Asparagus and Mushroom Frittata

Use this basic frittata recipe with other combinations of veggies as you follow your imagination. I especially like this version because of the lovely texture of the asparagus and mushrooms together. This is a quick and easy way to make a delightful egg dish, much easier than quiche or soufflé.

Ingredients

3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
¼ onion, chopped (about ¼ cup) or 1 tbsp. onion powder
20 asparagus spears (chopped)
5 baby Portobello mushrooms (sliced)
6 eggs
1 cup grated cheddar cheese 
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Dusting of paprika for the top

Directions

Break the tough bottom ends off the asparagus and chop the asparagus into one-quarter-inch rounds. Slice the mushrooms. Chop the onion. Sautée the vegetables in about 2 tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat for about 7 minutes until they are soft. Set the vegetables aside when they are done.

Beat the eggs and add in the herbs (reserve the paprika for the top). Grate the cheese but do not mix it into the eggs yet.

Turn on the broiler in your oven (high).

Put 1 tbsp. of olive oil and 1 tbsp. of butter into a large oven-safe skillet (cast iron works well) and heat over medium heat until the butter melts. Next pour in the egg and herb mixture. Lower the heat to medium and set your timer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, spread the vegetables into the eggs, dispersing them evenly. The bottom of the eggs should be firming up but the top will still be wet. Cover the skillet and leave it on the burner for 2 more minutes. The bottom of the frittata should set, but make sure it doesn’t begin to burn. After the second 2 minutes is up, remove the skillet from the burner.

Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the eggs, dust with paprika, and place in the oven (uncovered) for 2-3 minutes until set and bubbly. If you do not have a broiler in your oven, you can put the frittata in with it set on bake at 375°, but it will take a few minutes for it to set and you have to watch it carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn on the bottom while the top is firming up.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Sauerkraut and Mushroom Bake

This dish has become a standard on our Thanksgiving table because it goes so well with the other flavors of Thanksgiving. It is a stunningly unusual dish to bring to any potluck and one of those foods that calls you back for seconds. It can be made either as a dairy dish or a vegan dish, as explained below.

Ingredients

1 quart sauerkraut
15 oz. cooked black beans
1 oz. dried Shitake mushrooms
1 Portobello mushroom
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 c. sour cream or tofutti sour cream for a vegan dish
½ tsp. black pepper
Salt to taste

Directions

Simmer the Shitake mushrooms in 3 cups of water for 1 hour in a pot with a lid on it. Save the water from the mushrooms after they have been cooked. Remove the stems and chop or slice the mushrooms. Chop or slice the Portobello mushroom and lightly sauté it in a bit of olive oil (for about 2 minutes).

Rinse the sauerkraut thoroughly in a colander. Rinse the black beans thoroughly in a colander. (The rinsing helps remove gases from these foods so that they are easier to digest.) Combine the sauerkraut, beans, mushrooms, dairy/tofu sour cream, pepper, and salt. Add a little bit of the water from cooking the Shitake mushrooms (no more than a half a cup).

Bake the mixture in a greased baking dish, covered, at 350˚ for one hour. This dish freezes well if you choose to make it in advance. It can be reheated long after it was baked with little damage to the flavor.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Mock Thanksgiving Dressing (Gluten-Free)

This version of Thanksgiving “turkey dressing” has no meat and no gluten in it, yet it fills in the blank in Thanksgiving dinner for vegetarians. To me, the flavor of Thanksgiving is all in the spices. This vegetable medley is augmented with sage, thyme, and dill to give it that special holiday feeling. It works well with all the usual holiday side dishes and can be used to liven up those lush deep winter meals enjoyed with family and friends.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 chopped red pepper
1 chopped green pepper or orange pepper (or combination)
3 chopped celery stalks
1 chopped Portobello mushroom or 6-8 chopped ordinary button mushrooms
½ c. chopped onion or 1 tsp. onion powder
1 large crushed garlic clove or ½ tsp. garlic powder
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or 1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tbsp. ground sage
1 tsp. ground thyme
1 tsp. ground dill
½ tsp. black pepper
Salt to taste

Directions

Chop the vegetables. Combine the oil, vegetables, and spices in a deep dish frying pan and cook slowly over medium heat. If you don’t mind having the veggies get a bit mushy, you can put a lid on the pan and steam them down. If you like the veggies to be crunchy, then don’t cover the pan. Stir frequently, especially before the veggies begin to make some juice, so that you don’t burn the veggies to the bottom of the pan. It will take about 10-15 minutes to cook.

The recipe as provided contains no bread and requires no baking. For a more dressing-like dish, bake a batch of my gluten-free cornbread (refer to that recipe). Mix the cornbread and the cooked vegetables in a large mixing bowl, add 2 eggs, and bake the mixture for half an hour at 350˚.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Whenever you cut open a pumpkin, save those seeds! Roasted pumpkin seeds are a tasty nutritious snack. Watch your children go through a bowl of these treats in minutes.

Ingredients

Seeds from one pumpkin
Garlic powder to taste
Salt to taste

Directions

When you open a pumpkin, scoop out the portions with seeds and put them into a colander. Run cool water over the seeds and the pumpkin meat/strings that cling to them. Pick out the pumpkin meat/strings until you have nothing but seeds left. It’s OK to leave a bit of orange meat/seeds behind as you will be able to weed these out when you put the seeds on a cookie sheet for baking, which is the next step. I usually cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper, then spread the seeds out on it. At this point you can easily remove all the rest of the meat/strings clinging to the seeds. Get the seeds as clean as possible and spread them out as much as possible. There is no need to grease the cookie sheet or parchment. Dust the seeds (evenly) with salt and garlic powder. Bake at 375˚ for 20-30 minutes, until the seeds are slightly brown and crispy. The rest is just plain YUM!

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Butternut Harvest Pie

Move over pumpkin, here comes the luscious butternut. Your children will love this one, and it’s perfect to augment your Thanksgiving dessert repertoire. You will need a pie crust for this and I have not offered the crust recipe here. I make a crust with rice flour these days so that the pie is gluten-free. Use your favorite premade crust or crust recipe.

Ingredients

2 ½ c. cooked butternut squash purée
¾ cup honey
½ cup heavy cream
3 eggs (beaten)
2 tbsp. grated orange and/or tangerine peel (fresh grated is best)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ginger
1 pie shell (either make from scratch or purchase ready-made)

Directions

Cut a butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the innards (like a pumpkin). Put the halves upside down on a cookie sheet with a little water in it (up to about ¼ of an inch). Bake at 350˚ for about an hour or until the squash is clearly soft when pierced with a fork. Do not overcook as the squash will turn brown on the bottom and discolor your pie. Check frequently after 30 minutes in the oven. Once the squash has cooled, scoop out the squash meat, discard the skin, and whirl the squash in a food processor until it is smooth.

Combine the pie filling ingredients. The best way to do this is to whirl them up together in a blender or food processor until they are thoroughly blended and creamy. Pour the pie filling mixture into the pie shell. Bake for 50 minutes (or until the center is set) at 350˚.

I believe that this pie is best served cold, so let it cool down and then refrigerate it. As a cold pie it works well at Thanksgiving because you don’t have to warm it up. It’s ready when you are.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Cranberry Sauce Made Simple

You do have options when it comes to cranberry sauce. You can buy a can of gelatinous cranberry sauce or you can be the hit of the Thanksgiving bash by making cranberry sauce from scratch, and it’s so simple there oughta be a law. Note that this recipe should be made a day in advance for best results.

Ingredients

16 oz. cranberries (fresh or previously frozen)
1 c. honey
1 c. orange juice with pulp (water works, but orange juice tastes better)
1 tsp. orange zest (optional)

Directions

Combine the ingredients. Bring to a boil (take care not to let it boil over). Simmer for ten minutes. Cool. Refrigerate. It is a good idea to make this recipe a day in advance so that it has time to set up in the refrigerator, otherwise, you risk having runny sauce. It becomes firmer when it is completely chilled.

This recipe serves about 8 people. Do the math to make enough for more.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Exotic Rice Curry

Curry lovers always enjoy this dish. You can make it hot spicy or not and it provides a good foundation for experimentation (by adding other ingredients). It’s gluten-free, lactose-free, and vegan. It’s delicious, satisfying, and usually a hit at a potluck. It works just fine with regular brown rice or Basmati brown rice; but it’s exceptional with the exotic rice and wild rice combination suggested in the ingredients below.

Ingredients

1 c. uncooked exotic rice (Black Japonica, Red, Mahogany, etc.)
½ c. wild rice
3 c. water
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 red pepper (chopped)
3 tbsp. chives (or 1 tsp. onion powder or ¼ c. chopped onion)
1 mango (chopped)
2 tbsp. lemon juice (fresh-squeezed is best)
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries (or more if desired)
2-3 tsp. curry powder (see below)
Pinch of cayenne if desired
Salt to taste

Directions

Bring the water to a boil, add the rice, cover tightly, and cook on a very low temperature until all the water is absorbed (about 45 minutes). The rice is best if slightly crunchy (definitely not mushy). Fluff with a fork and allow to sit for 5 minutes, covered.

Chop the red pepper and chives (or onions). Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a frying pan and stir fry the vegetables briefly over high heat, turning frequently, for 3 minutes. Cut up the mango into bite-sized pieces. Do not let the juice escape! Save it to add when the dish is assembled.

When the rice is cooked, combine all the ingredients together (including the other 2 tbsp. of olive oil listed in the ingredients) and toss lightly.

If you have a curry powder that you like, use that for seasoning. If not, the main ingredients I look for in a curry powder (or use when I throw one together) are turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, ginger, black pepper, and coriander. The cayenne will make this dish hot spicy and it’s up to you how hot you want it to be (choose the amount of cayenne carefully).

Note that this recipe also works with quinoa or red winter wheat if desired.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!