CRISPY CAULIFLOWER CAKES WITH HERB SAUCE AND ARUGULA SALAD

Want to WOW both vegetarians and carnivores alike? Give this dish a whirl. Cauliflower, potato and shallots are roasted until tender and brown. With a quick pulse in the food processor they become soft and fluffy. Add some cheese, egg and spices, coat with Panko and Parmesan and bake in the oven until brown and crispy. Serve on a bed of arugula and tomato and top each cake with a lively sauce of sour cream, chives, parsley and garlic. Want a party in your mouth? Take a little bit of everything in one bite!

CRISPY CAULIFLOWER CAKES WITH HERB SAUCE AND ARUGULA SALAD

      Cakes:

• 12 ounces cauliflower florets
• 1 (10-ounce) peeled baking potato, cut into 4 wedges
• 2 large shallots, halved lengthwise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), lightly toasted
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons light sour cream
• 2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise (such as Hellmann's)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Salad:

• 4 cups baby arugula
• 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. To prepare cakes, place cauliflower, potato, and shallots on a baking sheet. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over vegetables; toss. Bake at 400° for 35 minutes or until tender, stirring once. Place cauliflower mixture in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until chopped. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Add fontina, thyme, salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and egg, stirring well.

3. Combine Panko and Parmigiano-Reggiano in a shallow dish. Using wet hands, shape cauliflower mixture into 8 (1-inch-thick) patties; dredge in Panko mixture. Place patties on baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until browned, turning once.

4. To prepare sauce, combine sour cream and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl.

5. To prepare salad, combine arugula, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons oil, and juice; toss well to coat. Place 1 cup arugula mixture on each of 4 plates; top with 2 cakes and 1 tablespoon herb sauce.

*To toast panko, place in a large skillet, and cook over medium heat 3 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently.

Recipe from Cooking Light

POLENTA GRATIN WITH MUSHROOMS AND FONTINA

If you have a fear of making polenta, don't like to spend the time it takes stirring to make it creamy, or you buy those tubes of pre-made polenta, then I'm here to change your life.

This is an oven baked polenta that comes out creamy with only two stirs. Really! I didn't believe it until I tried it. All you do is put cornmeal, water and salt in a gratin dish. One stir. Bake for 45 minutes and add butter and Parmesan cheese. One more stir...that's it. You can choose your toppings. I used mixed mushrooms and Fontina cheese. My niece Brittany used zucchini, onions, and tomatoes. This was our main course for dinner but it would also make a nice side. I think it would even be good topped with cooked ground beef, cheese and a marinara sauce.

POLENTA GRATIN WITH MUSHROOMS AND FONTINA

1 cup corn meal (polenta)

4 cups water

Salt

4 TBSP. butter

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

10-12 oz. mushrooms (I used crimini and portobello)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced (about 1/2- 1 tsp.)

1/4 pound Fontina cheese, sliced or Provolone grated

Heat the oven to 350~. Put the corn meal in a 2 quart gratin dish, and stir in the water, milk,  and 1 tsp. salt. Bake for 45 minutes. Stir in 2 TBSP. butter and the Parmesan cheese. Return to oven and cook 15 minutes more.

Heat 2 TBSP. butter in a non stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring frequently until the mushrooms give up their moisture, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the rosemary and continue cooking until the mushroom are dry, about 5 minutes.

When the polenta is done, taste and add more salt if necessary. Scatter the cooked mushrooms over the top of the polenta and then tear the soft Fontina slices into shreds and distribute them over the top of the mushrooms. Return the pan to the oven until the cheese has melted and begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Circle B Kitchen

SLOW COOKER HAWAIIAN MEATBALLS

Call me Sandra Lee. Who? She's on the Food Network with a show called semi-homemade. She does a little cooking herself and has help with pre-made ingredients. 

I had BAD jet lag a couple of days ago. I didn't want to go anywhere. I had been gone for almost two weeks and hubby stayed home. Did a quick inventory of the fridge. Not much in there...cheese, bread, BEER, 1/2 pineapple. I don't know how he survived without me :) I thought about a recipe I had saved. Frozen meatballs (that's the Sandra Lee part) pineapple and bell pepper. I had the meatballs in the freezer, bell peppers still growing in the garden and that 1/2 pineapple in the fridge. So I put the ingredients in the slow cooker for 4 hours and it was really good! Served it over rice. Yum! I'll make this again soon.

SLOW COOKER HAWAIIAN MEATBALLS

32 oz. package of precooked, frozen meatballs. ( I used Trader Joe's)

13.5 oz. can of unsweetened pineapple chunks (I used fresh and a small can of pineapple juice)

1 large green pepper, diced (I used what was in the garden, a yellow one but red or green would look better)

1 cup of brown sugar

2 TBSP. cornstarch

2/3 cup of white vinegar

2 TBSP. soy sauce

Place meatballs in slow cooker and top with green pepper and drained pineapple chunks. In a separate bowl, mix reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and soy sauce. Pour sauce over meatballs, pineapple and green peppers. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through

Serve over rice. 

SHRIMP AND ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE ON A CAULIFLOWER STEAK

This weeks Food Matters Project recipe was hosted by Gracie of Food Fascination. Gracie chose Mark Bittman's recipe for Whole Cauliflower with Sausage. That recipe inspired me to roast a cauliflower "steak" and top it with a spicy shrimp and sausage sauce.

Cauliflower steaks are great on their own or as a base for a sauce. You cut the cauliflower straight down into 1" steaks. Coat with olive oil and roast at 400~ for about 25 minutes. I sprinkled blackening spices on mine before roasting.

Fresh andouille sausage is browned with bell peppers, onion, and garlic. Tomatoes and shrimp are added and it is topped with a hot pepper cream sauce. This was a delicious, light and healthy tasting meal.

SHRIMP AND ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE ON A CAULIFLOWER STEAK

1/3 cup green hot pepper sauce 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 shallot, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 cup ½ and ½ or whipping cream 1 TBSP. olive oil 8 ounces fresh andouille sausage, casings removed 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped 1/2 cup minced onion 4 garlic cloves, chopped 30 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined 4 plum tomatoes, chopped 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning 1 head cauliflower, sliced into steaks 1 TBSP. Cajun seasoning Olive oil Combine hot pepper sauce, wine, shallot, lemon juice and vinegar in heavy medium saucepan. Boil over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup ½ and ½ or cream. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Slice cauliflower into 1” steaks. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Roast at 400~ until tender, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, both bell peppers, onion and garlic; sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add shrimp, tomatoes, Cajun seasoning and Old Bay seasoning and sauté until shrimp are opaque in center, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring hot pepper-cream sauce to simmer. Place cauliflower steak on a plate and spoon shrimp mixture over. Drizzle hot pepper-cream sauce and serve. Recipe adapted from Epicurious

 

 

OPEN FACE PATTY MELT

Remember Patty Melts? Back in the 70's they were everywhere. Grilled beef on grilled rye bread, spread with Thousand Island dressing and topped with Swiss cheese and grilled onions. You can still find them on the menu in some diners. 

I had a pound of ground beef. I didn't want a traditional  burger. I just stared into the fridge for what seemed like forever. Then I spotted some rye bread. Who has rye bread hanging around in their fridge? Maybe after St. Pat's day for Rubens but that's about it. Ron bought it. When he shops he always comes home with random things. I call them Rondom things.

Then I thought about Patty Melts, and caramelized onions..and Havarti cheese. Oh YES! This was great.

I started out by caramelizing my onions in a cast iron skillet. Then I grilled an oval shaped beef patty for just about 5 minutes.

 Turned it over and topped it with Havarti cheese and caramelized onions. I put the lid on the grill and let the cheese melt. I buttered one side of the rye bread and toasted it in the cast iron skillet. It picked up a lot of flavor from the onions. When the bread was nice and toasty I spread some Thousand Island dressing on it and topped it with the grilled beef.. This was amazing.

I don't think a recipe is necessary here. It's pretty straight forward. If you need one let me know in the comments.

CHICKPEA WAFFLE BOATS FILLED WITH VEGETABLES

The Food Matters philosophy is all about eating more plants and fewer animal products and processed foods — and the positive impact this has on our health and the environment.

This is week 19 of the Food Matters Project. About 50 food bloggers share the Food  Matters philosophy and we are cooking our way through Mark Bittman's The Food Matters Cookbook.

 Lena from Mrs. Garlic Head was our host and she chose the recipe for Braised Chickpea Fritters and Vegetables. Some of us follow the recipe as written and some of us use the recipe for inspiration. In Mark's recipe he has you soak the dried chickpeas in water overnight and then process them with some other ingredients to make a chickpea batter. I knew I wanted a vessel in which to serve the vegetable sauce and that was when "batter" clicked in. I decided instead of soaking my chickpeas that I would roast the dried chickpeas and then grind them into a fine flour, and use that flour to make a waffle batter. You can see how I did this here.

I have a waffle maker that makes little boats. They were the perfect vessel for my tomato-eggplant-chard sauce.

The flour added a wonderful nuttiness to the batter and worked perfectly for my chickpea boats. You could taste the flavor of the roasted chickpeas in the waffles. They were delicious.

I used Mark Bittman's recipe for All-Purpose Tomato Sauce. It is a super quick and a very good sauce. When the sauce was finished I added one large eggplant, peeled and cut into cubes, 1 cup chopped fresh parsley and one bunch of chard, cut into ribbons. This sauce was delicious. It would be wonderful over pasta as well. The savory waffles were perfect when filled with the vegetable sauce.

ALL PURPOSE TOMATO SAUCE

Salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large onion or 2 medium onions, chopped

Black pepper

About 4 pounds canned whole or diced tomatoes (two 28-35 ounce cans), chopped, liquid reserved

1/2 cup fresh parsley or basil, chopped

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it's hot, add the onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the mixture comes together and thickens a bit, 10-15 minutes. For a thinner sauce add some or all the reserved liquid and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Taste the sauce, adjust the seasoning if necessary. Stir in the parsley or basil and keep warm.

After making the sauce I added one large, peeled and chopped eggplant and one large bunch chard. Stems of the chard removed and leaves cut into ribbons. Cook for 20 minutes more until the eggplant is soft.

Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman

ROASTED CHICKPEA WAFFLES

1 3/4 cup roasted chickpea flour, recipe here.

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk

1/3 cup melted butter or vegetable oil

Preheat waffle iron while you make the batter. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and butter or oil.

Mix together the wet and dry ingredients, stirring just until combined.

Pour batter into waffle iron and cook until brown.

Makes 8 waffle boats or 3 1/2 round Belgian-style waffles.

This makes a savory waffle, for a sweeter waffle add 2 TBSP. sugar to the dry ingredients.

You can find the original  recipe here on Lena's blog.

CAJUN TURKEY MEATLOAF

This is one of my favorite meatloaf recipes. I use turkey to make it lower in fat but you can use 1/2 beef and 1/2 pork if you like. Sometimes turkey can be dry but in this meatloaf you add 1/2 cup of evaporated milk and it keeps it tender and moist.

I like to serve this with jalapeno turkey gravy.

 During the holidays I make gravy and freeze it. This is how I make the gravy. After I defrost it I add chopped jalapenos and warm for about 15 minutes.

I hope you give this a try, it really is good.

CAJUN MEATLOAF

Seasoning mix:

2 whole bay leaves

1 TBSP. salt

1 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)

1 tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. white pepper

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Meat Loaf:

4 TBSP. unsalted butter

¾ cup finely chopped onions

½ cup finely chopped celery

½ cup finely chopped green bell peppers

1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 TBSP. Tabasco sauce

1 TBSP. Worcestershire sauce

½ cup evaporated milk

½ cup ketchup

2 lbs. Ground Turkey or 1-½ lbs. Ground beef and ½ lb. ground pork

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup very fine dry bread crumbs

Gravy if desired

Melt the butter in a 1 quart saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, green onions, garlic, Tabasco, Worcestershire and seasoning mix.  Sauté until mixture starts sticking excessively, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom well.  Stir in the milk and ketchup.  Continue cooking for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

Place the ground meat in an ungreased 13x9 inch baking pan.  Add the eggs, the cooked vegetable mixture, removing the bay leaves, and the breadcrumbs.  Mix by hand until thoroughly combined.  In the center of the pan, shape the mixture into a loaf that is about 1 ½ inches high, 6 inches wide and 12 inches long.  Bake uncovered at 350~ for 25 minutes, then raise the heat to 400~ and continue cooking until done, about 35 minutes longer.  Serve immediately with a gravy if desired.  I use a can of turkey gravy heated with some chopped fresh jalapenos.

Recipe slightly adapted from Paul Prudomme