Category Archives: Entrees

Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Eggplant

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I spent my day working out of The Butcher Shop in the South End today. We had a big photo shoot in the morning of some giant cuts of meat (i.e. ribeye, 2-inch thick filet mignon, rack of lamb) for a brochure for Savenor’s market. I love days like today where I get work done but don’t have to sit in an office.

While sitting at the window at TBS, I looked outside and saw all sorts of beautiful, fresh produce at Siena Farms, which is just next door. There was a big box of acorn squash out there just starting me in the face. I had to buy some. And I did. What resulted was an easy dinner that looks way fancier than it actually is. Perfect for impressing that special person in your life. Or yourself. You’re special too.

Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Eggplant

Serves 2

  • 2 acorn squash, about 1 lb each
  • 1 cup quinoa, cooked
  • 1/2 eggplant, small dice
  • 1/2 vidalia onion, small dice
  • Salt, pepper, herbs de provence
  • 3 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp olive oil
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut top off each squash. The top should only be about an inch down from the top of the squash. You want the top to look like a little hat.
  3. Scoop out all of the seeds and threads and throw away.
  4. Place squash opening down on an oiled baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes. Having the squash opening down will allow it to steam itself.
  5. Melt butter and oil together. Saute onions over medium heat until translucent. Even longer if you want them to be more tender.
  6. Add eggplant to onions. Saute until eggplant is cooked through.
  7. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs de provence. I found this mix to be the best when a bit on the peppery side. It offsets the sweetness of the squash perfectly.
  8. In a medium sized bowl, mix cooked quinoa and eggplant/onion mixture.
  9. Take squash out of the oven, place on a place. Fill each squash with quinoa/eggplant/onion mixture.
  10. Serve with top of squash for effect (If that’s your kind of thing. It was mine. Squash Hat.)

Chile Relleno with Zucchini and Mexican Rice

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In the Mexico edition of Saveur, Diana Kennedy was described as being the “Julia Child of Mexico.” I received two of her cookbooks from my dad last Christmas, and finally decided to open them.

First I felt the need to make chiles rellenos (literally “stuffed chiles”). I decided to make a vegetarian chile relleno because I had zucchini and squash leftover in my fridge. They were delicious – spicy chiles filled with tender squash, salty cheese, and tangy onions.

And after reading Diana’s recipe for Mexican rice, I realized I was wrong on my previous Mexican rice blog post. While my made up version of Mexican rice is delicious, it’s not the traditional Mexican rice (which I have since realized is made with tomatoes). I must say, though, I am quite happy that I’ve realized the error of my ways. This rice is WAY better.

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Mother’s Day Quiches

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Yesterday was Mother’s Day and although I couldn’t spend it with my own Mom (sad), I was able to spend it with Andrew’s Mom and family. One of our Mother’s Day gifts to Andrew’s Mom was making her brunch. Andrew offered for us to make half the brunch, which basically meant that I was making half of the brunch by myself (which I was more than happy to do). I ended up making two different types of quiche as my contribution. Dare I call them, a Duet of Quiche? I made up these recipes on a whim and they turned out great.

Each quiche requires the same basic steps: cook up the ingredients you want in them, add them to a base of eggs and cream, pour into a pie crust, and bake.

Asparagus, Shallot, and Shiitake Mushroom Quiche

asparagus, shallot, mushroom quiche

  • 1 small bunch asparagus, chopped into medium-sized pieces
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 1 package shiitake mushrooms, chopped
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 4 oz shredded Jarlsberg cheese
  • 3 oz shredded Mozzarella
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • 1 frozen pie crust in tin, defrosted
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, shallots, and mushrooms. Saute until shallots are translucent and asparagus is a deep green. Turn off heat. Pour mixture onto plate and spread into a thin layer to allow to cool. This step is VERY important. If you add the mixture to the eggs and it’s too hot, it will start to cook the eggs. Not good.
  3. Scramble eggs in a bowl. Add cream. Add cheese. Add COOLED mixture from saucepan.
  4. Pour everything into pie crust.
  5. Bake for 45 minutes or until eggs are set. Cover the crust alone with tin foil if it begins to burn during cooking.

Bacon, Cheddar, and Spinach Quiche

bacon, cheddar, spinach quiche

  • 1/2 lb bacon
  • 6 oz cheddar cheese (whatever kind you like)
  • 1 package baby spinach
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • 1 frozen pie crust in tin, defrosted
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Heat saucepan on medium-high heat. Cook bacon in saucepan until crispy. Remove from pan, dry off, chop, set aside.
  3. Melt butter in saucepan over medium high heat. Add spinach. Cook spinach down until very dark green and wilty. It won’t look like much, but it’ll be enough. Lay out spinach in thin layer on a plate, and cool thoroughly. Same as above quiche.
  4. Scramble eggs in a bowl. Add cream. Add cheese. Add COOLED mixture from saucepan.
  5. Pour everything into pie crust.
  6. Bake for 45 minutes or until eggs are set. Cover the crust alone with tin foil if it begins to burn during cooking.

 

Clean the Fridge Pizza

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Looking in my fridge, I realized I had some food items that were about to go bad, namely ground beef and shiitake mushrooms. So I put on my thinking cap and realized I had Trader Joe’s pizza dough (yum), Trader Joe’s light mozz cheese (double yum), and the best thing ever invented, a pizza stone, so I decided to make a pizza. Seems to be the obvious choice based on what I had. And we all know that everything’s good on pizza, so why not? If you don’t have a pizza stone, don’t worry – a baking sheet will work just fine. The pizza stone just gives the crust an extra crisp. I added a shallot and a touch of garlic and viola, yummy easy pizza. And I didn’t even have to throw away any groceries. It’s the small victories…

Clean the Fridge Pizza

  • 2 oz Trader Joe’s garlic and herb pizza dough
  • 2 oz Trader Joe’s light mozzarella cheese (which melts AMAZINGLY for a reduced-fat cheese)
  • 1 shallot, roughly chopped
  • A couple fresh shiitake mushrooms, roughly chopped
  • 4 oz 93% lean ground beef
  • 1/2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped (or crushed garlic if you have that on hand)
  1. Preheat oven to 375. If you have a pizza stone, allow the stone to preheat in the oven.
  2. Heat a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat. Spray a touch of cooking spray or a spray of olive oil (if you have a Misto, like I do)
  3. Add shallots and mushrooms to skillet. Cook for one minute. Add ground beef. Cook until ground beef is no longer pink. Remove from heat.
  4. Roll out your pizza dough so it’s a thickness to your liking. (I prefer my pizza on the thinner side, but if you like yours thick, do your thing.)
  5. If you’re using a baking sheet, put the dough on the sheet, spread the garlic and olive oil on the dough and load it up with the ground beef mixture and cheese.
  6. If you’re using a pizza stone, place dough alone onto your pizza stone that’s in the oven. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the dough has taken just enough firmness to be handled.
  7. Slide dough out of the oven and place on cutting board. Spread the garlic and olive oil on the dough and load it up with the ground beef mixture and cheese. Put back into the oven.
  8. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until all your toppings are hot, your cheese is melted and your crust is the crispiness you like.

plus red pepper flakes. i like spicy.

 

Chocolate Chili

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I made this chili recipe a few months ago and totally forgot about it until I started poking through pictures on my phone this morning. As a result, it’s back, and I’m excited to be able to share it with you. This recipe is fairly simple and it creates a chili with a really deep flavor. I’ve adapted it a bit from the cookbook (Well Fed) because I don’t like how much chocolate was used in the original recipe. But if you ask Andrew, he’d double the chocolate in the recipe. And that’s why I don’t ask him. Well, sometimes I do, but not this time.

Chocolate Chili

Adapted from Well Fed

  • 1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 vidalia onions, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 lbs lean ground beef (90/10 or leaner)
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp ground chipotle peppers
  • 2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) chopped tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) beef broth
  • 1 cup water
  1. Heat a large stock pot  over medium high heat. Add onions and let cook dry for 30 seconds. Add 2 tbsp of vegetable broth as a time to let the onions cook. The broth will evaporate within a minute or two, and every time it does, continue to add 2 tbsp until the onions are translucent.
  2. Add garlic and stir in with onions. After about 30 seconds, crumble the ground beef into the pan and mix to combine with the onions and garlic.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the oregano, chili powder, cumin, cocoa, allspice, and salt. Add spice mixture to pot.
  4. Add tomato paste to pot, and stir until combined.
  5. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the beef broth, and the water to the pot. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so the chili simmers. Allow to simmer for no less than 2 hours. The longer the chili simmers, the more complex the flavors become.

Meatloaf Bolognese

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Up until a few weeks ago, I hated meatloaf. Unrefined. Heavy. Covered in ketchup. Gross. Not my thing.

Then, along came Cooking Light, a magazine I’ve begun to subscribe to, and a recipe for meatloaf. I scoured the ingredients looking for ketchup so that I could turn the page and forget this recipe ever existed. But ketchup was nowhere to be found. So I kept reading. I was intrigued. I made. I devoured. This recipe has a complexity and depth of flavor that I wasn’t expecting. The three types of meat give it its complexity, the red wine gives it a nice tang, while the cremini mushroom sauce is the perfect complement to all of the above. This picture doesn’t do this meatloaf justice, but with how delicious it is, I’ll be sure to keep making it.

Meatloaf Bolognese

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

The Loaf:

  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 ounces pancetta, chopped
  • 3 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 cup carrots, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 red wine
  • 1/4 2% milk
  • pinch kosher salt
  • pinch freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/3 lb lean ground beef (90/10 or leaner)
  • 1/3 lb ground pork (lean if possible)
  • 1/3 lb ground veal

The Sauce:

  • 1 tbsp butter (I don’t usually use butter – but definitely worth using here)
  • 4 oz cremini mushrooms, finely chopped (you can find these at Whole Foods if you’re having trouble finding them)
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 4 tsp flour
  • 1 cup lower-sodium beef broth
  • 2 tbsp 2% milk
  • pinch black pepper
  • pinch salt
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat.  Add pancetta and saute for 2 minutes. Add shallots and carrots, and saute for another 8-ish minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add tomato paste; cook for 1 minute. Add wine; cook until liquid is almost entirely evaporated (around 2 minutes).
  4. Remove pan from heat and let cool at least 5 minutes. It is important to cool this mixture before combining with other ingredients because if it is not cool, it will begin to cook the meat, egg, etc. Save the pan for making the sauce. Do not clean the pan or discard any of the crumblies that stick to the bottom of the pan. These will make your sauce better, I promise.
  5. Combine breadcrumbs, pancetta mixture, milk, salt, pepper, egg, and all three meats. Mix gently until all combined.
  6. Transfer mixture into a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan coated (heavily) with cooking spray. Not using the cooking spray will make you sad when it’s time to clean up. Do not pack the mixture in, but rather just spread it out so that it’s even.
  7. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
  8. When there is about 10 minutes left until the meatloaf comes out of the oven, go ahead and begin your sauce.
  9. To prepare the sauce, melt the butter in the same saucepan as you sauteed your pancetta, carrots, and shallots in earlier. Add the mushrooms and shallots set aside for the sauce. Saute for around 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add flour and cook for 1 minute.
  10. Add 1 cup of beef broth and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 2% milk, salt, and pepper. Cook for another minute. Serve with meatloaf.

Flax Pizza Crust

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Flax. I see it everywhere and have no idea what to do with it. The only time I tried to put it on something was because I heard it was “the healthy thing to do” and I put it on yogurt and it was gross. Almost as gross as that one dinner I made a few months back.

Recently, though, I was looking for a low-carb pizza crust recipe and I came across a recipe for a flax seed pizza crust. It seemed intriguing, and I felt like I was ready to give flax another chance. So I did a little research on flax and its health benefits. Turns out there is a LOT of info on why it’s is so good for you, so I went ahead and made the crust last night. If you go into this recipe thinking the crust is going to taste the same as regular pizza crust, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Instead, the flax has its own unique texture and flavor that suits pizza toppings very nicely. I did load up my pizza a liiiitle too much and the crust got soggy as a result, but if you put the normal amount of toppings (i.e. sauce, cheese, maybe one other thing), you should be fine.

Low-Carb Flax Meal Pizza Dough

(Adapted from About.com)

Serves: 8

  • 1.5 C flax seed meal (same as ground flax seed or milled flax seed)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 3 tbsp oil (I used unsweetened apple sauce – worked fine)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1.5 C water
  • Toppings for pizza
  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. Mix dry ingredients together
  3. Add wet ingredients and mix well
  4. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken
  5. Spread on baking sheet (I covered mine in tin foil with non-stick spray)
  6. Bake for 15-18 minutes until cooked through and crispy looking
  7. Add toppings and put back in the oven until toppings are ready

 

Moo Shu Tofu

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I must admit, I love Chinese food. Chinese food, however, does not usually love me back. It doesn’t love my thighs or my love handles or the number on the scale. It doesn’t love my skinny jeans, and it certainly doesn’t love the bikini I want to wear this summer. The pain of this unrequited love has left me only one option: to try to make my own healthy version of Chinese food.

Am I aware that this will taste absolutely nothing like the deliciousness that is real  Chinese food (or at least Americanized Chinese food I get down the street from Fortune Panda)? Yeah. I am. But that’s ok. The hoisin sauce in this recipe almost makes me feel like I’m eating Chinese food, so it holds my cravings over for now.

This recipe is also perfect for a weeknight meal as the majority of the ingredients are already chopped and prepped for you. Took me 20 min to make total. Perfection.

(Adapted from Weight Watchers)

Moo Shu Tofu

  • 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 package of Nasoya Light Firm Tofu, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 cups packaged coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
  • 2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger, minced
  • 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • a couple medium sized, low-carb tortillas (only if you want – I didn’t use them)
  • jar of hoisin sauce
  1. Heat up a skillet or stock pot over medium high heat. Add a quarter inch of vegetable broth and add tofu. Continue to add broth as it evaporates. Flip tofu after a few minutes, when it’s starting to look golden brown.
  2. After tofu is golden brown on both sides, remove from pan and put aside on a plate
  3. Add another splash of vegetable broth and add all of the vegetables. Let vegetables cook over medium-high heat until crisp-tender (oxymoron, I know, you get it). Continue to add broth as it is needed to keep steam rising from the bottom of the pan. The steam will cook the veggies
  4. Remove vegetables from heat and add soy sauce to taste (roughly 2 tbsp)
  5. Spoon vegetables onto your plate (or into your tortilla) and place some tofu cubes on top.
  6. Top vegetable-tofu mixture with about 2 tbsp hoisin sauce (or however much you’d like)

Vegetable Stew and Jalapeno Cornbread

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Work has been absolutely kicking my butt lately, so last night when I left work at 5 I felt so energetic, like I had the WHOLE night to do whatever I wanted. It was a great feeling. I channeled that great feeling into a delicious dinner that I’m so excited to share with you. Yesterday was so rainy and cold, which instantly made me want a stew or a chili with cornbread. Looking around at different stew recipes left me feeling like there weren’t enough veggies, or too much cream (and you know I’m trying to watch my figure), so I decided to wing it and make my own. The jalapeno cornbread I adapted from a recipe I found online and might still need a little tweaking, but it was definitely still enjoyable.

Vegetable Stew

  • 28 oz can peeled tomatoes
  • 4 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 c chicken broth
  • 2 bell peppers
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped finely
  • 2 habanero peppers, chopped finely
  • 2 pasilla peppers
  • 3 oz Portuguese chorizo, chopped (I use Gaspar’s because it’s all they carry at my grocery store. Whatever sausage you have is fine)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1.5 tbsp butter
  • 3 cups kale, chopped
  • ancho chili powder (or any type of chili powder)
  • chili powder
  • cumin
  • salt, pepper
  1. First, to roast the bell peppers and pasilla peppers. Turn oven onto broil and allow to heat to full temperature. Place peppers in oven as close as possible to broiler. Once the skin closest to the broiler becomes blackened and bubbly, rotate the pepper, and continue doing this until each side is blackened and bubbly.
  2. Remove peppers from oven, allow to cool, then peel the skin off the peppers and chop them, removing all seeds
  3. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium. Add onions and allow to cook until translucent and soft. Once soft, add the jalapenos and habaneros. Continue to cook until the onions become browned and caramelized.
  4. Add peeled tomatoes (including liquid), chicken broth, tomato paste. Allow to reach a light boil.
  5. Once boiling, add the bell peppers and pasilla peppers, and chopped chorizo. Allow to boil for 15 minutes uncovered.
  6. Add kale to the liquid and mix it in. Add ancho chili powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper to taste. Make sure you taste this so that you know how to season accordingly. Cover, and allow to simmer for as long as you’d like. The longer it simmers, the more flavor it has.

Jalapeno Cornbread

  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 jalapenos, finely chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup apple sauce (instead of oil)
  • 1 cup creamed corn
  • 1/4 cup light maple syrup (you can use regular if you want – again, watching my figure)
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl
  3. Mix wet ingredients into a large bowl
  4. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Mix well.
  5. Pour corn bread into a round baking dish, muffin pan, or mini-muffin pan. In mini-muffin pan, bake for around 15 minutes. Check on them periodically to see if they’ve set. Once set, remove, let them cool, and chomp away.

If you make them in a round baking dish or regular size muffin, the bake time may be longer. Just check on them periodically. They’re not super fragile.

jalapeno cornbread with a touch of butter

Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

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Andrew and I don’t crave Indian food too often, but when we do we go all out. We prefer to make our own so that we can control what goes into the recipe (sometimes for health’s sake, sometimes for taste’s sake) and so that we can make sure we get exactly what we want. Last weekend I found myself with a few hours to cook and decided to make Chicken Makhani, or Indian Butter Chicken (adapted from allrecipes.com). This recipe was delicious the first day and was even better the second day. We served it with jasmine rice and naan bread, but it’d be just as good with any type of rice or side dish you see fit. This would also be great with some veggies thrown in: maybe some peppers or broccoli.

 

Recipe makes 4 servings

For the sauce:

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1/4 white onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp lemon juice (yield from 1/2 fresh lemon)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tsbp minced ginger
  • 1 tsp garam marsala (you can find this in the spice aisle)
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 bay leag
  • 1/4 c plain yogurt (I bought one individual container of Dannon Greek yogurt)
  • 1 c half and half (I only had heavy cream, so I used that and it turned out fine)
  • 1 c tomato puree
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 grind fresh black pepper

For the chicken:

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tsp garam marsala
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup water

half and half and yogurt combined, spices combined, and a beer for me to drink

First, the sauce:

  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute shallot and onion until soft and translucent. Do not rush this or burn the shallots/onion.
  2. Stir in butter, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, garam marsala, chili powder, cumin, and bay leaf.
  3. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
  4. Add tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently
  5. Stir in half-and-half and yogurt
  6. Reduce heat to low, simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently
  7. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Second, the chicken:

  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes
  2. Reduce heat and season with 1 tsp garam marsala and cayenne
  3. Spoon in a few spoonfuls of the sauce and simmer until the liquid has reduced and the chicken is cooked through
  4. Stir the cooked chicken into the sauce
  5. Mix the cornstarch and water, then stir into the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 more minutes, or until thickened.