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.

Recipe #70: Sheri's Tomato Soup

Sheri' made a pot of creamy delicious tomato soup on a recent Sunday night. It went well with Small grilled cheese sandwiches and a simple salad of greens (from our own garden!) dressed with vinaigrette and accompanied by bleu cheese and candied walnuts.

3 lbs. plum tomatoes

3 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper

Pinch of sugar

2 Tbsp. unalted butter

4 shallots, chopped

2 Tbsp. dry white wine

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

4 cups rich vegetable stock

1/4 tsp. cayenne, or more to taste

1 cup half-and-half

3 Tbsp. fine chiffonade of fresh basil, or chopped thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tomatoes in half and place, flesh side up, on a wire rack set on top of a sheet tray or roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes and sprinkle them with salt, pepper and sugar.

Roast the tomatoes in the preheated oven until very soft and starting to brown. This might take as long as an hour, but check after 45 minutes. Take tomatoes out of the oven and let cool while you:

Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Saute the chopped shallots until they become translucent, then add the wine and continue the saute as the wine evaporates. Add the veggie stock and cayenne to taste. Add the half-and-half and continue to simmer the soup for 10-15 minutes.

Add the roasted tomatoes to the soup and puree it well with an immersion blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with the fresh herbs, if using.

Recipe #69: Kale for breakfast? Um ... YES!

Mark DuMond just finished his second month of culinary school (Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts), and so far so good. Yesterday, chef/instructor Darryl Dela Cruz tossed out a surprise challenge to the class: He had two big boxes of fresh kale that wouldn't last the weekend, so he had each of the 30 or so students come up with a dish on-the-spot using kale.

So Mark came up with a dish called "Kale For Breakfast" which is a sort of deconstructed bacon-and-eggs dish. After tasting it, the chef said, "Now you're thinking like a chef!" and added, "If I had my own restaurant, this dish would be on the menu." Pretty nice praise for a dish that was conjured up on the fly.

2 strips bacon, chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 russet potato, peeled and medium diced
1 bunch kale, ribs removed and shredded
1/2 cup chicken stock
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 tsp. butter
1 egg

Heat a skillet and add the bacon. Cook until the fat is rendered. Add the shallot and potato and fry until it just starts to brown. Add the kale and cook until it wilts. Add the chicken stock, lower heat, and braise, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When the potatoes are tender, add butter and cream, and stir gently. Let the mixture cook over low heat until bubbly.

In another skillet, heat butter until hot, crack an egg into the pan, and fry it "sunny side up." Put the bacon/kale/potato mixture into the center of a warm plate and slide the fried egg on top. Sprinkle with a little black pepper and serve immediately.