Spinach, Sundried Tomato, and Feta Rolls

Last weekend, I had the urge to bake bread but got distracted and made Pumpkin Ginger Pecan Muffins.  There were no distractions this weekend; I made something even better than bread!  I made these Crusty Spinach Feta and Sun Dried Tomato Bread Rolls.  There is nothing like fresh bread right out of the oven.

The recipe from Sass and Veracity is based on a recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.  The basic concept is that if you keep dough in your refrigerator, you can make bread easily whenever you’d like.  That sounds great, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to bake fresh bread every day!  Still, the recipe works well.  I cut the ingredients in half and tried to clarify the directions in my version below.  The process isn’t difficult at all; the hardest part is creating steam in your oven with a pan filled with water.

The rolls were amazing – crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, and full of flavor.  They would work well for either brunch or dinner, although I must say I really enjoyed one with a glass of wine.  If you’re nervous about making your own bread, my advice is to jump in and give it a try.  It takes some practice, but once you get going you’ll have your own bakery on demand.

 

 

Spinach, Sundried Tomato, and Feta Rolls

1 package (2 1/4 t) yeast
2 t sugar
2 t salt
1/2 c. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 c. sun dried tomatoes, drained of any oil, and chopped
1/3 c. fat-free feta
1 large egg white
1 1/2 c. warm water
3 1/4 c. flour, plus extra for handling

Mix yeast, sugar, salt, spinach, tomatoes, and feta in a large bowl.  Place egg white in a liquid measuring cup, and add warm water for a total of 1 1/2 c. fluid.  Add to mixing bowl.  Spoon flour into mixing bowl.  Mix with a wooden spoon just until the ingredients are combined.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to rest in a warm place for 2 hours.

Prepare a baking  sheet with parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal.  Sprinkle flour on top of the wet dough.  Flour your hands, and pull pieces of dough the size of a baseball.  Shape into a round, and place on the prepared parchment.  Continue until all the dough is formed into balls. Allow to rest for 1 hour.

Place a rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven, and preheat oven to 425F.  Add water to the empty pan.  Place prepared baking sheet with dough  on the middle rack.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until rolls are golden brown.  Cool on a rack, and serve warm.

-Lightly adapted from Sass and Veracity, concept by Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

Top 10 Vegetarian Family-Friendly Dinners

When my friend Leah visited, she mentioned she was looking for some new recipes to cook for her family.  With the new year, many of you might be looking for some new recipes as well!  So by her request, here are my Top 10 Vegetarian Family-Friendly Dinners.

These recipes are plant-heavy, yield enough food for a small crowd, and aim to please the diverse palates around the table.  I excluded a few of my favorites that might be too spicy, like Ethiopian Chickpea Stew, and a few that were really time intensive, like Vegetarian Pad Thai.  Not all of these recipes are quick, but there are often components which can be made ahead so they’ll fit into your schedule.

If your family eats meat on a regular basis, you may wish to designate one night a week for a vegetarian meal, like Meatless Monday.  It’s a great way to introduce more plant-based meals which are good for you and the environment.  Without any further ado, here’s the list:

 

Butternut Squash Chili – This was one of the Best Recipes of 2012, and one of my personal favorites.  Don’t skip the avocado garnish!

Black Bean and Pineapple Soup – Another hearty main dish soup, which you could serve over brown rice for a complete meal.

 

Broccoli Mac & Cheese – There’s nothing like a good dish of homemade macaroni and cheese.  This version is lighter, and tastes better than anything that comes out of a blue box!

Crockpot Stuffed Mushrooms –  Mushrooms are cooked in a delicious blend of tomatoes and balsamic, and can be served over noodles or rice.  Plus, your crockpot does the work.

Eggplant Meatballs – I’ve been making this recipe for years, and they always come out just a bit differently, but good.  If you make the meatballs and sauce ahead of time, all you have to do when you come home is boil the pasta.  I need to make this again soon so I can get a good picture.

Italian Baked Potatoes – This recipe is best when tomatoes are in their prime (August/September) but can be made other times of the year as well.  You can multiply the recipe to feed any number of people, and serve the potatoes with a side salad to round out the meal.

 

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie – You can assemble this shepherd’s pie over the weekend, and then bake it for dinner.  This makes quite a bit, so you’ll have plenty of leftovers for lunch.

 

Zucchini Black Bean Enchiladas – I know I am partial to zucchini, but I have made this recipe several times and it’s been a hit with everyone.  You make your own enchilada sauce so you can set the right spice level for your family.

 

 

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes – There’s nothing like breakfast for dinner.  Some fresh fruit makes it a meal.

 

Peanut Noodles – This is actually the only recipe in the list that uses tofu.  It’s also the only dish that’s meant to be served cold, so it’s probably better for those hot summer days.

And there’s my Top 10 list….but what’s at the top of your list?

Crockpot Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

I always think of roasted chicken as a classic Sunday dinner.  You know, with the potatoes underneath that stick to the pan and have that delicious glaze.  But for some reason, I find roasting a whole chicken in the oven a bit intimidating.  You can’t undercook it, but you don’t want to overcook it, and how do you make sure the vegetables are done at the same time?  That’s something for me to work on in 2013.

In the meantime, I used this Slow Cooker Herb Chicken and Vegetables recipe as a guide, and used my crockpot to do most of the work for me.  Most recipes call for pan frying the chicken slightly before placing it in the crockpot, and I do think that step makes a difference.  The chicken gets slightly browned in the pan, and then the crockpot cooks the meat until it is tender.  The seasoning worked well on both the chicken and the vegetables, and overall this was a good meal.  Using this method allows you to leave the house while your chicken and vegetables are roasting, but you don’t get that crunchy glaze on the potatoes.  That’s a tradeoff I’ll take at the moment!

 

 

Crockpot Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

8 oz. baby carrots
6 small white potatoes, quartered
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 8 chunks
2 t minced garlic
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T Penzey’s Mural of Flavor seasoning (shallots, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, basil, coriander, lemon peel, citric acid, black pepper, chives, green peppercorns, dill weed, and orange peel)
1 t paprika
1/2 t black pepper
3 chicken leg quarters, skin removed

Toss carrots, potatoes, onion, and garlic in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, mix oil and spices. Pour half of oil mixture over vegetables, and stir to coat.  Place vegetables in the bottom of a crockpot.  Add chicken to bowl, and pour remaining oil over chicken.  Stir to coat.  Place chicken pieces in a large frying pan, and saute for 10 minutes, until lightly brown.  Place chicken pieces on top of vegetables in crockpot.  Cook on High for about 4 hours, or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.

 

Pumpkin Ginger Pecan Muffins

I said I would bake this weekend, and I did!  But I didn’t make the hearty rolls I had planned; I decided to bake some treats for the freezer instead.  I’ll get back to those rolls later, I promise.

I was surfing the Internet, and spotted this recipe for Ginger Pecan Pumpkin Muffins.  I had crystallized ginger leftover from the Dark Chocolate Brownies with Crystallized Ginger and Sea Salt that I made this summer.  I had leftover pecans from my Mom’s pantry clean out.  And way up top in my cabinet I had a stash of canned pumpkin.  It was destiny, right?  I did change a few things from the original recipe by using some whole wheat flour, replacing a portion of the sugar with honey, and changing the spices a bit.

The muffins were quite good, and I liked the crunch of the pecans.  You can only taste the ginger every few bites so if you want more of a kick, I would increase the amount of crystallized ginger to 1/3-1/2 cup, as in the original recipe.  Although I know pumpkin is often enjoyed in the fall, these muffins are pretty good for January too.

 

 

Pumpkin Ginger Pecan Muffins

1 c. white flour
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. pumpkin puree
1/4 c. canola oil
1/4 c. nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 c. honey
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/4 c. crystallized ginger pieces

In a large bowl, mix flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.  In another bowl, mix eggs, pumpkin, oil, yogurt, honey, and vanilla.  Add wet ingredients to dry, and mix just until blended.  Fold in pecans and ginger.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin tins coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350F for 22-28 minutes.

-Adapted from Etsy

Stracciatella (Italian Egg Drop Soup)

Am I drowning you in soup recipes?  Sorry about that.  But is IS cold here.  And soup generally requires just one big pot which minimizes the dishes.  I’ll try to do something different this weekend.  Maybe I’ll make some bread to go with the soup?!  🙂

Stracciatella is a traditional Italian soup, although it’s not something that my Italian grandmother ever made.  I learned about the soup from this recipe in Eating Well, which inspired me to try my own.  My version includes broth, beans, pasta, and spinach, but traditionally you don’t need to include all of these.  The eggs are whisked in at the end, and create thin, white strands throughout the soup.  It’s very cool to watch!

It’s also very delicious, and the kind of soup that makes the perfect meal on a cold day.  I wasn’t sure how this would hold up as leftovers, but it reheated beautifully.  The second bowl was a little thicker because the pasta soaked up some of the broth, but it tasted just as good.  Now I’ll go work on some bread.

 

 

Stracciatella (Italian Egg Drop Soup)

6 c. vegetable broth
2 c. water
1 (14 oz.) can small red beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. pasta stars, or other small pasta
8 oz. frozen leaf spinach
4 eggs, beaten
Black Pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan

In a large pot, heat broth, water, beans, pasta, and spinach until boiling.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove cover and pour in eggs very slowly, whisking them into the hot soup.  Season with black pepper, and serve garnished with Parmesan.

-Adapted from Eating Well

Chili Pita Chips

I took a field trip with a few friends to the Penzey’s spice store.  (For local Boston readers, it’s on Mass Ave. in Arlington. For central CT readers, there’s a store in West Hartford center.)  It’s a mecca of spices – row after row of little jars and bags.  I could take in the scents all day!

Santa had been good to me, and I didn’t really need to replenish any spices, but I did pick up a jar of their Chili 3000.  It includes ancho chili powder, garlic, cumin, onion, cilantro, paprika, cayenne, lemon peel, Mexican oregano, black pepper, natural smoke flavor, and  jalapeno pepper.  Whew – that’s a lot of spice!

I wanted to come right home and start whipping up a batch of chili, but I really had a lot in my refrigerator at that point.  I also had some pita that were one short step away from stale, so I decided to whip up some pita chips instead!  They came out really well, and I love the spice.  I didn’t use a lot because I wasn’t sure how hot it would be, but it was totally fine.  I can’t wait to make a pot of chili using the spice soon!  In the meantime, making these pita chips was fun too.

 

 

Chili Pita Chips

Pita, sides separated and cut into triangles
Smart Balance
Chili 3000, or other spice blend

Spread a very thin layer of Smart Balance on each chip, and sprinkle seasoning.  Bake at 400F for 7-8 minutes.  Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Navy Bean Squash Soup

After the Christmas festivities were over and the kitchen was (almost) restored to it’s pre-holiday state, there was a ham bone that just had to be used in a big pot of soup.  There was also some butternut squash still remaining from the bushel that my parents bought this fall.  We pulled them together using this recipe for Navy Bean Squash Soup.

The recipe uses a quick soak method for the dried navy beans, so you don’t need to soak them overnight.  When the beans are ready, the soup comes together fairly easily, and then simmers for about 2 hours.  We followed the recipe as written, omitting the additional salt.  Between the ham and broth, the soup had plenty of taste!

We all thoroughly enjoyed a bowl of soup, and then froze the remainder in containers.  This will be great to enjoy on a cold winter night, with memories of Christmas!

 

Best Recipes of 2012

As I searched through the archives of 2012 to come up with the best recipes of the year, I realized just what a crazy year it was!  My life was in transition and my cooking was too.  But I did keep cooking, and that’s all that really counts.

To wrap up 2012, I offer you the dishes that I know I’ll make in 2013 and beyond.  If you have any favorites that I didn’t list, feel free to mention them in the comments.

Thanks, as always, for reading!  Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2013.

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Best Recipe to Enjoy with Coffee: Crackly Banana Bread

 

Best Ethnic Meal: Eggplant Tikka Masala (you can serve with rice or  Homemade Naan)

Best Recipe to Stock Your Freezer: Crockpot Tomato Sauce

Best Quick and Healthy Soup: Tortellini Minestrone

 

Second Best Healthy Soup (and takes a little longer): Butternut Squash Chili

 

Best Use of Party Leftovers: Corn and Zucchini Chowder

 

Best New Holiday Recipe: Hot Cross Biscuits

 

Richest Dessert: Peanut Butter Blondies

Best Use of Local Produce: Butternut Squash Butter

And of course, the best project of 2012…..The Great Train Cake

Creamed Spinach and Parsnips

By the time the last meal of the Christmas holiday was served, we were all a little tuckered out.  Thankfully, we had prepared this recipe for Creamed Parsnips and Spinach a couple of days ahead, and just had to reheat it in the oven.  Served with a beef roast and baked potatoes, it was a very rich meal but didn’t require a lot of effort.

 

 

Even though the recipe includes two great vegetables, it can’t exactly be classified as healthy since it contains generous amounts of both butter and cream.  When you’re used to skim milk, cream seems so thick!  But this is still a very festive holiday side.

The recipe was not universally liked around the table, but it was enjoyed by a majority of the crowd.  I think the parnsips were the sticking point; you may want to substitute another vegetable or perhaps potatoes depending on your guests.  At the very least, I thought this was delicious, and my Mom really appreciated a recipe that didn’t require last minute preparations in the kitchen.  I am still calling it a holiday win.

Indian Spiced Spinach

On the night before Christmas Eve, after our big gingerbread project, my family sat down to some Indian food.  I made Chicken Tikka Masala (replacing eggplant with chicken), homemade naan, and a spinach dish inspired by this Saag recipe.  It certainly wasn’t a traditional meal for us, but it turned out to be a great way to kick off over 48 hours of non-stop Christmas activity!

Since the chicken was a bit spicy, I kept the spinach dish fairly mild.  The ginger provided a lot of the flavor here, and the yogurt made it creamy without any additional fat.  Using frozen chopped spinach saved a lot of time.  The original recipe provides a lot of variations for this dish and it could easily be a main course with the addition of tofu or legumes.  I usually have chopped spinach on hand, so I’ll try one of those variations soon and let you know how it goes!

 

Indian Spiced Spinach

1 T canola oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 T minced fresh ginger
2 t minced garlic
2 t coriander
1/2 t turmeric
1 (20 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed
1 c. water
Dash salt
1 c. nonfat plain yogurt

Heat oil in a large frying pan.  Add onion, and saute for 15-20 minutes, until browned.  Add ginger and garlic, and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add spices, and saute for 1 minute.  Add spinach, water, and salt.  Simmer for 10 minutes, until spinach is cooked.  Add more water if necessary.  Add yogurt and stir to mix well.  Reduce heat, and cook just until heated through.