Chicken Enchliada Stuffed Shells

I've been holding out on you guys. What a shame...
I made these fabulous stuffed shells ages and ages ago, but haven't posted about it. Why? Internet. Laziness. The desire to talk about other dishes. These are all excuses. But they are also the truth.
They are so so good, and I hope I'll be making them again sometime soon. But it's no secret: You should make these. They're definitely great for families. Have one? Make this dish for them!
I got the idea for these whilst recipe-hunting and stumbled upon Bev's fabulous recipe. I knew I just had to make these!
I did make some changes to her recipe design. For one, I used some of my own enchilada sauce, as well as some of the canned stuff. I also used fresh spinach instead of frozen spinach. Lastly, I didn't use a packaged taco seasoning, but used my own blend in unmeasured amounts, because that's how I roll.
So let's stop talking about these shells and get to making them! Here's how:

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 chicken breasts
Roughly 20 jumbo shells, or however many fit in your baking dish, cooked and drained
About 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped small
3 chipotle peppers, in their adobo sauce, minced
1 (19 oz) can enchilada sauce
2 cups (or more) Mexi-blend shredded cheese
salt and pepper

A mixture of cumin, coriander, garlic and onion powder, paprika, and cayenne
cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high. Season the chicken on both sides with the seasoning, and sear on one side for six minutes. Flip and sear the other side another five, or until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside to rest for five minutes, then roughly chop. You'll want to chop the chicken pretty small -- remember, the shells aren't that big!
In a large bowl, combine the chopped chicken, chopped spinach and minced chipotle peppers. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Pour about 1/3 of a cup of the enchilada sauce along the bottom of your pan. Shift the pan around so the sauce coats the entire bottom of the pan.
Carefully stuff each cooked shell with the chicken mixture and arrange in the baking dish. Continue until all the shells are evenly stuffed and placed in the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
Garnish with cilantro.

Notes:

You may not want to use cilantro if you have diners who think it tastes like soap (I learned that this is a genetic thing. How crazy!).

We had to use two dishes for this, because I didn't have a standard 9 X 13 inch pan and even though I plotted out the shells prior to cooking, I still ended up with extra. So... moral of the story is, you should probably just own a standard size baking pan.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Spring is officially here, and that means it's a great time for granola bars, especially homemade one. They're a great after school/work snack, wonderful for breaks whilst hiking, and all around satisfying to eat.

This is another recipe that's been sitting in my archive whilst I wait for decent internet access to bring these to the fore. So here they are. You should make these, and give them to your family and your kids and your coworkers and let them marvel at how awesome they are.
Oh, and as a bonus: they're so simple, it's practically sinful!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1 egg
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups steel rolled or old fashioned oats (do not use instant oats)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Blend together all the wet ingredients in a bowl.
Add the dry ingredients, mixing until incorporated.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Press the mixture into a brownie pan (I used a 12x8 pyrex dish)
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Cool on the counter for about five to ten minutes, or until baking dish is handle-able. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely, then cut into individual bars.
Store in the fridge to keep the chocolate from melting.

Notes:
You definitely have to wait until it's totally cooled, or the chocolate will be all melty and you won't be able to cut it effectively.

Vegan Chocolate Pudding (with avocado!)

That's right -- with avocado! Did you know that you could make amazing delicious, and 90% healthy chocolate pudding with an avocado? Until late last year, neither did I!
Oh, don't mind Scrutinizing Vegeta behind the cup, there. He just sits there...judging me.
Anyway, I wanted to make a super quick and delicious little treat to surprise Rich with sometime last year, and after poking around, I discovered that people were making pudding with avocados, and I thought, "Gosh! What a great idea! I have a ripe avocado at home!" So I gathered some ideas and made this pudding. It was so good, and it is definitely everything chocolate pudding should be: dense, rich chocolate-y, and oh-so satisfying. So if you want to try something new, give this a go! I promise you will not be disappointed!

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado, seed removed
2 tbsp sweet berries, such as raspberries or blueberries
2 tbsp cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa)
1 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:
Mash the avocado, then blend up all the ingredients together in a food processor (or you could whisk it really well).
Serve with fresh berries and a dusting of cocoa powder.

And that's it! It's so easy, it's barely a recipe. Just a quick note: definitely make sure you mash the avocado really really well if you are going to whisk everything together -- you don't want avocado chunks surprising you as you enjoy your treat!

Trashed Up Pasta e Fagioli

So, I eat beans now. I have always always hated beans. My dad would always have black beans when we had tacos, and whenever I was made to try them, I gagged and wanted to puke and whined about why anyone would want to eat anything so terrible. I hated canned baked beans, but grudgingly ate them, because that's what we had to go with the hot dogs.
The only thing I've ever consistently enjoyed beans in was chili.
Let me tell you a secret: There are like eight cans of beans on my pantry shelves right now. I love beans. I love their meaty texture and fabulous flavour. I love how versatile they are. I love how healthy and awesome for your body they are. I can't get enough of them. The best part? Rich is really into them now, too. Shortly after I got my wisdom teeth removed and was still on a mostly liquid diet, we were talking about our meal plan for the following week, when I would hopefully be able to eat more solid foods, and he said, "Let's have something with beans. I really want beans." Eating beans is a huge step in our diet adjustment. So awesome.
Anyway, this dish started as a side dish to this beef and sweet potato turnovers I was making. I wanted something light on the side, and so this was just going to be carrots, peas, and mushrooms. Simple, light, a good accompaniment. And then Rich said, "Can we add beans to this?" and so we threw in some beans. And then we added fire roasted tomatoes, and then pasta, and then it all got spiced up. And this is what we ended up with.
I don't know how to make a traditional pasta e fagioli (can't be that hard), but I bet it's not quite like this.
Also, this is in my top ten of favourite soups now.

Ingredients:
1/2 package of frozen peas and carrots, or 1/2 cup of peas and diced carrots
1/2 package mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can fire roasted tomatoes, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-6 ounces small pasta (pictured here is ditalini)
4 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 to 1 tsp each garlic and onion powder, oregano

Directions:
Add a small amount of oil to a large pot at medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add peas, carrots, beans, tomatoes, stock, and seasonings to the pot. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat slightly, add pasta, and cover. Cook until pasta is al dente.
Add mushrooms, and cook a few minutes more. At this point, the pasta should be softer.

That's it. It's so easy. So healthy. So awesome. And filling! It was a little much with the turnovers, so I would probably put less in the bowl if you're having anything else with this soup.
An alternative to cooking the pasta in the broth is to cook it separately in water and add it to the soup. It's a matter of personal preference. I find that pasta cooked in water and added absorbs less broth over the next few days.
Anyway, stop listening to me talk about this soup and go make it! You won't regret it.

Whole Wheat Couscous with Apple, Walnuts, and Pomegranate

I love autumn for lots of reasons, but I specifically love late autumn because that's when pomegranates start to be on sale. I know some people say that the time it takes to get all the arils out and the membranes away from them is not worth it, but it totally is. I love pomegranates. So good. And apples? Well, let's just say that being born and raised in Upstate New York, where apple orchards are plentiful ensured that I want to eat apples all the time.
Also, want to know something that's weird? Everything here in PA is cheaper than in New York. Except apples. They're at least twice as expensive. It's insane.
Anyway, I got the inspiration for this dish when I saw someone had made thyme scented barley, and I thought that was super neat. Like, why not?
I do have a bag of barley on the pantry shelf, but I definitely don't have the patience to cook it most of the time, so I decided on an alternative. And whole wheat pearl couscous was where it's at. A genius substitution, if I do say so myself.
One thing I love about this dish is that it can go with pretty much anything and everything. We first paired it with kielbasa, and then another time with fish. I've had it with a sandwich, and all by itself, with a fruit cup on the side. This little dish outshines EVERYTHING I put it with. It's probably the perfect side.
Oh, and the bonus? It's good hot OR cold. If I have some for lunch the next day, I'll give it a thirty second shot in the microwave to get rid of the refrigerator chill, and it's perfect.
Oh, and it's vegan, if you care about that kind of thing.
So, what are you waiting for? Make this dish. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pearl couscous
1 1/4 cup water
3 fresh sprigs thyme
1 fuji or honeycrisp apple, skin on, cut into cubes
The arils from 1 pomegranate
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
dried parsley
olive oil

Directions:
In a small or medium saucepan, bring the water (with a touch of salt) to boil. Add thyme and couscous and reduce heat. Cover and simmer 8-10 minutes, until water is absorbed.
Meanwhile, dry toast the walnuts by adding them to a pan on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant (do not use oil to toast nuts!).
When couscous is cooked, remove thyme sprigs (many of the leaves will likely have come off) and discard. Add a small amount of olive oil and stir to prevent couscous sticking together.
Stir in nuts, pomegranate arils, and apple.
Serve garnished with parsley.

Almond Quinoa with Kale, Sweet Potatoes, Mushrooms

Let me start off by saying that this dish is INSANE. There's so much fabulous flavour happening here, that it's impossible to care that it's vegetarian. Plus, you'll be full by the time you finish a bowl this size, so there's no room for meat.
Kind of off topic, but can I just say that I really truly hate labeling people based on what they eat and then judging their character based on that classification? Like, meat eaters so often assume that vegetarians or vegans are crazy for not eating meat, or drinking milk or whatever, or that they're malnourished, because meat eaters cannot fathom obtaining protein from non-meat sources, or that they're "bleeding heart liberals," whatever that means.
And on the flip side, vegans and vegetarians are prone to thinking that meat eaters are cruel horrible who would murder every animal on earth for food if they could. Somehow, meat eaters are less moral for eating something that used to have a beating heart once.
And I hate that, especially because I don't fall into either of the categories, and I sometimes get flak for that. Like, some days, I'll eat something that's vegan and I get a ton of vegans liking my posts, and then the next day I'm eating meat and those same vegans freak out and say I'm a monster or something.
Some people use the word "Flexitarian," to say that they eat plants some days and animals other days. Sometimes they drink cow's milk. Most days they eat a plant based diet but they like the occasional scrambled egg.
Seriously, why complicate it? If someone asked me what my "classification" is, I'd tell them the truth: I'm an omnivore. I eat meat and plants. Humans are naturally (and scientifically) classified as an omnivore species. That's what I am. I eat meat and plants, just like a large portion of the human population, and I generally try to eat healthy and in season. It's not complicated.
That said, I have stopped drinking cow's milk, and I drink soy milk now, exclusively, but not for any other reason than I feel better when I drink soy and I like the taste. But I love me some grilled cheese. Mmmm.
Anyway, rant over. Back to this recipe. Almost vegan friendly. I found the inspiration for this recipe at Real Simple, and really liked the idea. Then I made modifications to it because I'm weird like that.

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1/2 cup almonds, dry toasted
1 package white mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch kale, stems discarded and leaves torn into 2-inch pieces
3/4 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper, to taste
grated fresh Parmesan

Directions:

Place the quinoa and 2 cups water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. When cooked, stir in the toasted almonds.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the sweet potatoes and mushrooms and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden and beginning to soften, 5 to 6 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the kale, wine, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, tossing often, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
Serve the vegetables over the quinoa and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

And that's it. It's really simple, delicious, and healthy. Make it vegan and skip the cheese.

I added almonds to this partially because I think almonds and quinoa are a match made in heaven, but also for healthy fats. It adds a nice, flavourful crunch to the dish.

Kale and Kielbasa Hash

Have I mentioned before that I kind of love breakfast?
Yeah. I love breakfast.
This is another one of those recipes where I sort of just Frankenstein some stuff together, and it ends up really fabulous. I think it all started with some kielbasa that I had thawed out for dinner, and then it just never happened. It sat in the fridge and I kept avoiding it, and then I said, "Well, I might as well do something about this so it doesn't go bad." And then I just sort of pulled other stuff out of the fridge and threw it all together and Rich barely came up for air, he loved it so much.
This was really great with some fluffy scrambled eggs, and we were left feeling full and happy, which was great because we'd just come back from a run.
If you want to try something a little different for breakfast, allow me to suggest this trashed up hash.

Ingredients:
3 large red potatoes, skin on, cut into small pieces
1/2 of a kielbasa, cut into thin rounds
1/2 cup kale, stems removed and roughly torn
salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, to taste
Dijon mustard, to taste

Directions:
Start by adding a small amount of olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Add the potatoes and salt, pepper, chili, and garlic powders. Stir frequently, and cook until potatoes are just tender. Allow them to brown a little!
Add a small knob of butter and melt. Add kielbasa and cook.
Add kale and cook until slightly wilted. Add Dijon mustard, tossing to coat.
Serve with eggs and/or toast.

Notes:
Dijon mustard is the secret ingredient here. It really pulls everything together. As for how much I used? I didn't really measure it. I sort of just poured some in, stirred around, and repeated that until a good sort of glaze formed. If I had to guess, I probably added between a half and full tablespoon. My suggestion would be to add some in, stir it, and give it a taste and if the flavour isn't strong enough for you, add some more.

Sweet Potato and Chorizo Hash

So, we can all pretty much agree that breakfast is the best meal of the day right? I mean, who doesn't love to get up in the morning and stuff delicious food in their face. I know I do. WHEN I WAKE UP.
Yeah, I'm not a morning person. At all. Like, I'm the person who sets an alarm with the intention of waking up in time for breakfast and a smoothie and then it goes off, and then I cuss my way to the alarm to reset it for another twenty minutes. And then I have to rush out the door and I'm lucky if I get a few spoonfuls of yogurt on the way.
Yeah, that's me.
I actually didn't even make this for breakfast. This was made for dinner. Breakfast for dinner is probably the best invention of all time. And for those of you saying it wasn't invented, shush. You're wrong.
Anyway, the idea for this stemmed from too many sweet potatoes in the house. Like, a ton. There's a time around Thanksgiving-ish when sweet potatoes go on sale for like, $0.33 a pound, and it's magical because that means I can eat all the sweet potatoes I want, which is a lot because I love those guys. And then there were some stragglers. Some sweet potatoes that made it past the "holy frig they're so cheap let's eat all of them!" hype, and I ended up staring at them like, what the heck am I going to do with these?
Enter hash. Kind of like home fries, but it has meat, so it's hash?? Something like that. Probably.
But I wanted chorizo because it's fabulous and flavourful and greasy and delicious.
And then BAM!
Sweet potato and chorizo hash. Top with some fried eggs, and you have a fabulous amazing brinner (breakfast+dinner = brinner) and I just wanted to eat it all day every day forever.
When my mouth gets better, I'm making this again.
The potatoes do take an ungodly amount of time to cook, though, so definitely throw those in first, and then add the chorizo when the potatoes just start to soften.

Ingredients
1 large or 2 small/medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 package chorizo, skins removed, cut small
salt, pepper, chili powder to taste
dried parsley
2 eggs per plate

Directions
To a wok or large pan over medium heat, add some vegetable oil and allow to heat.
Add potatoes and spices and cook, stirring often, until starting to soften.
Add chorizo. Cook until sweet potatoes are tender and chorizo is cooked through.
Fry two eggs per plate, sunny side up, being careful not to overcook. You want the yolk nice and loose still!
Add hash to plate, top with eggs, and garnish with parsley.

Shepherd's Pie Soup

So, I've never eaten shepherd's pie. Ever. It was one of those things that got auto-banned from the house because it contained things my brother wouldn't it. Wanna guess what parts? All of it.
Anyway, I was always kind of weirded out by shepherd's pie, because who puts mashed potatoes on top of stuff and calls it a pie? Weirdos, that's who. And maybe shepherds?
I birthed this recipe out of a weird desire to eat ground beef in a soup, but I didn't want to make cheeseburger soup because that doesn't really appeal to me. So I thought of some things that I would like in there, and by the time I stopped adding things to the pot, I decided it looked a lot like a shepherd's pie, although it definitely is not anywhere near.
Hearty, flavourful, and full of things that are great for you, this soup is great for colder days when you just want to stay inside and cuddle up in a blanket.

Ingredients:
3/4 pounds ground beef
2 or 3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 package mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
2 medium turnips, peeled and cut small
1 cup frozen peas
1 to 1/2 cups kale, cut small
4 cups beef stock
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Add a small amount of olive oil to a large pot over medium heat.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add beef and cook until browned. (You may drain some of the grease at this point, but leave some in for the flavour.)
Add carrots, turnips, and stock. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil, turn down, cover, and simmer until the carrots and turnips are just tender.
Add peas and mushrooms and simmer for another five to ten minutes.
Stir in kale and simmer until wilted.

Notes:
I like to add Worcestershire sauce when the beef is browning; just enough to make a layer on the bottom of the pot, and then I simmer the beef in that for a few minutes. It adds a depth of flavour that I absolutely love.

Vegan Zucchini Ramen

If you had told me a year ago that I'd get excited about vegan food, I would have smooshed my burger in your face and called you unsightly names.
But this soup? So worth not having any animal products in it. I could eat it every day. I'm waiting for my mouth to feel better so that I can have this.
This was the soup I tossed around as an idea for a while, where I was like, "Yeah, I want to try this," and it sat on the back burner for a while. And then I made it. And then I wanted to make it all the time.
Let's talk about ramen a little bit. Like any good college student, I spent a lot of time eating ramen. But I hated that Top Ramen or Maruchan brands you find in the store. I got hooked on this spicy Korean ramen, and I could buy it by the case at this Asian grocery that was just twenty minutes' walk from my dorm. So, I ate a lot of it. It was a little pricier, but so worth it, because the flavour is maybe thirty thousand times better.
Fast forward to today. I still eat that ramen sometimes. There's an Asian grocery on McKnight that we go to every once in a while, and when I'm in an "eff the world" sort of mood, I eat that ramen.
You wanna know what's extra awesome about this ramen?
See that green stuff? The noodles? It's zucchini.
I MADE NOODLES OUT OF FRIGGING ZUCCHINI YOU GUYS.
That's insane.
I saw the idea for noodles made out of vegetables some time ago, and some of you may remember that root vegetable noodle dish I made. It was so good, and it was so simple. Just shave off strips of vegetable with a tool I already had, a vegetable peeler, and I was good to go.
And then I got a julienne peeler. It was a little gift to me, from me. And man, is that thing fabulous. It makes the best little noodles. And I can make zucchini noodles (or zoodles, for the weirdos), and make this super flavourful zucchini ramen and all is right with the world.
If you don't have a julienne peeler, you can just as easily use a vegetable peeler to cut strips and then slice those strips lengthwise.
Anyway...

Ingredients:
1 zucchini
1 half pack white or baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
4 medium or 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced thin
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sesame seeds per bowl
salt and pepper to taste
Splash of rice wine vinegar

Directions:
Noodle-ize your zucchini, then place in a strainer and let dry for two hours.
When noodles are nearly ready, heat a small amount of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add carrots, broth, salt, and pepper, and vinegar, and bring to a boil.
Lower heat, cover, and simmer until carrots are just tender.
Add mushrooms and simmer another three to five minutes.
Meanwhile, add zucchini noodles to bowls.
Ladle soup over noodles, top with sesame seeds.

That's it. It's simple, fast (except for drying the noodles), fresh, and refreshing. What could be better?
Also, it's super versatile. Adding onions, peppers, or some leafy greens would be fabulous. Maybe also some small sweet potato chunks.
This is the way to make the version for those who don't like too much spice. When I normally make this, I tend to add about a teaspoon of sriracha.

Buffalo Chicken French Breads

Man, I haven't posted anything in ages!
Followers of my Facebook and Instagram know that I've been making a ton of really delicious food, but our lack of Internet at home makes it impossible for me to write about them.
Every time I get a sliver of Internet, I use it to pay my bills. It's a little frustrating.
Them's some First World Problems, right there.

Anyway, I wanted to share a quickie (ha) whilst I had a touch of time, and this one is so easy, you could hardly call it a recipe.
What it IS, however, is perfect for the Super Bowl Party everyone but me is having tomorrow.
I don't care about football, but last year, we actually made some nachos and watched movies and pretended to have a Super Bowl Party. This year, we can't even do that because I just got my wisdom teeth out on Monday, and I'm still having a hard time eating solid food. Last night, I managed to eat a bowl of mac and cheese and then I legitimately paraded through the house, proclaiming, "I just ate a bowl of mac and cheese! This is the most significant accomplishment of my whole week!"
But that's not entirely true. My biggest accomplishment is how I haven't just torn out peoples' throats with how hungry I've been. I've never wanted a burger so much in my life.

Anyway, I'll stop talking about how much I want to eat food and tell you how I made this.

Ingredients:
1 French Baguette, cut in half both lengthwise and widthwise
2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 to 1 cup Buffalo wing sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded fontina cheese

Directions:
Turn on broiler. When set, toast the bread until slightly browned.
Add a small amount of oil to a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken thoroughly, added salt, pepper, and other spices as desired.
Add wing sauce and toss to coat.
Spread chicken onto toasted baguettes, add more wing sauce if desired.
Top with cheese, broil until cheese is melted.

And that's it!
There are so many things you can do with this -- add green onions, added veggies to the whole mix...
Then you can eat that gooey, messy goodness as is or slice up into Super Bowl Party Pieces.
Happy munching!

Mushroom Bourguignon

Man, I am really behind on updating. I swear I have been cooking up a storm (followers of my Facebook and Instagram know this), but internet is a tricky thing in our house, so I can't always get at the computer and get things done.
So anyway, this dish goes back at least a month, maybe two, but it's worth mentioning because it is so so so good!
As you may already know, Rich and I are *trying* to be healthier. It doesn't always work, but we try. This dish comes from that desire to be a little healthier and, inevitably, eat more vegetarian dishes. Which is totally cool, because this dish is worth not eating meat.
By the way, have I mentioned that we pretty much don't buy beef anymore? It's like a once-a-month thing now, and that's pretty exciting for me. I'm really enjoying it.
Anyway, I got the idea for this dish at Food52 (again!), and it looks kind of daunting at first, but it's actually really easy. If you're looking for something with rich flavours but is still at least kind of healthy for you, give this dish a go. That said...

Man. Isn't that beautiful? That's just carrots and onions. Rich and I wanted to stop cooking and eat right then and there.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 pounds 1/4-inch sliced portobello or cremini mushrooms
1 cup pearl onions (thawed if frozen)
1/2 carrot, finely diced
1small yellow onion, finely diced
1teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup full-bodied red wine
2 cups beef or vegetable broth (beef broth is traditional, but use vegetable to make it vegetarian; the dish works with either)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Egg noodles, or starch of choice

Directions:

Heat the one tablespoon of the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a medium Dutch oven or heavy sauce pan over high heat. Sear the mushrooms and pearl onions until they begin to take on a little color, but the mushrooms do not yet release any liquid — about three or four minutes. It helps to do this in a few batches. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
Lower the flame to medium and add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the carrots, onions, thyme, a few good pinches of salt and a several grinds of black pepper into the pan and cook for 10, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for just one more minute.
Add the wine to the pot, scraping any stuck bits off the bottom, then turn the heat all the way up and reduce it by half. Stir in the tomato paste and the broth. Add back the mushrooms and pearl onions with any juices that have collected and once the liquid has boiled, reduce the temperature so it simmers for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are very tender.
Combine remaining butter and the flour with a fork until combined; stir it into the stew. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency. Season to taste.

Serve over egg noodles.

Notes:

We do NOT have a Dutch oven. We actually used our two bigger pots to make this dish, and just ended up pouring everything into the bigger of the two when everything reduced down enough.

You can do this with beef, too. Just add some, and switch out the vegetable broth for beef broth.

Okay. One more time.

Vegetable Noodles

Another fabulous Food52 find; these noodles made out of vegetables. After making those zucchini ravioli, I'm no stranger to turning vegetables into noodles, but it was super cool to give it a go with other vegetables.
We used this as a side dish to some sandwiches, and it was actually pretty heavy on its own at this portion size, so it could just as easily qualify as a meal.
The flavours at work here are so harmonious it's practically sinful. Fresh sage and lemon, a hint of sweetness from maple syrup. A quick punch of spice from freshly ground black pepper to garnish. Absolutely lovely. Some day, I'm going to get a better photograph of this, because this one does not do it justice. It's so beautiful. I blame my kitchen lighting.

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato, washed and peeled
2 carrots, washed and peeled
2 parsnips, washed and peeled
1 zucchini, washed
for the glaze
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup sage
3/4 tbsp butter
1 1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Using a vegetable peeler, slice thin ribbons from each vegetable, peeling from top to bottom and turning slightly after each strip is removed, until the core is reached or until it is too small to peel anymore.
In a large saucepan, melt butter and cook sage for 1 minute.
Add vegetables (except zucchini) and toss with tongs, cooking until they begin to wilt.
At this time, add zucchini. Add lemon juice, salt, and maple syrup, as well as a quick grind of pepper. Add about 3/4 cup water.
Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally with tongs, until the liquid boils away and the vegetables are glazed and tender. Serve immediately.

Notes:
1 portion of vegetable produces a LOT of noodles, so keep that in mind when you're scaling up. Rich and I made a little more than what's listed here, and ended up with two more servings. I tried to write a scaled down version so that it serves two people a little more easily.
I added the zucchini last because it is a softer vegetable than the root veggies, and I didn't want it to turn into mush. The timing I have written will give you the vegetable sufficiently cooked whilst remaining intact. If you only want root vegetables, you can exclude the zucchini.

Grilled Hot Sausage and Vegetables Somen Noodle Bowl

For a while, noodle bowls were my thing. Asian noodles (soba, somen, udon) are easy and pretty cheap to get at my local asian grocery, so when I first moved here, I made quite a few of these. I started making them when I was still living at my dad's, though, when I started getting sick of eating the same things all the time.
Anyway, I haven't made a noodle bowl in a long time, although Rich and I talk about them often. It was actually the first meal I made in my new apartment, and since he helped me move, he got to have some. It was the three of us -- Rich, our friend Kevin, and myself -- sitting on the floor of my new place, with nothing unpacked, no furniture in the whole place, eating an imitation crab noodle bowl with mushrooms and broccoli, and probably carrots. I don't think I had a broth that time, though. Anyway, the noodle bowl has some fond memories for me.
The nice thing about noodle bowls is that they are pretty easy, and super versatile. All veggies, tofu, beef, chicken, pork. Wanna add an egg in there? Go for it. Seafood is always a winner with these. Try every combination you can think of.
For the broth for this noodle bowl, I used the teriyaki "broth" from my sirloin and veggie bowl a while back. It worked really well with the hot sausage, and the somen noodles carried it pretty nicely.

Ingredients:
2 hot sausages, casings on
3 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 package mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
1 green onion, chopped
2 bunches somen noodles
Teriyaki broth

Directions:
Grill hot sausage until cooked through and the outside is charred slightly.
Meanwhile, combine ingredients for teriyaki broth in a large pot and bring to a boil.
Add carrots, bring pot down to a simmer, and cook until tender. Add mushrooms and cook for another one to two minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove carrots and mushrooms and place in bowls.
Add somen to broth and cook until done. Use tongs to place noodles in bowl, and pour broth into each.
Slice sausage thin, add to bowls along with green onions.

Notes:
A dish like this can easily be made spicy. Add chili powder or white pepper to adjust the spice level.
Instead of making the teriyaki broth, you can just as easily use 2 cups of vegetable broth, spiced to your preference.
1 bunch of somen noodles is a lot for one person, and not everyone may be ready for that kind of commitment. If you're worried it might be too much, try using a half bunch per person.

Peach Galette

What says summer quite like a pastry made with stone fruit? Very few things.
I never even heard about galettes until this summer, when all of a sudden, every recipe site I peek around is talking about them. And man, do they all look delicious.
I made this a while back, when peaches were on sale for a dollar per pound, which is good because this thing requires like, four peaches. It's totally worth it. I loved this thing, and I want to make it every year when stone fruit comes to season.
I got the pastry recipe from Jessica at How Sweet It Is which, as I have already mentioned, is an awesome food blogger and I love pretty much everything she makes. She fills her galette with ginger seasoned peaches, but I took a different approach, instead using brown sugar, maple syrup, and some cinnamon and nutmeg. The sugars bring out the sweetness of the peaches, the syrup adds depth, and the spices take it all up a notch. I could have just eaten those peach slices without the pastry. Oh, wait.

I totally did, because there were some leftover peaches. Mmmm.

I probably could have gotten away with just using three peaches, but then I wouldn't have had this delicious bowl to snack on whilst the galette baked.

Galette pastry
Ingredients: Note: This will make enough pastry for two galettes
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 cup ice cold water
1 1/2 cups cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces (3 sticks or 24 tablespoons)
1/3 cup sliced almonds + extra sugar for sprinkling
for brushing: 1 egg + a few drops of water, beaten together

Directions
Add the flour, sugar and salt to a bowl and whisk. In a small bowl, whisk mix together the egg, vinegar and water. Add the cold butter pieces into the bowl and mix with a hand mixer until small coarse crumbs remain. Sprinkle the water/egg mixture over the flour and mix again until the dough comes together. If needed, use your hands to kneed the dough into a single unit.
Remove the dough with your hands and wrap it in plastic wrap. This dough makes enough for 2 galette crusts, so you can either separate it into 2 sections now, or separate it after it's refrigerated. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Filling
Ingredients:
4 peaches, sliced thin
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:
In a large bowl, place all peach slices.
In a small bowl, mix syrup, sugar, and spices and whisk until sugar is melted.
Add syrup mixture to the peaches and toss to coat.

Assembling the Galette
Take out one of the dough packets from the fridge, place on a sheet of parchment paper, and roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Don't worry about making a perfect circle -- you want the edges to be rough to make it "rustic-looking."
Starting about two inches from the edge, begin placing the peach slices so that it creates a round. Make multiple layers, leaving about an inch from the previous layer, and repeat until either all the peach slices are used or no more can be placed.
Fold over the edges of the galette, making sure the seams stay together so it doesn't unfold.
Brush eggwash over folded crust. Press almonds into crust, and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
Transfer galette (with the parchment paper) onto an overturned cookie sheet.
Bake for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden.
Once cooled, cut into slices and serve with ice cream or homemade whipped cream.

Pasta With Peas and Toasted Almonds

So, this is the second time I've made this dish, but the first time, it didn't photograph well, so I waited until I could make it again. Quite frankly, I blame the peas. The first run through with this recipe, the peas were kind of dull looking and not fabulous. This time? Fabulous.
So, this dish was inspired by Sommer at A Spicy Perspective, and hers definitely looks more fabulous, but my dish is only slightly different from hers: I did not use smoked almonds, I toasted some sliced almonds in a dry pan. I also reduced the amount of lemon added to the vinaigrette, as the first time I made this, I found it to be way too lemony and not enough of the other flavours.
This dish is super versatile -- It can be served as an entree, with a side salad or maybe a light crusty bread, or as a side dish to a lean protein entree, or even cold, as a re-vamped pasta salad that isn't oozing mayo. Either way, Rich and I found this to be light, refreshing, and all around delicious. And this recipe makes a lot, so we had some to pair with sandwiches for lunch for a few days afterward! Sometimes, it's better to have to feed only two, am I right leftovers fans?
Also, can I just say that I'm writing this whilst a big ol' batch of sweet potato chips bakes in my oven, and I'm so excited for those chips? But more importantly, I used the mandolin to slice them, and I was super nervous about it, and I feel like I need a whole chocolate pie or something to deal with that stress.
Anyway:

Ingredients:
16 oz small pasta, like ditalini or macaroni
10 oz frozen peas
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
1 green onion, roughly chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
To toast almonds, add them to a dry skillet over medium low heat, stir every few minutes, until some begin to brown and they are fragrant.
About two minutes before pasta is done, add peas. Drain.
To make vinaigrette, add lemon juice and zest, oil, mustard, salt, pepper to a bowl and whisk until emulsified. Add to pasta and peas.
Stir in almonds and dill.
Serve.

Notes:
Sommer uses a whole lemon for her recipe, but as I noted before, we thought it was far too strong. If you're unsure of what to do with the other half of lemon, pour 1 cup of water into a small pot, add juice from the lemon half, 2 tbsp honey, and bring to a boil. Steep 1 black tea bag in it for about 3-5 minutes and BOOM. Honey lemon tea.

Pretzel Crusted Apple and Pepper Jack Grilled Cheese

Welcome to the new world of grilled cheese.
Let me just say that I *love* grilled cheese. I grew up on it. On wanna-be Kraft slices melted between two slices of buttery wheat. Mmm...
Just recently, I started going through some old cooking magazines my mom had given me (we're talking two to four year old magazines here), and I found a photograph of a pretzel crusted jalapeño melt, and I thought that was pretty neat. Rich is not too fond of jalapeños, so I decided to used the pretzel idea with something new.
Enter this sandwich. Cheesy, salt, sweet, soft, crunchy, everything. This sandwich is everything. And more. I wanted to eat like a thousand of them. I want to eat some right now.
This sandwich is the perfect opportunity to up your soup-and-sandwich-night game.

Ingredients
Italian bread, or some crusty whole grain bread
Pepper jack cheese, two slices per sandwich
1 Granny smith apple, cut into rounds, core and seeds removed from the rounds
1/3 cup pretzels, crushed
1 egg
2-3 tbsp milk

Directions
Heat skillet or griddle to medium heat. Melt a small amount of butter for sandwiches.
Lightly beat together egg and milk. Dip one side of slice of bread into mixture, then coat with pretzels. Place on skillet or griddle.
Repeat for all slices of bread. Add one slice of cheese to each piece of bread, and two or three slices of apple to half of the bread.
Heat sandwich halves through, until cheese is starting to melt. Be careful not to burn the pretzel side!
Combine sandwich halves: 1 cheese only half with 1 cheese and apple half. Let sandwich sit on skillet or griddle for another minute or until cheese is completely melted.
Serve with homemade chicken noodle soup or a salad and chips.

Notes
This recipe, as written, made three sandwiches for us, but we used Italian bread, and the pieces were fairly small.
This would probably work with any cheese you prefer, but I really like the combination of low heat from the pepper jack with the sweetness of the apple -- a perfect harmony of deliciousness.

Spanish-Inspired Vegetable Stew

We've talked about my half-Guatemalan heritage, right? Okay, good. 

Every once in a while, I get the craving for some food that tastes like it came out of a Spanish-speaking country. Most often, that means tacos. But not this time.

I had some vegetable stock left over from when I made roasted cauliflower and saffron soup for Rich during his four days of madness at work, during which time he was working night shifts. Anyway, it's hard to find something to do with just two cups of stock, so I spent some time trying to figure it out. I settled on this stew, which I just sort of made up on the fly. It is super simple, really fast, and really delicious. Rich loved it, I loved it; everyone wins.

We also served it with some homemade garlic bread. And by served it with, I mean we piled spoonfuls of stew onto the bread and ate it like some mutant bruschetta, and it was fabulous.

If you like Spanish-y flavours, I encourage you to give this a shot.

Ingredients:
2 or 3 medium red potatoes, peeled and chopped small
12 baby carrots, cut small
1 ear corn, kernels shaved off, or 1/2 cup frozen corn
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt, ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika (I used Hungarian paprika)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1/4 cup small pasta (optional) [I used small-cut tomato basil pasta pieces for mine, purchased from my local farmers market]

Directions:
In a large pot, add garlic with a small knob of butter (or 1 tbsp of your favourite oil) and warm over medium heat until garlic is fragrant.
Reduce heat slightly, and add corn, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Add carrots, potatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil.
Add spices, adjust to taste.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender.
Serve with crusty bread or tortilla chips.

Notes:
This ends up pretty spicy, so if you want it more mild, add less of the chili and cayenne and then adjust to your preferred heat level.

Chicken and Tortellini Soup

Not one of the best photos I've ever taken. But give me a break, the lighting in my house is not fabulous.
Anyway, I got the idea for this some time ago, and I've actually been making it since like, May or something, but I thought I'd share it. It's just one of those meals that sort of got lost in my phone's photo album.
This is a nice all-around, all-weather sort of soup, except maybe the hottest summer days. It's actually pretty light when portioned in the appropriate servings, and the spice content can be adjusted to the season. Cold or rainy? Add a little white pepper or chili powder to make give it some heat to warm you up. Warm and pleasant? Use fresh herbs and feel like you're sitting outside, enjoying a gentle breeze.
The recipe itself is not at all complicated, but it's definitely a nice go-to when you're not sure what you want for dinner, or only have thirty minutes to cook.

Ingredients:
Boneless chicken breast or tenders, cut into bite-size strips
2 or 3 whole carrots, peeled and chopped small
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
Low sodium chicken broth
Cheese tortellini, about 5 to 7 pieces per person
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh chopped parsley
Additional herbs and spices, according to preference

Directions:
In a large pot, add olive oil and garlic and warm over medium heat until garlic is fragrant.
Add chicken and cook through.
Add carrots and broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until carrots are tender.
Add spices and herbs, bring to boil.
Add tortellini and cook until pasta is done.
Portion out tortellini into bowls, top with other components of soup.

Notes:
I like to make a full batch of this soup (minus tortellini) and then save whatever Rich and I don't use that night for another meal. Sometimes that means heating it back up, throwing more tortellini in and enjoying it all over again. Other times, that means throwing in some sort of small pasta, like alphabets, and giving it a quick heat before bringing it in for lunch.
I've made this soup in a few ways, spice-wise. It definitely has a lot of range and possibilities. I encourage you to play with the flavours.

Red Miso Braised Butternut Squash Over Cauliflower Couscous

This might be one of my favourite dishes of all time. A touch of heat, hearty enough to feel good in your stomach without being so heavy that you wish you hadn't eaten the whole plate. Topped with cilantro, green onion, and Fuji apple, the flavours all come together in a beautiful harmony that leaves you wishing there were leftovers somewhere in the house.
I originally got the idea from Food52 with their recipe for red cooked butternut squash. Have I mentioned that I love Food52? Because they have some awesome stuff going on over there. I love a food community, where everyone works together to share and create awesome things.
Anyway, I made two separate batches of the braising sauce and then, when everything was pretty well done, I combined them, added some flour and thickened it up before warming the chicken back up in the sauce. It goes so nicely with everything that I wanted to eat it all day. Rich threw it all down like food was going out of style. Needless to say, it was a success.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 red chiles, hot ones
1 tsp red miso paste
Butternut squash rounds, from the neck of 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
Boneless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into bitesize pieces
1 tbsp flour
sesame seeds, scallions, cilantro, and Fuji apple for garnish

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, place garlic, broth, sesame oil and chile. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for three minutes.
Add squash and miso Bring to a boil and simmer until tender (between 20-30 minutes).
Do the same process for chicken, using a separate supply of sauce.
When chicken and butternut squash are cooked, set aside. Combine sauces, increase heat, and add flour, whisking constantly until thickened. Add chicken and squash and warm in sauce.

Meanwhile, prepare cauliflower couscous by processing 2 cups of florets in food processor until it resembles rice. Add cauliflower to heat wok with small amount of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, red chili flakes, and cumin, to taste. Warm through.
Serve chicken and butternut squash over couscous. Add garnish.

It's a little technical as far as a dish goes, but it's totally worth the time it takes to make this magic happen. And you should make it happen.