Category: Main Dishes

Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes

I guess I am on a roll with cupcakes this week! When I first saw these adorable Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes from Giada D., I thought they were totally adorable. They would be a great meal for kids. Then I started thinking about how much adults might enjoy this concept as well, because the vegetables are rolled right into the recipe and the cupcakes holders offer portion control. So I put my own spin on these, and I am very happy with the final result. They are a perfect lunchbox item no matter how old you are.

2 c. dry elbow pasta, cooked al dente and drained

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1″ pieces and lightly steamed

2 carrots, peeled, diced, and lightly steamed

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 c. reduced fat Cabot cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper

Breadcrumbs

Mix pasta, asparagus, carrots, beans, and cheeses in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Coat muffin tins with cooking spray, and lightly dust with breadcrumbs. Fill each muffin cup with pasta mixture. Bake at 375F for 15 minutes.

Aloo Palak

Doesn’t this potato spinach curry look innocent? Well trust me, it’s one spicy dish! I adapted a recipe from Sailu’s Kitchen, which features lots of fabulous looking Indian dishes. And this was a good excuse to head to the Indian market in the town next door to pick up garlic ginger paste and fenugreek leaves. Although the original dish is a curry with more liquid, I left this dry because I wasn’t serving it over rice. That turned out to be a mistake because it was almost too spicy to eat on it’s own. While I liked the idea of a spinach sauce, I prefer the one in Chicken Saagwala. This wasn’t a total failure, but it didn’t quite satisfy my craving for Indian food either….next time.

5 small potatoes, cubed

1 (6 oz.) bag spinach

1 T canola oil

1/2 t cumin seeds

2 onions, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped

2 t garlic-ginger paste (purchased from India Market in Waltham)

1 t chili powder

1 t coriander

1/2 c. water

1 t garam masala

Splash milk

1/2 t fenugreek leaves (also known as Quasuri Methi)

1. Boil potatoes in a medium pot until just fork tender.

2. Steam spinach leaves in a medium pot, and then place in food processor until a paste is formed.

3. Heat canola oil in frying pan. Add cumin seeds and cook for a few minutes while they pop.

4. Add onions and jalapeno, and saute for 15 minutes, until the onions are brown and soft.

5. Add garlic ginger paste, chili powder, and coriander, and cook for 5 more minutes.

6. Add spinach paste and potato cubes and cook for 5 more minutes.

7. Add water, garam masala, a splash of milk, and the fenugreek leaves. Cover and cook for 5 minutes to blend flavors together.

Lentils and Rice

There are so many different kinds of dishes which combine rice and beans, and as Jolinda Hackett pointed out over the weekend, they don’t need to be boring at all! This version from the New York Times uses quick cooking lentils and brown rice, along with sauteed vegetables to create a filling and balanced meal. And you don’t need to be a full time vegetarian to appreciate a meatless meal that provides a complete protein.

I cooked the chopped carrots and celery in olive oil, and then added 2 cups of lentils, 1 cup of brown rice, and 4 cups of vegetarian broth to the pot. After about 30 minutes of simmering while covered, the mixture appeared a little dry, so I added a bit more water. Less than 10 minutes later it was done, and just needed a little salt and pepper. I served it over some ‘just wilted’ spinach, and it was a great lunch. Plus, it held me over for hours. This rice and beans meal isn’t boring at all.

Creamy Avocado Pasta

Quick, what do you do when that avocado on your counter finally gets to the perfect stage of ripeness? If you said guacamole, you’re wrong. (At least for today.)

Oh my, this creamy avocado pasta from Oh She Glows is amazing. With fresh lemon, garlic, and ripe avocado, this bright green sauce just screams spring. I took things one step further and added sauteed portobello mushroom slices to the top of my bowl. With a plate full of vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, this was a well balanced meal, but all I could think about was how great it tasted. And how it would go nicely with a glass of wine, while dining on a patio. Next time.

Egg in a Sweet Potato Pocket

Isn’t this egg nested in a sweet potato clever? I can’t take credit for the idea though, I read about it on thedailybalance.com. First, you bake a sweet potato and carve out the inside. Then, you crack a fresh egg in the hole, and bake in a dish at 375F for 20-30 minutes. It’s so easy! This could be a quick weeknight dinner, or you could add some shredded cheese and herbs for a fancier Sunday brunch.

Since I tried this a few times, I do have some practical tips. First, I would recommend you start with a large potato. I tend to pick smaller potatoes from the bin, and the egg white poured over the edges. Second, be very careful when cutting the potato because if you happen to slice through, the egg white will leak out the bottom. And finally, remember that you can bake the potato on the weekend when you have more time, and then cook the egg whenever you are ready for a meal. Have fun with this one!

Fingerling Potato-Leek Hash with Swiss Chard

The ingredients in this recipe are absolutely amazing! Leeks, fingerling potatoes, Swiss chard, paprika, eggs, and cheese create a wonderful combination. But the timing was all off in this recipe, at least for me. So let me try to translate this into just a few easy steps.

1. Saute 2 sliced leeks in olive oil in a large frying pan, until just turning brown.

2. Add 1 lb. of fingerling potatoes, either halved or quartered, and fry until softened.

3. Sprinkle on 1 t of paprika, and a dash of salt and pepper.

4. Stir in 4-5 c. torn Swiss chard leaves, and cook until softened. 5. Make 4 indentations, and drop an egg into each space. Cover, and cook until eggs are almost set.

6. Sprinkle 1/4 c. grated cheese, along with another dash of paprika, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 more minute.

Yes, you have to stay close to the frying pan, but the end result is worth it. It’s a one pan meal, suitable for just about any time of day. This picture really does not do it justice….

Pasta with Asparagus and Parmesan

It’s not quite asparagus season here in New England so this wasn’t local produce, but it still tasted great! I can’t believe that I used to turn my nose up at asparagus. I was inspired by this recipe which called for pasta with asparagus and Pecorino cheese, and I incorporated two of my favorite ingredients, Garlic Gold and Barefoot Pinot Grigio. This is a really simple dish, but the asparagus and lemon zest have a bright taste which is a refreshing change. It’s perfect served with a side salad, and a glass of wine of course.

1 T Garlic Gold oil
1 lb. aspargus, cut into 1″ pieces
Zest of one lemon
1 c. Barefoot Pinot Grigio
1/2 t Garlic Gold toasted garlic bits
6 oz. whole wheat ziti, cooked and drained
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
Salt and Pepper

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add asparagus pieces, and saute for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Remove asparagus from pan. Add lemon zest and wine, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until reduced by about half. Add garlic bits, pasta, and Parmesan cheese, and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

Onion Tart

While I was on Spring Break, I decided to do a dry run of my Food Science final project, which includes making this Onion Tart. The tricky part is the pastry dough, of course. It needs to be tender, flaky, and golden brown. I honestly can’t remember the last time I baked with so much butter! I won’t bore you with all the details, but it’s important that the butter is cold. It needs to be cold when you mix the dough, cold when you roll it out, and cold before you bake it.

The pastry crust is topped with caramelized onions, which are cooked on the stove and seasoned with salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. The original recipe calls for adding mixed salad greens and goat cheese as well, but for this experiment we ate the salad on the side. I think this came out looking pretty well for the first try. (My Mom’s kitchen didn’t look quite as good, it was covered in flour.) The tart tasted good as well, but you really can’t go wrong with pastry and caramelized onions, and the salad provided some balance.

But the best part was that while the tart was baking, we went out to the beach to catch the sunset. The sunsets are gorgeous here, and a cowbell rings every night when the sun goes down.

Hungarian Chicken Goulash

As I tweeted last week, it’s a lot different to cook for 5 adults and a toddler than it is for yourself! You’re taking into account a lot more preferences, and need to time everything to be on the table at once. But it was a lot of fun, and this is one of the meals I put together last week for my family. I made Hungarian Chicken Goulash and served it over barley with a side of steamed green beans.

The chicken recipe itself was fairly simple, and although it called for plenty of paprika, it didn’t really have a lot of flavor in the end. It needed a little more spice and perhaps a dash of cayenne pepper. Everyone liked the barley (a whole grain!) and green beans, and it was certainly a colorful meal so I am calling it a success.

Polenta with Tomato Braised Beans

I’ve blogged about polenta before, including this dish with kale, and these polenta triangles which are still a favorite. Really, all it takes is cornmeal, broth or water, a pinch of salt, and less than 30 minutes. I was searching for some new recipes for the weekend, and saw this one for tomato braised beans over polenta. There’s always a can of beans and a can of tomatoes in my cupboard, so I made this dish without even needing to leave the house. I added about 1/4 c. of Parmesan cheese to the polenta towards the end of cooking, and then used more cheese as a garnish. Don’t be intimidated by the polenta cooking instructions here, just pour the cornmeal slowly in the beginning and then keep stirring until it’s smooth. It’s not fussy like risotto, and comes out right every time. So if you’ve got a cannister of cornmeal lurking in your cabinet, take it out and give this a go!