Showing posts with label Vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegetarian. Show all posts

Apple, Leek & Squash Gratin 

Wednesday, November 2, 2011 -
Despite Halloween being over, I'm glad I am still able to indulge in my favorite seasonal tastes.  There is something about comfort food in the fall.  From gathering a group of friends or enjoying it by yourself on a lazy Saturday. I know I say it often, but fall has the best flavors and makes everything homey and comforting.

I remember reading about a squash gratin a few months ago in Whole Living as I was prepping my palate for the colder weather.  I had an butternut squash, some apples and a few leeks in the pantry.  I did have red cooking wine, so I knew I could make my own version with some substitutions.  Plus, I didn't use as much of the apples or butternut squash and it turned out just fine (actually, quite delicious!)

Ingredients
  • 2 apples, thinly sliced (I used gala, but any baking red variety would work I imagine)
  • 1/2 of a butternut squash, about 1.5 pounds, sliced
  • 2 leek, cleaned and chopped, white part only
  • Fresh sage leaves 
  • Red Cooking Wine
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Clove of Garlic
Cook the leeks in a few tablespoons of olive oil with some garlic.  Once they were tender, add a few leaves of chopped sage and about 1/4 cup of the wine until it is evaporated.

In a baking dish, layer the squash in an even layer.  Top with the leeks and layer the apples over the leeks.  Next up, grate some Parmesan cheese over it all.  Bake this in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned.  The squash/apples will be done if they are fork tender.

Hubs wasn't feeling it until he took a fork full.  He even ate the leftovers the next day, which means this was a successful dish in my opinion.  It would be a great side for Turkey Day I'm sure.  I may make it for our small gathering.  Delicious.

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Mushroom & Cheddar Tart 

Thursday, February 3, 2011 -
Another Meatless Monday recipe, I was looking for something different.  I saw we had a puff pastry in the freezer and started thinking, "what can I make, other than baked brie, with the puff?"  We always have cheddar in the fridge (we are from Wisconsin after all) so I was thinking some sort of tart.  All I needed was some onion and mushroom to make the dish complete.

I began by chopping up shallots and mushrooms.  I had some oyster mushrooms and baby bellas, but you can use whatever you find on hand or at the store.  I sauteed up the shallots in some olive oil and added garlic.  Once those were softened, I dropped in the mushrooms until they were all softened.  Some seasoning was added (I believe I added garlic wine seasoning and black pepper) and I set that aside.


I had the puff pastry defrosting while I was prepping everything else, so it was ready to go when I finished up with the mushrooms.  I had rolled it out just a tiny bit and cut it into four pieces before placing it on a cookie sheet.  A note here - I didn't have parchment paper, but if I did, I would have put that down on the pan.  Instead, I very lightly sprayed the sheet and it ended up more greasy than I would have liked.  I'm sure parchment isn't needed (or the spray), but if you have, lay it down!

To prevent the puff pastry from, well, puffing up, I pierced it with a fork.  I topped it with extra sharp cheddar cheese, the mushroom mix and then a bit more cheddar.


These baked in a preheated, 350 degree oven until they were crispy and golden.  Chives add a crisp freshness to the savory tart, and I served them with a mixed green salad dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil to lighten it a bit more.  Hubby was starving, but after his salad and one tart, he was surprised with how full he really was.  I even got the much anticipated "I didn't even miss the meat!" which I'm sure is due to the variety of mushrooms.  And normally, he insists on overloading his food with cheese, but each had at most one ounce and it was more than enough.  The leftovers the next day heated up great too - all around, a great meal!

What do you like to cook with puff pastry?

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Broccoli Soup & Crostinis 

Thursday, January 20, 2011 -
With the New Year, I decided more veggies had to be incorporated into my meals. This also means hubs gets to eat more too.  I saw broccoli was on sale this past weekend, so I scooped up two pounds knowing that I could make a simple, yet tasty, broccoli soup.  It would be a light, Sunday evening meal after eating out over the weekend - perfect way to kick off the week.

I began with what would be the "hardest" part of this recipe - the veggie prep.   After chopping the onion, hubby sauteed it in olive oil while I finished the veggies.  I peeled and diced the potato and continued onto the broccoli.  One thing I notice that many people do with broccoli is disregard the stem.  For a soup though, you can really use all of this once you peel and prep it.  Thus, I thought I'd give you a basic four step procedure to using the stems.

1. Remove the broccoli heads
2. Trim off all the "branches" of the stem (makes it easier to peel)
3. Stand up the broccoli on an end, then cut away the outer layer with a knife, like you would with a pumpkin or melon skin.
4. Ta da!  You are done!  Chop and use!

Now that we have all of our broccoli chopped with the potato, I added all the veggies to the onion Tim had been cooking (muah, thanks hubs!)  We then added a few cups of vegetable broth (you can use chicken, beef, whatever you have) and then finished it off with water just until all the veggies were submerged.  I also added some red pepper flakes, pepper and garlic salt.

That's it.  Let it boil, then lower the heat so it simmers for about 20 minutes.  Grab the hand held submersion blender your mother gave you back in the day (or, you could also use a blender, just be cautious cause the liquid is hot.  Do it in batches and cover it with a towel to make sure there are no splatters) and go to work.  Whatever consistency you like, we preferred super smooth.

And the whole time the soup is simmering, hubs is being fantastic and making crostinis to compliment the meal.  Simply enough, toasted french bread was topped with a mix of artichokes, parsley, Parmesan, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Absolutely fantastic with the soup (would be a great appetizer too!), that evening and the next day.  And while your coworkers are looking at the soup in disgust due to the green appearance, you can sit back and enjoy the warm soup in your belly knowing it is not only tasty, but good for you too.

Make anything recently that was perfectly light and hit the spot?

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Jalapeno Popper Dip 

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 -
While hubs and I were making the Parmesan Tator Tots, we had a batch of jalapeno popper dip in the oven.  Inspired by my love of buffalo wing dip, I figured we could translate the spicy and cheesy popper into a dip as well.  I was sure other people have done this before, so I did a little research and found Closet Cooking presented a great option.  When we got home, I whipped up a batch of my own with what we had in the kitchen.

This is so simple - we mixed together some pickled jalapenos, mayo, cream cheese, cheddar and Parmesan cheese.  Everything that a jalapeno popper has - that's it!

On top we sprinkled some panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese on top.  I should have mixed these together and finely grated the Parmesan so it would have browned up better, but it was still delish.  Once topped, we put it into the oven.

Crisp corn tortillas were the perfect vehicle to get this dip in my mouth.  And it was just like a popper - I promise.

Next time, I'll probably add more jalapenos, both fresh and pickled, and mix the topping together.  And trust me, there will be a next time!

What spicy appetizer do you enjoy?

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Meatless Monday - An Easy Pasta 

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 -
Many people don't enjoy Mondays.  My hubs happens to be one of those people.  Don't get me wrong, I don't really enjoy Monday's either - I think they are the cousin of the week days that no one really enjoys (yes, I have an analogy for each day of the week.)  But, I try to make the most of it.  This past Monday when I got home from the gym and hubs wasn't in the mood, I rush him out of the kitchen and get cooking.

I'm one of those people that plan a menu around our busy schedule for the week.  I make a grocery list to follow the order of the store.  Yes, I am a planner, I get it.  For me to say, "we'll figure it out" when chatting about a meal is rare, because I usually have some sort of idea.  But alas, it is Monday, and I wanted something simple too (because remember, I'm sleepy too.)  So, I grabbed a box of pasta and decided to "figure it out" by taking a look in the fridge to see what we had remaining from our busy, but fun, weekend.

While I had the pasta water boiling, I roughly chopped up some spinach leftover from the stuffed mushrooms I made for the Halloween party.  We also had a lonely tomato from hub's taco dip for the football game.  We always have at least 3 types of cheese in the fridge so I grabbed some Parmesan and added that to the mix.
Garlic, pepper, salt and olive oil are always home staples, so I add those as well.
Now, none of this took long.  I threw in a batch of chocolate chip cookies for a sweet post meal treat I knew hubs would enjoy.  I know he isn't a huge fan of me making him eat veggie once a week, but he's a good man, so a treat he gets!

Another note - hubs doesn't like whole wheat pasta.  We really enjoy making our own pasta and do so frequently, but sometimes when you want quick and easy (like Monday's,) we end up purchasing it.  We agree on the whole grain pasta - we get the healthy benefits and hubs doesn't have to taste the nutty flavors of the whole wheat that he doesn't like.  Thank you to all the companies who make this because it helps us out!
Once the pasta was drained, I tossed together everything.  The heat of the pasta wilts the spinach just a bit, melts the cheese a little, and brings all those simple ingredients together.  The garlic becomes fragrant and the Parmesan gives off it's own flavorful aroma.  And just like that, an easy (and healthy) dinner.
Hubs even said, "Thanks for making a great dinner I wasn't looking forward to."  Now, I take that as a compliment because hubs just doesn't look forward to meatless Monday's.  But I know with flavorful dishes (like the veggie meals we've had at Tastings or Zing,) he doesn't miss the meat.  And of course, with a sweet surprise treat like cookies, this makes it even better.  He didn't even mention a word that I left them in the oven a tad bit too long (I was cleaning the kitchen - got distracted!)
If you aren't vegetarian (shout out to my friends who are!,) do you try to eat vegetarian meals throughout the week?  What kind of easy meals do you prepare on days that you want something simple?

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A Case of the "Blends" 

Friday, September 17, 2010 -
Blended Wines.  Some people love them and have embraced this increasing trend while others have yet to try.  Tastings decided to expand their varietal series as we took a closer look at blended wines and a pairing of wonderful food.

First course was a white table wine, Pro-mis-Q-ous.  A combination of Gewurtztraminer, Chenin Blank and Chardonnay, the taste was subdued in flavor.  Originally, I could smell a hint of oak flavors, but after taking a bite of food, more intense flavor shine through.  Simple and basic in flavor, the three varieties blended well together to create a partnership.  The name says it all, does it not?

What normally would have been our apertif, we were treated to not only a tasting of wine but also to a pairing of food.  Unrue presented us with a warm pear and scallop salad.  Lemon-poached red pears and Granny Smith apples were on a bed of spicy arugula and then topped with perfectly pan-seared bay scallops.  I loved the use of the bay scallops, as it gave a delicate approach to the dish.  The red pears were not as grainy in texture (I'm not normally a fan of pears...yes, I think they taste like dirt...) but more crisp like the apples.  They soaked in the lemon flavors and were strengthened with the meyer lemon dressing.  The tartness of the lemon was refreshing, but what played well with it was the surprise of the St. Germaine foam on top.  This wonderful liquor made from elderflower gave the whole dish a sweetness that was cut by the salty flavors from a shaving of manchego cheese.  I loved the simplicity of the flavors in this dish - it was fantastic.

Our second course began the reds of the evening with a 2006 Michael~David "Incognito" Rouge.  Lodi Vineyards (located in California) produces this sharp, peppery smelling wine.  I was expecting the bold flavors of a Syrah after giving it a swirl and I was happy to have the subtle dryness delivered (if you remember, some individuals do not like reds like this.)  A fruity flavor of berries (especially blueberries) exploded on the palate and then rounded out with the tannines that I expected.  I had previously had this before (I can't help it, marketing gets me every time!) so I was happy to have another tasting.


Paired with the Incognito was the perfect dish - creole fish and dirty rice.  I had already envisioned sitting in Louisiana sipping the wine, so what a dish to match.  Wonderfully cooked mahi mahi was seasoned with creole spices and left you with a great back taste complimenting the wine perfectly.  The startchy dirty rice was cut with the richness of the fish.  To add another element, a basil remoulade was served on top leaving a basil heavy, creamy textured compliment.  A tinge of berry brought out the spices of the dish as well. A heavier dish, the second course contrasted sharply from the first, but I loved everything about it.  My favorite of the evening.

As I continued drooling over the creole mahi mahi and dirty rice (side note - all I want is dirty rice now...and that was a few days ago,) we were presented with our third tasting.  From Argentina, a 2007 Alta Vista "Atemporal" was smooth and full of flavor from the blends.   Malbec was the lead of the flavor, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and a varietal I've never experienced - Petit Verdot.  I could taste the richness floral and red fruits from what I would expect out of a Malbec, being "fruit forward" in taste.  It finished silky and smooth in the mouth.

I was excited to see a strong and flavorful dish for the course.  Falafel and Babaganoush - two elements that I adore - were beautifully presented in a colorful dish.  A cumin-scented chickpea fritter was chopped so that it had almost a rice texture to it but with all the taste of a chickpea.  Even hubs who doesn't like chickpeas could have had more fritters.  On top was a roasted Japanese eggplant, which I was extremely excited to try as I had never had theJapanese eggplant before.  Sweeter in taste, it paired well with the creaminess of the roasted tomato cream sauce which was poured over the tasting.  I adored the creamy and heavy taste of the sauce as it added a new texture to the grainy chickpea flavors.  The gentlemen sitting next to me told his date that he could be a vegetarian if all the dishes were like this.  For a minute, I thought he was going to start licking his plate, but alas...

Revelry Vintners out of Columbia Valley, Washington, produced our next tasting, the 2008 Reveler.  Luscious in flavors, this was a reverse-style Bordeaux made with a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  It had a medium body with a clean finish and light tannines.  It is a limited series and was a great introduction for the reverse Bordeaux style that I had never tried.

With a bold flavor of the Reveler, what better to be served than lamb meatballs?  I love lamb but never had it in a meatball form, so I was excited to be served the red wine-braised lamb.  Served with a smooth porcini mushroom jus, pepper-roasted figs and maytag purple peruvian potatoes mad this a hearty dish.  I love the combination of the bleu Maytag cheese and thyme - it was a level of berry flavors combining with the earthiness of the smashed potatoes.  A little salty in taste, this was comfort food at its finest: salty but bold with meaty flavors.

 
Onto the dessert course, I was happy to not be given a dessert wine, but a white from Terra Alta, Spain.  I love Spanish wines and this 2007 Clos del Pinell Blanc was sweet but with a uniqueness of flavors.  Lemon amber in color, it had a grapefruit smell and was sweet (in the not overwhelming kind of way) on the tongue.  I could see this being served with a light dessert (as we were so happily served) or a seafood - seemed very versitle for a sweeter white.  Another thing I enjoyed, how simple the Spanish can be - can you get anymore basic with this label?
Mock cheesecake - I had no idea what to expect.  I was given a creamy, mascarpone panna cotta which was "eggy" in the perfect way (and yes, I understand that there are no eggs in panna cotta, but still, the cream, sugar and gelatin basics sometimes yield these flavors to me.)  A buttery, almond sugar cookie "crust" was sitting in a pool of sweet tangelo syrup.  The tangelo, which is a sweet fruit, similar to a tangerine, wasn't over the top sweet and complimented the mellow flavors of the mascarpone and almond.  The beautiful sparkle of the candied citrus and lychee (which is a berry) gave it a cruncy sweetness.  Light but sweet - a perfect ending to another wonderful meal. 

During the meal, I was able to enjoy a NEW addition to Tastings - the beautiful flat screen behind the open kitchen!  I know, a tv. And yes, it is exciting.  This is the perfect way for people who MUST see sports or something on the weekend to potentially have that opportunity.  For this tasting however, we were shown some classic pieces of digital art - a nice touch if I do say so myself.

I unfortunately can't make it to the next two Wednesday wine dinners (sad face) because I'll be heading to Seattle to try amazing food (happy face), but that doesn't mean you can't make it!  On Wednesday evening, they made a BIG announcement - Sun King Brewing is partnering with Tastings for an Oktoberfest Beer Tasting!  Beyond excited, as Sun King has some amazing craft beer (amazing tasting room by the way, you must check them out - they also great events, like HBG4) that will match well with Unrue's culinary masterpieces.  You should sign up for that one now - limited spots are available.  I already have my seat reserved, as well as the other marked evenings below:

September 22 - Regional Series: Napa in Nap Town
September 29 - Truly Progressive (Happy Anniversary to my hubby!)
*October 6 - An Evening with Burgess Cellars
*October 13 - Oktoberfest Beer Tasting with Sun King Brewing

Will I be seeing you at any of these events?

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Tastings: A Progressive Dinners 

Sunday, August 15, 2010 -
One of my favorite places in Indy, Tastings: A Wine Experience, has continued to amaze me with each visit.  Located in the Conrad, I have been recommending this downtown hot spot to anyone that I can.  Why you may ask?  The relaxed but sophisticated environment lends to the perfect atmosphere to enjoy wine and divine food.  And that is why I can firmly say that if you have $20, you need to spend a Wednesday evening at Tastings.

This past Wednesday, hubs (T) and I joined our friends for another memorable wine dinner (missed out on our last dinner - read about it here.)  This week's theme - truly progressive dinner, vegetarian style.  T and I arrived early to have a few wine tastings before the dinner began (once again, love how you can try anything without purchasing a whole glass if you don't want to!) and instantly our stomach's began to growl as we watched the 6:00 seating wrap up. When you make your reservation (yes, I say when because I expect you to, you don't want to miss this!) you can either reserve space at 6:00 or 8:00.  Our friends then arrived, and we grabbed our seat (there are no bad seats in this arrangement!)

We began our evening with the aperitif - a white gazpacho mary.  I'm not normally a fan of bloody mary's (it's the pepper, don't ask) but this gazpacho was nothing like your normal mary.  Made from grapes, apples, horseradish and cream to name a few, it was full of so many tastes!  Heavy but light - creamy but fruity - tart but spicy - the spectrum was all over the place.  You take a sip and think, "Interesting," and then you continue to sip some more.  The many flavors had you guessing "What is that?"  Who would have ever thought - gazpacho in glass, without the bread and beans!
The first course came quickly, and I was anxious to dig into the tomatoes and french green bean salad.  The green beans were tossed in a whipped vinaigrette, which gave it a sweet element.  I was curious to how this worked, and the chef, Steven, was more than happy to take a minute to really explain the process of flavoring the whipped cream with a simple vinaigrette.  Another thing I love - you've got questions, they always have the time to answer.  Included in the salad was frisee and the heirloom tomato tartare, drizzled with chive oil.  My favorite part of this dish was the tomato tartare - I loved the sweetness of the tomatoes with the chive oil.  I could have grabbed some homemade tortialla chips and had a free for all with the tartare.  All the flavors complimented each other so well -  perfect first course on a hot evening.
The wine pairing was a rose - Le Domaniers Cotes De Provence Rose, 2008 - to be more exact.  After enjoying the fruity first sip, I found myself shocked.  I normally stay away from roses, but I found myself returning for another sip almost immediately.  Maybe it was the combination of the whipped vinagrette, but I found myself drawn to the light spice balanced with the taste of peaches.  It was, once again, perfect for the hot evening.
The second course, made with all local ingredients, featured an Indiana sweet corn tamale, braised kale, goat cheese and a tomato cream sauce that I could have ate all evening.  This is a sneak preview of Steven's dish for DigINdiana, which is a festival of local Indiana foods.  Am I happy to have seen and tasted this dish!  I don't know if I'll ever have a tamale with perfect texture as this, paired so well with roasted peppers and the sweet tomato cream sauce.  Everything about this dish was amazing - I wanted a full plate immediately.  I thought hubs (well, me too) were going to lick the plate it was so divine.  Mark your calendars, cause you too can try this luscious dish at DigIndiana (if you can't make it, follow me on twitter to get updates throughout the event!)
A delicious pairing, we were offered the Italian Barone di Valforte Montepulciano.  Walking us through the areas of Italy, this Italian wine from Montepulciano was the perfect compliment to the tamale dish.  Full of flavor, soft tannins and an intense fruit flavor.  Not overpowering in anyway, I could have sipped it all night.
Third course was for mushroom lovers, thus it was for me.  Balsamic-roasted portobello with shitake mushrooms were set upon a creamy base of risotto and yams.  The farro risotto was melt in your mouth creamy, textured with chanterelle mushrooms.  Complimented with the sweetness of the yam puree, it was a dream come true.  There is possibility no way that you would have missed the meat.  These full flavors could easily stand alone, but together, it was a full bite of fall.  I would easily demand this dish to be put on the menu for a fall menu (hint hint Tastings!)
The wine to compliment the mushroom dish was the best of the evening.  A deep red from Spain, Juan Gil Monastrell stood up to the flavors of the dish. The fruit flavor balanced with oak undertones and lasted long on your palate with a smooth finish.  It was amazing - you had to keep alternating sip with bite to get the full experience.
Final course of the evening, I felt as though chef Steven was speaking directly to me because of my cheese love.  I adore a great cheese platter, appetizer or dessert, and in this final course, I was not disappointed.  Three different types of goat cheese atop three different kinds of jam on some wonderful breads were the perfect ending to this meal.  You had your traditional goat, melt in your mouth creaminess with the texture of a brie rind atop a berry compote.  In the middle, a sharper goat with a texture similar to a cheddar paired with a combination of berry jam (maybe some blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.)  And finally, a creamy goat which you could spread so easily over the apricot jam.  Heaven - the perfect way to showcase a truly underappreciated cheese by many, each one stood on it's own while complementing the whole plate.
Do you see how beautiful this combination is?  I loved it so much that on Saturday's farmer's market (Carmel's Farmer's Market is fantastic - I recommend!) I bought some Scholar's Inn bread and local vanilla and fig jam from Circle City Sweets in preparation for some goat cheese...really, the combo is so phenomenal due to the simplicity of the fantastic flavors.
To pair, we were offered an ice wine from Canada.  I learned that most ice wines are produced from Canada, and this Jackson-Triggs Vidal did not disappoint.  Normally, ice wines are too sweet for my taste (as they are for many others.)  However, it matched so well with the cheese, I couldn't help but sip it between each bite.  The taste of the frozen grapes was complimented by the undertones of apricot, leaving a silky finish on your tongue.  It worked perfectly to cleanse your mouth of the creamy goat cheese, but not in a way that masked the flavors.  This had to be the first ice wine that I enjoyed, and the packaging wasn't too shabby either!
Once again, another successful and delicious evening at Tastings.  Every bite gets getter with each visit, and I was so in love with this meal, I already signed up for next Wednesday's dinner event (Wines of Australia.)  I know the overall focus of Tastings is wine, but really, the small plates that are offered with the wines for these dinners can't be beat in the city.

Hats off to these gentlemen for a phenomenal evening - looking forward to next week and the many more Wednesday's to come!

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