Corn Chowder

This recipe has a secret ingredient – red lentils – that make it creamy and healthier than if it had actual cream. So tasty and a complete meal all on its own, or with a few saltine crackers for nostalgia.

Ingredients:

• 4 ears of fresh corn (cut the kernels off)
• 2-4 stalks of celery, sliced
• 6-8 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped
• 1-2 carrots, sliced or cubed
• 1-2 potatoes, cubes
• 1/2 cup dried lentils
• Seasonings: garlic powder, herb mix, salt, pepper, bay leaf
• Fresh Cilantro for garnish

Steps:

1. Sauté the garlic for a few seconds in some olive oil in the instant pot (or stovetop)
2. Add everything else. For the herbs, I like rosemary, herbs de Provence, bay leaf, etc. but whatever you have will work
3. Cover with two inches or so of water. Cook for 15-20 minutes at high pressure or until lentils are soft if you’re using a stovetop.
4. I like to keep the kernels whole, but you could give it a quick whir with the immersion blender if you want it creamier.
5. Salt to taste.
6. Serve garnished with cilantro, chives, parsley… whatever you have on hand.

Let me know if you make it and how it goes! I thought it was delicious and loved that it was a total meal in a bowl.

Vegan Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

I’ve got to write this one down before I forget! Unbelievably, we ended up with an enormous volunteer tomato plant in our yard, so here’s what I did for lunch today.

Ingredients:

– about three pints of tomatoes

– six cloves of garlic

– olive oil

– half a red pepper (optional)

– half an onion, chopped

– one large potato, cubed

– fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme, dill

– 10 leaves of fresh basil

– broth or water

Steps:

1. Put the tomatoes and garlic (and pepper, if using) into a glass pan with some olive oil. Roast at 450 for at least 30 minutes.

2. While tomatoes are roasting, sauté onion until caramelized in an instant pot or soup pot

3. Add potato, fresh herbs (all except basil), and cover with broth. Add tomatoes when ready.

4. Seal the instant pot and pressure cook for 20 minutes.

5. Release pressure, stir in basil, and whir with an immersion blender until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with grated Parmesan (vegan parm if you’re keeping this vegan!), and grilled cheese or a side salad. Yum!

Hot Dog Stew

Rafi wants to make this one tonight, so I’m posting the recipe. Maybe you’ll decide to make it too! It’s quick and doesn’t make a big mess. Bonus!

Ingredients:

• One package of hotdogs
• One onion, chopped
• Four carrots
• Four – six potatoes

Steps:

1. Sauté the onion with some oil in the instant pot
2. Meanwhile, chop the hotdogs into medallions that are about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick
3. When the onions are starting to caramelize, add in the hotdogs and stir occasionally
4. Meanwhile, chop the potatoes and carrots into bite-sized pieces
5. When the hotdogs have browned, add in the carrots, potatoes, and a cup of water
6. Seal the instant pot and pressure cook for 15-20 minutes
7. Note: If you are using a regular pot, you will simmer until the potatoes and carrots are soft
8. Release the pressure, and enjoy!

We like eating this with sautéed kale on top! Yum!

Kale Quiche

The secret to this super easy and tasty quiche is premade spinach dip! I used the kind from Trader Joe’s, but I’m sure any brand would work just as deliciously. This makes one quiche. (I made a broccoli cheddar quiche with the second piecrust, since most frozen premade crusts come in two-packs. It was also delicious, but nothing amazing.)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 container of spinach dip (about 1/2 cup)
• About 2 cups finely chopped kale
• 8 eggs
• 1/4 cup cream
• Parmesan cheese
• Premade pie crust

Steps:

1. Steam the kale in the microwave for 2 minutes
2. Stir in the spinach dip, eggs, and cream
3. Pour a layer of parmesan cheese on the bottom of the pie crust
4. Pour in the kale/egg mixture
5. Sprinkle the top of the quiche with parmesan
6. Bake in a 350 oven for 45-60 minutes

This goes great with roasted potatoes and a salad. Enjoy!

Pink Beans – Sol Food Style

This is a riff on the Puerto Rican dish served up at Sol Food in San Rafael. If you can get over there to buy a bottle of their hot sauce to go with it, you’re golden. Serve this with a slaw or salad drizzled in a lime-centric dressing and fresh avocado. They also serve plantains with it, if you really feel like going all out. I could eat this three meals a day! Yummmmmm!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups dried pinto or pink beans (soak overnight)
• Half an onion, chopped
• One can of TJ’s roasted and diced green chili (or sub fresh green or red pepper)
• Five cloves crushed garlic
• Two bay leaves
• One can of tomato
• Three large russet potatoes, cubed
• One cup green pitted olives, halved if large

Directions:

1. Cook the beans fully, drain and set aside

Sauté the onion until caramelized

Add everything else to the pot

High pressure in the Instant Pot for 20 minutes (stovetop, maybe 45?)

Salt to taste, stir and serve!

Crispy Ravioli

Rafi has started following my blog. Hi, Rafi! Wasn’t dinner delicious tonight? I’m posting this here so we remember to eat it again! It’s taken from a recipe that appeared in Eating Well last month.

Ingredients:

• Fresh Ravioli (I used two packages from Trader Joe’s; one had arugula, one had sundried tomatoes. It was just enough for our family of four hearty eaters.)
• Two cups panko
• Half a cup grated Parmesan
• Oregano, thyme, chili flakes
• One egg
• Cooking spray

For the sauce: (which was so delicious I had to make a send batch. I was eating it like soup)

• Three cups tomato sauce (I used TJ’s tomato basil)
• Two cubes frozen garlic
• A teaspoon of chili flakes
• Two cups frozen spinach

Steps:

1. Mix the egg in a bowl with a little water
2. Mix the panko, parm, and seasonings in a second bowl
3. Spray a cookie sheet with the cooking spray
4. Preheat the oven to 450
5. Dip each ravioli in the egg, then roll it in the panko mix, then put it on the cookie sheet. Spray the top of raviolis with a little cooking spray.
6. Pop into the oven for about ten minutes. Keep an eye on it to make sure it’s not burning.
7. Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl and microwave until hot
8. We dipped our ravioli into the sauce – so delicious!

We ate this with steamed artichokes, which was perfect. Let me know if you try it. I’m excited to try it out with different ravioli flavors!

Quiche!

I’m back! This came out so well, we polished it off in one sitting. I’m writing it up here so I don’t forget. If you make it, let me know how it comes out.

Ingredients:

• Six eggs
• About three cups of finely hopped broccoli
• A cup and a half of yogurt
• A cup of milk
• A tablespoon of herbs du provance
• A cup of grated cheddar cheese
• Two tablespoon finely chopped scallion
• A teaspoon of salt and pepper
• Two frozen pie crusts

Steps:

1. Mix all of the ingredients together and pour into the pie crusts.
2. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes

Serve with lentil soup (also here on the blog). Yum!

Super Fast and Yummy Indian Pizza

I found some Trader Joe’s cookbooks and then this happened and it was the most delicious dinner ever. Instead of making your own toppings like I did, I suggest just buying some Palak Paneer or other veggie dish and dumping that on top. Luckily we have leftovers I can eat for breakfast. Mmmmmm… Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Frozen Garlic Naan
• Jar of Masala Simmer Sauce
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Toppings
• • I made curry peas by simmering fresh peas and adding curry powder, garam masala and pureed ginger, and also stir-fried red onion (that had been soaked in lime juice, because I was trying to get a bit of sour in there) with frozen spinach and ginger. As I mention above, next time I’ll probably skip the hassle and just buy a few Indian vegetable pouches to put on top.

Steps:

• Put the naan on baking sheets.
• Top with masala sauce, cheese, and desired toppings.
• Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the naan is crispy.
• Try not to eat it until it has cooled. I burnt the top of my mouth because it smelled so good I couldn’t wait.

Instant Pot Chicken Porridge

Besides the fact that I made a total mess of the kitchen today at every step (starting with accidentally forgetting to put water into the oatmeal this morning before I put the bowl into the microwave), this came out fabulously and is worth making now while it’s wintry somewhere – although here it’s 70 degrees, but, whatever.  I will definitely make this again and again.  Everyone inhaled it, veggies and all.

Ingredients:

• Three boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 an onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 parsnip, (yes, you guessed it), diced
• 1 smallish turnip, diced
• bayleaf, herbs de provance, salt, pepper
• 2 cups arborio rice

Steps:

1. Saute the onion and aromatics using the “saute” feature on the pot until onions are browned
2. Add everything else
3. Add 10 cups of water
4. Set the pressure cooker feature on high for 20 minutes
5. When it’s done, use slow release.  I tried using the fast release and it just added to the list of things that made a total mess of my kitchen for the day, squirting ricey broth everywhere.
6. Shred the chicken (it will just fall apart)
7. Serve piping hot (unless you have kids, in which case, pop an ice cube in there before serving).
8. Enjoy!

Cranberry-Orange Muffins

I did that thing where I bought a huge bag of cranberries, because, cranberries, and then didn’t end up making sauce for Thanksgiving.  Luckily, my Cousin Hannah came to the rescue with a brilliant idea: muffins.  It would help if I had any ability to bake whatsoever, but these came out SOOOOO good, I think I might actually have to give baking another shot.  Super fast to throw together too!  Try them and let me know what you think.  (Full disclosure, most of these measurements are approximate and usually they were heaping measuring vessels… remember, I don’t usually bake.)  This recipe made about 18 muffins if you fill the tins all the way up.

Ingredients:

• Two cups flour
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup water
• 4 tablespoons orange zest
• The juice from that orange
• 2 cups of cranberries (actually, it might have been more like three cups)

Steps:
1. Mix up the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl.
2. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together.  Add the cranberries.
3. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for 17 minutes.

Try not to eat them all in one sitting.  I had three with my dinner.  I am considering eating one more.