Carrot macaroni and cheese recipe

I've been in denial for the last few weeks, but I'm finally starting to accept the fact that I'm moving across the country in less than a week.  Don't get me wrong, I'm beyond excited, but I always turn into a mess before I move.  When I left for college, I cried for the entire 5 hour drive, and as I was moving out after college, I broke down in the food court on campus and cried like a baby (luckily this was the food court right next to the hospital, so crying was a common occurrence).  Of course I'll miss my friends more than anything, but it's also hard to say goodbye to all of my food-related loves in Michigan (particularly my farmers' market, my CSA farm, and Zingerman's).  And I'll miss the kitchen where I really fell in love with cooking.  I packed up the kitchen yesterday (how did I have so much stuff in there??), and it's weird seeing it so empty.  I still have a few things that I'm taking in my car because I can't survive without the ability to at least cook the basics while the rest of my belongings are in limbo on a moving truck, but it's not the same.  I'm excited to create new food memories in my new kitchen, but I'll always have fond memories of this one.  So, it's only fitting that I share one of the last things I made in Michigan, carrot mac and cheese.

It should be no surprise to you that I crammed vegetables into mac and cheese, and this worked wonderfully.  I really liked the way that the carrot blended with the cheese to make a hearty sauce that wasn't too heavy.  It was sweeter than your typical version, but it wasn't too much, and I thought it was a nice change.  However, unlike normal mac and cheese, I didn't enjoy the leftovers cold (I know I'm weird...), so make sure you warm it up.

Carrot macaroni and cheese (adapted from Food & Wine)
(Printable version)

12 oz. carrots, sliced thinly
1 large orange, zested and juiced
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. chunky brown rice pasta (penne, fusilli, etc.)
3 oz. sharp cheddar cheese

Combine carrots, orange zest and juice, and water in a small saucepan, cover, and let simmer over medium heat until carrots are tender (about 30 min).  Let the carrots cool for a few minutes, and then puree them in a blender with salt and pepper (you may need a little bit more water to make a thick puree).

Cook the pasta according to package directions (make sure to stop when it's al dente), and reserve about a cup of the water before draining the pasta.  Add the pasta back to it's cooking pot, stir in the carrot and reserved pasta water, and let cook over medium heat for 5 min.  Then add 2/3 of the cheese and stir well.  Spread pasta out in a 8x8" baking pan and top with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 for 20 min.  Serves 4.

Macaroni and cheese with chicken and spinach recipe

I feel silly sharing this light version of mac and cheese now because I just got back from a trip to Vancouver, where I stuffed my face every day.  But it's probably a good thing that I was eating lighter food like this before I left, and it's probably the reason that I can still manage to button my pants.  If you have no problem buttoning your pants, feel free to use more cheese than I did to make it more similar to typical mac and cheese, but I really enjoyed this version.

Macaroni and cheese with chicken and spinach (adapted from Whole Grains for Busy People)
(Printable version)

4 cups water
8 oz. brown rice macaroni (or other small pasta)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used boiled chicken thighs - about 3/4 lb.)
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (or up to 10 oz., depending on how cheesy you like your pasta)
1 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch mixed with 1 Tbsp water (if necessary)
10 oz. fresh spinach
freshly ground pepper

Bring the water to a boil in a large saute pan over high heat, and then stir in the macaroni and let it cook for a few minutes less than the package directs (I cooked it for 7 min), stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to medium-high and add chicken and cheese, stirring until cheese is melted.  If the sauce is very thin, add the starch and water mixture.  Then add the spinach and continue to cook for a couple of min, until the pasta is tender and the spinach is wilted.  Grind black pepper on the top.  Serves 4.

Turkey ragu recipe

Monday afternoon I made the mistake of composing a to-do list.  Seeing the list prompted a full-blown anxiety attack.  I had no appetite, felt very sick every time I forced food down my throat, and walked around mumbling weird things to myself for about 48 hours.  Apparently this was not outwardly apparent, as my advisor said I seemed nonplussed about my impending dissertation defense.  I was plussed, alright.

But today was better.  I've accomplished almost every thing on my list (or decided that it didn't really need to be done), and my appetite came back.  I still couldn't dedicate much time to dinner, though, so I thought it was the perfect time to pull out Lorna Sass's Whole Grains for Busy People.  I just wanted something to fill me up, but this dish (adapted from her beef ragu recipe) blew my mind.  The pasta/turkey/tomato mixture was good alone, but the feta and lemon zest on top made it phenomenal.  But the best part is that you cook the pasta in the sauce, so you only get one pan dirty.  It was perfect for tonight.


Turkey ragu (adapted from Whole Grains for Busy People)
(Printable version)

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground turkey (or beef or chicken)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup red wine
3 cups water
1 large can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz. chunky brown rice pasta (I used fusilli)
2 medium zucchini, diced
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
zest of one lemon

Heat oil over medium heat in a large saute pan, add onion, and saute until tender.  Add garlic, cook for an additional minute, and then stir in turkey, thyme, and rosemary.  Break turkey up, and cook until it's no longer pink, stirring frequently.  Then add tomato paste and cook for another minute, stirring well.  Pour in wine, and once it evaporates (a minute or two later), add water, tomatoes, and salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat, add pasta, and let cook on medium high for 5 min.  Then stir in zucchini and continue to cook until pasta and zucchini are tender and sauce is thick (about 10 min), stirring frequently.  In a small bowl, combine feta and lemon zest, and sprinkle it over the ragu.  Serves 6.

Gluten-free red lentil and vegetable lasagna/lasagne recipe

Sometimes I find a favorite recipe because I'm looking for a way to use up a valued ingredient.  In this case, I had leftover ricotta from the eggplant, ricotta, and walnut pasta that I made last week, and I didn't even consider making anything but lasagna.  Lasagna is one of my favorite comfort foods, and I love the versatility.  I love meat lasagna, veggie lasagna, bechamel-based lasagna, and every permutation possible.  Every time I make it, I use a different recipe to try something new, and they're almost all amazing in their own way.  The truth is that I tried this recipe out on my family the night before we celebrated Thanksgiving, but I didn't take any pictures and I needed to tweak it a bit.  This time it was perfect.  A thick sauce full of lentils and vegetables, a very creamy ricotta layer, and delicious brown rice pasta is a combination that can't be beat.

Ok, I must now go off on a tangent about the spelling of lasagna.  I've been spelling it incorrectly my entire life, and I'm pretty embarrassed (especially given that I took a year of Italian in college).  Lasagna is singular, and lasagne is plural.  Americans use 'spaghetti' and 'ziti', not 'spaghetto' and 'zito', so why do we say 'lasagna' instead of 'lasagne'?  The problem is that I don't know that I can change because my fingers automatically put that 'a' at the end.  Well, the first step in recovery is admitting that you have a problem...

Gluten-free red lentil and vegetable lasagna (adapted from We Heart Food)
(Printable version)

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 small carrot, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1/3 cup red lentils
1 can (15 oz.) fire-roasted, crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
4-5 brown rice lasagna noodles, broken in half
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
handful of basil, sliced
1/4 cup shredded monterey jack

Heat oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan.  Add onions and garlic, and cook until the onions are tender.  Then stir in celery, carrot, and zucchini, and cook for a few minutes.  Add lentils, crushed tomatoes, water, tomato paste, sugar, and oregano, and let simmer for 40 min.  Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles for about half the time that the package recommends (I cooked mine for 8 min).  Then drain and rinse the noodles.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, milk, and egg.  Place a thin layer of the lentil and veggie sauce on the bottom of a 8x8" baking pan.  Then layer 1/3 of the pasta, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the basil, and 1/3 of the remaining sauce.  Repeat these layers.  Layer the remaining pasta, sauce, and basil, and top with the shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 for 40 min.  Serves 4.

Eggplant, ricotta, and walnut pasta recipe

It's usually not hard for me to avoid buying eggplant when it's not in season because if I can actually find any, it looks like it's been through a war.  For some reason the eggplant at the grocery store has been looking decent for the past few weeks, so I ignored the season-conscious part of my brain to try a recipe from this month's cookbook of the month.

This was fantastic!  I loved the combination of eggplant, ricotta, tomatoes, and walnuts.  The walnuts in particular provided a wonderful contrast in texture.  Surprisingly, the eggplant had a lot of flavor, but I'm sure that this dish will be even better with eggplant and tomatoes from your garden or local farm.

Eggplant, ricotta, and walnut pasta (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health)
(Printable version)

1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/2" slices
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
6 oz. brown rice fusili (or other chunky pasta)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper, to taste
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts

Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant with salt and let them sit for at least 30 min.  Then rinse slices and chop into cubes.  Heat the oil over medium-high in a large skillet, and then add the onions and salt and saute until tender.  Add the eggplant cubes and cook for 3 min.  Then add water, cover skillet, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 10 min, stirring occasionally.

While the eggplant is cooking, cook pasta according to package directions.  Combine ricotta, parmesan, parsley, cinnamon, and salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Drain pasta when it's done cooking, and add it to the ricotta mixture.  Stir well, and then add the eggplant mixture and the tomatoes.  Sprinkle walnuts on top.  Serves 4.

Preparing for the half-marathon: Gluten-free pasta with chicken, zucchini, and spinach recipe

Apparently I ran a half-marathon yesterday.  It still hasn't quite clicked in my head, but my sore legs and blisters are a constant reminder that it really happened.  Two years ago I would have told you that I had a better chance of sprouting wings and flying to the moon than running a half-marathon.  And last year, after developing symptoms of tarsal tunnel syndrome and then tearing a tendon in my foot, I swore that I would never run more than a couple of miles again.  The thing that you have to understand about me is that occasionally I'll get a crazy idea in my head, and I go to outrageous extremes to make it happen.  Apparently hearing someone say the word "half-marathon" back in May was all that it took.  Well, that and an extreme desire to spend as much time outside as possible after the horrendous winter.

The race was actually fun... well, at least the first two-thirds of it.  I stuck with the 10:00/mile pacers (who were dressed as pirates, complete with sword and flag) and they kept me going just fine.  The only problem arose when I accidentally got too close to the girl who liked to flail her feet as she ran.  There was a close call, but I managed to keep my balance and get far away from her.  I say I'm never going to run another one (and definitely not a full marathon), but we've seen how good I am at keeping promises to myself.

As with most long races, there was a pasta dinner the night before the race.  Of course there was no way that I was going to pay to watch other people eat gluten-filled pasta, so I threw my own brown rice pasta dinner.  My stomach was on the fritz the two days before the race, which made me even more nervous about running, so I wanted something very plain that wouldn't further provoke it.  I hesitate to call it bland because I thought it tasted great, but it lacked bold flavors.  I bet it was ten times better than what they served at the official dinner.  Best of all, my stomach tolerated it just fine and I felt great for the race.

Gluten-free pasta with chicken, zucchini, and spinach
(Printable version)

12 oz. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium zucchini, sliced
5 cups spinach
8 oz. brown rice pasta (I used fusilli), cooked according to package directions

Brown the chicken in a large skillet, and set it aside.  Add a little bit of olive oil to the skillet if necessary, and then saute onion until it's tender.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.  Stir in zucchini, and continue to cook until zucchini is tender (about 7 min).  Add the spinach and cooked pasta and stir for a few seconds, just until everything is combined and the spinach begins to wilt.  Serves 4 normal people or 2 crazy people who are preparing for a race.

Lasagna with ground chicken, summer squash, and mixed greens recipe

Life is full of odd coincidences. I made this lasagna last week, and was planning to post about it today. When I woke up this morning, I learned that it is National Lasagna Day. I'm not sure whether I should be excited or creeped out, but nevertheless, here's a great lasagna to celebrate the "holiday."

A few weeks ago I was trying to answer the question "what is your favorite food?" for a survey. I had to think about it for several days before coming up with an answer that would satisfy me. There are foods made by specific people that I love (like my grandmother's vegetable soup), and categories of food that I can't resist (don't laugh, but my mind first wandered to fresh vegetables), but I wanted to think of a specific dish that I love in all settings. The answer, I discovered, is lasagna. There are so many variations, each with different meats, cheeses, veggies, and sauces, that it doesn't ever get old. And all have the baked, bubbly, comforting taste that you can't beat. When I found myself with a ton of veggies last week, I decided to invent my new favorite lasagna... and luckily it lived up to that title.

Lasagna with ground chicken, summer squash, and mixed greens

(Printable version)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 pound ground chicken

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp crushed red peppper

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes

1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 Tbsp dried basil

1 Tbsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch collard greens, stems removed

1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed and saved for another use

2 cups cottage cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

9 brown rice lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions

1 large zucchini, sliced thinly

1 large yellow squash, sliced thinly

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet, and saute onion until tender. Then add ground chicken and cook until browned. Stir in garlic and red pepper, cook an additional minute, and add both kinds of tomatoes, herbs, and salt and pepper. Let this simmer for 30 min while you prepare the other ingredients.

Plunge the collard greens and swiss chard into a large pot of salted boiling water and let cook until they begin to wilt (about 3 min). Drain the greens and let cool. Roughly chop them, and then combine with cottage cheese, egg, and 1/2 cup parmesan.

Spread a very thin layer of sauce into the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan. Then layer 3 noodles, a thin layer of sauce, 1/2 of greens mixture, and 1/2 of zucchini and squash. Repeat the layers again, and then top with last 3 noodles and remaining sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for an hour. Then remove foil, top with mozzarella and remaining parmesan, and bake for another 10 min. Let sit for 10 min before serving. Serves 8-10.

As I said before, this was amazing. Because it was loaded with veggies, the lasagna was very filling without being overly heavy. I could taste all of the ingredients, and the greens and squash gave it a more complex texture than the sauce, noodles, and cheese alone would have provided. Perhaps this will only be my favorite until I make my next lasagna, but I can definitely deal with that. So what's your favorite type of lasagna??

Spaghetti carbonara with broccoli

One of my two yearly conferences was last week and this weekend, and I'm still recovering. This year my program was hosting, which was quite a change from last year when it was at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands. In addition to trying to go to the scientific part of the conference and social events, I was also running around trying to organize a workshop and help out with odds and ends. I was so tired today that I dozed off in my office and almost fell out of my desk chair. Needless to say, I haven't felt like putting a whole lot of energy into cooking for the last couple of days.

Spaghetti carbonara with broccoli (adapted from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything")

1 large head of broccoli, chopped into bite-size pieces (I included the stem)

2 oz. bacon, diced

6 oz. spaghetti (I used brown rice spaghetti)

1 egg

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

freshly ground black pepper

Boil or steam broccoli until it's tender, drain (if boiled), and set aside. While broccoli is cooking, cook bacon in a small skillet until it gets crispy and set that aside. Cook the pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is almost done, beat egg and parmesan together. Drain the pasta, immediately put it back in the pot, and stir in egg and parmesan. Once the pasta is well mixed, add in bacon and broccoli and season with pepper. Serves 3.

Delicious! This is definitely comfort food at its finest, but the broccoli (from my CSA share!) provided a nice texture contrast and also made it a tad bit healthier. There was just enough bacon to give it a great flavor. The best part? this was ready in 30 min (and it would have been even faster had I not been moving at a snail's pace).

Well, it's officially the end of the month, and time to wrap up this month's cookbook of the month, "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman. I'm still in love with this book because it has many classic recipes and encourages improvisation with a variety of add-in ideas for just about every recipe. I had a good time trying out classic chicken dishes (coq au vin and chicken adobo), making pasta for the first time (mixed greens ravioli), experimenting with new ways to cook turnips (braised turnips with mustard sauce), finally using my quiche dish (onion quiche with brown rice crust), and joining fruit and couscous (whole wheat couscous with apricots and pistachios). My favorite recipes that I made from the book this month, though, were shrimp and sausage jambalaya, potato pizza, and this carbonara recipe. I should also note that I've made many things from the book in the past: white bean dip, vegetable dip, cooked onions and apples, asparagus topped with mushrooms, and miso soup. Phew! That's a lot of recipes, and I can truly say that I've gotten to know this book. As you can see, it has all of the basic recipes that you could ever need. But, there are so many variations for each main recipe, that I could probably spend several years cooking something new from it every day. The title says it all, folks.

Mixed greens ravioli with green garlic pesto

**This is not a gluten-free recipe and was posted before I eliminated gluten from my diet.**

I recently conquered my bread baking fears, so I needed a new challenge. I had never made pasta, and it was time to remedy this problem. I wasn't going to let the fact that I don't own a pasta machine get in my way.

But now what kind of pasta should I make? Well, I had a bunch of mixed greens (kale, chard, collards, and the ones off of my turnips) from my CSA share this week that I thought would go nicely with whole wheat pasta. I could have sauteed these and added them to fettuccine, but I decided to step it up a notch and make ravioli with a mixed greens filling. And to top it off, I added a green garlic pesto because, again, I had a ton of green garlic from my CSA and what would be better?

Mixed greens ravioli (adapted from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything")

Filling:

approx. 5 oz mixed greens (use whatever you have), stems removed

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 egg

1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan

1/4 tsp nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Cook greens in boiling water until they wilt (1-2 min), and then drain them and let cool. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Chop greens and add them to garlic, then remove this mixture from the heat and let cool. Stir in egg, parmesan, and seasonings. Set aside while you prepare the pasta.

Pasta:

2 cups whole white wheat flour

1 tsp salt

3 eggs

Add flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times. Then add eggs and let the processor run until the dough forms a ball (30-60 sec). If your ball of dough is very dry, add water by the tablespoon and blend briefly. If the dough sticks to the sides of the processor, which is not likely, add a tablespoon of flour. Lightly flour your counter, and knead the dough on the counter for several minutes, until dough is smooth (you can still make adjustments if needed). Cut the dough into 6 pieces and put 5 under plastic wrap. Roll out the remaining piece of dough with a rolling pin as thin as possible into a rectangle (or use a pasta machine). Put small heaps of filling (about 1/2 Tbsp) along one of the long sides of the rectangle. Wet the dough around the filling with a pastry brush or paper towel, and fold the other long side onto the filling side. Press down firmly around filling, and cut ravioli apart with a sharp knife. Repeat with the other 5 pieces of dough. Cook ravioli in salted boiling water until they completely float to the top (about 5 min). Top with green garlic pesto or your favorite sauce (or simply butter). Makes about 28 ravioli (they're extremely filling, so this made about 5 meals for me).

Green garlic pesto (adapted from Laura Rebecca's Kitchen)

10 shoots green garlic, cut into 2" pieces

1/3 cup walnuts

1/2 cup shredded fresh parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup warm water

6 Tbsp olive oil

Add green garlic, walnuts, parmesan, and salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Process until everything is minced. Stir together water and oil, and slowly pour this into the processor chute while the machine is on. Stop when it's at your preferred consistency (I like mine on the thick and chunky side, so I only added about 2/3 of the mixture). Store in the refrigerator or freezer with a layer of oil on top. Makes about 2 cups.

This is exactly why I love the summer. I can take whatever I get from my CSA or the farmers' market and let my creative side take control. When you start with quality ingredients, it almost always works. The pasta was delicious, and I will definitely be making it again. I didn't get it extremely thin, but it was still amazing. I also really enjoyed the greens filling. The pesto was good, too, although I used this sparingly because I wanted to be able to taste the pasta and the filling. I can't wait to try some on a sandwich this week. I'm submitting this to Weekend Herb Blogging, a blogging event organized by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once and hosted by Astrid from Paulchen's Foodblog this week.

Pasta and spinach bake

**This is not a gluten-free recipe and was posted before I eliminated gluten from my diet. Use brown rice pasta and a gluten-free flour as substitutes.**

It looks like I'm still on my baked pasta and cheese kick. One reason is that these dishes are easy and freeze well (and I just finished off my stock of lasagna in the freezer and needed to replace it for emergencies).

Pasta and spinach bake (adapted from "The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook")

8 oz. small whole wheat pasta (I used a combo of penne and fusilli)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup whole white wheat flour

2 1/2 cups milk

1 1/4 cup grated provolone cheese, divided

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

freshly ground black pepper

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained

10 oz. package frozen spinach (or 10 oz. fresh spinach, cooked until wilted)

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms and cook until onion and mushrooms are tender (about 8 min). Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add milk and cook until it begins to simmer, stirring constantly. Add 1/4 cup provolone and stir until melted. Add drained pasta, remaining provolone, Italian seasoning, pepper, tomatoes, and spinach to the sauce and stir well. Pour into oiled 9x13" pan and top with parmesan. Bake at 350 for 30 min. Serves 6.

This was delicious, simple, and another great combination of pasta, veggies, and cheese. There was an abundance of sauce that didn't seem to cook off while this was baking, so next time I'll reduce the amount of milk (or allow it to thicken more) to prevent this from occurring.

Well, the month is just about over, so this will be the last post from the cookbook of the month, "The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook". This is such a solid book that includes a huge variety of recipes. I often turn to it for simple ideas, as most of the recipes come together quickly and use ingredients that I usually have on hand. My favorite recipe that I made from it this month was chicken and corn maque choux (partly because it was really good, and partly because it brings back good memories). My parents have made this twice this month, so apparently I'm not the only one that likes it! I'm happy to say that I would make all of the recipes that I tried from this book this month again (lentil soup, roasted veggie pasta, sweet and sour cabbage, jalapeno cornbread, huevos rancheros, spicy tofu and noodles, and this pasta recipe), although with a few tweaks in places. This book has also provided me with great recipes for venison lasagna and kamut pilaf in the past few months. Sometimes simplicity pays off!

Spicy tofu with noodles and mushrooms

I could make up an elaborate story about how I decided to make this recipe, but in all honesty, I just needed to use up my tofu before I leave for Florida this week. I have mixed feelings about tofu because I know far too many people who do research on the effects of soy and phytoestrogens on the brain (and it's rarely good news), but I usually manage to put aside these feelings because it's so delicious. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

Spicy tofu with noodles and mushrooms (adapted from "The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook")

1 cup boiling water

1 oz. dried mushrooms (I used a combination of oyster and shiitake)

4 oz. spaghetti (I used brown rice spaghetti)

1 Tbsp peanut oil

1/2 small onion, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2" piece of ginger, minced

1 tsp Sriracha sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp soy sauce (use wheat-free tamari for gluten-free)

1 Tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tsp rice vinegar

1 lb. firm tofu, cubed

12 romaine lettuce leaves

Combine boiling water and mushrooms in a small bowl, cover, and let sit for 15 min. Drain mushrooms and chop. While mushrooms are soaking, cook pasta according to package directions. Then, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add mushrooms, both types of onions, carrot, ginger, Sriracha, and garlic and stir-fry for 3 min. Stir in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, tofu, and noodles and cook for 3 more min. Put 1/2 cup of mixture into each lettuce leaf. Serves 4.

I really liked this, and it had a good mix of hot and sweet from the various sauces. It paired perfectly with one of my favorite simple veggie dishes - roasted broccoli tossed in soy sauce. My only complaint was that the spaghetti made it hard to eat (it kept making its way into my lap). But perhaps that's only a problem for people who excel at making a mess.

Roasted veggie and cheese pasta

**This is not a gluten-free recipe and was posted before I eliminated gluten from my diet. Use brown rice pasta and a gluten-free flour for substitutes.**

Apparently I've been craving pasta and cheese dishes. I made mac and cheese with tofu a couple of weeks ago, and then loved the sound of this recipe when flipping through the cookbook of the month.

Roasted veggie and cheese pasta (adapted from "The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook")

1 small eggplant, diced

1 small zucchini, diced

1 bell pepper, chopped

4 oz button mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup whole white wheat flour

1 1/3 cups milk

3/4 cup shredded provolone

salt and pepper to taste

6 oz. whole wheat pasta (any small shape), cooked according to package directions

2 Tbsp shredded parmesan

pinch of paprika

Combine all veggies (eggplant through garlic) and olive oil and spread out in a large baking pan. Roast at 450 for 20 min, stirring occasionally. While veggies cook, add flour to a small saucepan. Slowly whisk in milk, and then cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until milk thickens (about 8 min). Add provolone, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook until cheese is completely melted (1-2 more minutes). Combine pasta, cheese sauce, and veggies in a large bowl and pour mixture back into baking pan. Sprinkle parmesan and paprika on top and bake at 375 for 20 min. Serves 5.

This was amazing. I liked the mac and cheese with tofu, but this recipe was definitely more similar to authentic mac and cheese. It still wasn't too heavy, though, because the veggies diluted the intense cheesiness and gave it a fabulous flavor. During the past year I have completely fallen in love with roasted veggies of any sort, and this was a perfect use for them.

Most of the recipes that I make are fairly simple (including this one), but for some reason making a béchamel sauce (or a knock-off without butter) makes me feel like I'm really doing something complicated... in a good way. I'm pretty sure that I could teach a 2 year old to stir together flour and milk, but I suppose that it's because this sauce is the basis of many extremely complicated dishes. It's nice to be able to make something easy but feel like you've really accomplished something :).

Macaroni and cheese with tofu

The end of the month is almost upon us, so I figured that I would choose one more recipe from the cookbook of the month. As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. I love mac and cheese (who doesn't??), but often the massive amounts of cheese aren't very friendly to the old digestive system. I figured this would be a good compromise.

Macaroni and cheese with tofu (adapted from "Moosewood Restaurant New Classics")

6 oz. small pasta (use brown rice pasta for gluten-free)

6 oz. silken tofu

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used muenster, but cheddar would be ideal)

2 Tbsp grated parmesan

1 tsp yellow mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

pinch of salt

freshly ground pepper

pinch of turmeric

pinch of nutmeg

3 Tbsp chopped onion

2 Tbsp minced parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta cooks, combine tofu through nutmeg in a blender, and blend until smooth. Mix pasta, sauce, onion, and parsley in a large bowl. Pour into a lightly oiled 1 qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 min. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 min. Serves 3.

This was really good, but it's not your traditional mac and cheese - it's more of a pasta with light cheesy sauce. Plus, I suppose I can't call it mac and cheese since I didn't actually use macaroni :). I liked the bit of crunch that the onions provide - it was a nice contrast to the creamy sauce. Next time I'll definitely go out of my way to use cheddar for something a bit stronger, but the muenster was still good.

I was a big fan of Moosewood Restaurant New Classics before this month, and I'm an even bigger fan now. It has introduced me to some phenomenal recipes, particularly the sweet potato and black bean hash, spinach and ricotta gnocchi, and Indian skillet black-eyed peas. I enjoyed the mushroom and pecan burgers, roasted veggies over pasta, and bulgur with spinach and dill quite a bit, too. The jicama and orange salad would be fabulous with a few changes, and I'm glad that it reminded me of this crunchy veggie. And finally, this book inspired me to use caramelized onions to make one of my favorite pizzas. The recipes are fairly simple, but result in great vegetarian dishes. And even if you're a big meat eater, you probably wouldn't miss the meat in most of these dishes (or you could always throw some in if you want). There are a ton more recipes that I want to try from this book, but it's time for a new book for May. I have a feeling that one of my other Moosewood books may get a chance in the spotlight before too long, though!

Shrimp pad thai

While Mom was visiting, we took a trip over to the Shrimp Farm Market. This place is only a few miles from my apartment, and they have been raising shrimp in Michigan for a long time (over 15 years, if I remember correctly). I'm excited to have a source for local shrimp! I think that they'll be at my favorite farmers' market once it opens, but it was fun to go out to the farm while we had time. I've been searching through recipes to find the perfect use for my shrimp, and many dishes sound good, but pad thai stuck in my mind. I love pad thai, but have never made it, and thought this would be the perfect time.

Pad thai (adapted from A Mingling of Tastes)

1 Tbsp peanut oil

salt and pepper

1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined

5 oz. whole wheat spaghetti (use brown rice spaghetti for gluten-free)

1 tsp tamarind concentrate

2 Tbsp water

1/2 tsp raw sugar

1/2 Tbsp fish sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce (use wheat-free tamari for gluten-free)

juice of 1 lime

1/4 tsp red chile flakes

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 eggs, beaten

4 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup roasted peanuts

handful of cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper, and cook just until pink (about a minute on each side). Set the shrimp aside. Cook noodles according to package directions and set aside. Mix together tamarind, water, sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, and chile flakes in a small bowl and set aside. Make sure that all other ingredients are prepared before you continue - it goes incredibly fast.

Add the onion to the skillet that was used to cook the shrimp (adding a little bit more oil if necessary), and cook for one minute. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the eggs and rotate skillet so that the bottom is covered. Break up the eggs with a spatula, add the shrimp and noodles, and stir for a minute or so until egg is mixed throughout and fully cooked. Stir in the sauce mixture, peanuts, and green onions. Remove from heat and garnish with cilantro. Serves 3.

This was good - I'm definitely impressed by my first attempt at pad thai. It doesn't quite compare to what my friend Lace makes, but it was still good. Of course I used the wrong kind of noodles, but I have a ton of pasta and didn't want to buy rice noodles. Next time I'll add more spice - either more chile flakes or a bit of Sriracha sauce. But, overall it was great, and it was a perfect use for my shrimp (and they were very tasty!).

Roasted vegetables over pasta

I know that you've all been waiting on the edge of your seats to find out about April's cookbook. Drum roll please... it's "Moosewood Restaurant New Classics". I love the whole Moosewood collection, and definitely plan on stopping by the restaurant if I ever find myself near Ithaca, NY. All of their books are vegetarian (but include fish), although you could throw meat in many of them if you are so inclined. Their recipes focus on whole foods, and my favorite sections of the book are the grains and casseroles sections. It won't be hard to cook a lot from this book this month because just about every recipe sounds great. The first one is rather simple, but delicious nonetheless.

Roasted vegetables over pasta (adapted from "Moosewood Restaurant New Classics")

1 medium eggplant

2 small zucchini

2 onions

2 tomatoes

1 green bell pepper

3 Tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 Tbsp dried basil

4 oz. whole wheat penne (use brown rice pasta for gluten-free)

Chop eggplant, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, and bell pepper into bite-sized pieces. In a small bowl, combine oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil. Toss vegetables in oil mixture until well combined. Spread veggies out on large baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally, at 400 until tender (about 25 min). While veggies are cooking, boil pasta according to package directions. Serve veggies over pasta. Serves 3.

This was simple, but a great use of veggies. It's another great recipe that is completely adaptable based on what you have on hand. If I had mushrooms and more tomatoes, I would have thrown those in too. It was great as is, though. This is a great meal for those nights when you want to throw something together in 30 min (and I suppose Rachel Ray would approve).

Sausage and spinach with penne

After buying a ton of spinach because it was on sale, I suddenly found myself in need of a new way to use some of it. While reading one of the cookbooks of the month, I remembered that sauteed spinach can make a great sauce-like concoction for pasta. And I have a freezer full of venison sausage, so why not throw some of that in there?

Sausage and spinach with penne (inspired by "Vegetables Every Day" by Jack Bishop)

1/2 lb spicy venison sausage (I used links, but I'm sure bulk would work fine)

1 lb spinach

6 oz whole wheat penne, cooked (use brown rice pasta for gluten-free)

Slice sausage and brown over medium heat in large pan. Add spinach to pan and stir to coat in the small amount of grease emitted by the sausage (if there's a lot of grease, pour some out; if there's none, add a Tbsp of olive oil). Cover and cook until spinach begins to wilt. Once spinach wilts, stir in pasta. You can add a little bit of the pasta cooking water if you want. Serves 3.

Spinach and pasta are the perfect companions to spicy sausage. This was super tasty, amazingly easy, and quick. Not a new and exciting recipe, but it's a good fallback for those days when you don't have much time and energy and still want something tasty.

Hearty venison lasagna (with fresh ricotta!)

I'm going to a conference next week, and after I get back I have a very busy week full of evening meetings and events. So, I figured that I should prepare now and have things in the freezer ready for just such an occasion. And what freezes better than lasagna? I love lasagna. I like the traditional kinds, and I like the variations that use all kinds of interesting vegetables. You can't go wrong when you put things between layers of noodles (even if your "noodles" are actually sliced vegetables).

But I couldn't allow myself to make lasagna the easy way. I had to give myself a challenge and make my own ricotta. This was prompted by several blogs touting the simplicity of making ricotta. So here we go on another adventure...

Hearty Venison Lasagna (adapted from "The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook")

1 1/4 lb ground venison (or any other lean ground meat)

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup parsley, minced and divided

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes

1 can (14 oz.) whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried basil

freshly ground black pepper

12 whole wheat lasagna noodles (use brown rice pasta for gluten-free)

3 cups fresh ricotta (see below)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

2 cups grated cheese (I used a mixture of cheddar and havarti)

Brown meat in a large pan. Push meat to the sides of the pan, add onions and garlic, and cook until tender (about 5 min). Add 2 Tbsp parsley and next 7 ingredients (through pepper). Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 min. Remove cover and cook for 20 more min. While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook noodles until they're al dente. Drain the noodles and set aside. Combine ricotta, remaining 2 Tbsp parsley, Parmesan, and egg in small bowl. Spread 3/4 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Layer 4 noodles, 1/2 of ricotta mixture, 2 1/2 cups sauce, and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers again, and finish with the last 4 noodles and the remaining sauce on top. Cover with foil and cook at 350 for 1 hour. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese and cook uncovered for 10 more min. Let stand for 10 min before serving. Serves 12.

Fresh Ricotta (from Bitten)

3 quarts milk*

1 tsp salt

4 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Combine milk and salt in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Once the milk starts to simmer, stir in the lemon juice and turn heat down to medium-low. Let it sit for 5-10 min, until a large layer of curds forms. Line a large colander with several layers of cheesecloth, and transfer curds to the cheesecloth using a slotted spoon. Let it drain for an hour or so. Makes about 3 cups, and keeps in the refrigerator for a few days.

UPDATE (4/23/09): I found that the cheesecloth isn't necessary - just use a colander with very small holes.

*Ideally you want to use whole milk. I used non-homogenized milk and poured off some of the cream to use later in the week. In effect it was probably more like 2%, and it still had a decent amount of flavor.

Ricotta? Yum. Lasagna? Double yum. This ricotta is infinitely better than what you get at the store. For starters, it doesn't taste like plastic, but instead has a buttery, creamy flavor. And making it resulted in a wonderful milk smell permeating my entire apartment. At one point I thought that Paula Deen had invaded my place with pounds and pounds of creamy butter.

This was definitely the most time consuming lasagna I've ever made, but by far the most amazing. It was totally worth all of the effort (assuming you can spare the time). And now I have a ton of leftovers that should keep me going through the busy times. However, I could probably eat all 12 servings in the next week or so and not get tired of it. I'm going to declare this another successful adventure!

Butter bean, butternut squash, and sausage pasta

I love butter beans. I love them when they're cooked to mush and you have to basically have to eat them like soup. But, I also love them when they still have some shape and some texture left. It's hard to find them in Michigan... first of all nobody has ever heard of a butter bean. You can occasionally find dried "lima beans," and I might be able to come up with a can of them. I want fresh... or at least frozen. So, while I was in Florida I bought several bags of frozen butter beans (both green and speckled), as well as a huge bag of zipper peas. I wanted to get a bit more creative than cooking them by themselves, so I was excited to find a recipe that pairs them with butternut squash and pasta. I had a few links of Amish turkey sausage left in the freezer, so I decided to throw that in too.

Butter bean, butternut squash, and sausage pasta (inspired by Epicurious)

2 links turkey sausage, chopped into small pieces

2/3 small butternut squash*, chopped into chunks

2 cups frozen butter beans, thawed

1/2 lb. whole wheat pasta (I used rotini; use brown rice pasta for gluten-free)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Brown sausage in large skillet. At the same time, put squash chunks in food processor and pulse until it's shredded. Once sausage is brown, add squash, butter beans, salt and pepper, and about 1/2 cup water. Cook for about 15 min, until squash is fully cooked. Continue to add water by the 1/2 cup as it dries out. Once squash is almost done, cook pasta according to package directions. Add nutmeg to squash while pasta is cooking. When pasta is done, reserve 1 cup liquid before draining. Then drain pasta and add to squash mixture, adding cooking liquid as needed to moisten. You could add freshly grated parmesan before serving (I meant to, but forgot). Serves 4.

*You can roast the rest of the squash chunks in the oven (I like to toss it with olive oil and thyme before throwing it in a 450 degree oven for about 30 min), but it also cooks well in the microwave (cover it and cook on high for about 4 min, until tender).

This was good and different... better than I expected. I wasn't sure what it would be like, but I like the sweet and savory combination. However, this is the kind of "different" dish that I get tired of fairly quickly. I hope I'm still enjoying it by the time I get to the 4th serving.

Oh, and by the way, I used Heartland whole wheat pasta for this. Their pasta tastes great, and it doesn't make you think that you're chewing through cardboard. I can only find it at natural foods stores, but it's not very expensive and is actually 100% whole wheat (unlike most of the "whole grain blends" at the grocery store).

Artist's Arrabbiata with grilled tilapia, eggplant, and zucchini

I was planning to make miso soup tonight, but the weather gods did a good job of preventing that.  When I left my apartment this morning there were a good 6" of snow on the ground, but the roads were fairly clear so I thought it would be fine to run a few errands after my volunteer info session at the zoo.  During the 1.5 hr info session, it snowed a couple of more inches (and has been snowing ever since), and this turned the roads into complete slush.  Days like this make me hate snow even more, because the only way to get where you're going is to turn the steering wheel and hope that you manage to slide far enough (but not too far!) to go in the direction you want to go.  It's a truly frightening experience.  Anyway, I cut down my list of errands to the vital ones, and as a result didn't make it to the asian market.

My meal started out with Artist's Arrabbiata from the cold weather cookbook that Dad gave me.  At first I didn't realize how appropriate this was -- "arrabbiata" means angry in Italian, which is exactly what the snow made me, and the recipe was from the section of the book with ideal dishes for storms.  It's one of the most simple dishes you can make (basically you saute garlic and crushed red pepper in olive oil, add coarsely chopped roma tomatoes and let it simmer for a while, then pour on pasta), but it was so good.  I love the heat from the pepper, and even though most of the tomatoes in the grocery store are pale pink, the romas still have some flavor in the winter.  I can see this becoming a staple for me - it's quick, easy, and cheap.

To go with the pasta, I decided to pull out the grill pan again and cook some veggies.  I found some edible-looking eggplant and zucchini at the grocery store, and decided to go against my better seasonal/local judgement and buy it.  I also grilled some onions, but apparently didn't cook them long enough because only the outer petals were tender and delicious (I'll fix that tomorrow).  Let's just say that I'm not sure I'll be putting my grill pan back in the cabinet because I'm going to be using this thing to death.

And at the last minute I decided that I could probably use more protein than what was in the whole wheat pasta, so I grilled up some tilapia that I had in the freezer.  To make it go along with the Italian theme, I sprinkled an Italian herb mix on it.  It was very good, although the highlight of the meal was definitely the pasta and veggies.  

And now for dessert I have a sweet potato (sprinkled with cinnamon) baking in the oven.  I suppose it's not so bad being stuck inside :)