Roasted Cauliflower – Pioneer Woman

When I began this blog, my stress was on cookbooks, magazines, foodie blogs and food websites.  Although, most of my recipes have come from different sources, I think I have fallen short in reviewing books and magazines.  I am blessed with a good cooking library and I do keep pulling books off the shelves and yes, using them.

I realized, if I don’t have the time to share all the dishes, I cooked, I can review the books.  Sometimes, for me, a review is the best way to inspire me.

Today, was the first time, I even looked at the Pioneer Woman’s new book, Pioneer Woman Cooks.  Reading through the names of recipes, I see dozens that I want to make.  The book is filled with photos as is Ree’s blog and that is a great help, even to the experienced cook.  If one has her own way of doing something, the pictures can be ignored.  I find that many photos on the page confusing.  On the other hand, when I had a question about a recipe, I always found the answer because of the photos.  What I didn’t like, and this may just be me, was the darkness of the pictures.  It is not going to stop me from cooking from the book.  There are too many great sounding dishes to pass up.

Tonight was leftover night.  I have been making a new item whenever we have leftovers.  It means little work but a spark for the meal.  The only requirement tonight was to use cauliflower while it was still nice and fresh.  I opened up the Pioneer Woman Cooks, looked up cauliflower and found a soup and roasted cauliflower.  Since, I was matching this with the leftovers, roasted cauliflower was my choice.  Instead of Panko, I used tortilla chip crumbs.

The prep time was short.  The hardest part was breaking the cauliflower into small pieces and that really is not a challenge.

Roasted Cauliflower – adapted from the Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1 cauliflower, cut into pieces

spray olive oil

salt and black pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons onion powder or any spice

1  cup tortilla chip crumbs or Panko crumbs

2 tablespoons butter

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spray a baking sheet with olive oil.

Spread cauliflower over the baking sheet and spray the top of the vegetable.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

While cauliflower is finishing baking (last five minutes), microwave butter or melt in small saucepan.

Pour butter over crumbs in a small bowl.

Place cauliflower in small baking dishes (individual sized) and mound crumbs on top.

Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until crumbs brown.

Eat and enjoy each bite.  This is delicious.  For so little work, you get big taste.

Serve with fish, poultry, meat or vegetables.  This is going to become a favorite dish.

This is linked to Allergy Free Wednesday       Newlyweds

Savory Tomato Crisp – The Food Matters Project

In the midst of doing report cards means cooking with one hand holding a pen and the other a spatula.  That is an exaggeration since report cards are done on the computer.  The time it steals from life, to accomplish decent cards, can be tremendous.  Although, it is done in a week’s time, I find that anything I cook or bake is not done with full concentration so it is a minor miracle when something comes out right.

I baked a cake and almost left out the sugar.  In the oven went a baked dish and guess who walked away and forgot to put on the timer.  This is what it is like, for the week.  A bunch of minor incidents.  All the food has been saved.

My point is that since I am talking about too much topping, perhaps, I didn’t follow the directions.  I am looking forward to checking out other foodies, found here.

This recipe had lots of appeal.  I made a tomato crisp, years ago and it was a huge success.  I was ready to try another one, particularly one from Food Matters by our guy, Mark Bittman.  The topping on mine was quite heavy with good “stuff” but it seemed like too much and when I cut the first piece, crumbs flew all over.

I didn’t think it was possible but this topping was too crisp for me even though the combination that made it up had only the best, oatmeal and nuts, as starters.

We did like it and I would make it again but I would cut the topping.

Savory Tomato Crisp was chosen by Nicole from the Giving Table and despite my battle with the topping, I think, it is a great choice.  I am wondering how it would be with cauliflower or broccoli.

This is linked to Gallery of Favorites        Mop it Up Mondays        Breakfast Ideas Monday       Gluten-Free Weekly Meal Plan Linky         Made From Scratch Monday

Salsa Bittman Style – The Food Matters Project

Mark Bittman

This week for the Food Matter Project, we had fun, experimenting with salsa.  The Five Quick Salsas for Chips, Dips, and Other Stuff can be found on  page 46 and was chosen by Alissa from Big Eats Little Kitchen.  Thanks to Alissa for a tasty treat.

I planned to use this on chicken, rather than as a dip or appetizer but made in the morning and tasted it and demolished it.  I also, rather than make it as pico de gallo, wanted a thick saucy salsa so I used the handy mini food processor to give it body.

I admit, it was so good, I dipped in corn cakes and loved every minute of cheesy goodness.  I actually, did not share.

Basic Salsa

• 2 large ripe organic tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped
• 1/2 large white onion, chopped
• 1  teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon hot chili powder
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 31 tablespoon lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

Place in food processor and blend until smooth.

Serve as dip or with cheese.   I added a large blob of mozzarella and zapped it, in the microwave.  Delicious.

Mark Bittman gave alternative recipes which make up the 5 quick dips, Peach Salsa,  Green Apple-Cucumber, Tomatillo-Black Bean Salsa and Corn Salsa.

White Bean and (Asparagus) Avocado Soup

When no one in the family likes asparagus, what does a girl do,with all those wonderful recipes featuring asparagus?  I think, this may be the in-season for asparagus since it appears each time, I click on a recipe.

Here it is again,in our weekly recipe for The Food Matters Project, selected by Adrienne of Adrienne Eats, where you will find the recipe for White Bean and Asparagus Soup.  I may not love asparagus but I do admire this blog, which has its stress on healthy eating with delectable recipes.    Check out her Friday Favorites, bloggers of note.

Usually, I select some green vegetable replace the asparagus such as broccoli or spinach.  My darling husband had just brought me a box of avocados and a few of them were ripe and that is the moment, I knew this was going to be a White Bean and Avocado Soup and it did work well.  I did use regular sized tomatoes, rather than small ones.  We like the flavor it brings to soups.  Instead of chicken soup as a base, I used an organic vegetable broth.

With the cooler weather returning, I have been making soups, on a regular basis.  This fit right in. 

Thanks to Adrienne for a good pick.  Go on over to the Food Matters Project and see who else has participated and what they have come up with.   If you are a Mark Bittman fan, you just might want to join us in cooking his yummy recipes.

This is linked to Homemaker Monday    Real Food Wednesday      Tuesday Talent Show        Allergy Free Wednesday      Hearth and Soul

Pasta with Feta, Broccoli and Pecans – Nigella

I found another recipe in Nigella Kitchen that I wanted to make and that became our dinner.  Unfortunately, I was missing several necessary ingredients and did a lot of subbing.  This is a recipe, I would not have made changes to.  It sounded just right the way it was but necessity is the mother of all inventionn, as we discussed previously.  Necessity and I invented an “Almost Nigella” recipe and it was delicious.

(Curly Pasta with Feta, Spinach, and Pine Nuts (adapted)

Shells with Feta, Broccoli and Pecans

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup pecans, rough chopped
• 2 tablespoons  olive oil
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1/2 pound short pasta like shells  (mine are brown rice shells – gluten free)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 pound frozen chopped broccoli
• 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Start the water boiling for your pasta.  Once it’s come to a boil add the pasta and cook until tender.
2. Toast the pecans in a dry pan over medium-low heat until they are golden brown. Set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in large sauce pan and add the onion. Cook until the onion is tender, adding a little salt if they start browning.
4. Add the broccoli  and continuously stir until the frozen broccoli heats up. Add the allspice.
5. Once the pasta is finished cooking, save a small amount of pasta water before draining and add to the broccoli mixture.
6. Add the feta to the spinach mixture and stir it around until the feta has melted. Then add the Parmesan cheese and continue to stir.
7. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss everything well to combine.
8. Serve warm and top with the toasted pecans.

Linked to This week’s Cravings

See Ya in the Gumbo

Cookbook Sundays

Vegetarian Side Dishes and at Priya’s Easy N Tasty Recipes

Gluten-Free Weekly Menu Plan      Tasty Tuesday

Soy Broth with Noodles

Mark Bittman has become my secret friend or at least, his books and recipes have done that. I have not been disappointed with any recipe, I have made because, he allows so much freedom to make each recipe your own.

Soy Broth with Noodles

The Minimalist: From a Simple Base, Endless Possibilities (March 25, 2009)   adapted

1/3 cup soy sauce, more to taste

1/3 cup ketchup or 3 tablespoons tomato paste and a pinch of sugar

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, more to taste

A few drops dark sesame oil (optional) (I used.)

A squirt of sriracha or other sauce, or a dried red chili to taste (optional)

1 scallion, chopped

1 pound egg noodles

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.

In a smaller pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil.  Reduce heat so that it simmers, steadily.

Add to the smaller pot, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, sesame oil if using and sriracha or chili, along with a pinch of salt. Stir and let simmer.

Add egg noodles to large pot.  Cook according to package directions.

Taste broth and add more soy, salt, vinegar or heat as you like.

In the last three minutes, add scallions to broth.

Divide noodles into bowls and pour hot broth over all.

Yield: 4 servings.

Food Matters Project – Cassoulet with Lots of Vegetables

The name of this recipe appealed to me, immediately, because I thought, it had no meat in it.  I was wrong.  It calls for a choice Italian sausage, bone-in pork chops, comfit duck legs or duck breasts.  No, no, Mr. Bittman – not for me and I don’t believe we missed anything without the meat. I like what Mark put into it – that is Mark Bittman, the author of Food Matters. I left out the meat and will ask, “Who needed it?”  This totally vegetable dish was filled with flavor and we cleaned our dishes.

We like this cassoulet and I would be happy to make this again.  It was filled with veggies, which we love and the combination was one, both hubby and I enjoy. I pretty much followed the recipe but I turned it, into a  soup by adding some organic vegetable broth and water.  It was rich and delicious.

 The Food Matters Project can be found here and we hope any Bittman fans  will join right in.  Cooking Bittman is interesting and tasty.  You can also find the cooks and where to find their latest creations on The Food Matters site.

In the future we will be cooking up the following recipes as follows:

April 9, 2012: Fish Nuggets Braised in Rhubarb Sauce (page 454),

April 16, 2012: No-Work Mostly Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (page 533) and Topping Pizza, the Food Matters Way (p

April 23, 2012: Real Whole Wheat Bread (page 539) or Mostly Whole Wheat Baguettes (page age 535),

542) April 30, 2012: Roasted Asparagus and White Bean Soup (page 110) May 7, 2012: 

Five Quick Salsas for Chips, Dips, and Other Stuff (page 46 May 14, 2012: Bruschetta, Rethought (page 51),

Don’t theysound good?

This is linked to Savory Sunday       What Makes you Say Mmmm?     Hearth and Soul    Savory Sunday

Curried Tomato Soup with Hard Boiled Eggs

I love my new group, the FOOD  MATTERS Project.  Bittman has always been an open door to walk through and the room, you walk into is filled with deliciousness such as this soup.

Curried Tomato Soup with Hard-Boiled Eggs (page 107), chosen by Joanne is a delicious soup that we devoured.  I have always known Joanne has good taste and she certainly proved it this week.  This is one of those dishes that caused my husband to sigh almost immediately and to claim its greatness.  The seasoning blended perfectly to make a full bodied soup.

I chose not to hard boil the egg (or so I thought) and dropped into the soup to soft boil but I had made this in a slow cooker and I judged incorrectly so the egg hard-boiled without the shell.  It was the best hard-boiled egg, I have ever eaten.  It absorbed the flavors of the soup.

The soup did well in a slow cooker.  I put it up, before going to work, and left it on low.  I came home to a cooked soup, to which I added the cauliflower and eggs.  Potatoes, carrots and tomatoes all make this a success.

To see what other members of the group did with this soup, stop over at the Food Matters Project, and enjoy.

This is linked to   $5 Dinner Challenge       Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays      Tuesday’s Tasty Tidbits     Trick or Treat Tuesday!

Gluten Free Wednesdays      Real Food Wednesdays         Foodie Friday    Tuesday To Do       This Week’s Cravings

Seared Bean Sprouts with Beef and Sesame Orange Sauce – The Food Matters Project

Cover via Amazon

This is my second recipe as a member of the The Food Matters Project.  Last week, I just did not have enough time to track down my ingredients but this week, normalcy returns and I managed to get everything although, I was one orange short.  I had no vision what this would like or taste like and I admit, I was happily surprised.  I am not sure why I am surprised since Marc Bittman has not steered me wrong and I trust in his recipes, especially with the choices he suggests.

Dominica of Wine Food Love chose Mark Bittman’s Seared Bean Sprouts with Beef and Sesame Orange Sauce. You can find the recipe at  Wine Food Love.

I made this dish and served it on soba noodles which was a good mix.  Alternatives are rice or quinoa and I think all three would be yummy.  I followed this recipe almost exactly.  I was short that orange so I did not have as much zest and I added some juice from the container to the fresh orange juice to make enough for cooking.  The citrus flavor turned out to come through clearly and we like that.  The honey gave it very slight sweet taste and all the flavors blended beautifully.  This is a winning recipe.

To see what others did with this recipe, check out the Food Matters Project.

• Baked Rigatoni with Brussels Sprouts, Figs and Blue Cheese – The Food Matters Project

This is linked to Cast Party Wednesday   

Mashed Potato Casserole

Paula Deen is known for her Buttah and fattening and unhealthy recipes.   Despite this, she is one good cook and her recipes are worth following with a few changes.

Although now, with her medical diagnosis, hopefully changes will be made.  This is one of those recipes which I happen to love.  There are ways to cut back and I tend to do this with any recipe, not only Paula’s.  I crossed out what I changed so you can see the differences.  If you want to, you can cut the cheese down, even more.

Mashed Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

 2 cups mashed potatoes

1/2 cup sour cream  (cut to 1/4 low fat)

1 small onion, sliced thin

1 small bell pepper, sliced thin

8 tablespoons butter  (one tablespoon margarine)

1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar   (1 cup)

Method:

Spread mashed potatoes evenly on bottom of casserole dish.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Layer sour cream evenly over top of potatoes

Saute onion and bell pepper in margarine and place over sour cream.

Slice potatoes and layer over onions and bell peppers.

Finally top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Yum,

This is linked to Everyday Mom’s Meals