Pasta with Slow Roasted Tomatoes (2 ways)

I keep buying large amounts of cherry tomatoes and then forgetting about them until it's almost too late. To use up a bunch at once before they go bad, I've been slow roasting them by lining a baking tray with tin foil, halving the tomatoes, giving them a quick mix with olive oil and baking them at 250 for about 3 hours. I've been trying not to use the oven since it's been so hot, but I LOVE tomatoes after they've been slow roasted and it's way better than letting any tomatoes go to waste. Remember to keep the oil - it's good.

I can definitely go for some plain slow roasted tomatoes, but I wanted to share a couple pasta recipe ideas that make good use of them.

Gnocchi au Gorgonzola 

(aka one of my all-time favorite things to make since high school... not healthy)

1 package gnocchi, cooked

1/2 cup Gorgonzola (or blue cheese), cut up or crumbled

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup heavy cream or half & half

a lot of slow roasted tomatoes (in their olive oil if possible)

1 tbsp chives, chopped

In a small saucepan over medium low heat, combine the cheese and butter and heat until the butter melts, stirring to help melt the cheese. Add the cream and stir to combine. Don't let it bubble too much. Mix with the gnocchi, tomatoes and top with chives.

Nice & Simple Pasta - Garlic, Basil & Tomatoes

2 servings angel hair pasta, cooked 

(pictured is fresh angel hair pasta from Ohio City Pasta, bought at the Squirrel Hill Farmer's Market)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

6-7+ leaves fresh garlic, chopped

1 tsp red pepper flakes

lots of slow roasted tomatoes

In a large pan, heat up the oil over medium low heat. Add the garlic, basil and hot pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is toasted a little. Add in the pasta and mix. Serve with slow roasted tomatoes. 

Roasted Parmesan Green Beans

It's way too hot out to have the oven on at 400, but I went ahead and did it anyway to make these tasty parmesan-coated green beans with garlic mayo sauce. I actually made one smallish batch, finished them off, and then wanted more and still had leftover dip - so I turned the oven back on and make another round.

They are worth a even-hotter apartment. It looks like it's about to rain, so hopefully it will cool down soon!

Roasted Parmesan Green Beans with Dipping Sauce
From Buns in My Oven 

2 big handfuls green beans, rinsed & trimmed
1/4 cup or more Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. In a bowl, toss the green beans in olive oil and cheese. Spread them out on the baking sheet and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Roast for about 20-25 minutes, turning mid-way if you want. (I didn't.)

To make the dipping sauce, mix up the mayo, mustard and garlic powder in a small bowl or ramekin. I'm going to make it this way next time I make fries or chicken fingers - I've made a lot of mayo & mustard dips and never thought of adding garlic powder. It's very good. :)

Queso Dip

There are tons of variations on queso dip - here's the one I usually make if I'm not doing the slightly less classy but very delicious Velvetta and salsa version! If you want to mix it up, you can add corn, black beans, chopped jalapeños or different types of salsa or hot sauce.

Queso Dip

5 oz cream cheese, chopped into 1" pieces

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (pretty much any mild cheese will be good)

1/4 cup tomatillo salsa

1/4 cup milk

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp veg oil

In a medium saucepan, fry up the garlic and cumin in the vegetable oil until fragrant. Drop in the cream cheese and let it soften a little before adding in the cheese, salsa and milk. Keep stirring until it's all integrated and smooth. I keep mine pretty thick but you can add more milk or salsa to thin it out.

I don't usually top it with anything, but you can see in the picture that this time I spooned some more salsa and a few roasted cherry tomatoes on top. You can also throw some cilantro on there, 

Spring Pasta with Peas, Goat Cheese, and Smoked Salmon

This recipe is like spring in a bowl. I checked out the Fairmount farmer's market which is just a couple blocks away from me. There are about 6ish vendors who all have gorgeous veggies, homemade bread, and jam! I snatched up some garlic scapes and basically the rest of the ingredients for this pasta dish. I also like working with measurements like 1 handful as it is closer to how I actually cook. This recipe is from What Katie Ate. You might recognize her books which I've seen all over. Gorgeous photography and traveling and food. All good things as far as I'm concerned. Also this is the back of the latest bust magazine.

What you need:

1 lb/454 g dried spaghetti

1 heaping cup frozen baby peas, defrosted

400g + plain goat cheese (1 large log)

3 garlic scapes, chopped (optional)

Small bunch fresh dill

Small bunch fresh basil leaves 

Small handful mint leaves (about 16)

1 handful arugula 

Zest and juice 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4- 1/3 cup hot pasta water 

8 slices smoked salmon, torn into strips

Garnish with fresh basil and dill and fresh Parmesan 

What to do:

Cook pasta until al dente. Remember to reserve some pasta water when straining. Return the strained pasta to the cooking pot.

Add peas, goat cheese, herbs, lemon, and olive oil into a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add as much pasta water as needed to thin to a sauce consistency. Katie heats up the sauce but I skipped this. 

Stir the sauce into the pasta and heat for 3 minutes or so over medium low heat. Then plate the pasta then add the salmon and garnishes.

Note: the garlic scapes make the sauce less smooth but so much more delicious!

Croque Monsieur Overnight French Toast

Overnight French toast is a staple for my group of high school friends. We've been making it forever. It has gotten us through many a rough morning after lots of crazy nights. You do all the prep the night before and in the morning all you have to do is get up and put it in the oven. Any hungover or sleepy person can do it. Really. Usually we do a sweet version with cream cheese or brown sugar. But this bread pudding takes it to another level. It reminds me of my asparagus and mushroom strata and Laura's croque monsieur sandwich- like if they had a baby this Croque French toast would be it. I found this recipe on the blog Salt and Wind. The original recipe calls for Canadian bacon but I don't know what that is so I didn't use it. I even tried to google it and got even more confused. I fail on the bacon front.

You will need:

1 medium white onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

8 large eggs

1 1/2 cups half and half

2 tbsp Dijon mustard (I used whole grain)

1/8 tsp cayenne powder 

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound loaf stale French bread (1 + 1/2 baguettes), cubed 

3 cups shredded cheddar and Gruyere cheese

1 pound thick sliced ham, cut into smaller pieces

Roasted Brussels Sprouts + Fig Jam + Goat Cheese

I had these brussels sprouts at a restaurant near my work called Aksum. It's a Mediterranean restaurant in West Philly. I went with my cousin Sara and her roomie on a rainy day. All I can remember is this side dish. Originally the sprouts included bacon but I skipped it. I'm kind of meh about bacon anyways. I usually just give it to Rex because  I like to spoil him. Originally Nick and I didn't want him to have any human food. Then we met him and fell in love. Now he eats all of the human food. His favorites are plain yogurt, all meat, sweet potato, fruits (mango + blueberries), and Brie cheese. Since I cook mostly vegetarian when he goes to my parents house he is the happiest pup! Over the weekend, my mom gave him a chicken heart. He was so pumped. 

I don't know how went into this tangent about my puppy, but sorry! Just skip to the recipe if you're uninterested. I just can't help it. I'm pretty obsessed with him.

So back to the recipe, finally:

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts (don't even try the frozen stuff)

1/2 cup candied pecans

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan

1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

1/4 cup fig jam

Olive oil + salt + pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Trim any yellowing leaves off the sprouts. If they are large, slice them in half or quarter them and place on prepared baking sheet in one layer. If they're on the smaller side, you can leave them whole. You can also slice off the tough end of the vegetable but I usually leave them on. Then drizzle with plenty of olive oil (don't skimp, you're going to want all the browned goodness happening in the oven). Bake for 15 minutes, turn over the sprouts with a spatula, and bake for about 15 more minutes. The baking time is approximate and depends how you like the sprouts. 

Immediately after removing pan from oven, sprinkle the Parmesan over top. Add the sea salt and pepper. Then let cool for bit add the nuts, goat cheese, and dollops of fig jam. You can also heat up and thin out the jam with some water to drizzle over the sprouts. The amounts of these ingredients are what I like. Change it up according to your taste. I also added cubes of Comte cheese because I needed to use it up.

Baked Brie with Oats & Apple Topping

This is basically a quick version of baked brie + apple crisp! I was very impressed with this idea, and it makes a great snack.

Baked Brie

Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

16 oz brie (1 round or a couple wedges)

1 cup oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup pecans (or pecan pieces)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 apple, cut into 1" pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 and butter a baking dish or cast iron skillet. In a bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, pecans and butter. Mix in the apples. Place the brie in the skillet and top with the oats mixture. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the apples are softened and the topping is a little browned. Serve with crackers or just eat with a spoon.

Artichoke Polenta Tart

I came across this recipe from Ann Mah's blog. She lives in Paris (living the dream!) and she wrote a book about her life there. Her blog features all things Paris, recipes, and even more travel. This recipe is originally from a cookbook, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals by Maria Speck. I liked it since the polenta crust is so original and I love polenta. The recipe is perfect for me since it has much less dairy than traditional quiche recipes. 

I actually had all the ingredients except for the artichoke hearts. Nick came back from the store with fresh artichokes, so on the plus side I learned how to prepare them.

For the polenta crust:

2 3/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1  1/4 cups medium grind polenta 
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the filling:
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions (about 3)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14-ounce) jar of artichoke hearts (8 oz drained) drained and chopped

1 roasted red pepper, chopped 

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

To make the crust, bring water, salt, and cornmeal to a boil whisking occasionally in a large, heavy pot. Decrease heat to medium low and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to keep the polenta from sticking to the bottom. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring a few times. The polenta will be fairly stiff. Stir in the cheese, egg, and pepper. 

Grease a 10 inch tart pan (mine is pretty shallow so I added another smaller pan). Using a spatula or your fingers, press the polenta into the bottom and sides of the dish. Let sit for 15 minutes. Form a nicer crust if desired.

Meanwhile make the filling. Mix together the yogurt, eggs, and salt. Fold in the rest of the ingredients and pour into crust.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes until filling is golden brown in spots. Let cool for 20 minutes or so before cutting. Warm up in oven before serving if you make this in advance.

Christmas Tree Cheese Ball

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Tree Cheese Ball

Idea from Betty Crocker - check that one out for their version

Make your favorite cheese ball recipe (I don't use a recipe - I like cheese balls with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Worcestershire sauce, chili pepper and a little horseradish.)

Shape like a cone and chill. Before serving, decorate with toasted nuts, parsley and dried cranberries or other dried fruit. It's basically an art project so just be crafty. A few of the commenters on the Betty Crocker recipe even cut star tree toppers out of cheddar cheese.

Serve with crackers, pretzels or fresh veggies!

Creamy Cheesy Enchiladas

This is an enchilada for when what you really want is 80+% nice creamy cheese sauce, 20-% enchilada. You could of course adapt this to have a more hearty filling (that's what Michelle would do - there would probably be more vegetables involved and it would be awesome), but Linda and I wanted something warm and cheesy. 

My mom, her best friend and her friend's daughter, whom we've known for about 20 years, came over for dinner and to check out our apartment, which is still kind of new to us since we moved in mid-July. I got home from work at about 5:15 and they were coming to eat at 6:30, so I wanted to make a dinner without much prep. Butternut squash soup, rice and these enchiladas soup fit the bill.

For more traditional-ish or different enchiladas, try:

Vegetarian Enchiladas with Mole Sauce
Enchiladas with Mango Sauce
Pumpkin Enchiladas with Green Tomato Sauce
Pumpkin Enchiladas

And for normal enchiladas, make your own enchilada sauce.


Creamy Cheesy Enchiladas
Adapted from the Pioneer Woman

2-1/2 cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken

2 cups chicken broth

3 Tablespoons canola oil

12 whole corn tortillas

1 whole onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, diced

3 whole 4 oz cans whole green chilies, diced (I didn't include these this time - apparently canned chilies are a seasonal food at TJ's - have to make way for all the pumpkin..)

1 whole jalapeno, seeded and finely diced (Didn't include this either because my mom is very sensitive to spice - the rest of use just used hot sauce)

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour (I used gluten free flour for Linda and it worked fine)

1 cup sour cream

2-1/2 cups monterey jack cheese, grated

salt and pepper, to taste

hot sauce (optional)
cilantro, chopped

Frittata with Pasta and Cherry Tomatoes

I haven't made this dish since undergrad but it's a quick and easy one. Mainly, it's perfect for summer. I wanted to make a quiche but didn't have butter to make a crust. Anyways, it was a hit with my family (mostly Kelly and Nick) because of the large amounts of cheese I used to make it.

We just spent the past weekend with my cousin Kara and her family (twins + two year old + doggie!). We celebrated my uncle's birthday and helped watch the babies. Mostly we had snuggles with babies and watched Thomas the train engine. It was a blast! Rex was mostly terrified of their dog, Gaia. Probably because she's so refined and he is completely nuts.

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups cooked pasta (rotini or macaroni)
5 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan, shredded
herbed goat cheese, for topping
1 tsp dried italian herbs
salt and pepper

Grease a 9 inch round pie pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slice the swiss chard finely and cook in a saucepan over medium heat until wilted. Drain excess water.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Add the italian herbs. Then add in the pasta and cooked swiss chard. Stir to incorporate. Then mix in the mozzarella and season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Top with cherry tomatoes, cut side up. Then sprinkle parmesan and goat cheeses all over the surface. The frittata is done when it is almost firm in the center and the top is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. If the cheese is browning too quickly, just cover with aluminum foil.
We ate this with fresh gazpacho on the side! Yay summer!

Vegetarian Enchiladas with Mole Sauce

Our first meal when we arrived in the States was Mexican. My cousin picked us up from the airport and whisked us to the best Mexican place I've ever been to (Cafe Con Chocolate). Nick got the pork torta and I got the mole enchiladas. Eating there was pure happiness. They also have (of course) spiced Mexican hot chocolate that is to die for. Did I convince anyone to visit us yet?
I've been making enchiladas a lot lately because my little sister goes crazy for them. The recipe for the mole sauce is from My New Roots and the enchilada recipe is one I've been making forever. The mole sauce recipe makes a lot. I recommend using it right on a roasted sweet potato or any roasted veggies really.

Mole Sauce:
coconut oil
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1- 15 oz can whole, organic tomatoes
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. ground chipotle
pinch of cayenne, if desired
2 dates
2 Tbsp. raw cacao powder
1 Tbsp. tahini
4 Tbsp. water, divided
1½ Tbsp. lime juice

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil and onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another couple minutes. Add all spices and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add tomatoes into the pot and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Carefully transfer the tomato mixture to a blender. Then add the pitted dates, cacao powder, tahini, lime juice and a couple tablespoons of the water. Blend on high, adding water to thin as needed, until desired consistency is reached. Season to taste.

Enchiladas:
10-12 large whole wheat tortillas
1 small red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 handfuls fresh baby spinach
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mole sauce
lots more cheddar cheese, for the topping

Saute all the veggies over medium heat in a large saucepan until cooked through. Then add the yogurt and beans and stir into the veggies. Add the cheese and mix gently until melted. Add mole sauce and season with salt and pepper.
To assemble: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add a couple scoops mole sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add about 1/4 cup veggie mixture into each shell and roll into a burrito. Stack enchiladas to fill the pan. Pour plenty of mole sauce over the enchiladas and top with plenty of cheese. Bake in the oven 20-25 minutes until the cheese on top is nicely golden brown.
Serve with hot sauce, fresh cilantro, plain yogurt, and guacamole.

End of Summer Tomato Pie

I pulled up my cherry tomato plant, and this pie used up the last garden tomatoes! I really really love tomato pie - made the way my family makes it, covered in a mayo-cheese mixture in a buttery pie crust, it is probably one of the least healthy and most delicious way to enjoy tomatoes. 

END OF SUMMER TOMATO PIE

1 pie dough (I used the same pie dough that I used for the butternut squash galette because it's amazing but any savory dough will be good)

1/2 onion, sliced 

1 tsp butter

pinch salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 heaping cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup mozzarella, grated

pinch cayenne & salt & pepper

2 tbsp parmesan, grated

fresh herbs - I used sage this time but basil is traditional

Croque-Monsieur

Basically fancy French grilled cheese! It's really quick to make and can serve a lot of people if you use a long loaf. 

CROQUE-MONSIEUR
From Martha Stewart Living, Nov. 2011

1 1/4 cups whole milk (I used half & half)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, divided (I used rosemary)
Coarse salt & freshly ground pepper
1 long loaf rustic bread, such as Ciabatta (I used TJ's Rustic Loaf)
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3/4 lb sliced ham
4 cups grated Gruyere cheese (8 oz)
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Asparagus and Mushroom Bread Pudding

In the book Animal, Vegatable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver lives a year of eating locally from food her family has grown and from local farmer's markets. The book was full of information about growing food and had some great recipes--bonus! I continually make this bread pudding at the start of every asparagus season. It's perfect for a Spring brunch and all the ingredients are available at the same time. My mom liked it so much, she ate about 3 helpings of it.

Bread Pudding

3 cups milk (full fat please!)
1 bunch spring green onions
1 loaf stale multigrain bread
1 bunch of asparagus (about 1 pound)
1 pound local mushrooms (I used crimini)
4 eggs
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
3 tablespoons fresh oregano
3 cups grated Swiss/Gruyere cheese

Chop green onions including the root and the greens. Add onions to milk in sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Watch the milk carefully to make sure it doesn't boil over, as that can happen quickly. Then turn off the heat right away and set aside to steep.
Slice the bread into 1 inch pieces and place in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan.
Chop the asparagus into ½ inch pieces drop into boiling water for a couple seconds. Then remove with a strainer and run cold water over it so the asparagus stops cooking.
Cook the mushrooms until softened in some water. Keep their juices. Then mix the mushrooms, 2/3 of the cheese, and asparagus into the bread cubes

Break eggs into cooled milk mixture and beat until smooth. Then add the mushroom juices. Add the fresh herbs and plenty of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and pour over the bread. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes (until puffy and golden). Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Garnish with extra fresh herbs. Thyme is a good addition to this.

Fresh Herb Cheese (+ Ligonier Farmer's Market!)

Between settling into a new kitchen, not having internet and never feeling like cooking when it's hot outside, I’ve been MIA from the Pittsburgh Kitchen for a while! This recipe for herby cheese is a very simple two-minute spread that tastes so nice and fresh. All you do is mix fresh herbs, garlic, onion and olive oil into ricotta. It’s from a recipe in one of my very favorite cookbooks by my very favorite cookbook author, Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.

You can serve the herb cheese with fresh veggies (she says it’s especially good with radishes!), crackers or bread. Ms. Greenspan recommends stuffing fresh cherry tomatoes with the herb cheese, which sounds amazing. I’ve roasted ricotta-stuffed grape tomatoes topped with Romano, and it was delicious.

Below the recipe I'm posting some pics from the Ligonier Farmer's Market, which is definitely worth a drive if you feel like a rural PA mini-roadtrip some Saturday! It's about an hour east of Pgh.

Also, side note: somebody (Brittany? one of the many Kates?) should post pictures of the wedding! I didn't take any.

ANDDD check out Julia's guest post on A Nerd Cooks: Granny Smith Apple Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

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“Lyonnaise Garlic and Herb Cheese (aka Boursin’s mama)”

Adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan

2 cups fromage blanc or ricotta (I used ricotta)

½ shallot, minced, rinsed and patted dry (I used a quarter of a white onion)

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

About 2 tbsp snipped fresh chives

About 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley

About 1 tsp minced fresh tarragon

(I used parsley, thyme and rosemary from our herb garden!)

2 tsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Breakfast Quesadillas

This is a ridiculously easy breakfast (or breakfast-for-dinner). It's not a recipe, just a recommendation born out of my deep love of Reyna's corn tortillas. 

Prepare one egg per person in whatever way you like. 

Take two tortillas per person - using a hot griddle or skillet (clean - no oil), place one tortilla on the skillet and cover with a thin layer of cheese, then top with the other tortilla. Cook for about a minute on each side or until the cheese is melted. 

Take it off the heat and top with an egg and whatever else you've got: salsa, cilantro, green onions, more cheese, black beans, veggies, pre-cooked meat, etc.

Eat!

Strawberry & Spinach Grilled (Goat) Cheese

A beautiful spring-y grilled cheese! Normal grilled cheese is great with tomato soup on a nasty cold day (like every day for the past million years or so...) but this grilled cheese is for spring.

STRAWBERRY AND SPINACH GRILLED CHEESE
Adapted (a lot) from Cookie + Kate

Double or triple, etc., for more than 1 sandwich

2 slices bread 

1.5 oz goat cheese (on sale at GE!)
2-3 strawberries, sliced
1/4 white onion, sliced
5-6 leaves fresh spinach
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp butter

Slather goat cheese over one side of each slice of bread. Either scrape the other side with butter or just coat your skillet or griddle with butter. (I use a cast iron skillet.) 

Spinach & Mushroom Quesadillas

Normal cheesy delicious quesadillas don't really need a recipe, but this one is filled with spinach, mushrooms and cheese. They were eaten very quickly tonight. I'm also looking forward to making these ones with kale and mushrooms with cream cheese next time I buy some kale.

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SPINACH AND MUSHROOM QUESADILLAS

Adapted from the Pioneer Woman

1 tbsp butter

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

salt & pepper (& red chili flakes?)

1 bag baby spinach or 1 package frozen spinach

6 medium flour tortillas or about 10 small ones

2 oz fontina or cheddar, grated

2 oz goat cheese

butter for skillet

hot sauce or enchilada sauce (or both, like we did) and sour cream for serving

Homemade Paneer

Last week during soup group, one of the girls made some delicious paneer to go along with some tomato soup. I was inspired to make it by how simple she made it sound. Just lemon juice and milk. I found some simple and easy to follow instructions on this site.

Ingredients:

1/2 gallon of milk (I used 2%)
2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Equipment:

Cheesecloth (got it at the East End Coop)
Strainer

1. Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth. Set the strainer over a large bowl to catch the whey.

2. Bring the milk to a rolling boil and then turn off the heat. (I somehow managed to burn some milk onto the bottom of the pan, so make sure not to do that. This is why there are some brownish chunks in the cheese at the end. Ideally, the cheese should be white but this was my first time making it so oh well.)

3. Add 2 tbsp of the lemon juice and stir until the curds and whey separate. It will be fairly obvious when this happens because there will literally be white chunks (curds) in yellowish looking liquid (whey). If the mixture does not separate, add another tablespoon of lemon juice.

4. Pour the mixture into the strainer and let cool. (At this point, this mixture is ricotta cheese!!!) Once it is cool enough to handle, squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the cheesecloth.

5. Set the cheese in the center of a plate and place another plate on top of it. Weigh down the top plate with some canned goods for about 1 hour to press even more liquid out of it. Now the cheese is ready to eat!

I fried my cheese in a saucepan until it was golden brown with some olive oil to give it some color. I also added some salt after it was cooked for more flavor since it is a mild cheese.

As an additional note, I used the whey to cook the lentils and split peas in for some extra flavor. This site tells you what you can do with whey so you don't have to throw it out. It is apparently full of vitamins and flavor.