Cheesy Potato & Rutabaga Mash

This year I will once again be graced with delicious and tasty produce from a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share, courtesy of Little Flower Farm.  I'm so excited to find new and interesting ways to cook with all of the veggies that I will be getting from June through October.  I really enjoy CSA shares because it expands my eating and cooking horizons.  When I go to the farmers' markets, I tend to stick with what I know.  But when you buy a CSA share, there will inevitably be some vegetable in the box that makes you stop and think.  Last time I purchased a CSA share, it was kohlrabi!  I'm still not 100% sure what to do with kohlrabi, but I anticipate learning more about it this summer.  So to get into the spirit in this unseasonably warm spring, I picked up a random root vegetable at the grocery store and came home without a recipe in mind.  After doing a bit of background reading on my chosen rutabaga, I decided the easiest way to utilize this veggie was in a cheesy mash.  I added some mashed potato just for more starchy deliciousness, and it did not disappoint!  This is just one of many ways you can use rutabaga this year.

Cheesy Potato & Rutabaga Mash

serves 2 as a side

Ingredients

1 medium-sized yukon gold potato, diced into 1-inch pieces

1 medium-sized rutabaga, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon of butter

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the chopped potatoes and rutabaga.  Boil uncovered for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender.  Drain the vegetables and return them back to hot pot. 

Add the milk, butter, and cheddar cheese.  Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes and rutabaga, combining the ingredients, until you achieve the desired consistency.  Taste and add salt & pepper as needed.  Serve alongside your favorite meal.

Fourth Day of Appetizers: Tomato Ricotta Toasts

A few weeks ago, I received a super exciting email and I've been waiting anxiously to share it on my blog.  Someone from Red Gold tomatoes contacted me about entering a blogger contest of theirs, which in and of itself was exciting and obviously I entered without a moment's hesitation.  But THEN, they asked if I would like a little gift basket of their tomato products to test out in my recipes!  I was beyond thrilled!

I love cooking with canned tomatoes.  In fact, more often than not, I prefer it.  I always have a dozen cans of various tomatoes in my pantry: diced, crushed, whole, tomatoes with basil, pureed, and sauce.  Why?  Well, the tomatoes at your local market that are grown out-of-state are usually grown to withstand transport.  They have thicker skins and sturdier flesh and just don't taste very tomato-y.  They lack the juicy, sweet flavor of a homegrown tomato.  So if I'm not buying my tomatoes at the farmers' market, I'm usually using canned tomatoes because they are picked at their freshest and canned right away to capture the delightful essence of the tomato.  I was eager to try Red Gold's tomatoes in my recipes. 

My first test of the Red Gold tomatoes was with my fourth appetizer recipe of the holiday season: tomato ricotta toasts.  When doing a minimalist recipe that calls for only a few ingredients, make sure those ingredients are quality.  I purchased some homemade ricotta from Whole Foods, a freshly baked baguette, and the sweet-tasting, diced tomatoes provided by Red Gold.  The outcome was an easy but tasty appetizer recipe that I actually quite enjoyed for dinner last night -- warm, toasted bread; creamy ricotta cheese; and the tomatoes were wonderful -- sweet, juicy, and flavorful. 

I also just realized that this is my 100th blog post!  So fitting that it features bread, cheese, and tomatoes, my three favorite things.  I've loved working and eating my way through the last 100 posts -- I can't wait for the next 100!

Tomato Ricotta Toasts

serves about 6-8 as an appetizer

Ingredients

One large baguette or Italian loaf, sliced into one-inch slices

1 15-oz can of diced tomatoes

~ 2 cups of ricotta

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper

Directions

Brush the bread slices lightly with extra virgin olive oil and place on a grill or grill pan for about 5 minutes, or until the one side of bread has nice grill marks.  Don't toast the other side!

Once the bread has toasted, place a thick layer of ricotta cheese on top, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Then place a heaping spoonful of diced tomatoes on top of the cheese.  That's all!  Eat and enjoy this simple but delicious appetizer!

Third Day of Appetizers: Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms

I'll admit, up until about a year ago, I would not eat a mushroom.  My only exposure to mushrooms were the little button mushrooms on salads and, let's be honest, those are not the best advocate for the mushroom community.  After trying a sauteed cremini mushroom, I was hooked, and I've slowly come to appreciate all kinds of other mushrooms.  So when I saw this appetizer on the smitten kitchen website, I knew I had to try it immediately.  I had an appetizer-cooking party with my friend Leigh and sadly the market only had a half of a pound of mushrooms.  We took those down, with the help of her mushroom-loving seven-year old son, in about five minutes.  Delicious.  The mushrooms are earthy, have an amazing texture, and the garlic butter and lemon juice just adds this extra punch of flavor that deepens and brightens these mushrooms.  Just be sure to cook a whole pound.  Maybe two!

Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms

only slightly adapted from smitten kitchen

serves 4-6 as an appetizer, 2-3 as a side dish

Ingredients

1 pound of cremini mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp towel with the ends trimmed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons butter, chopped into pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

juice from about a half of a lemon

a handful of a chopped green herb of your choice

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a baking dish, toss the mushrooms, garlic, salt & pepper, and oil together.  Top the mushrooms with the butter and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Top with lemon juice and the herbs of your choice, and serve! 

"Hobo" Roasted Vegetables

Disclaimer: growing up I had NO idea that my parents called this dish "hobo vegetables."  It was only when I called for some specifics about the recipe that I realized that was the name!  But the unfortunate-sounding name is not indicative of how tasty this veggie side can be.  It was always a treat when I realized that my mom was roasting up her classic carrot/potato/onion side dish for dinner.  I would sometimes open up the oven and sneak a morsel of veggies just because I couldn't wait.  For those dinners, my plate would be half covered in buttery roasted vegetables, ensuring that on those days I satisfied my food-pyramid requirement.  When I studied abroad in Scotland, I had my mom send me a bottle of Lawry's seasoning salt so I could make this dish for my flatmates and enjoy a little bit of home.  It's so simple and so delicious, you should add it into your repertoire immediately. 

Hobo Roasted Vegetables

serves 2-3 as a side dish

from my mother's kitchen!

Ingredients

3 carrots, chopped into rounds

2 medium-sized baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 yellow onion, diced into medium-sized pieces

2 tablespoons butter

1-2 teaspoons of Lawry's seasoning salt

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil to cut down on clean up.  It's buttery!

Put your chopped vegetables on the pan in an even layer.  Break apart the butter with your fingers, and dot the top of the veggies with small pieces of butter.  Sprinkle seasoning salt on top.  Shake the pan to coat the veggies with the salt.  Cover the pan with foil.

Bake for about 30 minutes covered, shaking the pan every so often to mix up the veggies.  Then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until the veggies start to brown up.  Remove from the oven and stir around to make sure all the vegetables are coated in buttery, salty goodness. 

Serve and enjoy!

** Food tip: I have a feeling that this side dish would also be astounding with some fennel added to it.  The co-op didn't have a fennel bulb when I went shopping, so I can't say for certain how it would mesh.  If you try it out with fennel or another hearty vegetable, let me know how it goes!**

Also, check out the facebook page for my blog and "like" it if you like good food :)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Maple & Butter

Let's face it: brussels sprouts have a bad rep.  I understand the reluctance of a child to try these veggies...as a child I would barely eat anything, let alone a brussel sprout.  But I have a hard time understanding the aversion of adults, especially those who have never actually tried a brussel sprout, but are hanging on to those childhood fears of new and strange looking vegetables.  C'mon people...if you're old enough to appreciate a good glass of wine or bottle of beer with dinner, you should be able to TRY a decent recipe for brussel sprouts! 

I made this side dish last Thanksgiving for my entire family, and I made a smaller portion, figuring that nobody would really want to try it.  Wow was I wrong.  This brussel sprout dish was the hit of the party!  Family members who have always been wary of brussel sprouts tried and loved the rich flavors and textures.  There are many ways to amp up a traditional roasted veggie dish, and this is one way to impress people with the often-forgotten brussel sprouts.  Now get over yourself and just try it! 

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Maple & Butter

from Vegetarian Times magazine

serves about 8

Ingredients

2 pounds of brussel sprouts, washed & trimmed

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of maple syrup

1 tablespoon butter (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

In a large bowl, toss the brussel sprouts with the olive oil and some salt and pepper (I do about a teaspoon each).  Line a sheet pan with foil and pour the sprouts onto the pan in an even layer.  Bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown, shaking the pan every so often to toss the sprouts.

Once finished baking, place the brussel sprouts into a bowl and toss with the maple syrup and butter.  Taste and season as necessary.  Serve and be ready for compliments!

Potato Salad with Dill and Relish

This Friday I am running the Great River Ragnar Relay with my team, Rock Flag & Eagle.  If you haven't heard of the Great River Ragnar, it's a 196-ish mile relay race that lasts about 26 hours and runs from Winona to Minneapolis.  You run on teams of 12 divided into two vans of 6, and while it sounds hellish and slightly disgusting, well, it is.  But it's also so much fun!!!  This is my second year as a captain for Rock Flag & Eagle, and we had our pre-race team BBQ on Sunday evening.  I tasked myself with bringing a salad of sorts, and so I turned to an awesome recipe for potato salad that I found two years ago from a work friend.

This potato salad is delightful.  The recipe is simple and flavors are a bit fresher and brighter than your traditional potato salad.  Plus, using green onions instead of white or red avoids that rogue crunchy texture that, at least to me, is so off putting about traditional potato salad.  But if you prefer that crunch, add in 1-2 finely chopped celery stalks and you're all set!  This potato salad is perfect for a BBQ or potluck, and it will serve 8-10 people in side-style portions.  Have leftovers?  Save 'em....this dish eats just fine the next day with a fresh sprinkling of salt and pepper and a dash of fresh dill!

Ingredients
3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, washed and diced into 1-inch cubes
4 scallions, sliced thin
3 tbls freshly chopped dill
2/3 cup mayo
1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
2 tsp white wine vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Fill a large pot with water and add about a tablespoon or so of salt.  Add in your potatoes and turn on the stove, heating the potatoes until the water boils.  Allow the water to boil until the potatoes are tender, about 3-5 minutes.  Drain the potatoes and put them into a large bowl to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk together the mayo, relish, vinegar, and salt and pepper (maybe a teaspoon of each to start...add more if you like).  Set aside.  Once the potatoes are cooled, mix in the scallions and dill.  Pour the dressing over the potatoes and gently mix to coat.  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.  Serve chilled. 

Couscous with Pine Nuts and Cheese

I've turned into a huge fan of leftovers.  When I was growing up, I shunned leftovers like the plague.  Even when my mom cleverly disguised them as something new and interesting, I still refused.  No leftovers for me!  But now I LOVE them.  It makes packing a lunch so much easier.  When the work weeks get busy or I go out a lot for dinner, my lunches really suffer.  This week is going to be packed with happy hours, dinners, and other post-work activities, so tonight I whipped up a super simple couscous right before I went to bed so I'd have something tasty for lunch.  It also would make a wonderful side dish or served up with a side of veggies.  This recipe makes two large portions, or 3-4 side portions.

Ingredients
1 cup dry couscous
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tbls olive oil (optional)
1/3 cup pine nuts*
1/3 - 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 tsp garam masala
Salt & Pepper

Instructions
Cook the couscous according to the package directions.  Generally, you bring the stock with the olive oil to a boil.  Add the couscous, cover the pot, and remove from heat.  Let sit for about 5 minutes until the couscous has absorbed the liquid.  Fluff with a fork.

While this is cooking, toast the pine nuts in a small pan over low heat.  It should take about 5 minutes.  Shake the pan often so that the nuts don't burn on one side!

Add the cheese, toasted pine nuts, garam masala, salt and pepper.  Mix everything together and adjust the seasonings to taste.  If you happen to have some, throw in some chopped cilantro or parsley, if that's your style.  I also top each serving with another drizzle of oil.  Couscous can be a little dry, but this is a mild flavorful dish that would make a great lunch!

Yum!

*Food Tip: Nuts will go rancid if they are not used quickly.  If you keep them in the freezer, they'll keep longer and you won't have to go to the store as much.  Yay!

Black Bean & Rice Tacos

Today the weather was sublime and I went out for my first run wearing a tank top!  But I have a horrible affliction that causes me to be completely grossed out by the mere thought of food after I'm finished with a run.  Usually after weekday runs its not so bad, but after burning nearly 2,000 calories during a 20-mile marathon training run, you need to eat something!  I've tried to get creative with getting food, especially protein, into my system post-run.  Today was an easy, breezy run, so I built up my appetite while cooking these FANTASTIC rice & bean tacos.  You need to try this dish immediately.

I modified this recipe for black beans and rice from Simple Food Daily, my friend's food blog, and it's been my substitute for the elusive Costa Rican "gallo pinto" ever since.  While I'll eat the rice and beans totally plain, I often use the combo as the protein source in some soft shell tacos.  Tonight I also whipped up an impromptu mango salsa and put together some pretty fab taco fixins.  And in the forty minutes or so it took me to cook all of this up, I had my post-run appetite back!  BONUS!!

While the rice was cooking up in my rice cooker, I threw together this mango salsa.
Ingredients
1 mango, peeled and chopped*
1/4 red onion, chopped fine
1 roma tomato, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded, chopped
1 lime
Salt & pepper to taste
Handful cilantro, chopped

Instructions
Combine the mango, red onion, tomato, and jalapeno.  Squeeze the juice from the lime over the salsa.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Mix in the chopped cilantro. 

ahhh it was so good!!!

Let the salsa macerate while you prep the black beans and rice.
Ingredients
1 tbls olive oil
1 cup cooked, long grain white rice
1 can black beans, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow or white onion, chopped
2 tbls cumin
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet or large skillet.

Add the onion and the garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes until the onions are translucent.  Stir frequently so the garlic does not burn.  Add the cumin and stir around to toast the spice for about 1 minute. 

i always have a can or six in my cupboard!

Add the drained black beans to the pan and squish them with the back of your spoon.  Saute for about 4-5 minutes.  Add in your cooked rice and stir to heat through.  YUM.

Now you are ready to assemble your tacos!  Additional ingredients: soft tortillas, diced or sliced avocado, cheese, and some plain Greek yogurt (yes, it's just the same as sour cream).  A quick word on the cheese before I continue.  I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for the standard, shredded "taco seasoned" cheese.  But I've grown to really love queso fresco, a Mexican cheese that is dynamite with any Mexican fare.  It literally translates to "fresh cheese", and it's a crumbly, mild cheese that is very refreshing.  You may have seen a certain Food Network chef promoting a brand of queso fresco on TV....

He's not lying though -- this cheese is delish!  It comes in pretty big containers though, and I can never quite go through it all before it spoils.  So I tried to find a decent substitute in smaller packaging.  I picked up something called Shepherd's Way Sheep Cheese, and on the little sign it said something about "fresco" so, to me, that sounds like a decent substitute.  Plus it was made in Northfield, MN (yaaaay St. Olaf!).  It turned out to be a pretty good replacement for queso fresco!  But if you can use it all up, I'd totally recommend buying a big ol' wheel of queso fresco and trying it with this dish.  Or maybe just plain.....

Okay, where was I?  Right!  The tacos!  So I heat up my tortillas in little aluminum foil packs in the oven to get toasty.  On top of the tortilla, add your rice & beans, the mango salsa, some queso, diced avocado, and a little dollop of Greek yogurt.  OMG it's sosososososo good! 

I really piled on those ingredients, but I did manage to eat it like a real taco.  I have to admit that it did fall apart after about three bites so I ate most of it in little pieces with my fingers.  Even though these tacos are a little classy, there's no need to be classy while eating them. 

it was hard to stop eating long enough to take this picture...

So I managed to get some protein and a fab-tastic dinner after this run.  And because this is a pretty healthy meal, and because I went running, I paired it up with a nice, cold beer.  (Who am I kidding...I always pair things up with a beer.) If you're looking for a great dinner to go with this fun spring weather, well this is it!

*Food Tip: I had planned on finding a video that would demo how I cut a mango, but I found one that was even BETTER!  Holy easy mango chopping.  I learned about mango chopping on some public access channel last summer (disclosure: I don't have cable!) and apparently I've been missing out on a way easier method.  Oh well.  Now we both know!

Mexican Rice

You know that delicious Mexican rice that always comes as a side dish whenever you go out for tasty Mexican food?  It's never highlighted on the plate, but it always tastes so good?  You know what I'm talking about?  Excellent.  'Cause I've got a recipe for a pretty good homemade version of that fantastic rice side.  It's so good, you can even build your dinner around the rice, instead of the other way around! 

My aunt Lori told me about this recipe a while back, but recently I was visiting with her and she mentioned that she keeps it on hand and eats the rice with eggs in the morning.  Ummm, YUM.  I took a trip to Costa Rica with my Spanish class in high school and one of my favorite memories of that experience was their traditional rice and beans for breakfast with a side of freshly cut papaya.  I knew this would be totally different, but I loved the idea of a revisiting the rice-for-breakfast phenomenon.

i actually made this breakfasty treat for dinner...i don't usually drink beer in the mornings!

The recipe is from a website that eventually credited Cooks Illustrated as the source.  The recipe itself says it's pretty finicky, and while I didn't play around with the ingredients, I'm sure there's some room for creativity!  So enjoy this rice as a classic side, a yummy main course, or a great twist on your morning eats.

Ingredients
12 ounces tomatoes, very ripe and cored (or canned tomatoes work fine*)
1 medium white onion
3 medium jalapenos (honestly, I used 1 super giant-sized one -- it was huge!)
2 cups long grain white rice
1/3 cup canola oil
4 minced cloves garlic
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tbls tomato paste (may omit if using canned tomatoes)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 lime

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and make sure one of your oven racks is in the middle.

Put the tomato and onion in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Transfer the tomato/onion mixture to a measuring cup and save 2 cups of the mixture.  Discard the rest or save for another day.

Remove the ribs and seeds from 2 jalapenos and discard.  Mince the jalapenos and set aside.  Mince remaining jalapeno (ribs and seeds for extra spice, but remove if you don't like spicy rice) and set aside. 

Rinse your rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold water until the water runs clear.  This is a very important step to achieving the fluffy rice that doesn't stick together.  Omit at your own peril!

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed ovensafe 12-inch saute pan or Dutch oven with a tight lid over medium heat for about two minutes.  Drop in a few grains of rice and if they sizzle, then the oil is ready to go.  Add the rice and stir until rice is lightly golden, about 6-8 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and the 2 minced jalapenos.  Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Stir in the broth, tomato mixture, tomato paste (if any), and salt.  Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil.

Cover the pan and transfer to the oven to bake until the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 30-35 minutes.  Stir halfway through the cooking.

When the rice is all cooked, stir in the chopped cilantro and fresh jalapeno to taste.  The recipe says to "pass with lime wedges" but I thought that was weird so I just squeezed the entire lime right into the rice.  It added a little extra freshness and zip to the rice -- so do that instead!

If you want to make this a breakfast treat (or a breakfast-for-dinner treat), cook up some eggs in your favorite way (I like mine over hard) and serve the eggs over a bowl of the steaming rice.  The rice freezes well, so you can enjoy it any way you like at your leisure. 
Makes 4-6 servings.

*Food Tip: I don't mean to be a food snob....well at least not entirely....but if you are relying on out-of-season grocery store tomatoes, you'd be WAY better off getting the canned variety.  Tomatoes from the grocery store are grown (ahem, modified) to be able to withstand long trips to their ultimate destination without rotting or bruising.  While that's a pretty interesting scientific achievement, it makes for tasteless and hard tomatoes.  Not a fan.  Either go fresh or go canned.  Seems weird...but it's true!

***Question***

What restaurant eats do you wish you could recreate in your own kitchen?  Maybe I'll test some of them out!