Slow Cooker Lasagna

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my slow cooker? Especially the one with the timer? Oh how I love it.

I've always come across recipes for lasagne and other casseroles for the slow cooker, and for some reason my brain always translated it into looking something like what you might eat backpacking out of a freeze dried food pouch. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. I finally took the plunge and made this lasagne, and it is just as good if not better than oven-baked. And so easy to assemble since it is vegetarian!

So, the next time you are wondering what to make for dinner, and you would like to have some (lots) of leftovers with that dinner, make this lasagna!

What's in it
2 15oz containers park skim ricotta cheese (or you can substitute for cottage cheese, an old trick)
1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (or use fresh!)
8 oz (or more) sliced mushrooms (mix it it up with crimini, portabella, etc)
1/4 C (or more) chopped fresh basil (add parsley too if you like!)
salt and pepper to taste
1lb part skim mozzarella, shredded
1/2 C (or more) parmesan cheese, shredded
32 oz jar marinara sauce
12 or so lasagna noodles (not no-boil)

How it's made
Stir ricotta and vegetables including herbs in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper (and some chili flakes if you're feeling adventurous). In a medium bowl combine mozzarella and parmesan.
Spread about 1/2 C marinara sauce on the bottom of your slow cooker (6qt or so). Cover with single layer of noodles, breaking in pieces to fit enough to cover the sauce. Spread half ricotta mixture over noodles. Top with 1/3 remaining sauce and sprinkle with 1/3 remaining mozzarella mixture. Repeat layers of noodle, ricotta, sauce, mozzarella. Top with noodles, then remaining sauce and mozzarella mix.
Cover and cook on low 4 hours. Uncover and let rest 15 minutes to allow liquid to absorb.
Prego!

I have not yet tested with meat, but it seems like italian sausage would be a good addition, as well as extra veggies like shredded carrot.

Butternut Squash Posole

I love soup! I love posole, I love butternut squash. So obviously I had to give this recipe a whirl from Food Network Magazine. Plus it was super simple, which is key for me right now. You can eat it with quesadillas for a mexican twist on grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Embrace winter, make this soup!

What's in it
1 32oz can tomato puree
1 or 2 32oz cans hominy
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed in 1/4" pieces
1 poblano chile pepper, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbl canola oil
2 Tbl chile powder
2 Tbl cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbl oregano
water
extra optional garnish: thick flour tortillas, shredded cabbage, lime, hot sauce, avocado

How it's made
In a large dutch oven (or soup pot) heat oil over medium heat. Add all spices (chile powder, cumin, cinnamon, oregano). Add poblano chile and garlic and saute for a couple minutes. Add squash and keep stirring until chile is softened. Add tomato puree and enough water to thin and cover all ingredients by at least 1 inch. Bring to boil then simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Then add hominy and simmer until squash is tender but not falling apart. Garnish with lime, hot sauce, avocado, shredded cabbage, and eat with soft flour tortillas.

This recipe seems like it would do well in a slow cooker, but I have not yet tested that. I probably will soon!

Robin's Enchiladas

You must try these enchiladas! I say that because once I start telling you about them, I feel like you might be less inclined to try them, but that would be a huge mistake. They are amazing and very flavorful in the most perfect enchilada-y way.

Here's the thing: these enchiladas are made with tofu. WAIT! Don't go. Don't give up on these enchiladas just because I said the world tofu.  You may like tofu, but maybe you think an enchilada is no place for tofu. You may not even like tofu. BUT, let me tell you. You will like these enchiladas. My mom has even gone so far as to not tell people they are tofu until after they've devoured them, just to prove a point (tofu can be delicious). I wouldn't necessarily recommend that, but it does illustrate my contention. These are fantastic enchiladas (that just happen to be made with tofu). Trust me on this one.

Be sure to use El Pato brand enchilada sauce. I am normally a fan of green sauce, but this red sauce is wonderful. If you are feeling feisty, go spicy hot instead of the mild. Look for it at a grocery store that has a good Hispanic foods section (like Food 4 Less). These can easily be made vegan, too!

The filling can be made days in advance and either refrigerated or frozen until you are ready to assemble the enchiladas. In fact, the longer the flavors get to sit with each other the better. I'd recommend making the filling a day before you want to serve these for the tastiest results.

Robin's Enchiladas
~Print Recipe~

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) minced garlic
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 green chiles (such as Anaheim), chopped
• 1 can pitted and sliced (or chopped) black olives
• 2 lbs. firm tofu, drained
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 large cans of El Pato brand enchilada sauce
• 2 1/2 cups mixed jack and cheddar cheese, grated
• 24 fresh corn tortillas*

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic, onions and green  chiles and saute until transparent. Meanwhile, squeeze any remaining water out of the tofu and crumble it into a large bowl.
3. Add the onion mixture to the bowl with the tofu. Add olives, oregano, cumin, chili powder, thyme and salt. Mix well. 
4. Heat tortillas in small batches in the microwave (20 seconds or so) until pliable. (Or, quickly fry them in oil if you prefer.) Pour some of the sauce on a small salad plate. Dip the warmed tortillas in the sauce, covering both sides completely. Cover the bottom of a baking pan lightly with enchilada sauce.
5. Set the tortilla in the baking pan and fill with tofu mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Roll the up the enchilada, leaving it seam-side down in the baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour a little more sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese. 
6. Bake for 20 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving. Top with guacamole, sour cream and/or garnish with cilantro.

Serves 12

*Fresh tortillas are less likely to tear when you try to roll them up!

Sauteed Carrots with Fried Sage

I don't usually cook carrots. In fact, most of the time I'm more of a raw, fresh vegetable kind of person--something I definitely get from my mom. I would be very satisfied with a big, colorful salad for dinner. Recently, though, I've been discovering the joys of steamed and roasted veggies. Until now, I've mostly stuck to my standbys--broccoli and eggplant. You know, I've just had more than my fair share of overcooked, mushy bland vegetables--especially carrots. Yuck.

Well, I can't tell you exactly why, but I was flipping through one of the four food magazines I'd acquired well before Thanksgiving and I decided to make this carrot side dish on Turkey Day. Carrots and sage---two ingredients with which I rarely cook. Maybe it was the simplicity of the recipe. Closer to Thanksgiving, I went back to find this recipe and for the life of me could not located it. I flipped through every magazine I had and nothing. I somehow had recycled the one magazine with my side dish recipes! (And, don't get me started on trying to find sage in the days before Thanksgiving--everybody was out!)

I was lucky enough to find the missing recipe online (though not before searching the Cooking Light website very, very diligently. What is up with their hard to navigate interface?!) and some sage after work on Thanksgiving day. Anyway, it was all smooth sailing from there. I tweaked their instructions a bit and fried the sage in the butter and oil (um, why exactly do they call it Cooking LIGHT?) first, which cooks the sage lightly and also flavors the fats with it's sage-iness. Such savory goodness! The carrots then absorb all of this wonderful flavor and develop their own satisfying sweetness. This would be an excellent side dish anytime.

Sauteed Carrots with Fried Sage

~Print Recipe~

• 1 tablespoon butter (use Earth Balance to make this vegan)
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons (or more to taste) small fresh sage leaves (or larger leaves, torn in half or quarters)
  
• 3 heaping cups diagonally sliced carrot
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan and stir to mix. Stir in sage leaves and fry for 1 minute, or until lightly crisp. Remove leaves, draining excess oil back into the pan, and set aside. 
2. Add carrots and water to skillet. Stir to coat with oil. Partially cover and cook 10 minutes or until carrots are almost tender.
3. Add salt and pepper to pan. Increase heat to medium-high heat. Cook 4 minutes or until carrots are tender and lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add sage back in and stir. Serve immediately.

(Serves 4 as a side dish)

Golden Beet Salad

What can I say - I LOVE beets!

When I find a recipe for beets, I must try it. While eating this salad, I realized it is the perfect substitute for fruit salad in the winter months, and it is beautiful. It is inspired from a recipe in Mollie Katzens book 'Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without'. I made it for Thanksgiving dinner, expecting to be the only one eating it, but it was surprisingly popular. I still have some leftovers that are quite tasty.

What's in it

2 bunches golden beets (any color would do, as long as it's not the dark purple)

6 mandarins, plus or minus

3 Tbls raspberry or cider vinegar

1 leek

salt to taste

How it's made

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees. Trim the greens off the beets. Divide beets into two groups, wrapping each group in foil, with a few tablespoons water tossed in. Roast them on a cookie sheet or baking dish up to an hour, until beets are tender enough to pierce with a fork. If you are not up for roasting, you can use this recipe to cook the beets.

Allow beets to cool, cut each end off, then take a spoon and peel off the skins. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Place beets in a bowl and immediately toss with vinegar and salt to keep their color.

While beets are cooking, peel the mandarins, and pull into their sections. Remove all the white pulp from the fruit. Cut each section in half, crosswise, with kitchen scissors, and add to bowl with beets.

Thinly slice leek, and add to bowl with mandarins and beets. Cover and marinate for a minimum 2 hours and up to a day. You may reserve some of the leek to add before serving, since the leeks will turn orange (the color of the beets), overnight in the fridge.

I have only made this once, but I imagine apple cubes, dried cranberries, or halved grapes would be a great addition to this salad.

Enchanted Broccoli Forest

This one comes from the cookbook by Mollie Katzen named for this recipe. Leann and I made it for dinner last week, and it was delicious! Of course, I love broccoli, so it is perfect in my mind. I'm always wary of casseroles, but this one has a fun twist.

What's in it

1 1lb bunch broccoli

1 Tbl butter or oil

1 C chopped onion

salt to taste

1 clove minced garlic

2 Tbl lemon juice

6 C cooked brown rice

pepper and cayenne to taste

2 tsp dill

3 tsp mint

1/4 C fresh parsley, minced

1-2 C packed shredded cheese

How it's made

Time the bottoms off the broccoli, and cut stalks into spears, however you like. Cook them in a steamer until bright green and just tender. Rinse with cold water.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Melt the butter/oil in a skillet. Add onion and salt and saute until onion softens. Add garlic and lemon juice, and saute for about 2 minutes. Stir in the rice, seasonings, and cheese. Spread this mixture in the baking pan.

Arrange the broccoli spears upright in the pan like a forest of broccoli. Drizzle with melted butter (mixed with lemon juice if you'd like). Cover with foil and bake until heated through (20 minutes). Serve right away.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

According to Mollie Katzen, these are the brussel sprouts that will convert any non-lovers of brussel sprouts. I put it to the test, and promptly converted Mary Ann, although her disclaimer was she would only eat them if they were prepared like so. My next test case will be the hardest - Andy Zoo. Not only is this recipe incredibly easy, but super delicious as well!

What's in it

Brussel Sprouts, cut in half (as many as you like)

Olive Oil

Salt

How it's made

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil and treat with the olive oil so there is a thin coating all over the foil. Place all the brussel sprouts cut side down on the tray, and smear them around so they get coated with oil on the bottom.

Once oven is preheated, bake for ten minutes, then shuffle the sprouts around again to get them coated with more oil. Bake five minutes more or until done to your liking. They will continue to cook a bit once you take them out, since they will be so hot. When removed from oven, sprinkle with ground sea salt if you like. Prepare to love them, then eat them!

Spicy Eggplant Stir Fry

A few days ago, I was really craving eggplant--it's so rich and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I searched the internet for a recipe that looked easy and that didn't smother the eggplant in cheese. I found a stir-fry type recipe at allrecipes.com that got some rave reviews. The nice thing about that website is that if a dish is good, people will leave comments saying so--no guess work. They also put tips they used (or should have used) to make the dish even better. I usually take the recipe and the user comments and then add to it or tweak it to suit my taste or on-hand ingredients. I've been consistently satisfied with the results.

Spicy Eggplant Stir Fry

~Print Recipe~ 

• 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil 
• 2 long Chinese eggplants, cubed (I went to Safeway and could only find the plump regular kind, so I went with that)
• 1 onion chopped into bite-sized chunks
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized chunks
• Any other veggies you want
• 4 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce/tamari
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 green chili pepper (as spicy as you desire), finely chopped
  
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 teaspoons corn starch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili oil (you can substitute chili sauce, red pepper flakes, etc for some heat)
• Salt to taste
  

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and saute for a couple of minutes. Add minced garlic and other veggies and saute until cooked--the eggplant will become tender and start to brown in 5-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, red wine vinegar, chili pepper, sugar, corn starch and chili oil.
3. Add sauce to the stir fry, stir to coat evenly and cook until the sauce thickens.
   
4. Serve with rice.

*Many comments suggested adding pork or chicken to this dish. One of the nice things about this recipe is you can pretty much add or subtract anything you like. People tried it with potatoes, green onions, fish sauce, Sriracha, cashews--you name it.
*The sauce originally called for 1/3 the amounts shown here, but all of the comments said to make more sauce; I doubled it, and then found I needed even more.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese. I love it so much. I love it like a fat kid loves, well, macaroni and cheese. For you Portland readers, there is a particularly good macaroni and cheese at the Hedge House on 34th and Division. The Screen Door also has great mac and cheese that you can get as part of their Screen Door Plate. I think the recipe below, which is in the oven right now and that I got from the book Macaroni & Cheese by Marlena Spieler, stacks up well against both.

This Is What's In It

12 ounces large elbow macaroni, farfalle, or conchiglie

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons flour

3 cups hot, but not boiling, milk

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon dry mustard

12 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

3 ounces mild white meltable cheese, such as Jack or Gouda (mmm, Gouda)

3 ounces bleu cheese

1 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

This Is How You Do It

1. Cook the pasta until not quite tender. Drain and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 375 F.

3. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy nonstick saucepan and sprinkle with the flour. Cook for a minute or two, then stir with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the hot milk all at once, along with the bay leaf. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens (about 5 - 7 minutes). If there are lumps, remove the bay leaf and whisk. Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper, paprika, and dry mustard.

4. Reserve 3 to 4 tablespoons of the Cheddar and mild white cheese. Remove bay leaf from the sauce if you haven't already, then stir in the remaining Cheddar, mild white cheese, and bleu cheese and set aside.

5. In a small frying pan, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and combine with the breadcrumbs. Set aside.

6. In the bottom of a 1 1/2-quart baking dish with 4-inch sides, sprinkle 1 or 2 tablespoons of the reserved cheese.

7. Layer a third of the macaroni in the bottom of the pan, top with a third of the cheese, and repeat the layers two more times, ending with the cheese sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheeses, then the Parm, and finally with the breadcrumbs.

8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is crispy and browned in spots.

Yes indeed. If we were in a black church, I'd be hollerin' back at you right now.

Veggies You Love Chowder

Today I received my first shipment for my CSA box from Farm Fresh To You and I spent the afternoon researching recipes that would use a good part of the veggies.  If you are interested in signing up for this CSA program, I can refer you at a discount on the first trial.

After looking through all my Mollie Katzen books (Moosewood) I found one that seemed easy and versatile, Vegetable Chowder.  After making this, I realized the veggie portions are more of a guideline, I would use whatever you have on hand.

What's in it

Butter

2C chopped onion

6 cloves garlic, minced

salt, thyme & basil (whatever else you like as well, I used Caraway Seed)

1 medium potato, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2C chopped broccoli

1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped

frozen or fresh corn

Diced tomatoes, canned and drained

fresh black pepper

1 1/2C water

1 Qt milk, heated.

How it's made

Melt butter in large pot or dutch oven.  Add onion, half of garlic and basil, thyme, salt.  Satue about 5 minutes until onions clarify.  Add potatoes, celery, carrots, broccoli and saute another 5 minutes or so. Add mushrooms, corn and tomatoes, plus lots of pepper.  Saute another 10 minutes.  Add water, cover and simmer about 15 minutes until everything is tender.  Stir in the milk and remaining garlic.  Remove from heat.  Served topped with fresh herbs.

Obviously you can add or subtract depending on your ingredients.  I added half a bag of frozed artichoke hearts I had on hand, because I love them!  Other good additions are cauliflower, zucchini, etc.  Sorry there are not precise measurements for some of the smaller portions, I don't believe in measuring those amounts.  It will depend on how much veggies you have.

This turned out to be an incredibly delicious soup, very creamy and flavorful.  I also picked up a par baked french bread from TJ's and baked it fresh out of the oven, and it was perfect with the soup.  Yum!

Tahini-Lemon Sauce

The abundance of Lebanese restaurants in Portland naturally fuels a lively debate over which one is the best. There are many theories, from Ya Hala to Al-Amir, but it is the first Lebanese restaurant I was introduced to that remains my favorite. Nicholas, the hole in the wall off Grand, vastly out-ranks the others--for only one reason: the tahini. It's ridiculously divine and I am simply incapable of describing it well enough to do it justice.

Every time I go, I order the vegan mezze platter--which last for at least two meals. It includes falafel and hummus, all you can eat pita, a garbanzo dish, tabouleh and more. It's all delicious, but I'm really just looking for that huge puddle of tahini. One dip with a chunk of fresh, hot pita and I'm completely, utterly satisfied. The long wait for a table? Worth it for that one bite.

Here is a recipe I decided to try, since I can't afford to eat out much any more. It's from my trusty original Moosewood Cookbook--copyright 1977. This turned out very well--and far outshined the falafels (from a mix--next time from scratch!) we also attempted. I'm fairly certain it's as close as I'm going to get without the secret recipe from Nicholas' kitchen.

• 1 1/2 cups tahini (sesame seed paste--found near the peanut butter in the supermarket)
• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
• 1 medium clove crushed garlic (I love my jar from Trader Joe's!)
• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (around 3 lemons)
• 1/4 cup chopped (or finely-minced if mixing by hand) scallions (I used regular onions.)
• 1/4 cup chopped (or finely-minced if mixing by hand) parsley
  
• Salt to taste
• 1 or 2 dashes cayenne
• 1 or 2 dashes paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin (or more, to taste--I'm a huge fan of this spice...)
• 1 or 2 dashes of tamari

1. Combine ingredients in a food processor and pulse until creamy and smooth. (You can also use a wisk or an electric mixer.) Sample the mixture and add ingredients to suit your taste.
   

Tom Kah Gai: Chicken Coconut Soup

I've always been a fan of Thai food, but Thai cooking somehow seemed rather mysterious. Then Amber told me about a wonderful cookbook called Quick & Easy Thai. (Now, I've seen some "easy" Indian food cookbooks that don't seem to have a quick recipe in them, so I was a little hesitant.) But, the author--previously a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand--wrote these recipes for busy people to cook on a weeknight.

As it turns out, many Thai recipes are not difficult to prepare and can be made any time, not just on fancy special occasions. The recipes I've tried are pretty amazingly simple, but still incredibly delicious. Some of the recipes call for exotic ingredients (that is, if you live in Oregon and not California), but most of the time you can substitute or skip an ingredient and your dish will be fine.

This is an impressively flavorful soup! It pairs well with other recipes in the book, like chicken satay or crab cakes.

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced crosswise
• 6 wild lime leaves, cut into quarters (optional)
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (a light version is available at Trader Joe's)
  
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water)
• 10-12 slices galanga (this is a relative of ginger--I substitute fresh ginger slices)
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass (available at Whole Foods and Safeway--do not leave this out!)
• 3/4 pound boneless chicken cut into bite-sized chunks (or tofu!)
• 1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms

1. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce and green onions (plus half of the wild lime leaves--optional). Set aside. Put chopped cilantro in a separate small bowl and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, add the coconut milk and the chicken broth. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the galanga or ginger and lemongrass (plus remainder of lime leaves, if using.)
   
3. Add the chicken and mushrooms. Return to a gentle boil and simmer until the chicken is cooked--about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Pour the lime juice mixture into the pot and mix well! Ladle soup into serving bowls and sprinkle chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
   

*Serves 4*

I substituted the chicken for tofu only because I was also serving another chicken dish, but if you use vegetable stock, tofu and leave the fish sauce out this would be vegan. The fish sauce does add a distinct depth to the soup, though, as it does to a lot of Thai dishes. If you have vegetarian friends who eat fish, leave it in for best results.