Roasted Beet & Arugula Salad With Goat Cheese & Avocado

This year I decided to become a member of a local CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture in which members support a local farm by purchasing a share of the season's crop. Each week you go pick up your box that is loaded with freshly harvested fruits and vegetables. One of the reasons I decided to try it out is that I spend half my grocery budget on fresh fruits and vegetables so why not give that money to a local farmer in these tough economic times? Living in the "Garden State" I know that once summer hit I would be stopping at the farm stand at least once a week anyway.

The first month of our CSA has been spent experimenting with a lot of new vegetables that I have never ate, much less prepared before. Beets showed up right away and I was stumped. My only experience with beets is as a child eating pickled beets at Easter or at a salad bar. As an adult even the smell of them turned me off. I knew there had to be a more appealing way to prepare them. I came across this recipe from Giada and was so excited to try it. Not only could I use the beets from my CSA but also the fresh arugula and other lettuces I received. I made a few adjustments and this salad turned out amazing. Beets are no longer the enemy!

Adapted from Giada's Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 2 meal size salads

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp finely chopped shallots
1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 medium beets, peeled and each cut into 6 wedges
4 cups arugula and other lettuces, torn
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
4 oz, goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk vinegar, shallots and honey to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In another medium bowl, toss the beets with enough dressing to coat. Place them in a foil packet, seal tightly and place on a baking sheet. Roast beets 30 minutes. Uncover and continue roasting until slightly caramelized, shaking them up occasionally, another 25 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.

In a large bowl, toss arugula and other lettuces, hazelnuts and cranberries with the remaining vinaigrette to coat. Mound the salad on plates, arrange beets around the salad. Sprinkle the avocado and goat cheese on top and serve.

Risotto with Butternut Squash

Two words come to my mind when I think of risotto; delicious and stirring! I love risotto no matter what is in it. As a matter of fact the single best meal I ever ate in a restaurant was a wild mushroom risotto with truffles. I like my risotto a little cream but not soupy. To be honest though this is only the second time I made risotto myself, I dread the stirring! I have many recipes that take longer to prep and cook but the thought of 20-30 minutes just standing there and stirring discourages me. This month I picked up Everyday With Rachel Ray magazine and this recipe was the first thing I turned to. I decided to go for it. Half an hour of stirring later we had an incredibly satisfying meal. I still won't be making risotto on a weekly basis but will try some new recipes for it in the future.

Adapted from Everyday With Rachel Ray magazine March 2010

Serves 4

2.5 cups low sodium chicken broth
4 Tbsp butter
1.5 cups grated butternut squash
1 onion, finely chopped
1.5 cups arborio rice
1/2 dry white wine
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh ground pepper

In a sauce pan bring chicken broth and 2.5 cups of water to a boil; cover and simmer.

In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the grated squash and cook, stirring frequently, until soft about 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the onion to the saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the onion is softened about 8 minutes. Add the rice and stir until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until evaporated.

Stir in 1/2 cup of the hot broth mixture, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and adjusting the the heat as needed to maintain a low simmer, until the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Keep repeating, adding 1/2 cup of the broth at a time and allowing the liquid to be absorbed, until the rice is tender about 20-30 minutes.

Add the cooked squash and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and season with pepper. Sprinkle each individual dish with extra Parmesan before serving.

Lentil Soup

With all the cold weather in the last month soups have been on my menu every week. This lentil soup is a warm and filling.

Lentils are not something I thought I would like. They don't exactly look appealing and in the past I never liked bean soups. Once I tried this recipe I discovered I really like lentils. It is easy to make, budget friendly and can be made in under an hour.

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis Lentil Soup

Serves 6

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
freshly ground salt and pepper
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 pound dried lentils
11 cups low sodium chicken broth
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2/3 cup dried elbow pasta
1 cup shredded Parmesan

Heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Add garlic, salt and pepper and saute until all veggies are tender, about 5 - 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add lentils and mix to coat. Add the broth and stir. Add the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in pasta. Simmer until pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with grated Parmesan to serve.

Crostata with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

Many months ago I remember seeing a recipe for a crostata that Giada De Laurentiis made and thinking that that would be a fun appetizer to try to make. There is only one problem; pie crusts are my greatest cooking disaster to date! For Christmas Eve this year I was in charge of bringing an appetizer and I wanted to make something new for my husband's family. I went back to the crostata recipe and decided to cut a corner by using store bought pie crust. To make up for the lack of orginality I really changed up the ingredients to include creamy goat cheese as well as Jarlsberg Swiss. Since our Italian families do not eat meat on Christmas Eve I also omitted the pancetta. My remake of this recipe came out great and can't wait to make it again.

Inspired by Crostata with Mushrooms and Pancetta by Giada De Laurentiis

Makes 2 crostatas

Package of 2 Pillsbury refridgerated pie crusts
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
3 large sweet onions sliced
1 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 large shallot minced
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup grated Jarlsberg Swiss cheese
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet saute onions until carmelized over medium heat. Add a sprinkle of sugar if needed. Remove onions from pan, set aside. Add sliced mushrooms, shallots and rosemary cook until mushrooms are tender. In a large bowl toss carmelized onions, mushroom mixture, goat cheese and black pepper until blended. Roll out each pie crust and sprinkle half of veggie mixture on the center of each crust leaving a 2 inch border. Sprinkle each veggie mixture with the grated Swiss. Fold the border up and over the veggies forming a crust. Transfer each to a baking stone and bake for about 30 minutes until crust is golden. Slice and serve warm.

Corn Souffle'

With only 2 days left to Christmas I am really feeling the crunch. We have returned from Mexico and are gearing up for our next trip! All the sudden I realized I haven't posted anything recently. My apologies and here is an easy side dish that even the picky, non-veggie eaters will like, Corn Souffle'.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy New Year!

Courtesy of Aunt Phyl

1 can whole corn
1 can creamed corn
8 oz sour cream
1 stick margarine
2 eggs
1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin mix

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a greased souffle' dish. Bake 1 hour in a 350 degree oven.

Roasted Butternut Squash Dip

This Thanksgiving my husband and I spent at my parent's house. I was in charge of making appetizers. I had so many recipes I wanted to try and it was very hard to narrow it down to just three! When I saw this Butternut Squash recipe I thought it sounded very Thanksgiving-like and gave it a whirl. I am so glad I did. I made it up the night before and reheated it in the microwave at my parent's before serving with pita chips.

Adapted from Delicious Dips by Diane Morgan

Makes 2 cups

1 butternut squash cut in half lengthwise and seeded
1 very small yellow onion, cut in half lengthwise, stem and root end removed
2 large garlic cloves, skins left on
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sour cream
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
Fresh ground black pepper
Pita chips for dipping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the flesh of squash, onion and garlic generously with olive oil. Arrange squash and onion cut-side down on a rimmed cookie sheet. Tuck a garlic clove in each cavity of the squash. Roast until very tender when pierced with a fork, about 50 minutes. Set aside and cool enough to handle.

Use a large spoon to scrape out flesh of squash and place in food processor, discard skins. Squeeze the garlic pulp from the cloves and add with onion to food processor. Puree until smooth. Add the sour cream, salt, nutmeg, crushed pepper, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process to combine and then adjust seasonings to taste. Transfer to a bowl and serve at room temperature with pita chips.

Vodka Sauce

Vodka sauce is not something I ate growing up. As a young adult I tasted it a few times in a restaurant and thought it was okay but there were other sauce I liked better. Then my mom made this recipe at home and I was hooked. I make this pretty often and my husband says this is the only vodka sauce he likes.

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 6

1 quart homemade tomato sauce
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound tube pasta (I used Gemelli)

Simmer tomato sauce and vodka in a heavy skillet over low heat until it reduces by about 1/4, stirring, about 20 minutes. Stir in the Mascarpone cheese. Simmer over low heat until cheese is melted and sauce is heated through. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and well blended.

Cook pasta according to package direction until al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta and transfer to pan with sauce, toss to coat. Serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese.

Zucchini Cakes with Diavolo Sauce

A last month I was the lucky winner of a giveaway at Eggville a great site about a family raising cage free chickens, please be sure to check it out. My prize contained the Progresso broth, panko breadcrumbs and cooking gear pictured above. Thanks again for the great prize!

I wanted to prepare a recipe using the panko I received. This recipe for Zucchini Cakes with Diavolo Sauce uses panko to give the cakes their crunch with out having to deep fry. The spicy sauce is easy to prepare and cooks while you pan fry the zucchini cakes. Even the hungriest guy won't miss the meat in this dish.

Adapted from Cuisine at Home issue No. 66 December 2007

Makes 8-10 cakes

Diavolo Sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp ketchup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 14oz can diced tomatoes in juice
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp hot, red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried basil leaves

Saute olive oil, onions and bell pepper in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, add ketchup and garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Deglaze with the wine, reduce until nearly evaporated, then add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer 8-10 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Zucchini Cakes
4 cups zucchini, grated
1/2 cup onion, grated
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
Grated Parmesan cheese

Grate zucchini and onion on a mandoline and remove any excess moisture. Transfer to a large bowl and add panko. Wisk eggs, salt, and baking powder together in a small bowl then stir into zucchini mixture. Heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil in a non-stick skllet over medium. When hot, drop mounds of the batter into the pan using a 1/3 cup measure. Fry cakes until golden, then carefully flip and cook until golden on the other side, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm; fry remaining cakes in remaining oil. To serve divide sauce among plates, top with cakes, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Asian Dinner Side Dish: Veggie Fried Rice

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Asian

Serves 4

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp Asian sesame oil
1/2 tsp sugar
pepper
2 Tbsp corn oil
1 Tbsp minced ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
4 cups steamed brown rice, warm
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 cup frozen peas

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and a pinch of pepper and stir to dissolve the sugar.

Heat the wok over high heat until very hot and add the corn oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and green onions and stir-fry for about 5 seconds until fragrant. Add the rice and continue to stir-fry until the rice is hot, about 5 minutes. Create a small well in the middle of the rice, exposing the bottom of the wok. Add the eggs to the well and immediately stir-fry to incorporate them into the rice. Once the eggs are cooked through, add the celery, carrots, peas and sauce and stir-fry until well combined and heated through, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Asian Dinner Appetizer: Vegetarian Spring Rolls

This past weekend we had my husband's cousin and his girlfriend out to visit and I made an Asian feast for us. For an appetizer I chose Vegetarian Spring Rolls, followed by a main course of Cashew Chicken and Veggie Fried Rice, and for dessert festive Pumpkin Won tons.

Adapted from Stir Frys cookbook by Lansdowne Publishing Pty Ltd.

Yields 18 Spring Rolls

2 oz rice vermicelli
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 cups shredded green cabbage
2 carrots, peeled and grated
4 fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp coriander
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp water
18 refrigerated egg roll wrappers
vegetable oil for deep-frying
Thai chili sauce for dipping

Soak noodles in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and roughly chop into short lengths. In a wok over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons oil. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add cabbage and stir-fry until softened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in carrots, coriander, bean sprouts, mushrooms, noodles and fish sauce. Mix well and cool completely.

Place a egg roll wrapper on work surface and cover others with a damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out. Using your fingers, wet edges with cornstarch and water mixture. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the middle of wrapper. Roll up diagonally, tucking in edges. Seal edge with cornstarch and water mixture. Repeat with remaining wrappers.

Ina wok, heat oil to 375 degrees on a deep frying thermometer. Working in batches, add rolls and fry until golden, 1-2 minutes. Using a stainless steel strainer or slotted spoon, remove from wok and drain on paper towels. Serve warm with chili sauce.

Pasta Piselli

Italian-American kids are not allowed to eat Spaghetti-Os. If you have a parent or grandparent from Italy you know exactly what I'm talking about. Pasta does not come in can! This is what my husband would get as a kid if he asked for Spaghetti-Os

Both my husband and I come from Italian heritage and we have many wonderful recipes for family favorites. This recipe is his Grandma Jenny's for spaghetti and peas. I had a rough recipe from her and he was able to fill in the missing pieces. According to him mine tasted exactly as he remembered hers.

From Grandma Jenny

Serves 4

Olive oil
2 small cans of tomato sauce (if using homemade be sure it is pureed to get the smooth texture)
1/2 medium onion, diced fine
2 large stalks celery, diced fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 box frozen peas
1 lb whole wheat thin spaghetti, broken in half

Coat the bottom of a sauce pan with olive oil, brown onion over medium-high heat. Add celery, garlic, and 2 cans of sauce. Cook for 1 hour on medium-low heat. Meanwhile cook broken spaghetti to al dente and drain. Add peas to sauce and cook 5-10 minutes. Add pasta to sauce and heat through. Serve sprinkled with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.