Veggie Nite

Tonight's dinner was entirely vegetarian and adapted from recipes in Annie Somerville's book, Fields of Greens. The hit of the evening was the marinated tofu, and thank goodness the marinade makes a bunch so we can throw some more tofu in to eat later in the week!

Nate roasted a huge spaghetti squash this afternoon, and we subbed squash for the noodles in the Chinese Noodle Salad. I find that most salads simply use the pasta as a vehicle for the dressing, anyway, so you might as well pack your veggies in while you're eating that dressing. We sub spaghetti squash for many pasta dishes with great success.

Menu:
Tofu with Sweet Ginger Marinade
Spicy Peanut Sauce
Grilled Kale
Chinese Noodle (Squash) Salad with Citrus and Spicy Peanuts


Tofu with Sweet Ginger Marinade
from Fields of Greens



This was excellent, and paired very nicely with the peanut sauce and kale. I am excited to try it again with some of the other suggested sauces. We grilled it, placing the slices over medium heat until grill marks appeared, then turning and grilling the other side. I might also try smoking it. IN THE SMOKER--I know what you were thinking...

1 package of firm tofu, about 1 pound
1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine or mirin
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark sesame oil (I used 2 T)
1/2 oz dried shiitake mushrooms
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 T grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, crushed with the side of a knife

1. Slice the tofu in half horizontally or cut into slabs 1" thick. Place in a colander and drain for 10-15 minutes.
2. Prepare the marinade: combine all the ingredients in a nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Arrange the tofu in a shallow pan and pour the marinade over, being sure to cover all the slices.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 2 weeks.
5. Eat fresh or grilled.


Spicy Peanut Sauce
adapted from Fields of Greens



Unbeknownst to me, a little troll has been secretly eating from the jar of peanut butter that I had stocked away in my mental inventory on the "OK to assume we always have plenty without checking first" shelf. Lesson learned. I subbed sesame tahini paste for the PB here, because I had a big tub sitting there (the troll apparently hasn't yet discovered the tasty paste) and it was a fine replacement. This was great drizzled over the marinated tofu.

1 T coarsely chopped yellow onion
1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 or 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded
1 T peanut oil or light vegetable oil
2 1/2 T soy sauce
1 T plus 1 tsp lime juice
2 T light brown sugar
1 tsp molasses
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1/4 c water
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Puree the onion, garlic, chiles, oil, soy sauce, and lime juice in a blender or food processor.
2. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the remaining ingredients.


Grilled Kale

One of my favorite ways to eat kale. It doesn't work as well with other greens. I usually do it in a 400F oven for about 15 minutes, but we had BTUs to use up on the grill, so I plopped the leaves down after the tofu was done. I cut the kale into large-ish bite-sized pieces, which is how I do it in the oven; next time I will use whole leaves on the grill so I'm not racing to turn all those little morsels before they burn. Use flat-leaf kale if you have the choice.

1 bunch flat-leaf kale
cooking spray
salt
pepper

1. Heat the grill to medium.
2. Spray the kale leaves with cooking spray, sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
3. Roast over direct heat until char marks just start to appear; turn the leaves and quickly remove from heat once they are lightly browned on both sides. If they get soggy after cooling, you can re-crisp the leaves for 5-10 minutes in a 400F oven.


Chinese Noodle (Squash) Salad with Citrus and Spicy Peanuts
adapted from Fields of Greens



I've written it as I made it, with spaghetti squash and a few other adjustments.

Marinade:
Zest of half a lime or orange
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 1/2 T fresh ground ginger
3 T rice vinegar
5 T soy sauce
3 T white wine vinegar
2 T dark sesame oil
1 T sugar
1 serrano chile, seeded

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree.

Salad:
1 small spaghetti squash, roasted and seeded
1 medium carrot, sliced into matchsticks
1 cup sugar snap peas, diced
2 scallions, diced
1/2 cup daikon radish, sliced into matchsticks
3 T cilantro, minced
1/4 c Spicy Peanuts, chopped

Scoop the squash into a large bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Toss with the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Spicy Peanuts
from Fields of Greens

1 cup peanuts
1/2 tsp peanut oil
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Toss all ingredients together, spread in a shallow pan, and roast for 12-15 minutes at 325F. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

Aahhh, comfort food. It cures what ails you after a day in the ER. Here you go.

Menu
Baked Spaghetti Squash
Turkey Meatballs

Spaghetti Squash
makes 8 servings



I was inspired by a recent knockout side dish at The Big Orange, which, I'm sure, was laden with top shelf olive oil and years-aged Parmesan cheese, most likely the reasons I couldn't stop shoveling into my mouth. Nevertheless, I endeavored to replicate it tonight, since I had a lovely specimen taking up valuable counter-space. And as an added bonus, we didn't have to fight for parking.


My version, while admittedly not as rich, was nonetheless respectably delicious.

1 spaghetti squash, halved (please don't cut off a finger doing this)
2 T cilantro, minced
2 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, diced or grated
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced

1. Place the squash halves cut-side up in a glass dish and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 10-12 minutes or until flesh can be easily shredded with a fork.
2. Remove the seeds and use a fork to scrape the squash into an 8x8" baking dish.
3. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Toss with the squash until evenly distributed.
4. Cover with foil and bake at 425F for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve topped with meatballs and marinara sauce.


Turkey Meatballs



makes about 35 small meatballs

20 oz ground turkey
6 T fresh breadcrumbs (another opportunity to use up Thanksgiving leftovers...I used leftover stuffing)
1 T minced onion or dried onion flakes
2 T salsa
1/4 c fresh cilantro, minced
1/4 c fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp garlic powder
cooking spray

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into 1-inch meatballs and place in cooking-sprayed baking dish.
2. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Adventures In Spinach, Part 2

This is a bit more involved than a typical weeknight meal, but hey, it's Saturday. Live a little.

Polenta with Winter Squash Puree and Sauteed Cherries



I had an acorn squash sitting on the fruit tray for a couple of weeks, so I made this recipe up just to use that. It's 112 outside, so I didn't want the oven on the for the hour it would take to bake the squash, so I microwaved it. Or rather, Nate microwaved it; very helpful to have him at home while I was at work (yes, work on a Saturday...thank your vet next time you see him or her...) so I could just get started when I got home. This was a very autumnal meal and would be great at Thanksgiving. There's been entirely too much summer around here lately.

The end result was very tasty and could easily be made vegetarian by omitting the prosciutto. I really liked the cherries, as their tartness cut through the creamy layers of polenta, squash, and goat cheese. When cranberry season rolls around, those would be even better, as I wanted a little more tart than the cherries could provide.

I had visions of crispy, browned polenta cakes when I stuck them under the broiler. I could NOT get them to brown. They were under there for long enough to completely incinerate the parchment paper, but the polenta stayed a nice sunny yellow. I have no idea how to fix this other than to dredge them in flour and fry them, which would decrease the healthy factor in this recipe. Oh well, they were good, even if they were not pretty.




Lastly, this dish was screaming for some toasted walnuts to be sprinkled on top. I just forgot.

serves 3

1 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t dried sage
cooking spray
1/2 oz prosciutto, diced (optional)
1/2 c vegetable broth
1/2 c skim milk (or cream for a richer sauce)
1 1/2 oz soft goat cheese, divided
6 (1/2" thick) slices cooked polenta tube
1 c fresh cherries, halved and pitted

1. Place the squash halves, cut side down, in a microwave-safe dish and cover with plastic wrap. Cook on high for 8-10 minutes until soft. Carefully remove the plastic and let cool.
2. Puree the squash until smooth.
3. Spray a large pan with cooking spray. Over medium heat, saute the garlic and sage until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the prosciutto for 1 minute.
4. Stir in the squash, broth and milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Add more broth or milk if needed to thin the sauce.
5. In a small skillet, saute the cherries over medium heat until soft.
6. Heat the broiler. Arrange the polenta slices on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Place under the broiler for 5 minutes or until heated through and crispy on top.
7. To serve, place two polenta cakes on a plate, top with 1/2 oz goat cheese, and ladle 1/2 c heated sauce over the top. Top with cherries.


Creamed Spinach
by Martha Rose Shulman, NY Times 6/25/10



The is Part 2 of our Adventures in Spinach, my attempt to find a recipe that Nate not only tolerates but actually LIKES. The last attempt was a couple of nights ago, and the response was "meh." So I thought I'd go all out and douse the spinach in a creamy bechamel sauce; who wouldn't like that? Well, the response to this one was "double meh." He actually liked the steamed spinach with garlic better (I secretly loved that he didn't automatically like the heavy creamy dish better than the more refined steamed one).

I thought this recipe was very good (but I love spinach and I love bechamel), and an acceptable lightened version of your typical buttery-creamy classic, but maybe next time I should just go for the full-fat version to see if he'll like it, and then move down from there. This is how I learned to like coffee (this will make sense): I never drank coffee until my 3rd year of vet school, when we were sitting in a lecture hall for 8 hours a day, watching PowerPoint presentations in the dark about various fascinating topics like calcium metabolism in tortoises. I was desperate for caffeine, but all of my previous experiences with black coffee or coffee with skim milk had been revolting. So I tried a coffee with cream and sugar that was barely even a light beige color, and a caffeinated lightbulb went on above my head. THIS is why people drink coffee! It tastes like ice cream! So, natch, once I got a taste for the caffeine, I started weaning myself down to a more coffee-colored drink. Somehow this relates to spinach, I swear.

serves 2

1 T olive oil
1 T chopped shallot or onion (optional, I left this out for Nate's sake)
1 T flour
1 c 1% milk
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of nutmeg (pinch? Please! Nutmeg is the best part of a bechamel! I used probably 1/2 tsp)
8 oz baby spinach

1. To make the bechamel sauce, heat the olive oil and optional onion in a small saucepan. Whisk in the flour until smooth.
2. Gradually whisk in the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lump formation. Continue stirring over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
3. Bring a sauce pan of water to boil and blanch the spinach for 3o seconds. Drain quickly and rinse with cold water immediately.
4. Squeeze the spinach dry and chop. Stir into the bechamel sauce and serve immediately.


And now (drum roll.....) for the highlight of my day:

Nate made homemade granola bars while I was at work. He toasted the oats and melted the chocolate and EVERYTHING, and he even photo-documented it for his blog like a True Foodie. These bars were a thing of beauty, and my heart melted a little bit when he showed them to me.

I think I am being out-kitchened in my own home. I have created a monster. I love it.