Spinach and soba noodles with lemon-ginger dressing

Tangy and ginger-y and oh so yummy. This is adapted from Steamy Kitchen (steamykitchen.com), which was discovered by the lovely Lupe and is now one of my new favorite sources of inspiration!

For the dressing:
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 inch section of ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

12 ounces dried soba noodles
1 bunch spinach
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles until just tender. Toss in the spinach for the last 10 seconds or so, just until it wilts.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba and spinach with the dressing and the sesame seeds. Toss until well combined.

Grown-Up Mac-and-Cheese-and-Greens Casserole

Welllll, we're not really casserole folks. But we have been on a comfort food kick and a use-up-the-leftovers-before-they-go-bad kick...and I think perhaps we struck genius with this one. So yummy!

1/2 pound noodles, cooked (we used whole wheat spaghetti!)
3 TBSP olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 large head broccoli, chopped
1/2 head escarole, chopped roughly
3 eggs
2 C low fat cottage cheese
1 C low fat sour cream
4-6 oz grated cheese (we used cheddar and parmesan)
1 1/2 C bread crumbs
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9 x 13" pan. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onions, garlic, and mushrooms until soft and fragrant. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Toss in broccoli and escarole and saute another couple of minutes until broccoli is bright green and escarole has wilted.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, 1 C of the bread crumbs, about 2/3 of your grated cheese, and some salt and pepper. Add in the sauteed vegetables and the cooked noodles and toss everything together. Slide everything into your buttered pan and distribute noodles and vegetables evenly, pressing everything down into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 C bread crumbs and reserved grated cheese across the top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until the casserole has set and the top is nice and browned.

Enjoy with a nice simple green salad!

Lemon-Caper Veggie Saute

I’ve officially discovered a new favorite ingredient: capers! (Thanks to Martha, for randomly having them in her fridge when I came over with a bag full o'random veggies and no plan for how to cook them). They give this really simple combination of ingredients an extra little salty kick to make an easy, tasty pasta dish.

Olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 small onion
1 cup eggplant, cut into cubes
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch of spinach
Juice from 1 lemon
About 1 tbs capers, or more to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
whole wheat pasta, cooked according to package directions

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pan; add the garlic and onion and sauté for several minutes over low heat, until they start to turn golden brown. Add the eggplant and sauté until soft, adding a little water or extra olive oil if needed. Add the capers towards the end, allowing them to cook with the eggplant for a few minutes. Toss in the tomatoes and spinach, and cook till the greens are wilted.. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat, and squeeze the juice from the lemon over the whole thing.

Serve over whole wheat pasta. It would probably be fabulous with some fresh parmesan grated over the top :).

Vegetarian Lasagna

Nothing beats lasagna. And this recipe, adapted from my grandmother's, is truly special...

15 whole wheat lasagna noodles (plus 2 or 3 in case some break!)
salt

2 TBSP olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 package Gimme Lean soy ground beef (optional)
fresh basil, chopped
salt

2 TBSP olive oil
4-5 cups of finely chopped or grated:
onion, mushrooms, spinach, summer squash, zucchini,
kalamata olives, or whatever else you have on hand
salt and pepper

2 lb ricotta or cottage cheese
2 eggs
1/2 C parmesan cheese
1 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper

10 oz. mozzarella, grated
handful of parmesan


In a large pot, bring several quarts of water to a boil. Salt well. Add lasagna noodles gently one or two at a time, and return to a boil. Cook about 10 minutes for whole wheat noodles (or follow directions on package). Drain carefully, rinse in cool water, gently separate noodles, and lay flat to dry.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan heat 2 TBSP olive oil and saute garlic until slightly golden. Add crushed tomatoes and salt to taste. Stir well. Simmer until liquid starts to evaporate and tomatoes thicken, about 15 minutes. Stir in fresh basil (in a pinch, dried basil and oregano work well). If you prefer a meaty sauce, you can add a package of Gimme Lean soy ground beef to the tomatoes for a delicious protein-packed sauce.

Finely chop or grate whatever combination of vegetables you are using. In a separate pan, heat 2 TBSP olive oil and saute vegetables until tender, adding salt and pepper to taste. In general, onions, squash, and mushrooms can all be thrown in at the same time. Spinach or any other greens should be added at the last minute.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk ricotta/cottage cheese, parmesan, eggs, parsley, and black pepper until thoroughly combined.

Brush sides and bottom of large baking dish (9x13") with olive oil. Layer five noodles in the bottom of pan, spread half the ricotta mixture over noodles, spread one third of the sauce over the ricotta, sprinkle one third of the mozzarella, and spread half of the vegetables. Repeat. Finish with one more layer of noodles, the remainder of the sauce, the remainder of the mozzarella, and a good handful of parmesan.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until cheese is bubbly and browned. This recipe freezes very well, so feel free to make in advance and then increase the cooking time accordingly.

Enjoy!

Miso Soup

8 C water
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 TBSP grated fresh ginger
3 TBSP dried wakame seaweed
1 lb soft tofu, cubed
4 scallions, white and green parts sliced thinly
3 TBSP miso (or more, depending on flavor)
Fistful of buckwheat soba noodles, cooked according to directions on package

Mix garlic, ginger, and seaweed into the water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes until seaweed is tender. Add tofu and scallions and simmer 2 minutes. Remove about one cup of liquid to a small bowl and dissolve miso into the broth. Add back to soup and mix well. Add soba noodles, simmer another 2 minutes, and serve hot.

Lemony-Buttermilk-ey Linguine

Look, Rachel, I posted it!

This one is adapted from a recipe from epicurious.com . . . it tastes really bad for you, but it's not! How exciting!

3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

a handful of broccoli florets
a handful of green beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch-long pieces
8 ounces linguine

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving

Place yolks in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in lemon juice, then buttermilk.

Cook broccoli and green beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using sieve, transfer vegetables from pot to large skillet. Return water to boil. Add pasta; boil until tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid.

Add pasta to skillet with vegetables. Whisk 3/4 cup cooking liquid into yolk mixture. Add yolk mixture, 3/4 cup cheese, and parsley to skillet. Toss over medium heat just until sauce thickens and coats pasta, about 4 minutes, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing additional cheese alongside.

Vegetarian Pho

Yummy! Adapted from vgr.org. Looks a bit complicated but is actually super-easy.


8 cups clear vegetable stock
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
8 medium garlic cloves, peeled and chopped coarsely
1 small onion, diced
One 1-inch piece of ginger
Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks
2 pods of star anise
2 large bay leaves
Whatever veggies you like: I used sliced green cabbage (even the organic kind is cheap!), sliced carrots, and spinach.
Noodles: preferably rice, but I used soba and it was yummy.
Optional toppings: cilantro, bean sprouts, lime wedges

Put stock, soy sauce, garlic, and onion in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Meanwhile, char ginger on all sides over an open gas flame or in a small skillet. Add to the stock.

Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise, and bay leaves to the broth. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for 20-25 minutes. Remove the cinnamon and anise. Fish the chunk of ginger out of the broth, squeeze it through a garlic press to get all the yummy ginger-ey ness out, then drop it back in. Simmer for another 15 minutes or so.

Add the noodles directly to the broth and cook till they're almost done. Add the veggies and cook till they're crisp-firm.

Lemon-Garlic Pasta

A superquick, very easy dinner. I'm excited to try it over the gnocchi I just bought . . .

Olive oil
2 garlic gloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup lemons juice
1 cup chopped tomatoes
8 oz pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper

Saute garlic in olive oil; remove from heat and pour in the wine. Return to heat; cook for 1-2 minutes until reduced by half. Stir in the lemon juice and tomato. Remove pan from heat.

Cook pasta and toss with sauce, basil, parm, and black pepper.

Optional tasty add-ins:
broccoli (cook it in the same water as the pasta!)
Artichokes (from a car or jar)
Shredded mozzarella

Laurel's Famous Tofu Balls

Alex requested this recipe, so here is a close approximation. My mom made various versions of these when I was little but never actually measured the ingredients. I've been making them for about four years and of course I've never actually measured the ingredients either, so you might have to futz with the wet/dry proportions a little. Sooooooo delicious as a vegetarian alternative to meat balls on spaghetti. (Just make sure the boys in your life don't eat eight and make themselves sick. For real. Not only are sick boys no fun, but you totally want to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.)

Basic ingredients:
1 package firm tofu
1 medium onion, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP olive oil
2 large eggs
3/4-1 C bread crumbs
fresh parsley, chopped
fresh/dried basil
salt and pepper
vegetable oil for frying

Magic ingredients:
splash soy sauce
toasted sunflower seeds
chopped walnuts
handful of poppy seeds
sauted diced mushrooms
chopped olives
parmigiano
any other spices that sound good to you

Saute onion and garlic together in the olive oil over medium heat until onion is translucent and fragrant. Drain tofu well and crumble it into a large bowl. Add sauted veggies, eggs, bread crumbs, herbs, and salt and pepper. (Note on the breadcrumbs: if you don't have any lying around, feel free to throw crackers or stale bread into the blender and pulse until crumbled. And for the gluten-free among you, rice crackers work great for this!) Here's the fun part: with your hands, mush and crumble all ingredients together until well mixed. If it feels too wet, add another small handful of bread crumbs. Now, you want to think about adding a magic ingredient or two. These balls are delicious just like this, but everybody likes a little magic, and I've had great success adding various combinations from this list. The walnuts are probably my all-time fave, but add whatever sounds good to you. Of course, if you have a stroke of genius and come up with another amazing ingredient addition, by all means do it and post a note about it. Mix thorougly.

Roll the mixture between your hands in medium chunks to form about a dozen balls. Heat a good amount of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan, and when hot, add half the balls. Allow them to brown on the bottom (usually 4-5 minutes depending on the heat of the oil), before turning to the next side. I think I end up browning them on four sides usually, so they come out of the pan looking a little bit like little pyramids.

Serve over pasta and sauce with plenty of parmigiano sprinkled on top! Yummy!

PS - This is your new favorite recipe.

Pasta with Garlicky Butternut Squash

This is adapted from an Urban Organic recipe. Chris and I made it last night for dinner and it was seriously tasty. And oh so autumnal.

1 lb whole wheat pasta of choice
1 large butternut squash
1/4 cup olive oil
6-8 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp sage (I substituted 1/2 tsp thyme)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (I substituted 1/2 tsp dried cilantro)
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Seed, peel, and dice the squash (about 1/2" chunks). Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat and add squash. Saute about 5 minutes until it begins to brown. Add garlic and saute for another couple of minutes. Add water, herbs, salt, and pepper, and cook until squash is tender, about another 5 - 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add pasta to boiling salted water and cook until al dente. Drain pasta and toss with squash. Generously cover with grated parmesan cheese and serve immediately!

NOTE: One of the very best things about eating squash, I think, is toasting the seeds. So don't throw those seeds away!! Remove all the squash guts from the seeds, rinse them well, and mix with about 1 TBSP olive oil and any combination of spices. Combos I've tried and like: salt and pepper, curry powder, paprika and S & P, nutmeg and pepper, black tea and pepper, cinnamon and sugar. Be creative! Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 5 - 10 minutes, checking regularly so they don't burn. So good on top of salads, soups, or just by the handful...

Takeout-Style Sesame Noodles

1 pound Chinese egg noodles (1/8,-inch-thick), frozen or (preferably) fresh, available in Asian markets
2 tablespoons sesame oil, plus a splash
3½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili-garlic paste, or to taste
Half a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/8,-by- 1/8,-by-2-inch sticks
¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until
barely tender, about 5 minutes; they should retain a hint of
chewiness. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and toss with a
splash of sesame oil.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame
oil, the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste, peanut butter, sugar,
ginger, garlic and chili-garlic paste.

3. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss. Transfer to a serving
bowl, and garnish with cucumber and peanuts. Serves 4. Adapted from
Martin Yan, Marian Burros, and memory.

Notes

1. The "Chinese sesame paste," above, is made of toasted sesame seeds;
it is not the same as tahini, the Middle Eastern paste made of plain,
untoasted sesame. But you could use tahini in a pinch. You need only
add a little toasted sesame oil to compensate for flavor, and perhaps
some peanut butter to keep the sauce emulsified.

2. On which subject, the whole point of cold sesame noodles is what's
called in the food trade its "mouth feel," the velvety smooth feeling
of perfectly combined ingredients. That's why you find so much peanut
butter in preparations of cold sesame noodles. Peanut butter
emulsifies better than sesame paste.

3. Hey, where are the Sichuan peppercorns? Sichuan food depends on
their tingly numbing power! Perhaps, but the little fruits were banned
from the United States from 1968 until 2005 by the Food and Drug
Administration because they were feared to carry citrus canker, a
bacterial disease. And while you could always find them in Chinatowns
somewhere (sitting, dry and baleful, in a pile), there are few in the
true cult of sesame noodles who use them in their recipes. By all
means, add some if you like: toast a tablespoon's worth in a dry pan,
crush lightly and whisk the resulting mess into your sauce.