My Minnesota Aunts made the best egg bakes and it was something I looked forward to every time we celebrated Christmas in Minnesota.  It might be a Minnesota thing – I don’t ever recall having it with Wisconsin family – anyone know? I remember them being full of cubed white bread, breakfast sausage, custardy eggs and of course, some cheese. They were delicious. It’s been a few years since I’ve had it, but I haven’t forgotten.

I decided to put a little twist on the traditional egg bake and added sweet potato and kale instead of the white bread. Much healthier, much more flavorful and much more colorful! The bacon and cheese add decadent flavor and richness so it is just as rich and satisfying as the original.

Surely you can only be thinking one thing by this title…

Sandra Lee.

(source)

Quick run-down on Sandy if you aren’t familiar with her (ahem, Mom): she often makes a meal on her food network show out of various packaged foods. Think cookies with cake mix (I’m guilty of that one), risotto with condensed soup (definitely not guilty, ew) and martinis called white knight-ini. Many people have a strong dislike for her, and while I’m not really a fan, she’s pretty harmless.

I saw “stuffing mushrooms” at Trader Joe’s and immediately thought about how easy stuffed mushrooms are to make. They always seem like such a treat too! The easiest way to make them would be to stuff them with one of the many spreads they have at Trader Joe’s and pack it with a little spinach so I did just that.

So you combine the spinach and a spread (I went with the Blue Cheese & Roasted Pecan), stuff it into the mushrooms and bake. So easy it’s kind of ridiculous and definitely considered semi-homemade. I almost went with the frozen spinach artichoke dip since it would be even easier, but I thought I’d mix it up a bit – choose your favorite spread! If you had some bread crumbs in the cupboard, I’d sprinkle a few on top of the mushrooms, but they definitely aren’t necessary.

Sometimes, semi-homemade is just right.

Spill it: Are you a Sandra hater or do you appreciate her “semi-homemade” recipes? 

(source*)

Squash can be an over-whelming vegetable. It is hard to chop, hard to peel and then you have to figure out how you are going to eat it! I received a request for a post on squash last week so I thought I’d put together a few tips that I’ve learned over the years. Please add in your own squash tips, I’m not an expert.

There are a few tricks that apply to most of the varieties:

• microwaving the squash for a few minutes will soften it up if you are having trouble cutting through it
• when I cut squash in half to roast, I always scoop out the seeds, drizzle with a little water, season with salt & pepper, and cook cut-side down on a pan
• roasting time will vary, but the flesh should be soft when it is ready to eat

Acorn: 

• cut in half, scoop out the seeds and roast until flesh is soft
• scoop out squash and top with a pat of butter, salt and pepper
• recipe to try: acorn squash with sage brown butter

Butternut: 

• can be peeled with a peeler or knife – I usually cut in half where the base starts rounding, then peel, then cut into pieces to roast
• a great squash to puree and add to soups or use in salads
• recipe to try: classic butternut squash soup (with variation ideas)

Kabocha:

• a newer squash to the US, kabocha squash comes from Japan
• like butternut, it is great squash to puree or add to soups
• cut in half, scoop out seeds and roast
• recipe to try: roasted kabocha squash

Spaghetti: 

• cut in half length-wise, roast, scoop out seeds and then scrape the sides to form spaghetti-like strands
• serve like you would spaghetti with sauce, meatballs, etc. or saute with a touch of butter, garlic, italian herbs and with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese
• recipe to try: spaghetti squash casserole with ricotta and spinach

Delicata:

• this is a relatively new squash to me but it is a great one because you can eat the peel and it is very easy to cut
• cut in half length-wise, scoop out seeds, slice and bake
• recipe to try: roasted delicata squash with rosemary

*All pictures from Real Simple

Did you know that you can make cheese at home?

Maybe it was the over-abundance of dairy growing up in Wisconsin, but it never occurred to me to make my own cheese.  We visited farms at school to see cheese being made, we ate cheese on a very regular basis, and by regular basis I mean daily, we grew up surrounded by dairy farms and if you were lucky enough to have friends that lived on farms? You’ve experienced a dairy farm first-hand.

When I was a (naughty) senior in high school, I stayed with a friend while her parents were out of town to “help” her with the farm chores. One afternoon during my farm stay, my brother (thankfully) warned me (via a huge Nokia cell phone) that my parents were coming to videotape me helping on a farm. As if  they didn’t think I was really helping! I scurried out to the barn and started scooping hay just in time.

I’ve grown up a lot since those days, but my love for cheese has remained constant and the thought of making cheese at home is now a thrilling one! My teenage self would think that is like, so lame.

So I set out with a Bon Appétit recipe to make my own ricotta cheese.

Now someone please tell me how to make burrata cheese and my life will be complete. Like, seriously.

I think my Madison friends will really enjoy this recipe. It is from L’Etoile Restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin. If you are from the area, you know what L’Etoile is and what it is all about.

L’Etoile is a restaurant that focuses on supporting local farmers and artisan producers and it just so happened that this recipe was featured in a recent Bon Appétit. I always get really excited when I’ve either been to or know of a restaurant that is featured in Bon Appétit or Food & Wine. It makes me feel like I kind of know about the food world.

The recipe sounded great – I love all things curry – and because L’Etoile has such a great reputation I figured it would be a good one. I switched a few things up in the recipe, mainly because I get frustrated when recipes call for 1/2 can of coconut milk or 3/4 cup broth. I don’t want to open it, use half and then throw the rest away! Right?

But the curry, oh this curry.

It was slightly sweet, really creamy and we loved the flavor. It is definitely a warming dish, perfect for fall and winter evenings.

I definitely wouldn’t skip the roasted squash, the texture was a welcome addition to the smooth curry. Since the curry itself didn’t really contain any veggies, I served it over brown rice and steamed green beans, but your favorite vegetable would work.

We have done a very poor job of utilizing the LA Farmers’ Markets since moving here.

So last Thursday I decided that I wasn’t going to plan every single meal of next week like I normally do. I would go to the Hollywood Farmers’ Market (considered one of the best in LA) Sunday morning and make dinner out of our findings! Sadly, this is kind of my idea of living on the edge…

The farmers’ market was amazing, and I now vow to visit more often. It was the perfect way to spend Sunday morning and I was able to buy all of the vegetables and fruit I needed for the week!

Soon after we started browsing (and people dodging/celebrity spying) I spotted some pak choi (bok choy) and had just seen a recipe on Fake Food Free that I wanted to try out (Ginger Soy Pak Choi) so our meal immediately took an Asian twist.

Then we were at the Oyster Boys stand and I over-heard one of the Oyster Boys describing Thai Mussels…um, done. Actually, we decided it over a few oysters. Um, yum.

So following his instructions, we combined coconut milk and veggies in a large pot and let the mussels cook away. Can we just take a second to discuss how amazing fresh lemongrass smells?! I almost didn’t want to throw it in the pot.

The thai mussels were incredible – the flavors so complex and spicy, creamy and fresh – all at the same time. And so easy! Mussels always strike me as complicated or a lot of work, but they really aren’t!

Have you ever eaten at a restaurant…

and seen something that sounded so interesting but you just weren’t able to order it because there were so many other things on the menu that you needed to try?

When that happens to me, I jot down a few words and email them to myself. Inspiration I call it. Hopefully I’m not the only one who does this crazy, little thing. (Please tell me I’m not the only one?)

So on April 16, 2010 I emailed this to myself:

And proceeded to think about it every now and then for the last 19 months.

I have no idea what possessed me, but I finally made it. And I’m so glad that I did. For starters, I can now delete that email. I can also share a recipe that can be mostly made in the slow cooker and will be a nice change from the standard BBQ pork.

I wish I could remember where we saw this, I know it was some dark bar in Denver, and we ate mac & cheese with truffle and mushrooms (been wanting to make that ever since too) and something about it just sounded right to me.

The Taster on the other hand was thoroughly confused.

“Chinese BBQ pork with provolone?”

“On a corn tortilla?”

“I don’t get it.” “Why?”

During times like this, I usually just shove some food in his face and wait for his (always honest) opinion.

This doesn’t top his list of favorites, but I loved it.

It is part nacho, where the edges of the corn tortilla get all crispy like chips.

Part tostada, with the classic corn flavor and juicy meat.

And part, “what? I don’t get it.”

Which is the best part of all.

I know all of my Midwest friends and family will think that I’ve completely lost it, but its been cold in California. (And raining. No one told me it rained here, but I kind of like it.)

And when its cold, I crave soup to warm me up! I’m a fan of all kinds of soups – from creamy and rich (my Mom makes the best Shrimp & Artichoke Soup) to healthy, chock-full-of-vegetable soups.

This time around, I wanted an extra-healthy soup. Brimming with vegetables. Free of meat. Something that would warm me up and fill me up without a ton of calories because I’m pretty sure I’d rather eat more cookies this time of year. Healthy soup = more room for cookies, right?

So I threw together a ton of vegetables, a few beans, and my favorite, kale for a light, yet hearty soup that will leave you feeling good! I added a decent amount of red pepper flakes and the Taster loved the spiciness of the soup. Season the soup to your preference!

White Bean & Kale Soup

This time of year, there is probably something we can all use a little more of.

And it isn’t cookies.

Sorry. Always the bearer of bad nutrition news….

Our Thanksgiving celebration included a number of amazing dishes (think scallop chowder and shiitake stuffing) but also had TWO kale dishes! I came armed with creamed kale and there was a delicious kale & sweet potato salad with an asian dressing. I loved it and I’m happy to report that MORE than half of my plate was filled with veggies that night. What can I say, Nutritionists tend to be high-acheivers.

Turns out it is pretty easy to make which means it can and should be on your plate soon!

You can switch up the kind of kale, depending on preference and use sweet potato, squash or whatever you have on-hand. You could also use a pre-made dressing like Annie’s Shiitake Sesame if you are short on time.

As I made my way through the (we will not name the number) bowl of creamed kale, I came to a very important realization.

Creamed kale tastes like it is really, really bad for you. It tastes like it is full of cream and cheese. Two things I adore, but when I’m eating kale, I like to think I’m doing something good for my body.

When I thought about the ingredients, I realized that there was a chance this creamed kale was actually healthy! I didn’t believe it at first either, because it certainly doesn’t taste it, but when I worked out the nutrition facts, I was left with a side dish that has about 100 calories per serving and a bonus of 10 grams of protein! I’m not one to get caught up on whether something is healthy or not during the holidays, I think it’s best to enjoy the celebration and eat the foods you enjoy, but this dish lets you have the best of both worlds.

Another bonus of this dish and not that I would ever condone this, but say you’ve got an uncle who is a little hesitant when it comes to kale. Maybe its your in-laws, I won’t tell. You could  trick them into eating, and liking kale. Sometimes I hear things like, “why do you like hippy food?” or “why do you eat like a rabbit?” and I feel the need to retaliate. I know, it isn’t right. But its totally fun.

Enjoy your rabbit food Uncle Mike.

Hint: To easily remove stems from kale, grab bottom of leaf in right hand and pull down with left hand.