Foodmomiac

A New Recipe: Vegetarian Greek Lasagna

On Sunday morning, I drove to the Logan Square Farmers Market, and I bought three giant bags of gorgeous produce. Anything that looked great made its way into my tote bags. One of the farmers actually told me that I needed a sherpa. It was awesome.

When I got home, our Internet was down, so I had to get old school and look through my cookbooks for some recipes. I found some dinner ideas, picked up the rest of the ingredients at Trader Joe's, and was all set for the week ahead.

On Monday we had vegetarian congee made in the crockpot. Congee is a Chinese rice porridge. When made with chicken stock, it is amazing. Comforting, rich, delicious. Sadly, I used vegetarian stock instead. We are trying to avoid meat during the week, but next time I make congee, I think we'll make an exception and use the poultry stock. Congee made with veggie stock was vile.

Yesterday, the plain was to make a butternut squash and kale risotto. But, then I remembered that we had the kids' open school night and then a haircut appointment. We had frozen pizza (and I'll make the risotto tomorrow - the recipe looks really promising!).

Tonight, Greek Lasagna was on the menu. However, Michael developed a nasty flu/virus, so I had to cover for him in a three hour client meeting off-site. What to do? What to do? I decided to delegate. I left the recipe and the ingredients out on the counter and asked our new nanny Sammy to prepare the lasagna with the kids. It was delicious. Michael ventured out of his sick bed to eat three pieces, Max ate up with gusto, and I enjoyed it as well. The only naysayer was Dylie. She has just never liked lasagna of any variety, and this was no exception. (She prepared a Trader Joe's Green Curry for herself in the microwave).

The recipe is below, but let me first remind you that I'm posting every day for a month to raise money for Healthy Schools Campaign. Thank you so much to Lauren, Mir and Mamacita for their generous donations. We are off to a great start! If you'd like to help the cause, please click here and choose your donation amount. Every little bit helps.

Greek Lasagna (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics)

Tomato Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried marjoram (we omitted this, you could subtitute oregano if you like)
5 cups undrained canned whole tomatoes (we used 5 cups of Michael's dads homemade tomato puree)
1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives (we used less, because we didn't have that much around)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (we used 1.5 tablespoons of dried)

1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch rounds
olive oil for brushing
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups cottage cheese
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds (we omitted this)
3 cups grated feta cheese (we used slightly less because we didn't have enough)
12 uncooked lasagna noodles

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions. Saute for about five minutes. Add the garlic and majorum and cook for another few minutes. Add the tomatoes, cover the pot and bring it all to a simmer. Turn the heat down to medium low and add the olives, salt, pepper and dill (you can wait until the end to add the dill if you want maximum flavor).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. While the sauce continues to cook, lightly oil a baking sheet and cover it with the eggplant slices. Brush each slice with olive oil and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove the eggplant from the oven and then turn it down to 350 degrees.

While the eggplant cooks and the sauce simmers, mix together the eggs, cottage cheese, fennel and 1 cup of the feta. Set this aside.

Lightly oil a large Pyrex baking dish (or other lasagna pan). Spread on two cups of the tomato sauce. Top this with one layer of noodles and then another cup of sauce. Layer on all of the eggplant, one cup of feta, another layer of noodles and another cup of sauce. Add the cottage cheese mixture, another layer of noodles, the remaining sauce and the last of the feta.

Cover with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove from the oven, take off the foil, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Serve with some crusty bread and/or a green salad.

Great Mexican Comfort Food: Baked Fideo

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I worked at the Food Network back in my early twenties. It was the early days of the network. Back when all of the hosts were trained chefs, the staff numbered about fifty, and all of the sets rotated on one tiny sound stage. It was a fun, fun job, and I got to meet some amazing people.

Two of my favorite hosts were the Two Hot Tamales. They were wonderful women, full of smiles and laughter, and the joy they got from their food and their friendship was infectious. Whenever I had the pleasure of being around these women, I was thrilled. It didn't hurt that all of their food was amazing. From the moistest tamales you've ever tasted to amazing homemade salsa, I loved all of it.

One of my favorite dishes in their repertoire was Baked Fideo. It's a cheap and easy meal that manages to taste both comforting and exotic, and when Michael and I were a poor young couple scraping by in New York, it was one of our regular dishes. For some reason, though, I hadn't made it in years. Tonight, though, I suddenly remembered this long lost dish, and quickly cooked up an amazing meal.

My version is slightly different from the one that Mary Sue and Susan made (they use fresh tomatoes and dried chipotles), but the spirit of it is the same. It's smokey and a bit spicy, and all together delicious.

Baked Fideo

1 32 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped into eights
6 garlic cloves, cut in half
2 chipotles in adobo plus a teaspoon or two of the sauce (found in the Mexican aisle - these come in a small can - there are a few in the can, but you only want two)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil
8 ounces angel hair pasta (I like buying the nests - they are easier to break up)
1-1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
3/4 cup grated anejo cheese (this is hard to find - I usually substitute Parmigiano Reggiano)
sliced avocado and sour cream to garnish

Prehat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a blender, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotles and water.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Break up the pasta into pieces and add it to the oil, stirring frequently. When the pasta is browned (again, stir a LOT so it doesn't burn), add the tomato sauce from the blender and the vegetable stock. Bring the entire mixture to a simmer, and then pour it into a 13x9 inch baking dish.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 12 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Turn the heat up to 400 degrees and bake the dish for an additional 10 minutes. Serve with sliced avocado and sour cream as garnish. Enjoy!

Queen of the Plan B Dinner

So, last week I shared the story of the short ribs that didn't get tender in time. Today, let's chat about the bean gratin that never was.

On Friday night, we went to our favorite German restaurant (Chicago Brauhaus). I usually get the Schweine Schnitzel, which is a breaded pork cutlet. However, I was feeling adventurous, and Dylan wanted to share with me, so I decided to brave the roasted pork shank. The roasted pork shank is bigger than my head, and that is no exaggeration. Here is a picture of it from their website:

Dylan ate a bit of the crispy skin (it's like giant strips of pork rind - yes, she is weird). I ate a little of that myself and some of the meat. But after devouring the spaetzle and the braised red cabbage, I was totally full. And I ended up coming home with a hunk of meat that looked very much like the one that the waitress brought to me at dinner. Seriously, you could hardly tell that we had been eating off of it.

Yesterday, I had the bright idea to make a bean gratin using the shank. Of course, I hadn't soaked the beans ahead of time, but I figured I'd be ok. I had about six hours till dinner. Plenty of time, right? Um, not so much. I brought the beans to a boil with eight cups of water, two quarter onions, one head of garlic split into cloves, fresh thyme, fresh sage, and a bay leaf. Then, I turned it to a simmer and let 'em cook. A few hours later, I added the shank and a couple of links of sausage that I found in the freezer (andouille, maybe?). By 6pm, the beans were still hard, so we moved to the now familiar Plan B.

I grabbed some boneless, skinless chicken thighs and cut them into one inch chunks. Then, I made a Mark Bittman sauce consisting of soy, water, honey, and ginger. I sauteed the chicken, added leftover veggies from Friday night's Chinese food dinner and one scrambled egg. I then added the Bittman sauce and three (leftover) pints of white rice. In less than 1/2 hour we had a giant wok of fried rice waiting for us. Everyone finished their servings.

The beans cooked for an additional hour and were then placed in our downstairs fridge. My goal is to serve them Wednesday.

Trying to be creative with our weeknight meals

I've written before about my issues finding good quality meat while out shopping. The meats at our usual supermarket (Jewel-Osco) just don't look great a lot of the time, and their selection of organic meats is incredibly minimal. The meats at Costco are terrific, but I don't always want to get so MUCH meat all at once. PLUS, I need to get some meat every week, and I can't deal with a Costco trip every week. Trader Joe's has lots of organic meats at a great price, but I've had too many instances of TJ meats that have turned. We love, love, love the Paulina Meat Market, but they aren't open on Sundays, and that's when we shop.

So, Michael started doing some research, and he found a lot of people talking about a market called Treasure Island. This is a European-style market with a few locations in Chicago, but we had never been there. I'm not sure why. It has certainly been recommended to me. 

We finally made it to Treasure Island on Sunday and it was terrific. They had Boars' Head meats (which we love), lots of great ethnic foods and a fabulous meat department. I was most excited by the short ribs I bought, so when we got home, I sat with my cookbooks and tried to find a good recipe. 

I realized as I looked through the recipes that most of them required multiple hours of cooking. However, I already had a Sunday dinner planned (with not enough time or energy to make two at once). This meant that the short ribs had to become a weeknight meal, but I didn't want to use the crockpot. So... I got creative.

I found a Mark Bittman recipe for Anise-Scented Short Ribs that required multiple hours of cooking. Last night, after Michael and Dylie headed up to bed, I did the first part of the recipe. I browned the meat, removed it from the pot, and then sauteed onions and ginger in the fat. The rest of the ingredients were added (soy sauce, water, sugar, rice vinegar) and then I brought it all to a boil. According to the original recipe, I was then supposed to turn the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook it all for an hour. This was not happening at 10:30 pm. So, I covered the pot, threw it in the fridge and then pot it back on the stove after work today. Right now it's cooking away, but I'm feeling a little nervous. The meat doesn't seem to be falling off the bone yet. We still have half an hour, but not sure we'll get what we want. Stay tuned...

Moroccan Tempeh (and the start of some detoxing)

Detox Day One: Salad, Tempeh, Couscous
Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac

What a day, huh? I'm overjoyed that Obama is our new president, and as my dad said to me yesterday, overjoyed that I can once again feel pride in my country.

I'm also overjoyed that these parties that I worked so hard to organize (along with my tireless team - they ROCK) are over (and went amazingly well).

It's a good day.

It is also the start of me and Michael being a bit healthier. For at least one month (maybe three - we are debating), we are going to be really strict about our bodies. No alcohol, no junk food, more exercise. I'd love to do a REAL detox diet (no meat, no dairy, no sugar, no gluten), but I know my limits.

To start our detox off right, we ate our favorite vegetarian dinner; Moroccan Tempeh and couscous. I am shocked that I have never blogged this recipe, but after multiple google searches of my blog, I'm just not seeing it. And you guys need to have this recipe. It is so good. It's from some chef who was a guest star on the Food Network back when I worked there years ago. Over the years I've made some adaptations, and it is so, so good. Even the kids love it.

Moroccan Tempeh

1 pound tempeh (any variety, this is probably two packages)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut tempeh into bite-sized pieces and steam for seven minutes. While it's steaming, whisk together the rest of the ingredients. When the tempeh is steamed, place it in one layer in a baking dish (lining the dish with tin foil will GREATLY improve your clean-up). Pour the liquid over the tempeh. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the liquid is at least halfway evaporated and the tempeh has a nice crust on it. Serve over couscous.

Winging it (Chorizo Kale Pasta)

Chorizo Kale Pasta
Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac

We were away all last weekend in Toledo, which was a lot of fun, but we didn't get home until late Sunday night. This translates to no groceries in the house. I DID get our au pair a Trader Joe's gift card, so that she could pick things up for the house while we're at work, but that seems to have translated from English to German into, "Hey, go buy as much mochi as you can find! Hurry! Fill the freezer with mochi!!" So... lots of Japanese ice cream. But, in terms of other food? Not so much. I take full blame for this. Sending an 18-year-old to the grocery store with no list is just not smart. So, anyway... we don't have much food.

Luckily, we did have some fun ingredients left over from last week's trip to the Farmer's Market, including kale and lamb chorizo. I decided to create a pasta dish. I minced one small onion and sauteed it in a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil. Then, I sliced up two links of the chorizo and added those, cooking them until they were nice and brown. I then added a couple of tablespoons of flour to create a roux. I poured in a box of chicken broth, added the cleaned and chopped kale, and covered the pan until the kale was steamed to perfection and the sauce was slightly thickened. (I stirred occasionally to help things along). While I made the sauce, I cooked the pasta. Once it was done, I drained it, added it to the sauce, and tossed the whole concoction with a handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Yum - it was really good!

P.S. How is everyone doing with the shred? I've missed a few days, but I'm up to Level 3. Was not a huge fan of Level 2.

A Winning (Vegetarian) Recipe - Vegetable Curry!

Warning: this is a long story kept long.

On Saturday, Michael and I used our au pair for some morning babysitting (instead of the usual evening babysitting) so that we could buy me a new car. This was awesome in terms of the vehicle (Saturn Vue Hybrid), but sucky in terms of date night. In an effort to keep our Saturday night somewhat exciting, we decided to take the kids out for Korean BBQ. We have tried a few different Korean BBQ places since moving to Chicago, and they were fine. Just... fine. None of them held a candle to our favorite NY place; Kang Suh. Until now. I did a little bit of online research and came up with San Soo Gap San. It was amazing. We left reeking of charcoal smoke and raw garlic. Both kids were totally happy with their food, as were the adults. Four stars from me. A picture:

Anyway,it was great, but VERY meat heavy. We ate enough red meat to last a month. So, when it came to Sunday night dinner, we were meated out. I searched around online a bit and came up with this recipe for Vegetable Curry. I made changes OF COURSE, which are all incorporated below, but it was excellent. Everyone loved it, which is a rarity. And it was incredibly healthy. One more benefit is that it is a great use of autumn vegetables.

Vegetable Curry

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 small onions, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 can coconut milk
2/3 box of chicken broth (you can and probably should use vegetable broth - I just didn't have it on hand)
2 heaping tablespoons curry powder
4 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into smallish cubes
1 handful of baby carrots, cut into small discs (you can use regular, but we always have the babies because of school lunches)
1 small head of cauliflower, broken into smallish florets
1 can chickpeas, drained
plain yogurt (optional)

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil. Add onions. Saute for about three minutes, or until softened. Add flour and combine well. Add coconut milk, broth and curry powder. Stir well to combine. Add veggies, turn heat to low, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes. Serve over basmati rice with plain yogurt as a garnish. (If you are vegan, leave out the yogurt, for obvious reasons.)

Fancy Mac & Cheese (with no-cook sauce!)

Hot enough for you guys out there? Chicago has actually been just beautiful this week, but I know that many of us in the US are sweltering in 90+ degrees weather. Ugh. Now that I have air conditioning, this doesn't affect my cooking like it once did (our Toledo home had no A/C), but slaving over a hot stove in the summer isn't much fun for anyone.

The solution? No-cook pasta sauces! There are many ways to do this (one of my favorites is to just chop up a bunch of fresh tomatoes, add garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil and enjoy!). However, the method I'm going to share here is by far my favorite (and most decadent).

The ingredients (this will serve 4 with leftovers):
One box pasta (penne or some other tubular shape is best)
One wedge brie (or a small round, but the wedge is easier)
Bunch of fresh basil, sliced chiffonade-style (stack leaves, roll up lengthwise, then cut into thin strips)
Handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cook the pasta al dente. While it's cooking, grab a big pasta bowl for the rest of your ingredients. Remove the white rind from the brie and cut it into 1/2 inch cubes. Place in the bowl along with the basil and tomatoes. Just before you drain the pasta, grab about 1/2 cup of the pasta water and reserve. Drain the pasta and dump it into the pasta bowl, on top of the other ingredients. Toss well, adding pasta water as necessary for great texture. Salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!

Me? Cooking? Whaddayaknow (Chicken Milanese and Pasta)

Chicken Milanese with Pasta
Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac

I know myself better than to promise anything, but today begins July's NaBloPoMo (posting every day in a month), and the topic is food. I gotta at least try, no?

Last night we had Chicken Milanese. I sliced chicken breasts very thinly, dredged them in egg and panko (seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder) and then pan fried them in extra virgin olive oil. Once they were cooked, I popped them into the oven on low to keep them warm. Then, Dylan stepped up to help.

We grabbed a few leaves of basil from the garden along with some cherry tomatoes. These were all thrown into a wooden bowl with some capers and some baby arugula. She chopped everything up and then I added a bit of olive oil. No vinegar was needed due to the capers. I also threw in a bit of shredded cheese (an Italian blend that was lurking in the fridge).

The kids ate the chicken breasts plain. The adults topped them with the arugula mix for a delicious Milanese.

On the side, we had gemelli tossed with raw, chopped cherry tomatoes, black pepper, olive oil and chunks of fresh mozzarella. Such a nice summer meal.

Foodmomiac's Meatloaf

A friend of ours had surgery last week, so a bunch of us got together to make them some dinners. My friend Joni did an awesome job of insuring that the family was covered for dinner by a different person each night, and our night was Sunday.

I volunteered to make meatloaf, mashed potatoes (I did the cheesy kind) and a veggie (just some simple sauteed zucchini with minced onion and dill). I figured comfort food is always welcomed. It was really very easy to pull everything together, and I made two of everything, so we had our dinner ready to go as well.

I don't know why we don't eat meatloaf more often. It's easy. It freezes GREAT. The kids love it. I have some twists to my meatloaf, as you see below. Typically, I use white bread as the binding agent, but Michael asked me to use oatmeal yesterday instead, and I have to say I LOVED it. I'll never use white bread again.

Foodmomiac's Meatloaf

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
2 Tb. ketchup
1 Tb. yellow mustard
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 Tb. dehydrated minced onion
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tb. prepared horseradish

Combine everything together in a large bowl using your hands (This is the most important part. I honestly believe that it is impossible to make good meatloaf using a spoon.)

Place in a 9 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes.