Baked Ziti

Ingredients 1 Ciabatta roll 2 Garlic Cloves 1 oz. Grated Parmesan 3 oz. Light Cream Cheese 8 oz. Marinara Sauce 1 Shallot 1 oz. Shredded Asiago Cheese 2 oz. Shredded Mozzarella 5 oz. Spinach 6 oz. Ziti pasta Steps Preheat oven to 450°F. Bring 8 cups water and 2 tsp. salt to a boil in a medium pot. Separate ciabatta halves, if necessary. Peel and halve shallot. Slice halves into thin strips. Mince garlic. Once water is boiling, add pasta and stir occasionally until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Drain in a colander and set aside. While pasta cooks, top cut sides of ciabatta with 1 tsp. olive oil and half the garlic (reserve remaining for sauce). Place a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp. olive oil and shallot to hot pan. Stir occasionally until softened, 2-4 minutes. Add remaining garlic and stir constantly until aromatic, 30-60 seconds. Add marinara, reserved pasta cooking water, and spinach. Stir occasionally until spinach wilts, 1-3 minutes. Remove from burner. Stir pasta, Asiago, half the Parmesan (reserve remaining for topping), and a pinch of salt into pan with sauce until combined. Transfer pasta to prepared casserole dish. Top with mozzarella, remaining Parmesan, and dollops of cream cheese. Place casserole dish on one half of foil covered baking sheet. Coat a piece of foil with cooking spray and cover casserole, sprayed-side down. Bake casserole in hot oven, 15 minutes. Carefully, remove baking sheet from oven. Remove foil. Place ciabatta on empty half of baking sheet, cut-side up. Bake again until cheese is bubbly and ciabatta is toasted, 5-7 minutes.

February 20, 2021

Mushroom Stroganoff

Ingredients 3 Tbsp olive oil ½ a red onion, diced 3 garlic cloves, rough chopped 16 ounces mushrooms, sliced (cremini, shiitake, button) ¾ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper ¼ cup cooking sherry (or sub white wine or more broth) 2 cups veggie broth 1–2 Tbsp whole-grain mustard 1 Tbsp flour 8 ounces uncooked pasta (rotini, penne) about a scant 3 cups *½ to ¾ cup sour cream Steps Heat oil on sauté function. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, salt and pepper and saute 7-9 minutes or until mushrooms release their liquid. Add sherry wine, 2 cups broth, mustard and flour and stir well, scraping up any browned bits (to prevent burn error) Add the pasta, stir. Set instant pot to pressure cook on high for 3-4 minutes. (see notes) Manually release (placing a towel over the steam). Stir in the sour cream, and keep on warm setting for 5-10 minutes. Sauce will thicken slightly. (Optional) Add a teaspoon of soy sauce.

January 25, 2021

Butternut Risotto

Ingredients 2 Tbsps olive oil (or butter) 2 cups sliced leeks (one extra large leek) 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped 8 sage leaves, chopped 1 cup Arborio rice or short-grain Spanish rice (Bomba) 2 heaping cups butternut squash, cubed ¼ cup white wine (or skip it) 2 cups veggie stock or chicken stock or broth (or water and 1 tsp or cube veggie bouillon) ½ tsp salt ½ tsp nutmeg 2–3 handfuls baby spinach or chopped kale Maple-Pecan Topping 1 cup pecan halves 2 Tbsps real maple syrup ¼ tsp salt and optional pepper Steps Slice and rinse leeks, separating rings (rinsing will help them to soften faster) Heat oil in the instant pot, add leeks and stir for 2 minutes. Add garlic, sage and rice, stir for 2 minutes. Add butternut squash, and keep stirring for a couple of minutes, until there is a bit of browning on the bottom of the instant pot. Add the wine and scrape up the browned bits - a wooden spoon is good for this. Let all the wine cook off, about 2-3 minutes. Add the stock or broth. Scrape up more browned bits. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg, and give a good stir. Seal the instant pot and pressure cook on HIGH for 6 minutes. Naturally release for 5 minutes, then manually release. Stir the risotto, adding the spinach and cheese or butter if you like, or leave them out. Garnish with optional leek oil or maple glazed pecans. Maple-Pecan Preheat oven to 375°F Toss pecans in a bowl with the maple syrup and salt and optional pepper. Place pecans on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Place on the middle rack for 14 minutes. Toss at 10 minutes, and check at 12 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool completely. Break apart.

January 25, 2021

Potato Soup

Ingredients 1 Tbsp butter 1 cup chopped yellow onion 3 cloves garlic (minced) 2 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes (cut into ½-inch pieces) 2 carrots (sliced) ½ tsp dried oregano ¾ tsp salt (or to taste) ¼ tsp black pepper (or to taste) ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for spice) 2 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth) After Pressure Cooking: 1 cup milk (whole milk preferred) 1 Tbsp cornstarch Steps Press the Saute button on your Instant Pot to turn on saute mode. Add the butter to the pot. When the Instant Pot is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until onion has softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic to the pot and press Cancel to turn off the Instant Pot. Stir for 30 seconds. Pour in a little bit of the broth and stir, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add the potatoes, carrots, oregano, salt, pepper, cayenne (if using) and remaining broth to the Instant Pot. Stir. Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position. Using the Manual/Pressure Cook function, set the cook time to 6 minutes. When the cook time ends, allow the pot to naturally release for 10 minutes by just letting it sit. After the 10 minute natural release, use the handle of a long spoon to carefully turn the steam release valve to the venting position. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the 1 cup milk and 1 Tbsp cornstarch. Turn the Instant Pot on saute mode and stir in the milk and cornstarch mixture. Use a potato masher to mash some, but not all, of the potatoes. Let the soup simmer, stirring, until it thickens slightly. Serve the soup with toppings, as desired.

January 25, 2021

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients 1 cup diced onion 1 tsp avocado oil (or olive oil) 1 bell pepper diced 1 jalapeno pepper diced 2 ½ cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth if needed) 15 oz canned tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes ½ cup mild or medium salsa verde (or your favorite salsa!) 1 Tbsp tomato paste 15 oz can black beans (drained + rinsed) 15 oz can pinto beans (drained + rinsed) 1 cup corn (fresh, canned, or frozen) ¾ cup dried red lentils ½ tsp chili powder ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp cumin ¼ tsp cayenne pepper ¼-½ cup heavy cream Steps First, chop your veggies and measure out the ingredients. Next add everything but the heavy cream your toppings. This includes bell pepper, jalapeño, corn, lentils, black beans, pinto beans, broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, salsa verde, and all your herbs + spices. Toss them in and set InstaPot to high pressure for 15 minutes. Allow natural pressure release. Stir in the cream, add all your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

January 25, 2021

Soba Salad

Ingredients 8 ounces soba or whole-wheat linguine or spaghetti ¼ cup soy sauce ¼ cup honey 2 Tbsp rice vinegar or sherry vinegar 2 large cloves minced garlic 1 two inch piece ginger, finely grated ⅓ cup olive oil or vegetable oil ¼ pound cabbage, very thinly sliced 1 cup shelled edamame 1 small bunch scallions, very thinly sliced 3 Tbsp black sesame seeds Steps Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, then drain. Combine the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and chile in a large bowl, then whisk in the oil. Add the cabbage, edamame, scallions and noodles and toss to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

January 20, 2021

Tomato and Corn Salad

Ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil 1½ cups fresh or frozen corn kernels 2 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes 1 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro 1 Tbsp freshly grated lime zest 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves) Steps In a large skillet, heat one teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the corn and cook until soft, 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool corn slightly and set aside. Whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, vinegar, one teaspoon olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, cheese, cilantro and corn. Toss the salad with the vinaigrette and season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste.

January 20, 2021