I put the beans in the refrigerator for use the next day.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add the thyme and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the celery and bell peppers and saute for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 or 3 more minutes.

Add the vegetables to the beans. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce is gravy like, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve over rice with lemon wedges.

Saffron Yellowtail with Spinach and Red Potatoes

This recipe comes from Cooking Light, and we couldn't find the monkfish called for in the original recipe, so we tried out yellowtail for the first time. While it does look nice, I think monkfish would have worked better. You really want to use a delicately flavored fish here.

Frittata with Peas and Mozzarella

This is a quick creation we did one night when we were hungry and tired and out of food. It's based on the basic Italian frittata with peas. The measurements are approximate because nothing was actually measured.



Frittata with Peas and Mozzarella
Serves 2

Olive oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan
1 cup frozen peas
Italian herbs, such as basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary
Log of mozzarella, sliced

Heat medium skillet with olive oil. Beat together the eggs and Parmesan and herbs and pour into skillet. Swirl the skillet so that the egg mixture is evenly distributed. Add peas in an even layer. Cook until the edges start to brown and pull away from the pan. Top with slices of mozzarella and place the pan under the broiler for a couple minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve with salad and bread for a light meal.

Italian Baked Beans

We made these for the first time yesterday, and they are wonderful! A variety of beans can be used in this dish: cannelini, cranberry, or pinto beans. Because we were running out of all of the above, we used a little of each. Serve these beans with a dark green and either crusty bread or rice. For dinner, we made red chard and french bread as accompaniments. The leftover beans and chard were served at lunch with a new batch of rice.



Italian Baked Beans

2 cups (about 1 pound) cannelini, cranberry, or pinto beans
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 small cloves or 3 large cloves garlic
12 leaves (about 2 sprigs) sage
Boiling water
Salt and pepper

Soak beans overnight. Place beans in a casserole with olive oil, garlic, and sage and top with boiling water until water sits 1 inch above the beans. Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Creamy Pumpkin-Sage Potato Gnocchi

We brilliantly forgot one ingredient from each recipe we planned to make this week, so I made dinner on-the-fly with ingredients already stocked in the cupboard, refrigerator and freezer. It turned out very well!



Creamy Pumpkin-Sage Potato Gnocchi
1 lb. fresh potato gnocchi
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig fresh sage, chopped
1 can pureed pumpkin
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
salt and pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil in a large pot and cook gnocchi until they float or according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat until hot. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add sage and saute for another 30 seconds. Add pumpkin and cook until heated through. Add maple syrup, salt and pepper. Turn off heat. Add creme fraiche and mix until all lumps are gone. Add hot gnocchi and mix well. Serve hot, topped with grated parmesan.

Spinach Papardelle with Tuscan Kale

Our farmer's market has many food items besides produce, including a fresh pasta stand. I love spinach pasta and wide noodles, so for me, spinach papardelle is a dream! This is a creation using the leftovers in the fridge plus a couple of items from the farmer's market.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped fennel bulb
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 bunch Tuscan (black) kale
parmesan cheese
1 pound fresh spinach papardelle

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add chopped garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add fennel and pepper and cook for 5 or so minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, set a pot of water to boil for the pasta and wash and slice the kale.

Add kale to skillet, cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions.

Add pasta to skillet, mix and top with parmesan.