Cheddar Cauliflower Au Gratin recipe

I've had plenty of days when I bring my children to the grocery store with me and I really regret it. What should only take 5 or 10 minutes of my time, takes 20 minutes or longer. There's countless "Not today, honey" and "We have cereal at home" as well as "Don't fight!" I often leave with twice as many things as I had planned on buying. Ahh, the joys of motherhood and tests of my patience...

But, luckily, there are those times when they come with me and provide wisdom and good judgment. This was one of those days.

We usually start in the produce aisle. Seems innocent enough but they really want to put everything in the cart. Since I already know the inventory at home, there's a bit of negotiation. As I was perusing the produce, the kids saw this orange vegetable that looked like cauliflower but was...orange. I'm one of those people who, when faced with an unknown item in the produce aisle, turns her head and looks for the old comforts of carrots and broccoli.

This vegetable was labeled cheddar cauliflower. Both kids enthusiastically pleaded with me to put it in the cart. It was so pretty and orange, I decided to go against my normal grain and buy it. Just looking at it, I thought, well, I can steam it and bake it in the oven with cheddar and some milk. Cheese usually makes everything taste good anyway, and with that name, what else could I do?

When I got home, I was curious. What was the deal with this orange vegetable? This is what I learned:

• It was first discovered in Canada in 1970
• Over the years, it was crossed with a white variety to create a delicious, high vitamin content cauliflower
• The curds contain approximately 25 times more beta carotene (Vitamin A) than white cauliflower
• Cheddar cauliflower is creamier than the white variety making it easy to serve mashed.

Ooh, sounds exciting. So, when I began dinner that night, I did just what I planned. See the recipe below. The night I made it, I had some extra barley and I used that as a base. You'll see that in this picture but I didn't include it in the recipe.

Next time you are in your grocery store, consider trying cheddar cauliflower and expanding your horizons.

Maybe they'll think there really is cheddar in the cauliflower...

Cheddar Cauliflower Au Gratin
1 head of cheddar/orange cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 cup milk
1/4 - 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 Tbl olive oil or melted butter
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Steam cauliflower in a steam basket in a pot or a rice cooker. Cool slightly.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Prepare a casserole dish by spraying with non-stick spray or lightly coating with oil or butter.
4. Place cauliflower in dish. Pour milk over and then top with cheddar.
5. Mix breadcrumbs in a bowl with oil or butter, salt and pepper. Place breadcrumbs on top of cauliflower. Bake 15-20 minutes or until breadcrumbs start to brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

Organic Crock Pot Vegetable Soup

I had already posted a crock pot soup recipe but I wanted to make a super simple one. That one is this. As you see in the picture, the only real effort with this soup is chopping the veggies and opening one can. Once you do that, you'll have a delicious and super-nutritious soup 3 to 6 hours later, depending upon which setting you use.

I consider this soup to be organic. All of the ingredients are organic, except the seasoning which accounts for 1 tsp. Then again, I'm not moderated by the QAI.

If you want to lower the cost of this dish by a few dollars, use 2 qts of water instead of the broth. Add extra salt, at least 1 tsp. And speaking of salt, you should add to taste. The more flavor from the broth and the veggies, the less you need. But, if you taste the soup and it tastes "flat" or bland, add salt. With this amount of soup, add 1/2 tsp at a time until it tastes good. Your family can also add their own salt to their taste, too.

If you want to make it completely vegetarian, use the water option or vegetable broth. Remember, you can always make your own vegetable broth with veggies, water and salt. That's a good way to reuse veggie scraps as well. And if you have other veggies in the fridge like broccoli, zucchini, peas or peppers, add those to this soup. But wait until the last 30 minutes. Otherwise, those vegetables might get too soft and disintegrate.

The cooking time will vary depending upon what setting you use. This really depends upon whether you are starting it at 8a and coming home at 4p or starting at 2p and want to eat around 5p. Either way, check the beans to make sure they are cooked before serving. It might need less time than what is suggested. You want to ensure the hard beans are soft. Doing it this way means you don't have to soak them, either. Most beans, if cooked for 2-3 hours at a simmer, will be soft enough.

I hope you'll give this a try. If you don't have a crock pot, use a big pot on the stove. When I cook something on the stove for a long time, I do it when I know I will be home. The crock pot is different.

I literally threw the ingredients in a pot and 6 hours later, this is what it looked like. See below for the recipe.

Organic Crock Pot Vegetable Soup

1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
1 cup bean & grain mix
1 can diced chopped tomatoes
1 32 oz carton chicken or veggie broth
1 tsp salt free seasoning (or any blend)
2 cups water

Add all ingredients. Cook 6 hrs on low. Add 8-10 oz frozen organic chopped spinach and 2 cups cooked pasta at the end. Add salt to taste. Serve with extra virgin olive oil, like California grown Bariani, and fresh grated Italian cheese.

Get ready to eat. Mangia!

"Better than a Box" Brownies

Make these brownies in less than 45 minutes start to finish

There is nothing like a good brownie. I grew up with brownies from a box. I loved making them and eating them. At some point, someone, somewhere brought to my attention that most boxed brownies don't even really taste like chocolate. No way. Really? The next time I saw one of these "not really chocolate" chocolate brownies, I tasted it. I used my senses and not my eyes. Hmm, it was good, sweet, and dark but...not really that chocolately.

I then did some research and found the ingredient listing of one of the more popular brands:

Sugar, Enriched Flour Bleached (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid) Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed Oil, Corn Starch, Salt, Carob Powder, Artificial Flavor, Nonfat Milk. Contains Wheat and Milk.

Not as much chocolate as I would have expected...so, I looked for an easy recipe. I came up with the following, after playing around with a couple of recipes. I've made some adjustments and am happy with the results (as are most friends I serve this to!).

I put this recipe in the category of "healthy" because the ingredients are whole and I've cut the sugar down quite a bit. And healthy is all relative. Although I'd like to make a meal of these, a little square is a nice treat. As long as you don't overdo any treats and you are eating a balanced diet, in my opinion, you deserve a brownie once in a while.

I've included lots of pictures to give you an idea of how to do it. Start it at 5pm, they will be in the oven by 5:30 and out by 6:00. If dinner is done at 6:30, pour a glass of milk and enjoy!

"Better than a Box" Brownies

½ c semi sweet chocolate chips, like Guittard
2 oz bittersweet chocolate
3 Tbl unsalted butter (you can use 6Tbl butter instead of using the oil)
3 Tbl canola or vegetable oil
3 eggs
¾ c white organic sugar
1 tsp vanilla
¾ c unbleached white flour
½ tsp salt
½ c semi sweet chocolate chips

1. In a microwave safe bowl, place chocolate chips, bittersweet chocolate and butter. In 30 second intervals, microwave butter and chocolates, stirring in between until chocolate is melted. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Add oil.
2. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. This temperature helps to cook brownies more evenly. Spray an 8”x8” pan with non-stick spray. You can also line the pan with foil if you want to be able to remove the whole brownie from the pan, and then cut into pieces.
3. In another bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Mix in the chocolate from step 1.
4. Add flour, salt and chocolate chips and mix until blended. Pour into square baking pan and use a spatula to get out every last drop.
5. Bake about 27-31 mins. It’s done when a toothpick inserted in the middle has moist chocolate on it but is neither dry nor very wet.

Ravioli & Sausage Soup

One night last week, when it was time to make dinner, I went to the freezer. I saw ravioli and frozen spinach. I remembered I had chicken sausage in the fridge as well as tofu and chicken stock. 20 minutes later, dinner was on the table.

I know some times it's hard to see dinner when you open a cabinet but keep soup at the top of the list. Sure, I like to make chicken soup from scratch once in a while but it's not realistic unless I plan it. To make life easy, I usually keep a few containers of organic chicken broth in the pantry.

Soup can be a great one-pot meal, too. I find that if I add the spinach or chard to the broth, my children just sort of eat it. I know for all of you, that's not an option; some children will pick it out. Do the best you can. They are bound to get a few residual nutrients even if they do.

Here are a few ideas to make that chicken broth just a little more exciting:

• Boil pot stickers in broth and add mixed frozen vegetables at the end with a dash of sesame oil
• If you have any leftover rice, pasta or potatoes, use that with veggies and protein
  
• Look for leftover or need-to-use protein in the fridge; saute raw protein like sausage, chicken or ground meat but use the broth to cook seafood like shrimp
• If cooking raw vegetables in a broth, add the hardest veggies first, like carrots, and then add the softer veggies, like zucchini, toward the end
• I know I'm Italian but there's nothing like good quality olive oil and some freshly grated Italian cheese like Grana Padano or Peccorino Romano on top (except when making the potsticker version!)

Ravioli and Sausage Soup
Serves 4

1 or 2 Italian pork or chicken sausages (like pesto, mild Italian, or sun-dried tomato)
1 32 oz carton of organic chicken broth
about 1/2 pound cheese ravioli (I like the Genova brand mini ravioli the best; great flavor)
1 10 oz box or 1/2 bag of frozen, chopped organic spinach
4 oz firm tofu, cut into cubes
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly grated cheese

1. In a large pot, cook sausage until brown. Remove and cool slightly. Slice and keep warm.
2. Place carton of broth in the pot along with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil.
3. Once broth is boiling, add ravioli and cook for 5 minutes, 1 or 2 minutes less than recommended time.
4. Add frozen spinach and tofu. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Add sausage.
5. Serve in big bowls topped with olive oil and cheese.

Fresh Whole Wheat Pasta

I don't make pasta as often as I should but when I do, I love it. It helps to have the KitchenAid attachment but if you don't, you can roll this through a pasta roller or even with a rolling pin. I've only made semolina pasta but finally got the courage to try whole wheat. It came out just as good, if not better. I might have to try gluten free one of these days!

I served the pasta with a tomato-olive-artichoke sauce topped with feta. I will provide that recipe later. For now, let's talk about the whole wheat pasta. I didn't try all whole wheat flour but I have seen recipes for this. You might have to adjust the water or flour, though. And, remember this is a process; a good weekend project and even more fun with company, i.e. someone to help. Just give it a try; it's worth it and worth the money. Yes, the pasta roller is an investment but you can have fresh, delicious pasta for about $.75 per pound.

Whole Wheat Pasta

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 Tbl olive oil
4-5 Tbl water

1. In the bowl of a stand up mixer, place flours and salt. Mix together with a paddle attachment. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the eggs, water and oil. Turn the mixer on, with the paddle attachment on, and the flour in the bowl. Slowly pour the water-egg-oil mixture into the flour, over the course of 30-60 seconds. Feel the dough; it should be tacky but not sticky. Add more flour if necessary or water if it feels very dry.
2. When the dough is formed, switch over to the dough hook and knead for 3-4 minutes.
3. Take dough out and form into a disk. Cover with a damp towel and leave on the counter to rest for at least 30 minutes.
4. Using a knife or pastry scraper, cut the dough into 8 wedges. Working with one wedge at a time, shape into a rectangle and place through the roller at the lowest setting. Fold the dough over once and run it through a few times.
5. Change the setting to 2. Run it through a few times. Repeat with #4 and #5 setting, depending upon how thin you want it.
6. Once you have the sheets done, use the cutting attachment to make either linguine or fettucine. You can also use it for lasagna or cut your own wide noodles for pappardelle. Make sure to keep the pasta well floured so it doesn't stick. Use a pasta drying rack (I love this one) to let pasta dry out while you are rolling and cutting. It helps to have another person for this part.
7. When you are ready to cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 Tbl, yes a Tbl, of salt to the water. Add the pasta all at once, using a spaghetti fork to stir. You don't have to add oil to pasta water; you just have to make sure you have enough water. That is what keeps it from sticking.
8. Cook the pasta 2-3 minutes. Drain and serve immediately. This recipe will make enough pasta for 8 servings. You can cook part of it and save the rest for another day. Keep refrigerated or freeze.
9. Mangia!

Amy's List of Essential Kitchen Tools and Equipment

I hope you read this blog not just because you want a new recipe but maybe because you look to me for advice in the kitchen. Cooking utensils and gadgets are things I love and I feel they make my life easier. Creating a good meal is a combination of good food and the right tools.

Ok, so here it is. Not counting a good chef and paring knife along with a big cutting board, these are a few of my favorite things:
(and if you want, you can sing to the tune of “My favorite things” from The Sound of Music!)

Three different size processors for chopping and mixing
Two little whisks for blending and whisking
Scissors for cutting pizza and calamari rings
These are a few of my favorite things.

A silicone baking sheet which means nothing sticks
A heatproof rubber spatula that’s also good for licks
Prep lists and shopping lists to make my heart sing
These are a few of my favorite things.

Glass measuring cups,
An instant read thermometer;
For me these are best.
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so stressed.

Cute, wasn’t it? Let's talk about why and what these things do.

1. I bought one of those combo immersion blender/whisk/mini choppers a few years ago and found it to be something I really can't live without. Recently, I replaced my old set which was starting to make a gr-rrr-rr noise with the KitchenAid Immersion Hand Blender with Chopper. I use the blender for shakes and soups. It's excellent for pureeing baby food, right in the pot. The mini-chopper makes hummus, bean spread, tuna salad and pesto. The whisk attachment is irreplaceable for a quick fresh whipped cream or beaten eggs. This is really worth the money.

2. Speaking of KitchenAid, a stand mixer is another one of those things I feel is a must-have in the kitchen; I just couldn't figure a way to work it into the song. I make cakes, cookies, bread dough, pasta (see photo left and above) and occasionally fresh whipped cream. I had a 5 qt mixer and felt the need for bigger. Well, as the saying goes, it's not always better. I now have the 6 qt and although the capacity is bigger it is very noisy and some times it's hard to make a small batch of something. I have to constantly scrape the sides down in order for it to mix properly. For most home cooks, go with the 5 qt unless you are cooking for a family over 5.

3. Another brand I really like is Cuisinart. I love my large food processor and use it for shredding everything from carrots to zucchini to potatoes and cheese. The slicer attachment is equally excellent. However, the blade is by far, my favorite. I use it to chop bread into crumbs, whole nuts into tiny pieces and veggies into super small pieces. Be careful with the veggies as they can turn into soup if you over-puree. But what the food processor allows me to become is a wonderful baker. The pie crust, which takes about 3 minutes to prepare, comes out perfect each time. This alone is worth the money.

4. I talked about 3 sized food processors. If you can, get one of the mini ones. I use this for chopping herbs and small amounts of nuts. It saves you from cleaning the large one and will do a better job when you are not chopping a large quantity.

5. Another product from Cuisinart that I really like is their waffle maker. With the right batter and a little bit of time, it's easy to make delicious and healthy waffles in your own kitchen. I vary between plain to pumpkin to gluten free. Making your own probably costs around $.75 or less to make 8-10 7" waffles. I freeze any extra and have breakfast ready to go on a school day. I find that now that the waffle maker is more accessible, I use it more frequently. Keep that in mind. Make sure you can get to it easily.

6. Next on the list of good brands is OXO. Since they specialize in small equipment, I'll just list the ones I love: tongs, both the medium and large, the vegetable peeler, a can opener that takes the top off without leaving a sharp edge (genius), and kitchen scissors. There are many other great OXO products; these are my top picks.

7. Other small utensils that I recommend are things like the unicorn magnum pepper grinder, zyliss cheese grater, Taylor instant read thermometer, a microplane, and heat resistant spatulas. That pepper grinder is the best one I've ever used. My kids can use the cheese grater and I swear, because they can grate their own cheese into their veggie soup, it makes it that much more appealing. An instant read thermometer is just an essential kitchen tool, especially for $7. The microplane makes the best lemon zest, fresh grated nutmeg and ginger. I use my spatulas for everything from scraping jars to scraping batter to cooking eggs.

8. Just when I thought I had every appliance and didn't need one more thing, I got a slow cooker. After "test braising" one for a week, I developed a new respect for what is also called a crock pot. Just so you know, Rival owns the name "crock pot" which is why the other ones are called "slow cookers. I love the one I have for 3 reasons: I can control the time in 30 minute increments, the heat (low and high) and switch between these settings at any time, making it very versatile. Some slow cookers only adjust the time in 2 hour increments or don't allow you to just go to "keep warm" mode. Look for things like this when you shop.

9. Another product that I have been using for the last 3 years which I love is the silicone baking mat or silpat. I use it for cookies, roasting asparagus, baking chicken tenders and even making mess free nachos. If you watch the Food Network, you'll notice the chefs using this mat quite frequently.

10. I must not forget about pans. I've used lots of different ones but when it comes to stainless steel, make it easy for yourself and invest in All-Clad. They are perfect for sauteing, braising, poaching and simple boiling. The heat is conducted well and it cleans relatively easily. I only use oil, no non-stick spray, and have never had a problem. If you don't get a set, at a minimum you should have a saute pan, sauce pan (either 2 or 3 qt), and saute pan with sides. The saute pan is essential for cooking up your veggies or meats and giving them a good sear. The sauce pan is used for everything from sauces to soups to mashed potatoes. The second saute pan is essential for braising. All of these are oven proof up to 500 degrees F which is quite useful.

11. The last but not least essential cooking tool is by far good knives. At a minimum, invest in a good paring and chef's knife. One of my favorite and affordable brands is still Henckels. Make sure to also buy a sharpening steel and ask someone to teach you how to use it. I just walked over to my knife drawer, picked up my 10 year old 8" chef's knife and sharpened it with my steel. It feels like new. If you live near me, I'd be happy to show you.

I hope you like my picks for essential kitchen tools. If you happen to be in Half Moon Bay, stop at Toque Blanche; you can find most of the items I listed above. If you have some of these things in your kitchen but don't know how to use them, you know where to find me.

Lentil Loaf, aka Meatless Meatloaf

I am very fortunate to hang out with a group of green moms. In the past 3 years, I have been making small changes in my life to become a little more green. I never feel guilty about what I haven't done yet but feel great about what I have accomplished. My journey has been a series of baby steps.

Once a month or so we have a vegetarian pot luck. If you know me, you know I'm not a vegetarian but I always consider it after these meals as I feel so satisfied as well as healthy. To me, cooking without meat means you have to be more creative with flavors and textures. I had wanted to create a tasty lentil loaf for a while, but lacked the motivation. When I saw that the topic was legumes and winter veggies, I decided to give it a try.

I knew some of the main ingredients I wanted in the dish; lentils, maybe brown rice, veggies and possibly nuts. I found this recipe and really liked the structure of it. When I cook, that's usually what I do. I use a recipe as a general guideline but not as a road map so I might get there a different way. Although the end result was delicious, you need to have time for this one as the lentils and rice have to be cooked. You certainly could use leftovers so if you plan ahead on another day, the ingredients could be sitting in your fridge.

Ground nuts are a great way to replicate the texture of meat. I decided to toast mine in a non-stick skillet. Toward the end, I threw in some wheat germ I had in the fridge for flavor and extra nutrition; it takes on a new character when toasted. The oats help to bind it but I could have used bread crumbs as well. I feel like cooking is all about what you have on hand.

The recipe had originally called for barley. I didn't have enough so I used a combo of barley and short grain brown rice. Why did I cook it together? Hands on your buzzers, please...the cooking time is almost the same and the grain size is almost identical. That also meant one less dish to wash for me.

The key to this dish is working in parallel. Here are the steps but the first 3 should be happening all at the same time:

• Cook the barley/rice (this takes the longest)
• Cook the lentils
• Chop and cook the veggies
• Toast the walnuts and wheat germ; cool, then place in food processor with the oats
• Mix it all together and bake

Let's move on to the recipe itself. I really think I'm going to make this again, even if most of the time I'm a carnivore. I hope you'll give it a try.

Amy's Lentil Loaf

1/2 c barley or short grain brown rice (or a combo of both)
1 c brown lentils
Salt
Olive oil
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
Herbs de Provence
Pepper
1 Tbl tomato paste
1/2 c walnuts
1/4 c wheat germ
1 c oats
1/2 c ketchup + 2 Tbl for the top
2 Tbl brown mustard
1 Tbl soy sauce
1/4 c Milk or water
1 egg, beaten

1. Cook rice or barley: bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice/barley and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring back to a boil and then simmer for about 40 minutes. Check after 30 minutes; you may need to add more water.
2. Cook lentils: add 1 cup of rinsed lentils to 3 cups of water with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook about 25-30 minutes, covered. Leave cover off toward the end if there is still a lot of water.
3. Cook veggies: Heat oil in pan. Add carrots, onions and then celery with seasonings until golden brown. Add 1/2-1 cup water and allow to evaporate. This will help soften the veggies and get all of the flavor from the pan. Add tomato paste and salt to taste.
4. Toast walnuts in a non-stick skillet until golden, adding wheat germ toward the end to lightly toast. Cool. Add this with the oats in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (or chop on a cutting board).
5. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray or coat with oil.
6. Once lentils, rice, and veggies have cooled, mix in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT egg. Season with salt and pepper. Taste the mixture and make sure it has enough flavor. Once you are happy, add the egg and mix well. Make sure the mixture is somewhat "wet" or else it will be crumbly instead of moist. You can add more milk or water if necessary.
7. Place in loaf pan and top with ketchup. Bake for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 160 degrees F.
8. Allow to rest for 5 minutes and then cut. Serve with a mushroom sauce.