Tag Archives: vegetarian

Vegetable Stuffed Summer Squash

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My mom has always made this summer squash gratin that I love, which uses onions, breadcrumbs, and herbs. So this was my inspiration when making this stuffed squash. Normally I would have put some crumbled sausage in there, but wasn’t in the mood for meat, so I went with an all veggie version. I would have loved to have cooked these right on the grill, but here in NYC backyard space is hard to come across – so in the oven they went! The best part of cooking this meal was having a FaceTime date with my tiny nephew while I cooked. He’s my virtual sous chef! (insert a million hearts here)

Ingredients: (serves 2)
2 summer squash, cut in half and pulp removed
1/2  yellow onion, chopped
10 baby bella mushrooms, chopped
2 cups Swiss chard, finely chopped
2 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan, sauté the garlic and onion until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and mushrooms, and cook until the greens are wilted. Next add the red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Salt and pepper to taste. Fill the squash “boats” with the vegetable mixture and top with extra Parmesan cheese. Place in oven for about 30 minutes or until the squash is cooked through. Plate and serve with a simple side salad. Enjoy!

 

Spicy Wedge Potatoes With Ramp & Cilantro Aioli

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I’m really going wild with the ramps this Spring. There’s this pressure to just eat as many as humanly possible seeing they’re only in season for a few weeks each year! This time I used them in an aioli to go with the Adirondack red potatoes I got this week. These potatoes are actually red on the inside. They taste just like regular potatoes, but it’s fun to cut them open and not have them be the usual off white color we’re used to. I used Greek yogurt to make the aioli a little healthier. It went great with the spicy potatoes!

Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, cut into wedges (not too thin or they’ll crisp too much)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Good pinch of black pepper
1 cup Greek yogurt
3 ramps, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime wedge

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the potatoes into wedges, and place in a large bowl of ice water for about 20 minutes. Pat the potatoes dry then toss them in a bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet and cooking for about 20 minutes on each side until golden brown and a little crispy. In the meantime, make the aioli. Sauté the ramps in a little olive oil for a minute or two, then place in a food processor with the Greek yogurt, cilantro, pepper, and lime juice. Mix until smooth. Serve the potatoes with a little fresh cilantro on top and the aioli on the side. Enjoy!

Kale & Potato Enchiladas With Salsa Verde

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Normally when you think of enchiladas, you think of beans, meat, and cheese. But in my attempt to make a healthier version, I used kale, potato, and mushrooms. They came out pretty good! Mainly because rolling anything up in a tortilla and covering it in sauce is fail proof, and DELICIOUS.

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped kale, stems removed
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed small
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 garlic glove, minced
Good pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
7 medium tortillas

Salsa Verde:
12 tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
1/2 yellow onion
3 garlic cloves
1 jalapeño, seeds removed
Handful of cilantro
1 lime, juiced
Olive oil

Start by making the salsa verde. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeño in some olive oil, and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly. Place in a blender with the lime juice and cilantro, and blend until smooth. Set aside.

For the enchiladas, boil the potatoes until fork tender, and cook the mushroom in a skillet until slightly browned. In a large skillet, sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, about 3 minutes or so. Add the kale and cook until wilted, then toss in the mushrooms, potato, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and let cook for a few more minutes.

Pour some of the salsa verde in the bottom of a baking dish. Fill each tortilla with a good helping of the vegetable mix, and place them side by side in the dish, covering them with the rest of the sauce.

Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. To serve, plate enchiladas and drizzle with some hot sauce, feta cheese, and fresh cilantro!

Sweet Potato & Kale Gnocchi With Shiitake Mushrooms

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I’ve never attempted homemade gnocchi before and thought it would be a fun Wednesday night experiment for me. I had some kale, a huge sweet potato, and a bag of fresh shiitake mushrooms from my CSA bag this week, so I figured I would use those as my main ingredients. I got my first surprise then I cut into my sweet potato to realize it was white, but after some investigating it turns out sweet potatoes are technically white, and YAMS are the orange ones. So there was that. My next surprise was how easy it was to make gnocchi from scratch! The dough was very easy to make, it was rolling them out and cutting them that took a little longer, though the whole thing probably took 30 minutes.

I chose to make a simple brown butter sauce as I didn’t want to take away from the actual flavor of the gnocchi. I ended up squeezing a lemon over it in the end which I think added some necessary acidity to the dish. Overall a successful pasta party for one!

Ingredients:
2 cups sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 cup laminate kale, deveined/blanched/chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
Good pinch of cayenne pepper
Good pinch of ground sage
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 lemon, for serving
Shaved Parmesan cheese, for serving

Get a pot of salted boiling water going and add the sweet potato. Cook until fork tender, then drain and mash in a separate bowl. In another pot, simultaneously blanch the kale by boiling for a minute or two then rinsing under cold water to stop the cooking process. This will help keep it nice and green. Chop the kale very well then add to the bowl with the potato. Mix in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Next, add 1/2 cup at a time of flour to the mixture until you have the consistency of pasta dough. You want it to be somewhat elastic and a little sticky, but able to hold its shape. I used about 1 1/2 cups. Divide the dough into 5-6 smaller balls.

On a floured surface, roll each ball out with both hands until you have about a 12 inch long, 1/2 inch diameter wide log. With a floured knife, slice about 12 (1) inch pillows and press them between the backs of two forks to give them that ribbed look.

In a pot of salted boiling water, add a splash of olive oil (to help with the sticking) and toss in about half of the gnocchi. They may stick to the bottom of the pot, so it helps to swirl them with a spoon in the water for the first minute. Cook the gnocchi for about 5 minutes or until they float to the top, then give them one more minute before removing with a slotted spoon.

While the gnocchi is cooking, sauté the shiitake mushrooms in some olive oil. Don’t mix them around too much, as it’s nice to get them a little caramelized on the sides. Add a 1/2 stick of butter, along with the cayenne, sage, red pepper flakes, and a little pepper. Cook until the butter has browned and has a nutty fragrance to it. Make sure not to overcook it though, it can happen fast!

Plate some gnocchi and pour a bit of the brown butter and mushrooms over top. Add some fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and a light squeeze of fresh lemon. Enjoy!

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Parsnip Latkes With Caramelized Onion & Horseradish Cream

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Oh latkes. I latke you A LOT. Crispy potato goodness smothered in sour cream, how could someone not love you? When I got potatoes and parsnips in my CSA bag this week, my sister recommended I make some latkes. She’s the smart sister, clearly. So I did just that! I didn’t even plate them when they were finished, I just ate them right off the cutting board, adding dollops of (horseradish) sour cream and sweet caramelized onions. And with my Rumours record playing in the background and a big glass of wine in hand, it was a perfect little Tuesday night at home!

Ingredients:
1 large yukon gold potato, peeled
2 medium parsnips, peeled
1 egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (plus more if needed)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
1 tablespoon horseradish, or more to taste

Start by grating the potato and parsnips. Place in a paper towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. Place the gratings in a bowl and add the minced garlic, chives, egg, flour, cayenne, salt and pepper. Form into patties with your hands and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add a bit of vegetable oil. You want enough that it’ll slightly fry the latkes without making them too oily. Fry the latkas in batches, about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown with a little crisp. I like to push mine down with the spatula to flatten them a little to help get them crispy. Let drain on a paper towel for a minute or two before serving.

While the latkas are cooking, sauté the onion in some olive oil. At this time, also make the cream by mixing the sour cream and horseradish together. Set both aside until ready to serve with the latkas!

Curried Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup

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Sunday night was one of those nights I needed to make dinner but didn’t want to leave my house to do it! I had a butternut squash and a can of coconut cream, which was enough to convince me that I didn’t need to go to the grocery store. This soup ended up being delicious! Some of the best unexpected meals start with one simple thought – what can I make without having to remove these pajamas and go to the store?!

Ingredients:
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon powdered sage
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (or more if you like the kick!)
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
1/2 cup coconut cream (coconut milk works, too)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil

In a large heavy pot, saute the garlic, shallot, and ginger in some olive oil for a minute or two. Add the butternut squash, carrots, and apple. Drizzle with a little more olive oil then add the curry, cumin, sage, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 5-7 minutes then add the chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots and squash are fork tender.

Turn the heat off, then using a hand blender puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, you can blend in a blender in batches. Add in the coconut cream and mix until fully incorporated. Serve with an additional swirl of coconut cream and a sprinkle of paprika.

 

Leek & Roasted Garlic Galette With Sweet Potato

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You can never go wrong with a galette- they’re so easy to make and the filling options are endless! I like to make them for dessert sometimes, using ingredients like Nutella and fresh berries. This one was for dinner with friends, we had it with a simple salad and a big bottle of wine!

Tart Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cold water (plus more as needed)

Filling:
1 cup leeks, light parts only, sliced thin
1/2 cup chopped Swiss red chard
5 large garlic cloves, roasted
1 large sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup feta cheese
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Start by making the crust. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or use your hands. If using your hands, you simply want to roll the butter chunks between your fingers with the flour until it resembles the texture of small peas. Next, stir in the egg/water mixture and mix with a fork until dough forms. If the dough is too dry and not forming easily, add tiny bits of cold water until the texture is able to stick together and hold when pinched. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least an hour.

For the filling, start by preheating the oven to 375 and roast the garlic cloves for about 15-20 minutes, or until soft. In a large skillet, cook the leeks in some olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes, then add the Swiss chard, cooking another 3 minutes or so. Next, mash the roasted garlic into the ricotta cheese, then add the leek/chard mixture.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about the size of a medium pizza. Spread the ricotta mixture in the center, leaving a 2 inch boarder around the edges. Top with the sliced sweet potato and feta cheese. Cook for 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the potatoes can easily be pierced by a knife. Top with some fresh cracked black pepper!

 

 

 

Kale & Butternut Squash Pizza With Ricotta

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Pizza is one of my favorite things to make- the toppings are endless! And there’s something special about pulling a homemade pizza out of the oven. For me, it’s important to get the crust nice and thin, otherwise you feel like you’re eating a loaf of bread with stuff on top of it. Sometimes when I am feeling ambitious I will make my own pizza dough, but on a weeknight after work I tend to just grab a ball of dough from the grocery store, or better yet, I buy some at my local pizza place for a few bucks. Once you make your own pizza you’ll never go back to the boring stuff!

Ingredients:
1 small bunch kale, roughly chopped
1/2 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed small
1/2 small red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloved, minced
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese (plus more for topping)
Parmesan cheese, for topping
4-5 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Pizza dough, enough for (1) pizza
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Next, add some olive oil to a pan and saute the garlic and onions until translucent. Add the kale and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll out the pizza dough. Place on a floured baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Spread the ricotta cheese all over the pizza, then add the kale mixture and the butternut squash. Top with some more ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Cook for 25 minutes or until crust is golden. In the meantime mix together the honey and paprika. Let cool for a few minutes then drizzle the spiced honey over the top of the pizza. Alternatively, you can leave on the honey on table for guests to drizzle themselves!

 

Golden Beet Ravioli With Brown Butter

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There is a little restaurant in Brooklyn called Testo that I love to go to with friends. Every time we go, one of us orders the beet ravioli- it’s so delicious and has such a nice light earthy taste to it. I decided to make it at home with some golden beets that I had. I took a shortcut with the pasta and used wonton wrappers, but you can make your own dough if you have the extra time! For the sauce I just made a simple brown butter as I didn’t want the sauce to outshine the beet flavor. They came out great! I think Testo would have been proud.

Ingredients:
1 package wonton wrappers
3 golden beets, peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves
1/3 cup walnuts
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Fresh parsley (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the beets and garlic on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and roast for 25 minutes or until fork tender. Add the walnuts to the pan for the last 5 minutes.

Place the beets, garlic, walnuts, and ricotta in a food processor. Blend until smooth then salt and pepper, to taste. To make the raviolis, wet the perimeter of two pasta wrappers and add a spoonful of the beet mixture to the center. Place the second wrapper on top and press the edges together until sealed all the way around. Repeat until you have the desired amount of raviolis. I cut my wrappers into circles with my pasta trimmer, but you can leave them square or simply fold in half for a triangle shape!

Place the raviolis in a pot of boiling salted water. I always add a drizzle of olive oil to my water to help prevent the pasta from sticking together. Boil for about 4 minutes. In the meantime, heat 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan over medium high heat, cooking until the butter begins to turn golden brown and has a nutty fragrance. Plate the raviolis, and top with the browned butter, Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley.

Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl

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I get these quinoa bowls from a place near my office at least once a week. My favorite is the Mediterranean bowl, so when I got some eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes this week I decided to make it at home! It was perfect for a summer night, very fresh, light and easy to make!

Ingredients: Serves 2-3
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 small eggplant, chopped
Small bunch kale, chopped small
Handful of green beans
3-4 small tomatoes, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 garlic scapes, chopped
1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small onion, minced
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup almond slivers
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Start by making the quinoa. While it is cooking, add in the chopped kale and lemon zest. Next make the vinegar mixture for the green beans and tomato- mix the red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and a small pinch of salt and pepper. Blanch the green beans for a minute or two, then add them to the vinegar with the fresh tomatoes and let soak until ready to plate. In a separate pan, add some olive oil and cook the onion and garlic until softened, then add the eggplant, green pepper, garlic scapes, nuts, and a little salt and pepper.

Plate some of the quinoa, then top with the eggplant mixture, green beans, and tomatoes. Finish with some feta cheese and a little drizzle of the vinegar.