Broccoli and Cheese Casserole Quinoa Style

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My mom gave me a whole bunch of vegetables and told me to not let them go bad, and to not throw them away.  This left for some creative cooking.  She gave me three bags of broccoli.  I am not a huge fan of cooking broccoli, but I knew we would never be able to eat it in time otherwise.

And then Pinterest saved the day.  Again.  Love that!

I found a recipe for broccoli and cheese casserole.  Instead of using the usual rice, though, quinoa had been substituted.  What a great idea!

I had everything on hand, and so decided to go ahead and make it.

My mother in law loved it.  A lot.

I thought it was really bland.  I added a shake of cajun seasoning and that helped it out a lot.

Faye thought it was okay, Keith wouldn't touch it, and Jeffrey didn't like it.  But my mother in law loved it, oh my goodness, she did!

I don't know if I will ever make this again.  It was just rather bland.  However the idea that I have most of the stuff on hand and it has less than 200 calories per serving is enticing, so who knows.

What you need:

1 10 oz can condensed Cream of Broccoli soup (or mushroom)

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 TBSP milk

1 1/4 cup shredded cheese

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp black pepper

dash freshly grated nutmeg

2 cups cooked broccoli

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

What to do:

• Preheat oven to 350* and coat a shallow (8X8" or 5-6 ramekins) casserole dish with vegetable cooking spray.
• IN a large bowl combine the soup, mayo, milk, shredded cheese, sugar, pepper, and nutmeg until well mixed.  Stir in the quinoa and broccoli.
• Spoon mixture into prepared casserole.  Sprinkle on a couple tablespoons of Parmesan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly on the deges and golden.  Makes 8 genereous 1/2 cup servings.

Per serving: Calories 199; Protein 10g; NET Carbs 14g; Fiber 2g; Sugar 1g; Sodium 297mg

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Cabbage and Leek Cheese Pie

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Remember when I made Chinese food?  Well, it called for cabbage.  Instead of letting half a head of cabbage sit around in my fridge until I felt guilty and it was starting to show age spots, I decided to plan ahead and make a meal out of it before it could go bad.

Enter Cabbage and Leek Cheese Pie.

So yum!  I had to improvise, mainly because some of the ingredients were not readily available in my grocery store, and those that were, were ridiculously expensive.

Instead of making this into a pie (which now that I have made it would be delicious in a regular pie crust), I bought little philo pastry shells that were mini muffin sized.  Perfect for appetizers  not so much for a main course.  This was so good, though, and I will absolutely make it again.  

What you need:

6 thick phyllo pastry sheets

olive oil for greasing the pan and the pastry sheets

1/2 medium cabbage, finely shredded

1 medium leek (only the white part), finely sliced in rounds

2 large carrots, grated

1 small celeriac, peeled and roughly grated

1 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup greek kasseri cheese (I used provolone), grated

3 eggs, lightly beaten

salt

black pepper

What to do:

• In a large pot combine 1/2 cup of water, or more as needed, the cabbage, the leek, the carrots and the celeriac.  Season with salt and pepper and simmer in low heat for about 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are softened and their liquids are released.
• Transfer in a colander and leave until they are well dreained.  Transfer to a large bowl and add plenty of pepper, the Feta and the Kasseri cheese and the eggs.  Stir very well and leave aside to cool slightly.
• Preheat the oven to 350*.  Lightly grease the bottom and the sides of a round oven pan.
• Lay a pastry sheet on the dish, letting the edges hang over the rim and brush with oil.  Place a second sheet cross-wise over the first and brush with oil.  Then lay a third sheet which you put slanted to the previous one, making sure that no part of the pan is uncovered and again brush with oil.
• Empty the filling on top of the pastry and smooth with a spatula.  Bring the edges back over the top of the filing and then lay three more pastry sheets on top in the same way you did beore, brushing each one with some oil.
• Tuck the edges into the side of the dish and under the bottom pastry sheet, as if you were tucking in a bedsheet, so to seal the filling.
• Using a sharp knife, gently score the top pastry sheet into square (or diamond) shape pieces but without cutting right through.
• Put the pan in the middle shelf of the oven and bake for about 50-60 minutes until golden and crispy.

Making this with little pastry shells didn't use a lot of the cabbage mixture.  In fact, it only used about half.  Which was just as well, because I was able to save the rest and freeze it for a future date.  It was a big hit, which is always wonderful.

Roasted Zucchini and Tomatoes

I have some zucchini sitting in my fridge waiting to be used. And I am craving vegetables without pasta. So glad I found my cookbook (do I talk about it too much?). I found a recipe in it for Roasted Zucchini and Tomatoes. Since I have all the ingredients it calls for, I decided I would make it. I will come back and post (if I can remember to take one) a picture, and my reviews. I am hoping it will turn out good! But of course it will, it is zucchini and tomatoes!

Without further adieu,

What you need:

4 small zucchini, halved lengthwise
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

What to do:

Turn on your oven to 400*. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking pan. Cut the zucchini inot 1/4 inch slices and place in the prepared pan. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, oil, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste, tossing to coat.
Roast, uncovered until tender, stirring once about halfway through, 30 to 40 minutes.
Transfer to a serving bowl, toss with the parsley, and serve immediately.

Sounds good, doesn't it? So I am now off to make it. And as always

Buen Provecho!

Baked Pasta Shells with Broccoli

I got a new cookbook on a date with my hubby last week. I finally made a recipe out of it last night. It was pretty good, but not what I was expecting. For some reason I thought that it would be a very elegant meal. I don't know why I thought that, but I did. At any rate, it was very much a home-style cooking kind of meal. But Jeffrey liked it a lot and requested I make it again, so that is a good sign. I forgot to take pictures of it, so you are going to have to use your imagination on this one. Also, I didn't follow the recipe exact as I didn't have all the ingredients it called for, but I think it turned out pretty well regardless.

What you need:

1 medium bunch broccoli, trimmed and cut into small florets (I would use two bunches of broccoli the next time I make this)
8 oz small pasta shells (I used curly noodles as I didn't have shells)
3 cups Mornay-Style Cheeze Sauce (recipe below)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp sweet paprika

What to do:

Steam the broccoli until just tender, about 5 minutes. Run under cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375*F. Lightly oil a 9x13" baking dish and set aside.
In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta over medium-high heat until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well and return to the pot. Add the steamed broccoli, the Mornay sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently to combine, then spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the bread crumbs and paprika.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is lightly browned, about 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

*** I just mixed everything in the baking dish rather than return it all to the pasta pot and then mixing it before putting it in the baking dish. Also, we were impatient to eat so I baked it for 15 minutes with the foil on and about 10 minutes with the foil off.***

Mornay-style Cheese Sauce

What you Need:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/8 tsp turmeric (I didn't have any so I used worchestshire sauce. I don't recommend doing this )
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp water
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk (I only had vanilla, so I used regular milk)

What to do:

In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the broth and nutritional yeast, turmeric, and salt and pepper and simmer, stirring, until the mixture starts to thicken and bubble. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and cook, whisking, for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken.
Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the lemon juice, mustard, and milk and blend until smooth. Taste, adjusting seasonings if necessary. Return the sauce to the saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring, until hot. If not using right away, cool the sauce to room temperature, then transfer it to a container, cover, and refrigerate until needed. Properly stored, the sauce will keep for 2 to 3 days. Reheat the sauce in a saucepan over low heat.

Again, it was a very comforting meal, but I will definetly add more broccoli next time, and not try to replace the turmeric, because that gave it a really funny flavor. I also added some shredded cheese and mixed it in with the casserole. All in all, it was yummy but nothing to wow the Jones'. If you do decide to make this, let me know now it goes, and as always,

Buen Provecho!

Mexican Rice

On Sunday I gave a lesson on time management. I used rice and water as part of my object lesson then realized I had a ton left over. Not wanting to waste it, I took it home and cooked it. Needless to say, cooking with rice has been on my mind quite a bit lately.

Yesterday I found a recipe and used it as a guide for dinner. I was worried it wouldn't be very good, but it was actually delicious!

What You Need:

4 cups cooked brown rice
1 can black beans drained
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes drained
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups cheese
spinach leaves

What to Do:

Preheat oven to 350*.
Spread rice in a casserole dish. Mix in seasoning, tomatoes, sauce, beans and 1 cup cheese. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
Bake until cheese is melted and all is heated through- about 20 minutes.
Serve on bed of spinach.

This would also make a great burrito stuffer. I think we are going to try that out tonight... or enchilada! That would be yummy too. At any rate, enjoy, and

Buen Provecho!

Yiddish Food

I am so excited to try this recipe! It is in the oven as we speak and I can't wait to try it. In honor of Hanukkah, I had to try this traditional Jewish dish. I hear this is something that is served for Hanukkah and since I love trying new things, I thought I would give this a go.

Cheese Blintz Casserole

What You need:

16 oz. cottage cheese

16 oz. cream cheese

4 beaten eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup flour

2 sticks butter, melted

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tsp. baking powder

pinch salt

juice of 1 lemon

What to do:

1.) Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 Pyrex.

2.) Mix the filling in 1 bowl: cream the cream cheese & cottage cheese. Add 2 eggs, 1 cup of the sugar, salt, and lemon juice.

3.) In ANOTHER bowl, mix the batter: butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar, 2 eggs, flour, baking powder, milk, & vanilla.

4.) Pour 1/4 of the batter in, then all of the filling. Top with remaining batter.

5.) Bake for 45-60 minutes. Top should be slightly browned.

You can serve this with fruit on top, or sour cream or even applesauce. Use your imagination! Enjoy!

Buen Provecho!

Ratatouille

I made this for dinner tonight and am loving it! I think that we are going to eat it while watching it's namesake when my hubby gets home. I added a little here and there, tweaking it to make my taste buds rejoice. As follows is my rendition of this delightful dinner:

1 medium eggplant, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 zuchinni, diced
Saute in olive oil and season to taste with seasoned salt and freshly ground pepper.
Add;
16 oz tomatoes (with juice)
A dash or two of balsamic vinegar
Put in baking dish and cover with 1/2 cup each parmesean and mozzerela cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

We ate this with some home made Lavish crackers. Yummy. Try it. Go make it right now, and tell me if this isn't absolutely delicious! I am thinking of garnishing it with some fresh parsley. I will let you know how it goes.

Chicken Casserole

I know I am terrible about posting pictures, but you just have to trust me, this tastes great! It is my sister in law's Chicken Casserole.  So yummy!

Chicken Casserole

2 C cooked and cubed chicken (roughly 3 chicken breasts)
1 1/2 C celery
2 C cooked rice
1 C mayonnaise, DO NOT use miracle whip!
2 tsp onion minced
2 tsp lemon juice
1 can uindiluted cream of mushroom soup
2 cans water chestnuts, sliced
1 tsp salt

Mix and put in ungreased casserole dish. In saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter (you can use less, just make sure everything gets coated). Add 1/2 C slivered almonds and 2 1/2 C cornflakes until all are entirely coated in butter. Spread on top of casserole and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Grandma's Zucchini Casserole

So I am not a huge casserole fan. I am not entirely opposed to them, but they are not my favorite. However, it is zucchini season, and in trying to find different creative ways to use up the zucchini, my wonderful grandmother came up with the best recipe in the world, and I was waiting for the zucchini to come into season so I could make this.

Grandma's Zucchini Casserole


10-11 c. cubed zucchini, cooked to make 6 cups
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
1 c. cheese (shredded)
1 med onion, sauted in 1 T. margarine
1 pkg. stove top stuffing + 1 c. bread crumbs
1/4 lb. butter

Boil zucchini 5-10 minutes and drain. mix with chicken soup and sour cream. Mix stuffing mix, not as directed on box, but with melted 1/4 lb. margarine only. Mix onions with zucchini mixture, then in casserole dish, layer stuffing mix and zucchini mix alternately (also shredded cheese) ending with crumbs on top. Bake 30 minutes at 350 F. in a 9x13 pan.

This casserole just brings summer at grandma's house back to the mouth and the memories! I hope you all like it as much as I do.