CREAMY BROCCOLI AND MUSHROOM CASSEROLE

Posted in Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

One more time I am sharing a recipe from the super athlete Mike, who runs the blog The Iron You. For those who like to experiment with a lower carb or Paleo nutrition, eggs are a fundamental ingredient. Great source of protein and fat, they are so versatile: you can make a nice omelette, frittatas, egg muffins, egg bakes, adding all sorts of ingredients from meats to veggies. I eat a lot of eggs each week for lunch, usually sunny side up or scrambled, sometimes hard-boiled, but at dinner time I opt for more elaborate uses, souffle’ being a favorite when I don’t mind splurging a little. This casserole is quite low in carbs, but feels like splurging. Satisfying without making you feel uncomfortably stuffed. Perfect side dish, if you ask me…

CREAMY BROCCOLI AND MUSHROOM CASSEROLE
(slightly modified from The Iron You)

1 ½ pounds broccoli florets
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon fine grain salt
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup full fat coconut milk

Heat oven to 350°F and place a rack in the middle. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with olive oil.
Place an inch of water in a saucepan with a steamer and bring to a boil. Steam the broccoli for 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Remove from the heat and let cool.

While the broccoli cools, melt coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the shallot and celery and sauté until translucent and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt, paprika, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until mushrooms have browned a bit, about 8 minutes.

When broccoli florets have cooled down a little bit, chop the larger ones into bite-sized pieces. Add broccoli to the skillet and gently stir until combined. Pour the broccoli-mushroom mixture into the prepared baking dish. In a bowl whisk eggs with coconut milk and pour over broccoli mixture. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden-brown.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you google recipes for low-carb egg bakes or egg muffins, you’ll end up with thousands of hits to choose from. For the most part, they can be divided in two categories: those that use just eggs to bind the ingredients, and those that rely on dairy (quite often heavy cream). I am not too fond of recipes that use only eggs because they end up with a rubbery texture I don’t care for. As to the ones loaded with heavy cream, they feel overly rich for my taste. This recipe solves both problems, the texture is perfect, and it has just the right amount of naughty… We enjoyed it back in December, actually. Obviously, it’s taking me a while to share, but the weather is still appropriate for casseroles. Make it and you will fall in love with it too. You can add different veggies, in fact soon I intend to try a version using carrots and zucchini. I might even get my spiralizer out just for fun, and a bit of added naughty.

Mike, thanks for all the great dishes you blog about, two thumbs up for this one!

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27Jan2016

WHEN THREE IS BETTER THAN TWO

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

Am I talking about the dogs again?
No, this time it’s a veggie thing…

As far as vegetable purees are concerned I tend to be very conservative to allow the main ingredient to shine in all its glory. Yes, I’ve been known to mix two veggies together, for instance Broccoli & Spinach, Carrot & Sweet Potato , or Cauliflower and Celeriac, but those are exceptions rather than the rule. However, the other day I was staring at the bag of parsnips I got with the intention of roasting them and faced a disappointing state of affairs. You’d think that those bagged creatures would all be more or less similar in size and shape? Don’t get your hopes high! They place one or two gorgeous specimens with a bunch of pencil-thin cousins. Pathetic. I learned a lesson, of course, will never buy bagged parsnips again. I’ll pick them myself, thank you very much, and they will be all chubby. But, I digress. I was staring at the parsnips and decided that they could work better in a puree of sorts. Since I did not have enough for a side dish, I also grabbed some carrots. And then, the tiny orange cauliflower winked at me. So there you have it, not one, not two, but three veggies cooked together in harmony. I must tell you, this turned out much better than I expected, especially considering I kept it very simple. No exotic spices, no garlic confit, not even chicken stock… I let the veggies sing, and the music was gorgeous!

PARSNIP, CARROT AND CAULIFLOWER MASH
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

1 tablespoon butter + smear of olive oil
3 celery stalks, diced
1 small head of orange cauliflower, florets only
5 parsnips, cut in chunks
4 carrots, cut in chunks
salt and pepper (go heavy on the pepper)
2 cups water

Heat the butter and oil in a large pan, add the diced celery, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook until translucent and fragrant. Add all the other veggies and cook in medium-high heat stirring occasionally for a few minutes. If necessary, add a tiny amount of olive oil to prevent the veggies from scorching.

Add the two cups of water, season with salt and pepper again, and cover the pan. Simmer for 25 minutes in low-heat. When veggies are tender, remove them to a food processor, leaving most of the water behind. Process and add more water if too thick. Adjust seasoning, and serve right away.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: We were both quite impressed by how complex this puree tasted. I think parsnips adds a lot with their distinctive taste: spicy, peppery, a bit citric almost. They change completely the flavor of the carrots and cauliflower. This mash has great texture and just the right amount of sweetness. Plus, the color is not too shabby either… When processing, don’t go overboard, I think having some chunks here and there add a lot to the dish. You might even skip the processing and mash it all by hand, whatever rocks your boat…

Dinner is served! Simple grille chicken breasts, mashed veggies, and a salad.
Very delicious way to end a busy Monday.

ONE YEAR AGO: Mini-quiches with Duxelles and Baby Broccoli

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5Jan2016

KADOO BORANEE: BUTTERNUT SQUASH PERFECTION

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

My first cooking post in 2016 needs to be special, and special it will be. Maybe you don’t like butternut squash, maybe you are anti-pumpkin in general, but even if you are, please bear with me. I fell in love with this recipe from the moment I tried the first bite, not sure what to expect. Kelly blogged about it a while ago, a great post crowned with the sweetest photo of her and her husband on the evening they got engaged just a few months ago (wink, wink, wink). I can understand how this humble butternut squash preparation could leave such a strong impression. It is warm, it is creamy, it is luscious, at the same time refreshing due to the acidity of the yogurt. You must, absolutely must make it. Even if you live with a crowd of picky eaters who are afraid of squash. Dare them to try a little bite. They won’t be able to stop there.

KADOO BORANEE
(very slightly modified from Inspired Edibles)

for the butternut squash:
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound butternut squash, cubed
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup liquid (mixture of veggie stock + water)

for the yogurt sauce:
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream
good pinch of salt
1 clove garlic, smashed

for topping:
toasted slivered almonds and dried mint

Make the yogurt sauce by whisking together: yogurt, sour cream, salt and garlic in a bowl – cover and place in fridge while prepping the remaining ingredients.

Purée onion in a small blender/food processor. In a separate small dish, combine the dry spices: turmeric, cumin, chili, coriander & ginger.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over low-medium heat and sautée onion until golden. Add fresh ginger, and the ground dry spices: turmeric, cumin, chili, coriander and ground ginger, stirring until the seasonings are well combined and fragrant. Add tomato paste, broth, water, sugar and salt, mixing well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the cubed butternut squash.

Reduce heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes (lifting the lid to stir the squash once or twice during this time). Remove the lid for the remaining cooking time until the squash is tender but still holding its shape. Continue to stir the squash on occasion and use more water or stock while cooking, if needed. The goal is to have about 80% of the seasoned liquid absorbed into the squash while retaining the remaining liquid as a golden sauce.

Remove yogurt sauce from the fridge, reserve about 2 tablespoons, and spread the rest on plates to make a base for the squash. Top each yogurt base with some of the warm butternut squash, then add a bit more yogurt sauce on top, sprinkling the toasted almonds and dried mint right before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This preparation goes to my personal Hall of Fame of Veggies. I cannot think of a better way to enjoy butternut squash, in fact it would work for all kinds of pumpkin, I am sure, as long as you respect their optimal cooking time. As Kelly says in her post, you could omit the sour cream if you prefer to keep it lighter, but it does add a lot to the dish in terms of texture and also taste. Try it exactly this way, you won’t be disappointed. I added toasted slivered almonds, my main modification to the recipe. I like the added crunch and feel that almonds go very well with squash and all the spices in the sauce.

Kelly, thanks for yet another great recipe!

Looking forward to more deliciousness coming from your blog…

. holidays

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20Dec2015

CREAMY ZUCCHINI MUSHROOM SOUP

Posted in Soups, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Soup weather is here to stay. I should not complain, actually, so far things have progressed more or less smoothly. Anytime December catches me in my neck of the woods going for a morning run with no gloves, no hat, no growling, and wearing only a light long-sleeved shirt, I am a happy camper. Actually, happy jogger is more like it. But, let’s face it, things will get nasty soon enough and diving into a creamy bowl of soup feels like the right thing to do. I improvised this one using stuff I had in the fridge, not sure how it would turn out, but it was so delicious I had to share. The combination of zucchini with mushrooms might be a bit unusual, but worked very well… If you care to know, the soup is Paleo-friendly, low in carbs, and high in deliciousness.

Creamy Zucchini Mushroom Soup

CREAMY ZUCCHINI & MUSHROOM SOUP
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 onion, diced
salt and pepper (I recommend using a heavy hand for the black pepper)
za’tar (optional)
3/4 pound white mushrooms, sliced thick
3 medium zucchini
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups water
fresh thyme
2 handfuls spinach
1/2 cup coconut milk
toasted coconut flakes for topping (optional)

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, when hot add the onion, season lightly with salt, pepper, and a little za’tar, if using. Saute until onion is translucent, add the mushrooms, and cook them in medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. If the pan gets too dry, add another tablespoon of olive oil. When the mushrooms are starting to get soft, add the zucchini, cook for a couple of minutes then add chicken stock and water. Mix well, cover the pan and let it simmer for about 12 minutes.

Turn the heat off, add thyme and spinach. Mix, transfer the contents to a blender. Blend very well, being careful (hot stuff in a blender can be dangerous, do it in batches if necessary). Return the blended soup to the pan, add the coconut milk, warm it up in low-heat, taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve with toasted coconut flakes or any other topping you like.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

compositezucc
Comments: I am very fond of zucchini soup, and also love a nice creamy mushroom soup. Never thought of marrying both ingredients. When mixing zucchini with mushrooms you’ll enter a twilight zone of unappealing color that can be tricky to deal with. After all, part of the charm of zucchini soup is its beautiful green, but the mushrooms mess that up. That’s when the fresh spinach enters the scene. I use this trick often when I want to perk up the green color of a soup. The secret is to add it right before you blend the soup, and don’t add too much. You won’t be able to tell there is spinach in it because the zucchini and mushroom flavor is prominent. Use a nice blender, if you have a Vitamix put it to work for at least a couple of minutes. You will have a gorgeous green soup, creamy, soothing, flavorful. It will be light but keep you satisfied, thanks in part to the fat from the coconut milk. I had a bowl of this soup on a Saturday after running and felt like a million bucks after. Two Aleve pills as a side dish probably did not hurt either.

Creamy Zucchini Mushroom Soup2
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20Nov2015

SPAGHETTI SQUASH PERFECTION

Posted in Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

I considered calling this post Life-Changing Spaghetti Squash, but then decided it would be a bit much, after all many people don’t even care for it and rather have their lives unchanged, leaving the spaghetti squash behind at the grocery store. However, if you are like me and happen to love the process of making the strands magically appear at the tines of the fork, then enjoy them with a little browned butter, or a hearty Bolognese sauce… you should consider this method. You’ll need a pressure cooker with a steamer insert, and 8 minutes of your busy day. Eight short minutes and you will be rewarded with the best ever spaghetti squash, the strands will have such great texture that you will not use another method ever ever again.

Instead of a regular recipe, I will walk you through the process, which starts exactly the same way as any other method… Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds (I like to cut them crosswise but you can definitely do it lengthwise).

squash cut

Now, set up your pressure cooker with 1/2 cup water inside, and a steamer….

steamer

Place the spaghetti squash halves inside the steamer, it doesn’t matter if they don’t fit standing up, any placement will work fine….

pressurecooker

Close the pressure cooker, once it reaches proper pressure cook for exactly 8 minutes. Open the pan right away by equalizing the pressure running the pan under cold water in the sink…. Marvel at the look of the strands, ready to be forked out without a single hard, uncooked spot….

8 minutes

Now, all you have to do is remove the strands to a serving platter, and enjoy the best, most perfect spaghetti squash ever, in record time!

Spaghetti Squash22

Comments: I eat a lot of spaghetti squash and have tried many methods to cook it. Most people like to roast it, but I intensely dislike doing so. More often than not I end up with chunks of the squash that never get tender enough to pull into strands, and then it’s a major pain, sticking it back in the oven or calling it a day and accepting the idea that some of it will be lost. One day I read about microwaving it, and it is an improvement in terms of time and convenience. You can cut it in half, remove the seeds, and microwave it for about 15 minutes. It cooks a lot more evenly, but the texture suffers a little. With the pressure cooker, all problems are solved: in 8 minutes you get spaghetti squash that will give you nice strands all the way through the skin. And the texture? Unbeatable! I know not many people have a pressure cooker, but if you are a spaghetti squash fan, it’s almost worth getting one just for preparing it. Not to mention black beans, artichokes, brown rice….

😉

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