Category — Meatless Meals

Hey Sweeties . . . how’re you feeling after the New Year weekend?  And perhaps you took some time off last week off to be merry? Indulge a bit, yes? I know we did . . . and I am SO ready to ratchet it all back and load up on healthful foods again.  My body was aching for greens at the end of the week. And fiber, and less bread, and a lot less sugar.  Oh, the sugar!

So here we are, start of the new year, end of the holidays – ready to cook up some good-for-you vittles again? [Read more →]

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Hi Friends!  Long time, no post here . . . holidays and blog-hackers have kicked my butt these past couple of weeks . . . but never fear, there’s been lots of cooking here at casa Semi-Sweet, and I’m back on the scene to share my spoils with you.  Just in time for a long, lazy New Year weekend.

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This is a goodie, friends.  It’s adaptable (vegetarian or vegan, anyone?) and tasty and easy.  You can choose to go hardcore and roast the peppers yourself (I did, but I rarely do – I won’t judge you if you decide to just open a jar) and/or cook the chickpeas yourself (I didn’t – Eden Organics in the can is this housewife’s little helper).  But bottom line, any way you do it up, this is a satisfying meal loaded with nutrition.

Bulgur with Roasted Red Peppers, Chickpeas & Spinach (adapted from Everyday Food)

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a boil.  Add the bulgur and remove from the heat.  Soak until tender, about 30 minutes.  If there is any liquid remaining, drain in a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to remove as much liquid as possible.

Meanwhile, roast the peppers over a low gas flame or under the broiler, turning frequently with tongs (I used the broiler so I could prep the onions and chickpeas at the same time, plus, if you have arthritis like me, holding a pepper in tongs over an open flame for 8+ minutes is a form of torture).  After about 8-10 minutes, the peppers should be blackened on all sides.  Put the peppers in a bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap.  Let cool.  Peel off charred skins; discard the seeds and stems.  Whether you’ve roasted them yourself or you’re using jarred roasted red peppers, chop your peppers into 3/4-inch pieces.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Fry the chickpeas until golden brown and lightly crisp, about 4 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the chickpeas to a plate lined with paper towels and season immediately with Kosher salt.

In the same oil, fry up the onion until lightly browned.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the onion to another plate lined with paper towels.

Place the spinach in a large bowl.  Add the warm/hot bulgur, chickpeas, peppers and spinach, along with a tablespoon of the oil leftover from frying the chickpeas and onions.  Toss and season to taste with more Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Serves 4.

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This is going to be quick, ’cause right now, I’m the only one in this house who’s awake.  I’ve got three jet-lagged Madrileños and a 7-year-old all wound up about her school open house tomorrow all snoozing upstairs and it’s only 8:30 p.m.  I’m left up laundering and munching marshmallows, so I thought it’d be a good time to check in and let you in on tonight’s recipe success.

This spinach and cheddar strata is SO easy and it can even be made ahead of time.  I whipped it up this morning while L. had a friend over, covered it, put it in the fridge and pulled it out when I got home from the airport with my sister and her family.  30 min. in the oven and out popped a warm tasty treat – just enough but not too much for anyone who wants a lighter meal.  Like anyone who’s been trapped on a plane for 7 hours with a 9-month-old.  Just a for-instance.  The gang loved this, and I hope you will, too.

Spinach and Cheddar Strata (adapted from Everyday Food Magazine)

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Add the spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until it’s wilted, about 4 minutes.  Transfer to a colander and drain, pressing with a spatula until the spinach is as dry as possible.  Transfer to a cutting board and chop coarsely.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 1/4 of the cheese, some salt, pepper, the cayenne and the nutmeg. 

In an 8-inch square baking dish, or one of similar capacity, layer the bread cubes and then the spinach.  Pour the egg mixture over the lot and sprinkle it all with the remaining cheese.

Bake at once in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or else cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.  Remove from fridge and bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

Serves 4.  This would be great with a nice tossed salad alongside . . . but tonight, I just had to get something in their bellies before they fell asleep – so this was a one-dish meal.

Sweet tip:  I keep odds ‘n’ ends of bread in the freezer for just this sort of purpose.  Sometimes we don’t make it though a whole loaf of good Italian or French, so the next day when it’s less than appealing, I bundle it into a Ziploc, label it, and sock it away.  Great for stratas, croutons, breadcrumbs etc.

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We’re in!  We’ve moved, and are madly rushing about, trying to settle ourselves.  The first hurdle to tackle was unpacking and organizing the kitchen, of course – this family’s had too much takeout.  I’m pleased to announce that mama’s kitchen is open for business, and man, this new kitchen rocks, folks.  I’m a lucky, lucky woman.  I have great space, great tools and lots of inspiration.  Not sure how often I’ll be posting now that we’re here, but I can assure you, it’ll be more often than it has been this summer.  I’m so happy to be back!

Today’s recipe is vegetarian, quick, easy and just might help you use up some of that produce that your garden or CSA is dishing out.  The original recipe is meant to be served cold, and indeed, this is great leftover, but I made this as a warm salad.  Feel free to add more veggies as you please.  Any way you toss it, it’s got a great mix of flavors that’ll prevent a weeknight dinner slump.

Quinoa and Spinach Salad With Chickpeas and Smoked Paprika (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Pour the chicken broth into a medium saucepan and add the quinoa.  Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce heat and cover.  Simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the spinach, chickpeas, tomatoes, mint and feta in a big bowl.  Add the quinoa and toss gently to wilt the spinach and blend the ingredients.

Combine the vinegar, smoked paprika and olive oil in a glass jar with a lid, cover and shake until combined.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.  Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed. 

Serves 6.

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Oh my friends, I’ve missed you so . . . and I’m not happy to let you know it’s going to be a bit longer ’til I’m up and running again here on Semi-Sweet.  This moving thing, plus a series of other unfortunate events, have thrown this blogger under the bus.  I am pining for you though, rest assured.  So much so that I wanted to share a little pasta ditty I threw together tonight, just to touch base with you all one more time before I jump off the diving board into the deep end – our actual move day is Tuesday.

So being that we’re moving, I’m clearing the food decks as much as possible.  We’re only moving a mile from our current place, so we certainly can transfer stuff easily, but really, who wants to transport more food than she has to?  And then there’s that pesky (but fabulous) CSA share that just keeps on giving . . . every week the undertow of greens and veggies threatens to suck me down, but I’m keeping my head above water, yes I am.

Tonight I used up the delicious fresh tomatoes we got on Wednesday, along with a log of goat cheese I had in the fridge and some nice Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese.  You can alter the proportions of this to your liking, and if I’d had it, I’d have used whole wheat pasta for more flavor and nutrition.

Whatever you’re doing or cooking this summer, enjoy yourself for me, will you?  Moving’s exciting, but not so much fun.  I’m SO looking forward to cooking and blogging more in September . . . stick with me friends, the best is yet to come!

Cavatappi with Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Spinach

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, combine all the other ingredients except for the spinach in a large bowl and stir to combine – you want this to look saucy – the goat cheese will become smooth and the liquid of the tomatoes will help this.  Don’t be afraid of using a couple good glugs of olive oil – it’ll smooth out your sauce and add great flavor.  Dump the spinach leaves on top of this mixture.  Drain the pasta and while it’s still piping hot (don’t worry about extra moisture, it’ll help make your sauce more spreadable), pour it over the spinach and sauce mixture.  Stir to combine and to wilt the spinach leaves.  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Serves 4-6, easily.  Pass the crushed red pepper for the heat-seekers at your dinner table.

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In last week’s CSA share, we got some garlic scapes . . . have you tried these delicious creatures?  All curly and full of whimsy, yet with a garlicky zing that’ll knock your socks off.  I’d had them before, but never cooked with them myself, until Saturday night when I decided to whip up a pesto with them – and wow, were D. and I psyched.  It was garlicky and cheesy and nutty and coated the linguine so well.  A minimum of effort and fuss yields spectacular results here.  A perfect recipe for hot days – all you need to do is pull out your Cuisinart or blender and boil a pot of water.  Whip up a side-salad dressed simply with oil and vinegar (your tastebuds will need a breather after the pesto).  A loaf of nice bread, some fresh berries and cream for dessert, and you’ve got a lovely summer repast.

Garlic Scape Pesto (adapted from Umami Girl)

1 1/4 c. chopped garlic scapes
1/2 c. pine nuts, toasted
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, cut into chunks

Combine scapes, cheese, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.

Pulse until well combined. Pour in the olive oil slowly through the feed tube while the motor is running.  Process until the mixture is fairly smooth and emulsified. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Makes 2.5-3 cups.

Serve over pasta (you might want to reserve some of the cooking water to thin out the pesto a bit so it spreads over the pasta more easily).  This would also be delicious as a base for a grilled pizza or as a spread for crusty bread. This’ll freeze well – think of how psyched you’ll be in January if you have a pot of this up your sleeve!  I have 2 cups in the freezer right now . . . .

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Hey friends, remember me?  Despite what you might think, I haven’t forgotten about the blog . . . truth be told, I’m actually beginning to miss blogging.  I miss interacting with people about food.  Lately I’ve been interacting with people about floor refinishing, wall-painting, hauling our crap from one house to another, end-of-year teacher gifts, etc.  etc. etc.  All good, but as you know, food’s my real passion.   [Read more →]

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