Veggilicious Lasagna

Make this easy, cheesy and moist, very veggie and gluten-free lasagna your family's new and nutritious Italian classic favorite!

Ingredients:

I recommend buying as many fresh, local and organic ingredients as you can find to make this recipe:

1 - 8 oz. package shredded mozzarella cheese
1 - 15 oz. container of part-skim ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
1 cup shredded carrots
3 cups shredded zucchini, firmly packed
1 - 26 oz. jar roasted garlic marinara
1 package brown rice lasagna noodles

Optional: include in your layering of vegetables - dried or thinly sliced tomatoes and raw baby spinach leaves.

Directions:

1. Set aside 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. In a bowl, combine the remaining mozzarella with the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese and 1/2 tsp. salt.
2. Cook the shredded carrots in the microwave for 2 minutes, then stir into the cheese mixture and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, stir the remaining 1/2 tsp. of salt into the zucchini.
4. Spray a 5-quart slow cooker with a cooking spray (I use olive oil). Spread 1/3 of the marinara on the bottom. Break two noodles to fill and cover sauce. Spread 1 cup of the cheese mixture over the noodles. Top with 1 cup of the shredded zucchini and spread 2/3 cup of marina over all. Add another layer of broken noodles, and repeat with layers of cheese mixture, zucchini and sauce. Top with broken noodles, remaining sauce, and sprinkle with the 1/2 cup of the reserved mozzarella cheese.
5. Cook in the slow cooker on high for 3 hours.

Serves 8

Note: Read the label on any pre-shredded cheese very carefully. Many brands are dusted with flour to prevent clumping, and as a result these cheeses are not gluten-free.

Macadamia Encrusted Halibut

In my recipe I call for macadamia nuts, but you can use pine nuts, also you can make this macadamia version with shredded coconut instead of Parmesan cheese.

I recommend fresh halibut for this recipe.

• 1/4 6-oz. Halibut fillets 4
• 1 Tbsp. Grapeseed or Olive Oil
• 4 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 cup Macadamia Nuts, coarsely chopped
• Salt to Taste
• Squeeze of Lemon

Directions:

1. Rinse and pat dry the fillets on both sides. 
2. You can either bake the fish in a preheat 425 ºoven for 10-15 minutes, or you can add a splash of oil to a non-stick skillet to cook at medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes a side, depending on how thick the fillets. Combine the macadamia nuts, Parmesan cheese and salt. 
3. Place the halibut fillets on a baking sheet, or cook stove top in a flat-bottomed skillet large enough cook two to four fillets at a time . 
4. Before I pat the macadamia mixture onto the halibut fillets, I brush oil on both sides (or you can brush on egg). 
5. Pressing the mixture lightly to make it adhere. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the fish is opaque all the way through or cook on the stove top/ Since the crust is loosely patted onto the fish, turn gently. 
6. When flipped to the other side, you can add any remaining crust mixture on top. 
7. Add a thin slice of lemon and squeeze a little lemon juice and cracked pepper (optional) over all.

Serves 4

What's Your Curry?

Green curry is sublime with chicken, seafood and/or vegetables. If you're not in a hurry, make your own homemade curry. It will have more flavor and aroma than what you can find at the market.

Take your time to enjoy the process of cooking and enjoying the taste of Thai.

Ingredients:

Green Curry Paste

• 15 to 20 Thai Green Chili Peppers
• 2 stalks Lemon Grass, chopped
• 3 Shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 clove Garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped Kha*
• 1 tablespoon chopped Kaffir Lime
• 1/2 teaspoon Coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon Caraway Seed
• 1/2 teaspoon Fish Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Sugar or a mild Honey
• 1/2 teaspoon Shrimp Paste (optional)
• 2 tablespoons Oil

Check with your local Asian market for Thai Peppers, Kha, Kaffir Lime, Fish Sauce and Shrimp Paste.

* Kha, also know as galangal or laos, looks similar to ginger, but has lighter, flesh and a different flavor than ginger. It is available fresh in selected Asian grocery stores. Fresh kha can be frozen to make it last longer. It is also available in dried slices and in powder. Dried kha should be soaked in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes before using.

What's Your Curry? Prawns and Vegetables:

• 2 tablespoons Grapeseed Oil, for stir-frying the vegetables
• 1 large Onion
• 2 stalks of Celery
• 1-2 Carrots
• 2 cups chopped Green Leafy Vegetable
• 4 large Mushrooms
• 1 13.5 ounce can of Coconut Milk
• 3/4-1 lb. Prawns, pre-cooked and peeled
• 1-2 cups Bamboo Shoots and/or Water Chestnuts, thin-sliced (optional) (comes in 4-ounce cans)
  

Method:

• Blend all the Curry Paste ingredients together using a mortar and pestle. Use in the recipe according to taste.
• Thinly slice the Vegetables; julienne the Celery and Carrots.
• Remove the tails from the Prawns, rinse and let drain.
• This dish can also be served over a bed of white Rice or Noodles. Cook and have ready to serve by the time you are done cooking the curry dish.

Directions:

1. In a large wok, on high heat, add the oil, then the assorted vegetables. Toss gently and continually.
2. When the vegetables are almost tender, stir in the Green Curry Paste.
3. Add all of the Coconut Milk and more Curry Paste, to taste.
4. 1-2 minutes before serving, add the Prawns and lightly toss to warm through.
5. Serve in wide bowls and garnish with a spring of fresh Basil.

Serves 2-4

My All-Time Favorite Cream of Zucchini Soup

As soon as you harvest zucchini from your garden patch, make up a batch of this soup.  It has great flavor and is a wonderful soup to enjoy year-round!

Ingredients:

3 cups sliced Zucchini (4 small OR 1 lb.)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Instant Minced Onion (or fresh onion very finely minced)
1 teaspoon Season-All (McCormicks)
1/2 teaspoon Parsley Flakes or finely minced Fresh Parsley
2 teaspoons Chicken or Vegetable Stock Base
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Flour (for gluten-free, use rice flour or potato starch to thicken)
1/8 teaspoon White Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Bon Appetit (McCormicks)
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Light Cream
Sour Cream, to top
Paprika, to garnish

If you have fresh onion and parsley on hand, use it rather than the dried.

Directions:

1. In a medium-size pot, combine zucchini, water, onion, Season-All, parsley flakes and 1 teaspoon of the stock base.
2. Cook until zucchini is tender and very little water is left.
3. Put the zucchini mixture in a sieve to mash, or puree in a blender (my preference).
4. In a medium-size sauce pan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, remaining stock base, pepper, MSG and Bon Appetit; blend well.
5. Stir in the milk and light cream. Simmer, stirring until it thickens.
6. Stir in the zucchini mixture and thoroughly blend. If the soup is thicker than you prefer, add more milk until it is the consistency you like.
7. Serve the cream of zucchini soup with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with paprika.

Makes 4 Cups

Recipe from McCormick's 1978 Spices of the World Cookbook.

Moroccan Sweet Potato & Raisin Salad

I love this salad - a flavorful, ethnic side dish to complement your Thanksgiving Dinner!

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. Sweet Potatoes
5 oz. Raisins soaked in water
1 Tbsp. of Honey
Pinch each of Saffron, Turmeric Powder,
1/4 tsp. each of Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp. of Cinnamon
Note: Adjust seasonings to taste as you are cooking.
Water, about a pint
2-3 Tbps. of Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Peel the Sweet Potatoes, and cut into 1" cubes.
2. Cook on medium heat; put the Olive Oil in the pan.
3. Add the Sweet Potatoes and along with all the Spices.
4. Cover with Water, and cover the pan; cook for 20 minutes - making sure there is always enough water in the pan.
5. Drain the Raisins from their Water and add to the Sweet Potatoes.
6. Add the Honey and stir, adding a little bit more of Water.
7. Taste the Sauce in the pan and see if it need any adjustment to the flavor.
8. Cover the pan, and let it cook for 10 minutes more to carmelized the sauce.
9. To make sure the Sweet Potatoes are ready, poke them with a fork - they should be soft.
10. This Moroccan salad can be served either hot or cold.

Note: I learned to make this dish from Alia.

Quiching in the Dark

Everything went black. It had been a cold and blustery evening. Maybe the wind caused a tree to fall across our power line; no one knows for sure. While the quiches were waiting for the wall-oven to come up to temperature, the whole house went pitch black. So black that we had to grope our way around the room to find the drawer with the lighter and the door to the laundry pantry where our candles and lanterns were shelved.

My husband reminded me that our commercial oven runs on propane, so all was not lost. By the glow of lanterns and with me holding the flashlight, he got down on his hands and knees and lit  the pilot light, then set the oven to pre-heat to 425-degrees. With a glass of pinot noir in hand, we sat by the glow and warmth of the fire to wait. Quiching in the dark and eating fashionably late turned out to be quite lovely under the circumstances. The quiches turned out perfect! Photo made possible  with fluorscent lamplight (blue cast), flashlight and white paper to bounce more light on the subject....

Bavaria Mills in Vancouver Washington makes specialty baked goods, including 9-inch gluten-free pie crusts. The pastry is made with white rice flour, palm oil, brown rice vinegar, eggs, chickpea flour, potato starch, water, rice vinegar, Xylitol, salt and xanthan gum. Quite good!

We picked the chanterelles ourselves in the woods near our home, but that story will be one of my next blog posts. Here is my recipe for "Quiching in the Dark" Chanterelle and Feta Quiche:

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cup chanterelle mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup scallions (not green onions), finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup feta cheese
6 eggs
1/2 cup cream or Half & Half
1 pie crust
olive oil or butter for sauteing 
sea salt, a pinch

Directons:

1. Lightly saute the onion, garlic and chanterelles for a couple of minutes in a little olive oil or butter. Let cool.
   
2. Whisk the eggs and cream together.
3. Fill the pie crust first with 1/2 of the feta cheese, followed by the mushroom saute and the remaining feta.
4. Pour the egg and cream mixture over all and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt, some fine Parmesan cheese and paprika over the top.
5. Bake in a pre-heated 425-degree oven for 20-30 minutes; until set like a custard. If the center remains a little too liquid, turn off the oven and let the quiche set; check in 5-minute intervals.

I recommend not adding herbs or spices, as the delicate flavor of the chanterelles along with the tang of the feta are wonderful to experience without overpowering the taste with aromatic ingredients.  

Serves 2-4

Raw Cranberry Relish

Sunday afternoon was our November "Rawking Lane County" Potluck. My raw cranberry relish was a hit. I brought small, biodegradable serving cups along and made up a number of them with a large dollop of Nancy's vanilla yogurt in the bottom topped with the relish. Others enjoyed it plain... although far from plain, this particular cranberry relish bursts with raw goodness and flavor!

I have a standard KitchenAid, but I don't have a food grinding attachment. However, my next door neighbors do; they have an industrial KitchenAid. Fortunately, their metal grinder fits my mixer perfectly. Using a food grinder, this recipe took me less than a half hour to make and clean up was easy!

When I returned home from our gathering, I made a second batch, dividing the mixture between two quart-size freezer bags and now have them in the freezer until a day or two before Thanksgiving. I'll let the cranberry relish slow-thaw in the refrigerator, until I'm ready to serve it.

Preparation time: 15-30 minutes.

Ingredients:

* 2 cups washed raw cranberries (I use a whole 12 ounce bag)
* 2 skinned and cored tart apples (I leave the skins on)
* 1 large, whole (peel ON) seedless orange, cut into sections
* 1 to 2 cups granulated sugar (depending on taste; I like it best with 1-1/4 cups)

Method:

1. Set up the grinder with a medium-sized blade on the edge of a table with a large roasting pan or bowl to catch the mix as it grinds. These old fashioned grinders tend to leak some of the juice down the grinder base, so you may want to set up an additional pan on the floor under the grinder to catch the drips. If you don't have an old-fashioned grinder you can use a grinder attachment on a KitchenAid mixer, you can chop by hand (though that will take a lot of work), or you can chop in a food processor (be very careful not to over-pulse, or you'll end up with mush).

2. Run fruit through a grinder. Use the entire (seedless) orange, peels, pith and all.

3. Mix in the sugar. Let sit at room temperature until sugar dissolves, about 45 minutes. Store in the refrigerator.

Makes about 3 cups.



Thanks, Tom! Enjoy!