Cheese-less Mac & Cheese???

I've been craving mac & cheese for about a week now, but I didn't want all the cheese. I was still feeling a little guilty about my wicked grilled cheese sandwich that accompanied Tom's awesome tomato soup this weekend.  But the nature of mac and cheese is THE CHEESE, so what to do???  Get wackadoo....and get out the nutritional yeast. Oh, I can hear you....."Yeast? Gross!"  Come on, haven't you learned to trust me yet????

I had never heard of nutritional yeast until a couple years ago when, like all the crazy cooking stuff I learned about, I went through the Natural Chef program at Bauman College.  Truth be told, I had the same "Yeast?  Gross!" thought when they first brought it up in class, but then I tried it, and I learned about the health benefits, and I was sold.  It's full of B vitamins, including B12, which makes it a terrific addition to a vegetarian or vegan diet.  It also provides protein, essential amino acids and fiber.  But what I dig the most...it gives a cheesy flavor to things.  So I figured I'd give it a shot in creating my cheese-less mac & cheese.  It did not disappoint....

I started out the usual way:  Sauteed a chopped onion in a little olive oil until they're soft and translucent.  Then it's time to roux....

Add a tablespoon of butter to the pot and let it melt.

Then add a tablespoon of flour and whisk it until combined and the onions are coated, just a couple minutes.  A roux is essentially equal parts fat (in this case, butter) and flour, so use as much as you need.

Next add a cup of milk and stir to combine.  I also save about a cup of the pasta cooking water, so I can use that to either thin out or add body to a sauce later (I added about 1/3 cup at the end for the consistency I like).... always save a little bit of that good starchy water no matter what kind of sauce you're making for your pasta.

Next I stirred in 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, a couple cups of chopped baby spinach (kale, arugula or collards work great, too) and some chipotle puree (I take a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and whip it up in my mini food processor and keep it in the fridge for aaaallllll kinds of things that could use a little kick).  Toss in cooked quinoa pasta shells (a full package) and you can thank me later!! (I've left all other kinds of pasta in favor of quinoa pasta...great for the gluten intolerant, and I just love the protein it provides, since I don't eat a lot of animal proteins.)

I only added spinach this time around (cuz that's all that Mother Hubbard's cupboard had), but this is a great opportunity to work some vegetables into your diet in a really easy and yummy way.  This time of year try sauteed mushrooms, roasted butternut or acorn squash, and lots of greens.  In summer try zucchini and tomatoes.  This one will keep you going year round! (I ate the whole pot in 24 hours!)

Next experiment....making it completely dairy free.  I'm going to try coconut oil for my roux and coconut milk....think it's gonna be yummy!

Just Trust Yourself

."

It's birthday weekend...

My fifth birthday... love the cake!

Well it's the first of two birthday weekends - that's what happens when your birthday falls on a Monday; people tend to drag it out.  Sounds fun (and it is!!), but really it can be fattening.....lots of drinks and dining out!

Today was a big, fat brunch at Il Fornaio with the family, then drinks with friends.  Tomorrow is my first stand up paddleboard experience (at least I'm trying to work in something to offset the eating frenzy!) and then off to Napa with the girls for an afternoon of champagne tasting at Domaine Carneros.  Monday is more food, food, food.... lunch in Saulsalito and then dinner in The City.  Hopefully I can work a hike in there somewhere!

Tonight, I came home after having drinks with friends to my only chance of cooking for a couple days.  I'm reading this great book The Improvisational Cook, and it inpires me to just trust myself with what I have available. So here's another one of my no recipe-recipes....you can do it!  Trust yourself.

I just received some tomatoes from my friend Chris's garden (and knew that had to be the star).  I also had onions, red bell peppers, baby spinach, garlic and kalamata olives.  I was thinking pasta (when aren't I?).  I had some orzo, so I boiled some salted water and threw in the orzo.  Orzo only takes 9 minutes, the pefect amount of time to saute up some fresh veggies.  I started with onion, red bell pepper and garlic.

Then I tossed in the olives and tomatoes with a little red wine vinegar.  When you think of tomatoes, what else comes to mind....basil, oregano and parmesan.  Of course!  I clipped the herbs from my garden and shredded a wee bit of parm into the skillet.  Before draining the orzo, I saved a little of the starchy water to add to the skillet to create a "sauce" along with a squeeze of lemon. Add the orzo and the baby spinach, stirring to wilt the spinach, then season with salt and pepper, and maybe a little more vinegar.  And viola!  Yummy and healthy dinner in a flash.  It's that easy...

I always like to add some chopped nuts to my pasta, for texture, healthy fat, and protein.  Pecans and walnuts are my faves.  This was so good that it was hard to not go back for seconds....but tomorrow morning is me in a bathing suit on a paddle board, so I thought better of it.  For now, I'll be patient.  There's always tomorrow.....

Yum it up!!

You just have to trust me....

...I know this sounds a little wackadoo, making pasta sauce from a cantaloupe, but it's tasty and so refreshing.  I made a version of this at a farmers' market demo last summer. When I was done, I walked over to talk to the melon guy and he had a huge line of people from the demo, all with cantaloupe in hand.  So don't just trust me...they ate it and were going home to make it!

Last weekend I bought a canary melon from Angie of Zuckerman's Farm.  It's a cross between a honeydew and a cantaloupe, and has bright yellow skin.  It's been a year since I made my melon pasta sauce, so I was ready.  I started with a little sliced onion, some of the Sweet Italian Long Peppers I bought at the farmers' market, and a banana pepper from my garden.  Just a few minutes to soften up.  Then hit it with a few garlic cloves.

Then comes the diced melon.  I cut them into bite sized pieces so they break down quickly.

Just let that hang out over medium heat for about 20 minutes or so, and watch all the natural juices come out, creating a wonderful sauce.  You've just got to stir it every once in a while.

The color of this melon is kind of bland, so I throw in a bit of smoked paprika, and look at how it's transformed:

And see how much juice it's giving up.  You can save a little of the starchy cooking water from your pasta to thin it out, if you'd like. I always reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid before I drain my pasta, because the starch in that water can extend a sauce and give it a creamy texture.  Today, however, I'm just going for good ol' cream!
This melon was really sweet, so I balanced that out with some Sirracha and a hit of red wine vinegar, and of course, sea salt.  Once you've tasted it and gotten your flavors in line, pull the skillet off the heat and slowly stir in a 1/4 cup of cream.  Then toss it with quinoa pasta (Ancient Harvest is my favorite brand), some chopped pecans (or walnuts) and a light sprinkling of parm.  Super tasty, super easy, super weird!  I like it!!

Canary Melon Pasta
Serves 6

1 package quinoa pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 Italian Long Peppers (or 1 large red bell), seeded and chopped
1 banana pepper (or Anahiem or pasilla), seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 canary melon (or cataloupe), peeled, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Sirracha
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped or torn
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup shredded parmesan

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to directions.
• Melt butter and oil in large skillet and add onion.  Cook 2 minutes over medium high heat.
• Add peppers and garlic, and continue to cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add melon pieces and stir to combine.  Cook 5-10 minutes, and when juices start to appear, add smoked paprika.
• Continue cooking 5-10 minutes more, stirring occasionally, then add vinegar and Sirracha.
• After a total of about 20 minutes, you should have a rich sauce.  Remove from heat and slowly drizzle in the cream, stirring constantly, so it doesn't curdle.  Then fold in the basil leaves
• Toss with pasta and top with chopped nuts and cheese.

What's you favorite pasta to make????

Comfort me....

Every once in a while you just need a little comfort food.  Bad day, bad week, bad whatever, there are just those days when you crave a little comfort.  And sometimes it comes in the form of food.

I've been cooking for my friend Randy for years.  She's the perfect client because she loves everything I fix.  Today she asked me if I would cook for a friend of hers who lost her husband and days later was told she had breast cancer.  Puts your own silly problems into perspective when you get a call like that.  Felt like someone needed comfort food more than I did.

One of Randy's favorite meals that I make is my Green & White Manicotti.  With fresh oregano and basil growing like mad in my garden, I thought this would be a lovely offering.  It would be made with love, for sure, but adding fresh ingredients grown with care and tenderness could only make it better.  It may be a silly idea to most people, but I believe that your emotions, your "energy," goes into your food when you prepare it, which is whay I never cook for someone when I'm angry or upset. So today I would cook with love and compassion.

As you know, I try to take familiar dishes and make them a little healthier.  So the key to lightening up my manicotti is cottage cheese.  Traditional manicotti is heavy on the ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese.  I reduce the quantities and replace ricotta with cottage cheese.  And I don't add eggs.  No one can tell the difference; it's still little bundles of creamy goodness.

I mix cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, basil, oregano, chopped spinach, salt and pepper and stuff manicotti shells until they're bursting.  I use fresh chopped tomatoes this time of year to create my own marinara sauce (you can use your favorite bottled sauce if it's easier) and line the bottom of a baking pan with it's chunky goodness.  Then lay the stuffed shells on top of the sauce and cover with more sauce, making sure all shells are fully covered (about 4 cups total should do it).  Then I pour a cup of water around the sides and top with a little sprinkling of mozz or parm.  Bake, covered, for about an hour and your mouth will be watering when you open the oven door.   The smells coming out of that oven will be amazing!  Let it rest for about 10 minutes to absorb some of the liquid and then dig in!  Oh, and try to stop yourself from going back for seconds.

Bad day, bad week, bad whatever.... someone else's journey is harder than yours.  We all just need a little comfort.  If you have the chance to cook for someone who really needs it, do it with love.


Green & White Manicotti
Serves 4-6

3 bunches spinach, stems removed
16 oz cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package manicotti shells (usually 14 shells)
5 cups chopped heirloom tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons each dried basil and oregano
1 teaspoon grade B maple syrup
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt & peppper to taste

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Wash spinach (don't dry it) and steam in a large, covered pot until fully wilted. Drain and when cool enough to handle, squeeze out all liquid and finely chop.
• In a large bowl mix cottage cheese, mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the parmesan, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and chopped spinach.  Stuff shells with filling.
• In a separate bowl mix chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried herbs, maple syrup, pepper flakes, salt & pepper.
• Cover bottom of baking pan with tomato mixture.
• Add stuffed shells and cover with remaining sauce, being sure to fully cover tops of all shells.
• Add a cup of water around all sides of the pan.
• Top manicotti with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and bake, covered, for 1 hour.
• Remove from oven and let stand uncovered for 10 minutes before serving. (This allows the liquid to be absorbed, don't get greedy!)

Enjoy and be well....

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I know it's not really sweet potato season, but I had a class the other night and we got to talking about my teaching a gnocchi class.  Potato gnocchi is yummy, but sweet potato gnocchi will have you breaking up with that old spud in favor of this delicious substitute.

The other change is that I don't like to boil my gnocchi; I pan fry it in a little olive oil or coconut oil.  It creates a lovely,crispy brown shell around the pillowy sweet potato.  As long as I'm breaking the rules, I also like serving it with a light coconut curry sauce.  I'm not really a big fan of tomato-based sauces, though I make a mean marinara and an even meaner pizza sauce.  I gravitate toward cream sauces, but since they can be a "middle killer", I try to find ways to lighten them up.  "Don't trust a skinny chef" only works with restaurant dining, when you want to splurge and don't care about the consequences of one night out.  If you're trying to be healthy, then you should probably go for a chef with a little less meat on her bones!

If you've never tried gnocchi before, don't be intimidated.  It's easy, albeit a little messy.  I haven't taught a gnocchi class in nearly a year, because after the last one, I was finding little reminders of the class for months (gnocchi dough is a sticky little bugger).  But if you aren't making it with 8 other people, you should be fine!

First bake the potatoes and when cool enough to handle, mash the flesh in a bowl with ricotta, garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Slowly add flour until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Create the little dough balls (see the recipe below) and press the tines of a fork into one side.  When all are ready, place them in a single layer in a hot skillet coated with olive oil (coconut oil is yummy, too, if you have it).  Only takes about 5 minutes.  The perfect amount of time to make your sauce (recipe below).  Oh yeah, and it's a no-cook sauce.  Got to love that on a hot night!

When gnocchi are perfectly browned, plate and top with sauce (go ahead and use marinara, but you'll be missing out on this tasty combo with my coconut sauce....trust me, remember?). Garnish with sliced scallions.....so pretty. So yummy.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Serves 6-8

2 pounds sweet potatoes

2/3 cup whole milk ricotta

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-1 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, plus 1/3 cup for the work surface

·         Preheat the oven to 425°

·         Pierce the sweet potato with a fork. Bake until tender and fully cooked, 40- 55 minutes.

·          Cool slightly. Cut in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes.

·         Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes back to the large bowl. Add the ricotta, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic and pepper, blending until well mixed.

·         Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms.

·         Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough in a ball on the work surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll out each ball into a 1-inch wide rope.

·         Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork. Transfer the formed gnocchi to a large baking sheet. Continue with the remaining gnocchi. 

• Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.   When oil is hot, add gnocchi in a single layer, working in batches, turning to crisp each side, approximately 5 minutes total.

Coconut Curry Sauce

½  cup coconut milk

½  teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½  teaspoon turmeric

pinch cayenne

3 tablespoon lime juice

3 scallions, greens only, thinly sliced or ¼ cup chopped chives

Whisk all ingredients, except scallions, in a bowl.  When gnocchi is ready to serve, toss with coconut curry sauce and top with scallions.

Seared Scallops

A few weeks ago I got the idea to make some juicy seared scallops, but visits to three different stores left me empty handed, so I moved on to something else.  But I couldn't get those little nuggets out of my head.  After my paella posting, I thought it was time to offer you a quick-cooking recipe, and scallops definitely fit the bill.  They cook up in less than 10 minutes, including time to make a yummy sauce to go with them, making them perfect for those nights when you want to get dinner on the table in a hurry.

Now you may be asking yourself why, instead of a picture of my beautiful scallops, is there a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge.  Well somewhere in that San Fransisco Bay lies my brand new smartphone, and the pictures of my scallops.  The phone was smart; it's owner, not so much.  I was picking my mother up from a cruise on Saturday, and while walking up the ramp to greet her, my phone fell out of my tiny jacket pocket (much to small to hold a phone, I realized too late!) and slid down the ramp and right into an opening just slightly larger than my phone, dropping into the bay.  Really??!  Yes, really.

So here's a pic of seared scallops that I didn't take (my pots are in much better shape!).  But trust me on this one; it's easy, fast and delicious!  I served them over Trader Joe's spinach & chive fettuccine and topped it with a quick, creamy sauce.  It's dinner time in no time with this one....

Seared Scallops and Pasta

Serves 2

½ pound spinach fettuccine

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

6 large scallops, seasoned with salt and pepper

½ cup dry white wine

1t minced garlic

3T lemon juice

1 tablespoon capers

1t lemon zest

1t fresh thyme leaves

2T half & half

·         Cook fettuccine according to directions.  Reserve ¼ cup cooking water, then drain and return to pot.

·         While pasta cooks, melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

·         When butter starts to brown slightly, add scallops and sear about 3 to ­4 minutes per side.

·         Remove from skillet and keep warm.

·         Reduce heat to medium and add wine to the skillet, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom.

·         Add garlic and cook 1 to ­2 minutes, stirring often.

·         Add lemon juice, capers, lemon zest and thyme.

·         Remove from heat and stir in the half & half.  Add reserved pasta water to help extend sauce if needed.

·         Place pasta in a bowl, top with scallops and pour sauce over the top.

Pour yourself a glass of Sauvingnon Blanc and enjoy!!

And now I'm feeling a little saucy....

I have a client that I cook for who is a personal chef's dream.....she loves everything I cook, and after 3 or 4 years I don't even need to run my ideas by her.  So I whipped up a couple of her known favorites: a stacked veggie enchilada bake and a smoky tilapia with papaya-cilantro salsa.  Then I spied a large bunch of basil languishing in my fridge.  I bought it days ago with some great idea in mind, I'm sure, but the weekend ran away with me and now it was use it or lose it time.  What to make???

My improv cooking skills have been honed between having to cook for the students at Bauman during the first few weeks of their program (man, I'm so glad THEY start cooking full dishes themselves this week!) and spending weekends with Tom with what I have come to fondly refer to as the "What Can We Make With This?" experiments - a sample of which looks like this:

This is a little game we like to play where we pull out whatever hasn't yet died in our refrigerators, and turn it into something delish!  And it has sharpened my skills at pulling together a meal using what I have on hand.

I have a pretty well-stocked pantry, freezer and fridge.  In fact, I was asked recently if this was all in preparation for a natural disaster.  No, funny-pants, it's just because I love to cook and don't like to shop so much.

So back to my poor bunch of basil... who doesn't love pesto?  I always have the usual suspects on hand: garlic, nuts, olive oil, and cheese.  But I'm newly inspired to try out some variations on the old standard sauces.  I decided to make a dairy-free version.  I KNOW, who would think that sentence would ever escape my lips....dairy-free?  Suzanne?  That just does not sound right.  But it sure tastes right!  Here's the trick - substitute nutritional yeast for the cheese (stop making that face!).  When I was first introduced to the concept of nutritional yeast while I was in the Natural Chef Program myself, I took a wiff and thought "Gross!  What have I gotten myself into here?"  But it's about the taste, not the smell.  Nutirional yeast gives food a cheesy flavor and also is a rich source of B vitamins, especially B12, making it especially beneficial for vegans and vegetarians.  But forget all that - it makes food taste good!

Yes, that is an indentation from my finger in the middle of the sauce...couldn't resist!



Dairy-free Pesto Sauce

1/3 cup walnuts

2 teaspoons chopped garlic (please use fresh!)

4 cups packed basil leaves, stems removed

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Zest and juice from half a lemon

1/2- 3/4 cups water

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

·         Place garlic and walnuts in a food processor and pulse to finely chop.

·         Add basil, nutritional yeast, lemon zest and juice and process until a paste begins to form.  Scrape down the sides.

·         Place water and oil in a measuring cup and with the motor running, slowly add until desired consistency, stopping and scraping down the sides as necessary.  You may use less or more water depending on your preference.

·         Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I tossed it with orzo, sauteed red onion, quartered kalamata olives and sundried tomatoes.

I hope you get inspired to dig into your pantry and fridge to find a delicious

 improv just waiting to be discovered!

 

Feeling a little nutty

I wish I could take credit for this one, but it's a recipe from Bauman College's Natural Chef curriculum.  I'm back in the fold, working as the kitchen manager at the Penngrove campus, and it makes my mind and my belly happy, happy, happy.  It's great to be able to essentially go through the Natural Chef program again without any of the stress I felt as a student.....and have them pay ME this time!  Even better, is getting to experience all those delicious recipes again;  recipes like this Nut & Seed Cream Sauce.  It's a fantastic, dairy-free cream sauce, much like an Alfredo.  Great on pasta (obviously), on roasted veggies, over grilled chicken, served cold as a dip.....heck, you could put it on a shoe and it would be delish!  I need all my shoes, so I tossed it with spaghetti squash, fresh English peas and toasted walnuts.  They only changes I made to the sauce were that I used my French Herb salt to give it more flavor and finished it with a healthy pinch of freshly grated nutmeg - buy the whole nutmeg and shave it with a microplane.... soooo much better than the ground nutmeg in a bottle.

If you've never cooked spaghetti squash, give it a try, especially if you have kids.  It's a great way to get extra veggies into them in a familiar kind of way.  Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and bake it cut side down for 30-45 minutes at 375, depending on the size of the squash.  When the squash is cooked through it will give gently when squeezed.  Let it cool, and then scrape out the flesh with a fork.  Simply toss with sauce and any other ingredients you'd like.....

Nut & Seed Cream Sauce

1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup olive oil
white pepper to taste

Add all ingredients besides oil and pepper to a blender and puree until smooth.
With the motor running, drizzle in the oil.
Transfer to a saucepan and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes until thickened and warmed through.
Season with white pepper to taste.
Try not to eat the whole thing yourself!

My 80/20 Rule

Yesterday Tom (TomFoolCookery)made me a ridiculously delicious tamale pie for dinner.

When someone wants to cook me dinner, I don't fight it. I may struggle with some of the ingredients, but I don't fight it. I figure it's all part of my 80/20 rule: 80% of the time I eat good, real, seasonal foods, so the other 20% of the time I don't beat myself up if I go off the path.  And this was a yummy path to venture down.

But with a belly full of canned food, beef and pork sausage (oooh, but my mouth waters thinking about it), today was time to get back to something a little lighter and less....meat-y.

So I tossed some spinach fettucini with kalamata olives, toasted walnuts, caramelized onions and a touch  of goat cheese.  I'm not a huge fan of tomato sauces; I'm more of a cream-sauce girl, but that's where the trouble starts (and the waistband tightens), so I've taken to saving a 1/2 cup or so of the starchy pasta water, and stirring it into the pasta mixture with some lemon juice or white wine, and some lemon zest.  Cook it down for a few minutes on medium-high heat, and you'll be surprised at how tasty it is. The little bit of goat cheese satisfies my creamy craving, and I can feel good about eating a healthy bowl of this.

Bring on the Kale!

I never paid attention to kale until a couple years ago. It suffered from"guilt by association" because it was a little too close to Swiss chard, and my childhood memories of Swiss chard were not happy ones.  I think my Irish grandmother used to boil the heck out of it, until it lost all of its flavor (and color).  But a couple years ago I was introduced to homemade kale chips, and I decided to give kale a second look.


If you're not very familiar with kale, take advantage of it in these coming winter months when it's at its best and sweetest.  Kale is full of B vitamins, C, E, K, beta-carotene, iron, calcium, zinc and fiber.  It's one of the best immunity-boosting vegetables around, but it gets better than that....it helps protect your eyes, lungs, and skin and boosts brain power, memory and energy.  What more could you ask for  in a veg???


I love to stir fry it, mix it into soups and chili, roast it sprinkled with smoked paprika for tasty, crunchy chips, or "massage" the leaves with olive oil and salt to wilt them for a new twist on your usual salad.

But my latest kale creation is.....LASAGNA!

One note: alternative lasagna noodles are not as readily available as "enriched pasta" noodles, and I must confess that I used Barilla No-Boil Lasagna Noodles for this recipe test, but you can find gluten-free noodles on Amazon, and I intend to play with this recipe some more using some of the ones they offer. 

I started out by sauteeing mushrooms and onions. 

When softened, I added a couple cloves of garlic and the kale, and continued to saute until the kale wilts.

When done, pull the skillet off the heat and let it cool slightly.  Meanwhile mix ricotta with a teaspoon each of dried basil and organo in a bowl. Next is the marinara sauce...to make things easy, I recommend Trader Joe's Tomato-Basil Sauce; it has all natural ingredients (and very few), and it tastes great.  If you would like to make your own marinara sauce, it's super easy, and you can finds lots of recipes online.

Cover the bottom of your 8X8 pan with a thin layer of sauce, then 2 lasagna noodles.  Cover with half the ricotta mixture, and half the mushroom/kale mixture and 1/3 cup of sauce.  Top with another 2 noodles, the rest of the cheese and kale and 2 more noodles.  Top with remaining sauce and 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese. 

Bake uncovered in a 400 degree oven for 35-45 minutes until bubbly and heated through.

And then try not to eat the whole thing!

Cooking Outside the Box

Last Sunday was my final cooking demo for the season at the Marin farmers' market.  I wanted to go out with a bang, so I fixed one of my favorite creative dishes, a sauteed cantaloupe sauce served over quinoa pasta.

I've never been a big fan of cantaloupe; I think it's a texture thing.  But a year or so ago I saw a recipe for a sauce using cantaloupe that was so unique, I had to give it a try.  If you saute chopped cantaloupe in olive oil, it releases its juices and creates a velvety sauce.  It's fairly sweet, so the addition of tomato paste not only turns it a beautiful color and thicken it up a bit, but lends a nice savory balance to the sweetness.  It also ups the nutrient quotient nicely.  Tomatoes actually become more nutritious the more they are cooked, so tomato paste is one of the most concentrated sources of  lycopene, a powerful antioxidant and potential cancer fighter.  And combining olive oil with tomatoes helps the body better absorb the nutrients.

Take a note from Michael Pollan's Food Rules and get out of the supermarket on this one.  Hit your local farmers' market and take advantage of the gorgeous variety of heirloom tomatoes to add color and dimension to this sauce.

The first time I made this, I used a cantaloupe from the grocery store.  This time of year, however, there are some great melons available at the farmers' markets, and I've been using a Charlynne melon.  It's a little lighter in color and sweeter than a traditional cantaloupe. I'm glad I discovered a way to eat cantaloupe because, like tomatoes, it's a powerful antioxidant and helps to fight free radicals, but most compelling to me is that just one slice of cantaloupe has more beta-carotene (it's one of the richest sources) and Vitamin C than your body can even use in a day.

Just a word about the nutrition stuff:  we hear about antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, etc. and while I'm sure we all realize they're good for us and we should eat foods full of them, do we really know what they do for us?  So let me tell you about the two powerhouses of cantaloupe that I just mentioned.  Our bodies convert beta-carotene into Vitamin A, which is crucial in the production of cells that fight disease.  Vitamin C protects our immune system and helps protect us against heart disease, certain cancers, and the ever-annoying cold.

So now you know...

I also took advantage of another seasonal favorite, peppers, in this dish.  Larry at Triple T Farm in Santa Rosa first turned me on to padron peppers a couple months back.  LOVE them; small crumpled peppers that are mild and sweet, except for the 1 in 10 that's spicy.  I started putting them in everything I cooked.  Last month he introduced me to Shishito peppers (pictured above).  They are very similar to padrons in every way, except for the wayward spicy one.  Just sweet and delicious.  Seek them out and give them a try....

Sautéed Cantaloupe Sauce                                                                                                                         Serves 6

3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup chopped shishito or padron peppers

1 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ cup milk or half & half

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Salt & pepper to taste

1 cup diced heirloom tomatoes

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1 lb. cooked pasta of your choice

·         Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat.

·         Add onion and peppers, and cook 3-5 minutes until onions start to soften.

·         Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and cantaloupe.  Sauté 10 minutes until a chunky sauce starts to form.  (You can add some of the starchy pasta in lieu of the olive oil to cut the fat).

·         Add tomato paste and smoked paprika, and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

·         Remove from heat and add milk or half and half and lemon zest, stirring to combine.

·         Season with salt & pepper

·         Toss with cooked pasta and top with chopped tomatoes, and cheese if desired.

P.S. I didn't add any cheese!  It doesn't need it, it's so good!!

One little tomato sitting in a tree....

Those who know me, even slightly, know that I have not been blessed with a green thumb (thank God I have 5 year-round farmers' markets in my county).  In fact, I often say that the only two things I can manage to keep alive are me and Maxx.  But last year I tried growing tomatoes for the first time.  And I was surprisingly successful.  So this year, feeling a little cocky, I busted out more plants.  I planted four in all....

And then there was one. It was like that Agatha Christie movie I saw as a kid, when one by one each guest was found murdered.  One by one, each of my plants was ripped at the base, leaving nothing but the metal cage that was meant to guide it as it grew to greatness.  I'm usually very happy to live in an area where people and wildlife live together, but when that wildlife messes with garden....not so happy. 

I had almost given up on the one remaining plant, figuring it's time was coming soon, too.  But yesterday I went out and saw not one, but two, little baby tomatoes hanging there.

So while you anxiously await the news about the fate of these two little juicy nuggets, I want to share with you a yummy recipe for my Blistered Tomato-Basil Pesto. Obviously I didn't use MY tomatoes, but a beautiful blend of yellow and red cherry tomatoes...

 A couple notes on my recipe:
1) I use walnuts instead of pine nuts, because I always have walnuts in my freezer and they are much less expensive than pine nuts.  No one has ever noticed the difference; in fact, most people who have had my walnut-basil pesto prefer it.

 2) I only use 1/4 cup of olive oil and then add water to get to the consistency that I want, dramatically cutting the amount of fat in the recipe.  Again, no one is the wiser, but your waistline will thank you.
3) Cooking tomatoes actually makes them more nutritious than eating them raw.  And the combination of tomatoes with olive oil (and when doesn't that happen?!) makes it easier for your body to absorb the nutrients, especially the lycopene.

So eat this up while you wait on the edge of your seat to see how my garden grows.... or doesn't.  And try it over quinoa pasta; I fixed this at the Marin farmers' market this weekend with quinoa pasta, and as people were enjoying the samples, I asked if they noticed a difference in the pasta; they all loved it.  Another great way to get more protein in your diet, but still eat meatless meals -if you're unfamiliar with it, quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a complete protein.  Enjoy!

Blistered Tomato-Basil Pesto                                                            Makes 2 cups

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes

¼ cup chopped walnuts

2 medium-sized garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups loosely packed basil

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup water

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

·         Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.

·         Add tomatoes and cook until skins begin to blister, about 5-6 minutes.  Remove from heat.

·         While tomatoes are cooking, place walnuts and garlic in a food processor process about 20 seconds.

·         Add basil and Parmesan and process until well combined.

·         With motor running, slowly pour the oil through the feed tube, followed by as much water as you need to reach deisred consitency.

·         Add tomaotes, pulsing to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.

Pantry Pasta

Every once in a while my fridge and pantry get a little over-loaded.  So many recipes to test, so many dinner parties, so many cooking classes.  Next week I've got a lot of classes, so I need to make some room.  It's time to do a little "pantry cooking."  It's instinctive cooking at its best.  I just pull out what I've got and turn it into culinary magic.

Today it's Pantry Pasta.  I had some authentic Italian orrechiette.  It's so authentic that there's not a lick of English on the package.  I was able to at least figure out "12 minuti" for the cooking time, but the rest is lost on me.  I love these little pasta "ears."  They're nice and chewy, and the cup shape holds sauce beautifully.

When you cook pasta remember a few things:

1) Don't try to speed it up by using hot water from the tap; it leaches lead and other materials from the pipes.  Always use cold water and let it run a bit before putting it in your pot.

2) Use a large pot, much larger than you think you might need.  Pasta needs a lot of room to bounce around; that helps keep it from sticking and clumping.  Maybe this is where "go big or go home" comes from??

3) Your water should be salted generously - it should taste like the sea.  And always save some of the cooking liquid to help make a healthy sauce.  In this recipe I only used about a tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 cup of cooking liquid and some spices to make the sauce.

4) The healthiest way to cook your pasta is just to al dente - so it still has a bite to it.  Pasta cooked this was, rather than boiled too long, provides you with a slower, even release of glucose into your bloodstream, which gives you longer, sustained energy.

So now for my non-recipe recipe....

Cook pasta according to directions, on the lighter side of cooking time.  While the pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and add sliced onion and a few minced garlic cloves.   

When the onions are soft and starting to brown, add roasted red peppers and pepperoncini.

After a few minutes add chopped baby spinach, smoked paprika and red pepper flakes (I'm a spicy girl!  Not  to be confused with a Spice Girl.)

Stir just until the spinach wilts, only a minute or two.  When pasta is cooked, drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid and toss orrichietti with the vegetable mixture.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 - 1/2 cup pasta liquid.  Add shredded parmesan cheese and salt & pepper to taste.  Bellissimo!