JAG
just add garlic.
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Cauliflower Garlic “Breadsticks”
Golden, crispy, and veggie all over.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups “riced” cauliflower
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 oz shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 T italian spice blend
- S&P to taste
- dipping sauce
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Rice the cauliflower by shredding it on a large grater or in the food processor.
2. Mix all ingredients together, reserving about 1/4 of the cheese and spices.
3. Line an 8x11 pan with foil or parchment paper and lightly coat it with cooking spray. Spread the cauliflower mixture evenly in the bottom. Bake until the top is golden, around 30 minutes.
4. Once the loaf has sort of set (I tried to do this too soon and nearly destroyed the whole thing) lift it out of the pan using the foil/paper and invert it on a cookie sheet, so the botton is now face up. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and spices on top, and bake for another 10 or so minutes until that side is also golden.
5. Finally, cut the loaf into breadstick sized pieces, and broil for a minute or so to really crisp them up.
Dunk in sauce and enjoy!
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Roasted Carrot and Tomato Soup with Crispy Kale
Last week’s CSA included beautiful red carrots which seemed too pretty to put through the juicer or toss onto a salad. So I roasted them with some tomatoes and garlic, and pureed them into a lovely summer soup.
Ingredients
- 1 dozen small ripe tomatoes
- 1/2 bunch carrots
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 bunch dinosaur kale
- 1 quart stock
- 1 medium onion
- 1 T chopped tarragon
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 1/2 t red pepper flakes
- S&P to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Peel and cut the carrots in half, placing the cut side down on a greased/foiled cookie sheet. Cut the tomatoes in half, placing them on another sheet. Cut the top off the garlic head, wrap in foil, and drizzle the top with olive oil before sealing.
3. Roast the veggies. The tomatoes should only take about 20 minutes, while the carrots and garlic will take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on size.
4. Slice the stem/ribs out of the kale leaves. In a large bowl, toss them with sea salt and olive oil until coated.
5. Remove the carrots and tomatoes from the cookie sheets, and toss the kale on the already used foil. Turn the oven heat down to 250, and bake the kale until it’s crispy and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.
6. In a large pot, saute the diced onion in olive oil for a few minutes. Chop up the roasted veggies, and add them to the pot. Squeeze out 2-3 cloves of roasted garlic. Add the herbs, and cook together over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the stock, simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Let the soup cool slightly, then puree using hand blender or food processor.
8. Serve soup hot with kale chip on top.
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Veggie Tacos
It was 94 degrees by 8 in the morning yesterday when I made it back from the market with a nice little haul. The thought of cooking anything remotely complicated seems way beyond reach this summer. Enter this no fuss, super satisfying, lite meal.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 T olive oil
- 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 large (or 1 small) each, summer squash and zucchini, diced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 habanero pepper, minced
- juice of 1/2 lime
- corn tortillas
- tomato, cilantro, avocado, sour cream to garnish
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1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium high. Add onion pepper and garlic, cooking 1-2 minutes, until softened.
2. Add the squash, saute for another minute. Squeeze the lime juice over the pan.
3. Add the beans. Cook for another 5-6 minutes, until everything is barely cooked and incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Meanwhile, heat the tortillas in between two pans.
5. Assemble tacos, and enjoy!
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Zucchini Goat Cheese Wraps
What to do with the first handful of garden cherry tomatoes and green beans?
Wrap them in zucchini and goat cheese, of course!
1. Slice zucchini into thin, long strips.
2. Salt the zucchini and compress with paper towel for about 15 minutes.
3. Cut tomatoes/beans into small pieces.
4. Spoon a dab of goat cheese onto each strip, add tomatoes or beans, roll up, and secure with a tooth pick.
Perfect for picnics!
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Summer Beet and Kale Salad
This week’s CSA brought us lots of lovely greens, and our first beets of the summer!
Julia at Peasant’s let us know that these swirly chioggia beets are sweet, and best eaten raw.
Ingredients:
- 3 small beets, peeled and sliced into small pieces
- 1 bunch lacinato kale
- 1/2 small red onion
- 3 ears corn, boiled
- 1 can black beans
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 t red pepper flake
- s & p to taste
Combine everything in a large bowl, let sit for 20 minutes, and enjoy!
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Matchstick Slaw
Shred/slice equal parts shredded red cabbage, radish, and zucchini into matchstick size pieces. Salt and lime juice to taste.
A mandolin helps.
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Mushroom & Leek Barley Bake
Jamie: looks delicious. and/or sort of like a shroom-krispie.
Ingredients:- 2 T olive oil
- 4-6 ounces mushrooms, chopped
- 1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 cups cooked pearl barley (about 1/2 cup dried cooked in 1 1/2 cups water)
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1/2 cup Parmesan, divided
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 t ground cumin
1. Preheat oven to 375˚F and grease a 9x11 pan.2. In a large frying pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the mushrooms and a pinch of salt, cooking for about 3 minutes or until just beginning to soften. Stir in the leeks, cook another 2 minutes, then add the garlic. Continue cooking until everything is softened and the mushrooms are a nice brown color, about another 3 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3. Place the barley in a large bowl. Stir in the mushroom mixture, the almonds (reserving some for garnish), cumin, and half the Parmesan.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and salt. Fold the eggs into the barley mixture, then pour into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the last half of the Parmesan.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the left over almonds and serve. -
Zucchini + Eggplant Ribbon Lasagna
For the first post in months, I thought I should choose something great. As my roommate pointed out, I started chanting “yum yum yum yum” as I took this out of the oven, so I think this veggie lasagna qualifies!
Ingredients:
- One each medium zucchini and Japanese eggplant, sliced/shaved as thin as a lasagna noodle
- 2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 t salt
- 1/2 t fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 habanero pepper
- 1/2 medium fennel bulb
- 1 large onion
- 1/2 bunch asparagus
- 3 T olive oil
- 1 cup part skim ricotta
- 2 cups shredded cheese (I used mozzarella and parm)
1. Slice the zucchini and eggplant really, really thin: I used a mandolin for this. Place the strips on paper towel and liberally salt, to sweat out most of the moisture. Layer the veggies between layers of paper towel, and let stand at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
2. For the sauce, dice the onion, fennel, and asparagus. Heat olive oil over high flame, and saute veggies until softened- a few minutes. Add the habanero, cut into tiny pieces, careful not to touch the pepper and then your face/eyes. Meanwhile, process the tomatoes and garlic together, and pour over veggies. Simmer with the lid on for about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375.
Tiny pepper, big heat factor!
3. Line a 9 inch square pan with a layer of zucchini/eggplant. Cover with sauce, dot with 1/3 cup ricotta, and a layer of shredded cheese. Repeat until the pan is full.
I really need to work on my photo skills…
4. Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes, covered. Then take the cover off and bake until the cheese is bubbly and browning, around 10 minutes. Let set for 10-15 minutes, cut and serve.
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Black Bean and Butternut Squash Hash
Hearty veggies, smoky salsa, toasted rye, and a runny egg. Sunday brunch perfection, without the bacon! I make this at least a couple times a month. It’s a great reason to keep shredded/cubed squash in the fridge.
Ingredients*:
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup butternut squash, shredded or sliced very thin
- 2/3 cup black beans
- 2/3 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
- Sriracha, S&P to taste
- 1 T olive oil
- 3-4 eggs
- 3-4 sliced of rye bread
- salsa
*This list is a complete approximation- I’ve never measured, and my proportions always change depending on how many I’m feeding.
1. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Cook onion, squash, and garlic for a few minutes until softened. Meanwhile, throw the bread in the toaster.
2. Add the cabbage, beans, Sriracha, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.
3. Pour the hash over the toast. Fry eggs until runny. Layer salsa and egg over hash.
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Smoky Chipotle Salsa with Pan Roasted Tomatillos
I’m not sure I’ve ever made anything this satisfying with 4 ingredients.
Ingredients:
- 4 medium tomatillos, husked and cut in half
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
- 2-3 chipotles en adobo
- 1/4 cup water
1. Over medium high heat, place the tomatillos and garlic cut side down in a large nonstick pan. Roast for 4-5 minutes, until cooked through. Turn over and roast the other side.
2. Put everything in the blender, and pulse until uniform. I used 3 peppers, since I really like spicy food, and it turned out perfect.
Author
Kitchen musings from Lizzy: not so novice cook, part time law student, newbie gardener, lifetime Chicagoan, garlic spice and travel lover.
