Recipe #77 - Fennel Remoulade

Mark came up with this one at work, and made it again this past weekend to have with broiled East Coast style crab cakes.

1 fennel bulb, cut into coarse chunks

1/2 white onion, cut into coarse chunks

3 oz. dill pickle chips or slices

1/3 cup dill pickle juice

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup ketchup

1 Tbsp. sambal oelek hot sauce

2 Tbsp. sriracha hot sauce

Pinch salt

Put everything in a food processor and buzz it up until smooth (because of the fibrousness of the fennel, it will have some texture to it).

Serve with crab cakes, fish sandwiches, fish fillets or any type of seafood.

Recipe #76 - Eggplant-Tomato Pasta

Looking for a satisfying, tasty pasta dish that's low-fat, low-calorie and low-cholesterol? Try this one.

1 large eggplant

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 sweet onion, peeled and diced
1/4 cup red wine
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 15-oz. cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
Pinch fresh minced thyme
Pinch fresh minced rosemary
Pinch fresh minced Italian parsley

1 lb. orichiette pasta ("little ears") -- or pasta of your choice

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and place face down on a sheet tray. Roast at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until very soft. Remove and let cool. Scoop out flesh of eggplant and dice; set aside.

In a wok or large saucepan, heat the oil and add the onions. Saute until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Add wine, tomato paste and canned tomatoes. Simmer sauce for about 30 minutes. Add herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve. We had this with shaved parmesan cheese, herb-roasted brussels sprouts and Caesar salad. Yum!

Recipe #75 - Indian Spiced Carrot Salad

Sheri' came up with this one.

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into long thin strips
1-2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
1 bunch fresh cilantro, washed and leaves picked
1/2 small bunch fresh mint, washed and leaves picked

1 small red onion, peeled and sliced very thinly
1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
1.5 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste

Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a small saute pan and add the thinly sliced onions. Saute until they wilt, but don't let them brown. Midway through sauteing, you can add a splash of red wine to keep the onions from browning. Set aside.

Put the lemon juice and zest in a bowl with grated ginger, and cumin. Whisk in the olive oil until thickened and emulsified. Taste and add salt as necessary. Add the carrots, celery and sesame seeds, and toss to combine. Serve immediately or hold for service in the fridge.

Serve with dressed salad greens and thinly sliced apple on the side.

Recipe #74 - Super Veggie Lasagne

Another take on lasagna we tried this past week. As usual, we made enough to eat again. And again. And again. And freeze to eat again later.

9 oz. pack of your favorite premade square-shaped ravioli

1 bunch kale, tough ribs removed and leaves roughly chopped

2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 head cauliflower, broken into bite-size florets

2 large zucchinis, trimmed and cut with a mandolin into very thin slabs

6-8 oz. ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 28-oz. jar of your favorite marinara sauce (we used Trader Joe's)

2 cups Mornay Sauce (recipe follows)

3 oz. grated mozzarella cheese

3 oz. grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375.

Boil the ravioli according to package directions. Drain in a colander and toss with some olive oil to prevent sticking.

Cook the kale in boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan and cook the sliced mushrooms until done and juices are released and cooked off for the most part.

Toss the cauliflower florets in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a sheet tray. Roast in the oven until tender and starting to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

Whisk the egg, ricotta cheese and herbs in a bowl.

Now you're ready to assemble. Here's the order of assembly in a baking pan

• Marinara sauce


• Mornay sauce


• Raviolis


• Ricotta/egg/herb mixture


• Mushrooms


• Kale


• Mushrooms


• Cauliflower


• Zuke slabs


• Marinara


• Mornay sauce


• Mozz and Parm cheeses on top

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 30 to 40 minutes more, until the top is starting to brown and the lasagna is bubbly and done. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving so the lasagna can set.

Mornay Sauce:

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 cups milk, heated

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Salt & white pepper to taste

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese

Heat the butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour and whisk to create a roux. Add the hot milk gradually while whisking and cook until it thickens. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Whisk in the grated cheeses and continue to cook on low heat until smooth, hot and ready.

Recipe #73 - Lo-Cal Squash/Veggie/Bean Stew

This hearty stew has very few calories or fat. We had it with some homemade herbed foccaccia bread and a green salad with pear and fennel.

3 Tbsp. good quality olive oil

1.5 cups quartered and slivered sweet yellow onion

1 cup thinly sliced celery

3 cups cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered

4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash, about 1/2" cubes

1 cup peeled and diced carrot

1 cup diced fennel bulb, core removed

1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, with juice

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

2.5 cups rich vegetable stock

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Salt & pepper, to taste

2 15-ounce cans white beans, drained and rinsed well

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms give off their liquid and start to brown slightly.

Add the squash, carrot, fennel, tomatoes, stock, tomato paste, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cover the pot and bring to a bubbly simmer. Let the stew simmer for about 20 minutes, until the squash, fennel and carrots are very tender.

Add the white beans and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve in wide soup bowls with bread and salad.

Recipe #72 - Tomatillo Avocado Salsa

Today Mark was acting as Chef de parte' on a team at Le Cordon Bleu making some gumbo dishes, and pretty much had the team working the gumbo line. (We did both a seafood gumbo with prawns and a meatier one with chicken and andouille sausage.)

Meanwhile, Mark went to the box and gathered some available stuff to make some salsa, seeing as how we were doing sort of a "South-of-the-border-mixed-with-Cajun-cuisine" range of food.

So ... here's what he came up with:

8 tomatillos

4 serrano chiles

6 green onions

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 lime, juiced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. chile powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne powder

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

Core and dice the tomatillos. Trim the serranos and remove about 3/4 of the seeds and pith. Finely mince the rest. Slice the green onions thinly. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan and add the veggies. Saute until the tomatillos release their juices and the veggies are cooked through. Add the lime juice and seasonings. Stir and cool slightly. Add the diced avocado and serve.

Recipe #71 - Sheri's Easy Lasagna

Sheri' DuMond has been doing the menu-planning and cooking here since Mark has been in culinary school. This is a wonderful lasagna recipe she came up with which will feed us many times.

1 lb. whole wheat lasagna noodles

Salt

1 lb. assorted veggies (we used portabella mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, red bell pepper)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, grated

Bay leaf

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

4 Tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 14-oz. cans crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 Tbsp. AP flour

1.5 cups milk, warmed in the microwave for 45 seconds to warm

Nutmeg, to taste

2 cups asiago cheese, grated

2 cups ricotta cheese

Bring a large pot of water to boil; break the lasagna noodles into odd shapes. Add salt to the water, put in the pasta and cook until not quite al dente. Drain in a colander, toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.

Heat olive oil in another pan and add the veggies. Saute until the veggies are getting tender. Add the tomatoes and basil, and simmer for 10 minutes until the flavors meld nicely.

In yet another pot, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk the roux, then slowly add the warm milk, whisking constantly. Add the nutmeg and season with a little salt and pepper. Whisk until thickened, then stir in half the asiago cheese and remove from heat.

Preheat the broiler in your oven.

Toss the cooked pasta with the veggie-tomato mixture and put it into a lasagna baking pan. Add dollops of ricotta cheese, and smooth all the bechamel cheese sauce over the top, smoothing it to cover the entire pan. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top and put it into the oven until it's all bubbly, browned and great.

Serve with a green salad, garlic bread and wine of your choice.