Butternut Squash and “Sausage” Bake

Oh Serious Eats, you are seriously a great recipe source. Seriously. So is our friend Jen who pointed me to this recipe. She cooks it annually as part of her orphan Thanksgiving group, but mentioned that it would be something easily converted to vegetarian for someone like me, a dirty vegetarian.

A few notes:

• We are not the kind of cooks that have fresh thyme hanging around. The dry equivalent of one sprig is 1/2 teaspoon.
• We used a pretzel bread roll which made it tasty. If you don’t have individual slices, 3 slices of bread equals about 3 ounces.
• We took either Tofurky Italian sausage or Trader Joe’s Italian sausage and introduced them to a food processor. We went with a full 12 ounces of sausage for a heartier meal.

Butternut Squash and Sausage Bake (adapted from Serious Eats)

• 12 ounces Tofurkey or Trader Joe’s Italian sausage
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 3 sweet onions, quartered and thinly sliced
• 5 fresh thyme sprigs or 2 1/2 teaspoons dried
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• salt and pepper
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1/2 cubes, (about 6 cups) seeds and scrapings reserved
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup shredded smoked mozzarella
• 3/4 cup extra flavor vegetable stock (2 teaspoons veggie stock in 3/4 cup water)
• 3 slices bread, cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons melted butter, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9″ x 12″ inch baking dish. Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until it just begins to brown. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons oil, onions, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When onions are thoroughly soft, remove and set aside. While the onions cook, simmer the squash seeds and scrapings in the vegetable stock for 10 minutes, strain and keep the stock warm over low heat.

Add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Toss the squash with the flour and arrange in a single layer in the skillet. Let the squash brown, undisturbed, for 4 minutes then stir the squash as it cooks for the next 4 minutes. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.

To assemble the casserole:

• Layer the onions in the buttered baking dish.
• Evenly layer the sausage over the onions.
• Top with the squash.
• Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top.
• Pour the stock into the baking dish
• Press the top of the casserole with a spatula to evenly distribute.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

While the casserole bakes, pulse the bread crumbs with the (optional) melted butter in a food processor until you have coarse bread crumbs. After 30 minutes remove the foil and top casserole evenly with breadcrumbs and bake uncovered an additional 20 to 30 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the top is nicely browned.

Serves 8 side servings, or 6 main dish servings.

“Chicken” Noodle Soup For The Winter-Crushed Soul

At this point I wish that either the Skinny Bitches would come out with a new cookbook, or hire me for their PR team.  I think every vegan/vegetarian I talk cookbooks with is surprised to hear that the Skinny Bitches are both: vegan AND full of good recipes.  If they only they weren’t so obnoxious when they start talking.  Crap, there goes my PR job.

In case you haven’t heard, America is currently blanketed under a cold snap slash snow storm that many people are referring to as “Utter Bullshit!” I’m one of those people.  It should never be so cold that it both makes your eyes water and freezes those tear drops within the same 2 seconds.

And with the cold, comes the colds, the flus and the sinus infections.  I’m dealing with the later, while Katie is dealing with the former.  The past two weekends have consisted of grilled cheese, soup, and buying stock on Kleenex and Afrin.  Needless to say, winter in Chicago is just amazing…ly horrible.

But there are some bright spots, and this vegetarian chicken noodle soup is one of them.  The curry gives it just a bit of a kick and the flavor is probably the closest I’ve had to actual chicken soup in years.  Plus it’s a recipe that’s easily doubled, giving you enough soup to make a couple meals.

“Chicken” Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 carrot cut into 1/4″ slices
• 1 celery stalk cut into 1/4″ slices
• 1/2 onion, cut into 1/2″ dice
• 4 oz white or brown mushrooms, cut into 1/4″ slices
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp curry
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 cups vegetable stock (or vegan chicken stock if available)
• 1 1/4 tsp soy sauce
• 8 oz vegan chicken strips (either Trader Joes or Smart Strips)
• 4 oz wheat pasta

Heat the oil in a 6-quart stockpot over medium heat.  Add the carrot, celery and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally until crisp and tender (about 2 minutes).  Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and curry powder and cook until the mushrooms release their juices (about 2 minutes).  Stir in the stock, soy sauce and bay leaf.  Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.  Add the chicken and pasta.  When the soup returns to a boil, reduce to simmer.  Cook until the pasta is done (time will depend on type of pasta used).  Remove the bay leaf and serve!

Makes about 9 cups.

Vegetarian “Beef” Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki, although not mine. This one's prettier.

It’s been a Swank diet week here in the Two Bites kitchens. We’re attempting to eat healthier, and for the most part we’re succeeding.  We just need to stop eating out on the weekends, and stick to the menu we keep during the week.  Of course that doesn’t always work when you have a stack of “Buy One Get One” brunch coupons and gift cards for LEYE (Lettuce Entertain You) stacking up on your breakfast bar.  We love eating healthy, but we love a cheap meal out even more.

I spent the morning yesterday making another recipe from the Multiple Sclerosis Diet Cookbook I mentioned yesterday.  Again, you can use real beef as the original recipe calls for, but I swapped out the proteins with some Trader Joe’s Beef-less strips.  For a recipe that doesn’t require any herbs or spices, it’s a pretty tasty dish.

Vegetarian “Beef” Sukiyaki

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 1/2 lbs (3 packages) Trader Joe’s Beef-less strips, cut into slices
• 4 oz sliced Shiitake mushrooms
• 4 oz (1 can) sliced bamboo shoots
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 pound extra firm tofu, pressed of water and cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup green onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups cooked brown rice

Heat the large skillet or wok on high heat.  Add oil.  When oil begins to sizzle drop in the “beef” and brown, cooking 2-3 minutes.  Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and onion.  Stir-fry for 5 minutes, turning vegetables frequently.  When onions begin to soften add the wine and soy sauce.  Add the tofu and green onion cooking for 1 minute.  Serve over the rice.  Serves 6.

Make Your Own Jar Jar Binks Salad!

I was clearing out the archives when I discovered this oldie that I never got around to hitting publish on. Someone decided to immortalize Jar Jar Binks with a root vegetable. Yeah, I’m not sure why either: Jar Jar Binks Salad

Spinach, Rice & Feta Pie

You ever take a vacation and feel like you ended up worker harder away from work?  That’s how my week of staying home turned out.  While teaching myself to make proper seed starter, barm and rye bread, I was also helping Fritz Pastry open their doors, designing their menus, and helping out wherever I could.  If I learned one thing that past week, its that trying to open your own place, no matter the size, ain’t no joke.  I applaud them for pulling it off.

It also meant that we ate out nearly every night.  When it wasn’t Chi Town Pizza, we checked out the Tilted Kilt, or kept some out of town guests full by stuffing them with local favorites (and Fritz Pastry).  But now that Katie and I are both back on a normal schedule, with a few pounds gained, I’m back to cooking meals for the week.

To help get us back to our normal overweight status, I took a recipe from one of the many Weight Watchers books we have sitting around.  Most people, I think, just blow off Weight Watchers (probably because of their history), but they do have some pretty tasty recipes if you take the time to look.  This spinach and feta pie is just one example.  It’s technically closer to an egg white quiche than a pie, but I’m splitting hairs.

I did adapt it a little more to our tastes.  I used fresh spinach in place of frozen.  We’re just not a fan of the slightly soggy texture frozen spinach has.  I also had extra feta cheese thanks to a BOGO sale, so I bumped that up to 8 oz. instead of the 4 oz. called for.  And really, more feta is always a better option.

Spinach, Rice & Feta Pie

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 tsp AP flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 4 oz. feta cheese (8 oz. if you’re feeling cheeky)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 10 oz. chopped spinach
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes.  Stir in the flour, salt and pepper.  Gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended and lumps have been removed.  Bring mixture to a simmer and cook for 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly.  Remove saucepan from heat, and stir in cooked rice, feta cheese, egg, egg whites and spinach.  Stir until the spinach has wilted.

Pour the mixture into a greased 9-inch pie plate.  Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the pie.  Bake for 35 minutes or until set.

Serves 6.

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad

As anyone who knows me can attest, I love the Wow Bao.  It’s a fast, health(ier) meal than your usual fast food selections.  But the price tag, even on those tiny bao with their side salads, can quickly start hurting the wallet.

So this recipe can about because of the insatiable, one-ring-like obsession I had with the spicy peanut noodle salad over the weekend.  Most of the recipes I found online called for a disturbing amount of ingredients for a dish I knew couldn’t be that hard to make.  I was about to give up on the idea when Ming Tsai came to my rescue with his version of the salad that seemed closest to what I was looking for.

Yes, I may hate the man’s packaged potato chips, but I can still taste quality when I see it.  I left out the peanut garnish simply because I didn’t have any peanuts sitting around the house.  All the other ingredients are things you should have in your pantry, except maybe the sesame oil.

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad

• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon red chile flakes
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
• 1 tablespoon coarse ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 pound spaghetti, cooked and drained
• 1 cucumber, halved and cut into 1/8-inch slices
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted (salted) peanuts for garnish (optional)

1. In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, sesame oil, vinegar, chile, sugar, Dijon, coriander and soy until smooth.
2. Whisk in the canola oil and check for seasoning.
3. In a large bowl, toss dressing with the pasta, cucumbers, bell pepper and scallions.
4. Adjust seasoning according to taste.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Citrus Sage Sauce

Butternut Squash Ravioli w/ Citrus Sage Sauce

When I get an idea in my head, it’s hard to let go.  Some people like to call that “obsession” or perhaps “OCD,” but I like to think of it as inspiration slowly beating me into submission until I finally act upon it.  I’ve always wanted to make my own pasta.  I love the taste of fresh pasta compared to the stuff you buy in a box.  There’s just something that makes it taste…better.  But, I always procrastinated because I didn’t have a pasta roller to cut down on the work I would ultimately have to do.

It was then that I realized that I was complaining about the hard work that ultimately goes into making pasta.  Sure, making pasta dough is easy, but MAKING pasta used to be a long, laborious project.  Old Italian women, I’m assuming, had arms that could crush baby bears because of their upper arm strength after making pasta for their family.  And they did it more than once I week.  Here I was, complaining about a little elbow grease.  And I wouldn’t make it easy on myself either.  Why make some regular ol’ pasta when I can attempt to make a ravioli?  I was never known for starting small in my endeavors.  If I’m going to fail, I’m going to fail BIG.

So I pulled out the rolling pin and decided that this weekend I would finally tackle a long-time project.

Next time?  I buying a pasta roller.  There was something inherently zen in spending 3 hours to roll dough to 1/8″ thick.  You get lost in it.  But after the first 90 minutes, you start to realize how sore your arms and back are.  2 hours in, I realized that the palm of my hands may never recover.  But hell if I was going to quit.  The ravioli kept coming.  1 dozen.  2 dozen.  3 dozen.  By the time I was done, I had nearly 4 dozen ravioli, and enough filling to probably make another 4 dozen.

The sauce is the easiest part of this meal.  I personally thought the flavors all went well together.  Katie wasn’t so big on the ginger or citrus sauce, but to each their own as they say.  This recipe was a combination of a couple different ideas (here and here), and some hit or miss guesstimating on my part.  I will definitely be trying again, if only to get the herb and spice ratios right.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Citrus Sage Sauce
Ravioli Recipe makes up to 3 1/2 dozen ravioli depending on size.
Citrus Sage Sauce serves 4

Dough:
2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour, pre-sifted
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
water

Filling:
9 oz cooked butternut squash purée
1 oz grated parmesan
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 tsp freshly minced ginger
1/2 cup fine ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp sage leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper

Orange Sauce:
Juice of 2 large organic oranges
2 oz butter
6 sage leaves
1 inch ginger root
Salt and pepper

Steps:
Start by preparing your pasta dough ahead of time. Sift the flower and salt together. In a separate bowl, mix the sage, eggs, and 1/4 cup water. In a food processor, pulse sage, eggs, and 1/4 cup water until the sage is fine. Transfer the egg mixture to a stand mixture and gradually beat in the flour and salt. Add more water as necessary to obtain a stiff, but workable dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, transfer to a bowl and let sit, covered for at least 20 minutes.

To prepare the filling, mix together all ingredients in a food processor.

Use a pasta machine if you have one, otherwise roll out the dough by hand until it is 1/8″ thick. Use either a ravioli maker, or use a medium sized round cookie cutter to cut out an even number of circles. Please 3/4-1 tsp of the squash mixture in the middle of a round of ravioli. Use water to brush the edges of each ravioli and place a second round of ravioli on top. Seal by pressing on the edges so that they stick. I also used a fork to crimp the edges while they dried.

Cook them in salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes or so, until the dough is Al Dente. If you are not eating them right away, let them dry for 2 hours, and then refrigerate until needed. Cook in boiling water for 14-15 minutes, until Al Dente.

Serve the ravioli with the orange sauce.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Recipe – Kristin’s Totally Original, Not Stolen From Dr. Weil Carrot Cake

I’m slowly being won over to the dark side that is Carrot Cake.  It used to be my least favorite “cake” around.  I don’t like healthy things in my desserts.  It’s a sin against nature.  But my friend and coworker Kristin introduced me to a way I think I can live with even actually making my own loaf or two.

This recipe comes from Dr. Weil, who I was told I needed to make sure was credited if I was going to post this on TBIS.  So, there you go.  Dr. Weil.  He makes a mean carrot cake.  But Kristin adds a nice little twist that I think should be shared.  My biggest problem with carrot cake was always the texture.  I never liked biting into the shredded carrot.  It reminded me too much of coconut.  I have issues with that texture.  It makes my skin crawl.  Well, it turns out that Kristin feels much the same way.  So, instead of shredding the carrot, she slices it in the food processor and then mulches the everloving hell of that vegetable until she has some finely minced carrot goo.

The secret is in the goo.  You get the flavor of carrot cake without the hell in your mouth texture of the shredded carrot.

And now, Kristin/Dr. Weil:

Carrot cake is a perennial favorite, but it is often loaded with vegetable oil and laden with a cream cheese frosting. Our version is healthier, using a small amount of olive oil, a full cup of honey for moistness and flavor, and a combination of whole wheat pastry and unbleached flours. The crunchy walnuts even add a bit of omega-3 fats to this sweet treat. With a cup of hot green tea, this cake will make you forget about cream cheese frosting. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 cups firmly packed finely grated carrots
Juice of 1 large orange
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup light olive oil
1 cup honey, liquefied in microwave (30 seconds)
1/2 cup crushed or chopped pineapple, drained
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the carrots, orange juice, vanilla, olive oil, honey, and pineapple until well blended.

3. In another bowl, stir together the flours, baking soda, and spices. Mix in the walnuts.

4. Blend the dry ingredients into the carrot mixture, stirring until just mixed.

5. Pour the batter into a nonstick 8-inch-square baking pan and bake for 45-60 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and remove from pan.

Recipe – Vegetarian Fiesta Con Queso Soup

Photo courtesy of Biggest Menu

Fans of Panera soup may recognize this soup. Every other year or so, around the fall season/Chrismas time, Panera unleashes what is easily their best soup ever. You heard me right. EVER. Ask around. Ask the people I spent 6 months working with, enslaved inside the Christmas Around The Mall store, where it was ALWAYS Christmas. Even well into the middle of January, there we were wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

And if you think the bargain hunting BEFORE Christmas was bad, you never saw the people wondering if the 5 dollar ornament that was already 75% off was going to drop even further in price.

Although, to be fair, some of my best memories come from that store, and it’s also where Katie and I ultimately ended up becoming a couple. Even if it was much to the chagrin of the other employees.

But Panera’s Fiesta Con Queso soup was our addiction. We were there every day it was offered, sometimes buying 2 or 3 extra bowls to have at home during the week. It was like heroin for cheese junkies. The next winter, they didn’t release the seasonal soup and I made it my goal to find a suitable recipe replacement. Searching around the internet, I finally found a recipe that comes pretty damn close to the original, if not slightly spicier.

This dish may be high in vitamins, but be forewarned; it’s all butter and cheese. This is your daily saturated fat. It may be your weekly saturated fat. But that’s what winter soups are for right?

Fiesta con Queso
8-10 servings/5 quarts

1/8-1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup onions, diced
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3-1/2 cup diced roasted Anaheim chilies (I use 1 medium sized pepper)
4 vegetarian vegetable bouillon cubes (extra lg. cubes)
4 cups hot water
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 lb sliced good quality American cheese
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4-1/3 cup roasted red peppers, julienne then roughly chop
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 cup hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1. Over medium heat melt butter or margarine in a 6 quart stock pot, add onions carrot and celery and saute until onions are transparent and carrots have softened, add garlic toward the end and allow to soften (about 2 minutes), remove from heat.
2. In a blender combine sauted onions, carrots, celery and garlic with roasted anaheim chili, 4 cubes of bouillon and 4 cups of hot water– puree.
3. Return vegetable puree to stock pot and place over medium heat, add both packages of cream cheese stirring until completely blended with vegetable puree.
4. In seperate bowl blend 4 tablespoons of flour with 1/2 cup of the warm cream cheese and vegetable puree mixture to get out lumps then stir in 1/2 cup boiling water, combine with contents of stock pot.
5. While stirring the pot bring contents to a boil.
6. Allow contents to boil while stirring for about 2 minutes then simmer.
7. Add the 1/2 lb of American Cheese a couple of slices at a time until melted.
8. Once cheese is melted incorporate the can of tomoatos (with juice), roasted red pepper, corn, hot sauce, cayenne pepper and cumin.
9. Allow to simmer for at least 1 hour stirring occassionally to prevent burning.
10. Serve and enjoy!

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Zucchini Blossoms

I only have my friend Jen to vouch for this recipe.  My zucchini blossoms did not survive past a day, making it impossible to deep fry the HELL out of those suckers.  Jen has assured me the the recipe is a smashing success.  And even though she may hate mushrooms as much as I do pickles, we still tend to agree on food.

She found this recipe while browsing around the internet looking for a reason to buy some zucchini blossoms at the farmers market.  She may not have deep fried hers like the recipe calls for, but we’re not all perfect.

Ricotta & Garlic-stuffed Zucchini Blossom Recipe (from Taste Buddies)

12 zucchini blossoms
1 cup of ricotta cheese
1 large free-range egg
1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 fresh sweet basil leaves, finely chopped
3/4 tsp of sea salt
2/3 cup & 1/8 cup of all-purposed flour
1 cup of soda water
1 1/2 cups of vegetable or canola oil

Mix together the ricotta, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, chopped basil, egg and sea salt.  Keep mixing until the cheese forms a smooth consistency. Place the mixture into a piping bag. If you don’t have one, use a freezer bag and then cut a corner off and use it as a make-shift piper. Do this just before you stuff the flowers.

Slice the stems off the male flowers. If you need to clean the flowers, gently wipe them with a damp paper towel. Slice the baby zucchinis into strips ensuring the head is still attached to the flower.

Now whisk together the soda water and flour. The mixture will seem quite frothy, this is normal: it just needs to relax. Set aside. Gently open the petals. It may take a few tries as they can be entwined. Remove the pistil by snipping it off with some scissors. Gently pipe about 2 tbs of filling into the flowers. They will swell up as you fill them. Twist the top of the petals together to close the flowers.

Set the flowers aside. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Turn on the oven to a very low heat to keep the cooked zucchini blossoms warm. Dip each flower one by one into the batter. Hold it over the bowl to let the excess batter drip off. Test the oil to see if its ready by dropping a little batter in. It’s ready if the batter sizzles to the top. Place the coated flower on a slotted spoon and gently lower it into the hot oil. Cook the flowers until they are lightly crispy for about 2-3 minutes.

Remove flowers from oil with slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet in the oven while you cook the remaining flowers. Once all the flowers have been cooked, serve immediately.