Cate's World Kitchen » vegetarian http://catesworldkitchen.com Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:55:06 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Smoked Mozzarella, Cauliflower, and Portobello Frittata http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/02/smoked-mozzarella-cauliflower-and-portobello-frittata/ http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/02/smoked-mozzarella-cauliflower-and-portobello-frittata/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:46:11 +0000 Cate http://catesworldkitchen.com/?p=10698 Things that go well together:

Eggs and cheese

Trail running and M&Ms

Fritos and chocolate pudding (trust me on this)

Knitting with friends and chocolate chip cookies

Rainy days and good books.

I could go on…

But really, I’m going to focus on eggs and cheese right now. This is yet another brilliant recipe from Plenty. I added some portobello mushrooms and subbed yogurt for creme fraiche, plus I scaled back on the mustard a little bit. But the basic idea, eggs and cheddar and smoked mozzarella is comfort food at its best.

I rounded out the meal with my new favorite raw kale salad: massage red wine vinegar, a little salt, and olive oil into curly kale, then add chopped roasted red peppers and pine nuts.

Salad + frittata + a big chunk of bread = a pretty delicious dinner.

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Smoked Mozzarella, Cauliflower, and Portobello Frittata

Ingredients

  • 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed, then diced
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt (I used full-fat)
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp chopped chives
  • 5 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
  2. Mix the shredded cheeses together.
  3. Cook the cauliflower in a large pot of boiling water for about 4 minutes. Drain well.
  4. Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened and browned, about 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally (let the cauliflower get browned in spots).
  5. Whisk the eggs, yogurt, chives, and mustard together with a little salt and pepper. Add about 3/4 of the cheese.
  6. Stir the egg mixture into the skillet with the cauliflower and mushrooms. Stir to make sure the vegetables are evenly distributed, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, then transfer the skillet to the oven.
  7. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the egg is set. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/02/smoked-mozzarella-cauliflower-and-portobello-frittata/

]]> http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/02/smoked-mozzarella-cauliflower-and-portobello-frittata/feed/ 4 Soba with Eggplant and Mango http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/soba-with-eggplant-and-mango/ http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/soba-with-eggplant-and-mango/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:10:13 +0000 Cate http://catesworldkitchen.com/?p=10641
I had two fantastic runs this weekend.  First up: 10 miles on a beautiful path with Mike and Ellie.

I woke up kind of dreading the run and I was in a pretty crabby mood, but about 3 miles in everything was good again. It was warm, my legs felt good, and it was nice to be able to run and chat with Mike (who pushed Ellie in the stroller – she loved it too!)
Afterwards we stopped at 7-11 and nothing sounded better than chocolate milk.  I guess that whole “refuel with chocolate milk” marketing thing worked on me.  It was divine.

Sunday morning there was a 5K in Golden Gate Park. It was same course as a month or two ago (when I ran 21:56), so I was curious how it would go with kind of tired legs. The weather was perfect for running (as usual) and I felt nice an relaxed the whole race. I ended up snagging a fifth place finish in 21:08, my second fastest 5K ever. I definitely didn’t see that one coming.

I also finally got to meet Kristine, who totally killed it in her first 5K!

Sunday night I wasn’t really in the mood to cook, but this recipe sounded too good to pass up, and it ended up being pretty easy. I used regular eggplants, but next time I might switch to Japanese eggplants because they have thinner skin.

This recipe made plenty for both dinner and lunch the next day, and the mix of flavors was awesome: sour lime, smoky eggplant, sweet mango, and earthy soba. I added a chopped habanero pepper, but you can leave it out if you’re don’t want it super spicy.

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Soba with Eggplant and Mango

Ingredients

    Dressing
  • 1 habanero, finely minced (if you like things super spicy)
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 1 Tbsp agave
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • pinch salt
  • zest and juice of one lime
    • Noodles
  • 9 ounces soba noodles, cooked in salted water, rinsed well, and drained
  • 1 lb extra firm tofu, pressed and drained then cut into 1/2" cubes
  • 3 Tbsp canola oil
  • 2 eggplants, cut into 3/4" cubes
  • 1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1 mango, peeled and cut into thin strips
  • 1 cup mixed fresh basil, cilantro, and mint, chopped

Instructions

  1. To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients together and set aside.
  2. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a skillet and add the tofu. Cook until firm and golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  3. Heat the remaining oil and add the eggplant. Cook, stirring often, until the eggplant is very soft and browned in places.
  4. Place in a large bowl and add the mango, red onion, noodles, and half the herbs.
  5. Stir in the dressing and mix well. Sprinkle with remaining herbs before serving.
http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/soba-with-eggplant-and-mango/

(adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi)

]]> http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/soba-with-eggplant-and-mango/feed/ 8 Baked Eggplant with Couscous and Yogurt http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/baked-eggplant-with-couscous-and-yogurt/ http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/baked-eggplant-with-couscous-and-yogurt/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:14:03 +0000 Cate http://catesworldkitchen.com/?p=10609
I guess all jobs are like this to some extent, but teaching really seems to be one with big ups and downs. On Tuesday I felt like the a totally awesome teacher. The activity went well, the kids were into it, and they all really seemed to get the concept (chemical and physical properties of matter). Yesterday was a different story. There was way too much drama (with 13 year olds, I guess that’s not really a surprise), a bunch of kids didn’t turn in their homework, and I just felt off all day.

It’s been that way in the kitchen lately, too. Some things come out better than expected, and others are flops. I’m trying to make more original recipes, but it doesn’t always work out very well. This beet salad was actually pretty awesome (roasted beets, toasted pistachios, goat cheese, orange zest)…

but a couple other things I tried this week were pretty lame. Fortunately there are still a million recipes on my to-try list, so I have somewhere to turn when I’m feeling less than inspired.

This kind of turned out to be more of a project meal than I planned for, so it’s a good thing I made it on a lazy Sunday (well, it was lazy after my 9.5 mile run…) The original recipe comes from Yotam Ottolenghi, who shares with Heidi Swanson the honorable distinction of being my food idol. I used whole wheat couscous instead of bulgur, and added chickpeas for some extra protein. My preserved lemons won’t be ready for a few more weeks, so I skipped that part. In the end, though, it was worth the hour or so it took to but this all together. Plus, we had leftovers for lunches the next day, which is always a huge win!

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Baked Eggplant with Couscous and Yogurt

Ingredients

    Eggplant
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 medium eggplants, halved lengthwise
    • Couscous
  • 1 cup whole wheat couscous
  • 1 1/2 cups (1 can) garbanzo beans, drained
  • 1/2 cup pitted green olives, quartered lengthwise
  • 1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Stir together oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, and salt in a small bowl.
  3. Cut the flesh of each eggplant half with 1/2"-deep diagonal crisscrossing lines, about 1" apart (be careful not to cut through skin). Drizzle each half with a quarter of the olive oil-spice mix, then place the eggplants, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until soft and very tender in center, about one hour.
  4. While the eggplants are roasting, bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for about 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
  5. Transfer the couscous to a bowl and stir in the garbanzos, olives, onion, raisins, mint, cilantro, pistachios, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  6. Serve alongside the eggplant with a little yogurt drizzled on top.
http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/baked-eggplant-with-couscous-and-yogurt/

(adapted from Bon Appetit)

]]> http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/baked-eggplant-with-couscous-and-yogurt/feed/ 4 Purple Potato and Goat Cheese Pizza http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/purple-potato-and-goat-cheese-pizza/ http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/purple-potato-and-goat-cheese-pizza/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:37:29 +0000 Cate http://catesworldkitchen.com/?p=10565

This was a really good weekend, and it started off with a really good pizza.

My favorite thing about having 60+ food blogs in Google reader is that I can find inspiration for just about anything. And since I’m pretty much always in the market for new pizza ideas, I get particularly excited when blogs I read have great recipes for it.

One other highlight of this weekend was finally trying Yogurtland!

We went down to Palo Alto on Saturday to have breakfast with friends, and then stumbled across it. I obviously needed a little after-breakfast dessert.

I got a magnificent bowl of cookies and cream and Kona coffee yogurt topped with peanut butter cups, toffee bits, and caramel sauce. The guy working apparently thought two people would be eating it, but nope, it was ALL MINE!

Mike and this small creature hung out with me while I savored every bite and complained for the millionth time about the lack of good frozen yogurt within a 10 mile radius.

I think my favorite thing about this pizza is the color of the potatoes (so pretty!) followed closely by the rosemary and goat cheese combination (hard to beat!).  I’m including my new favorite crust recipe, which is made with equal amounts of white and whole wheat flour.  Normally I make the crust pretty thin, but lately I’ve been making it a little thicker and I LOVE it.

This recipe makes two pizzas.


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Purple Potato and Goat Cheese Pizza

Ingredients

    Crust
  • 2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 3/4 cups warm water (100 F)
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
    • Pizza
  • 8-12 small purple potatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions

  1. To make the crust: Stir the warm water, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl. Let stand for about 5 minutes, until the yeast is foamy.
  2. Stir in the flours and mix until the dough is smooth, then put a lid (not airtight) over the bowl, and let stand at room temperature for about 2 hours. Transfer to the fridge for at least 12 hours, until ready to bake pizza. (It should keep in the fridge for up to a week.)
  3. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450 F with a pizza stone on the bottom rack. Flour your hands line a cookie sheet with parchment. Shape half the dough into a 12-inch circle.
  4. To make the pizza, boil the potatoes until just tender, 10-20 minutes depending on their size. Remove, drain the water, and slice thinly.
  5. Brush each crust with about a tablespoon of oil, and sprinkle evenly with chopped garlic.
  6. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the oil, followed by the rosemary.
  7. Evenly distribute the red onion, potatoes, and goat cheese over each pizza.
  8. Slide the parchment onto the pizza stone and bake until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden, about 12 minutes.
http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/purple-potato-and-goat-cheese-pizza/

(crust adapted from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day, pizza adapted from The Novice Chef)

]]> http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/purple-potato-and-goat-cheese-pizza/feed/ 10 Tofu Noodle Soup with Dumplings http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/tofu-noodle-soup-with-dumplings/ http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/tofu-noodle-soup-with-dumplings/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:44:32 +0000 Cate http://catesworldkitchen.com/?p=10521

Ellie got her first cold last week, and of course we ended up getting it too. I hate seeing her sick, but she’s a trooper.

I felt pretty crappy on Monday and Tuesday. My throat was killing me and I had basically zero energy. Sometimes I’ll try and run when I’m sick but it just wasn’t going to happen on those days. Today I felt a little better and figured getting outside and running just might give me a little extra energy, and it totally did. Just changing into my running clothes perked me up a little bit, so I headed out for 4.5 miles and felt great. Slow, but more human than I’d felt in at least 48 hours.

On Monday, when all three of us were feeling pretty miserable, I decided to make some soup. I was trying to go for the richly flavored broth that came with the noodle soups in Thailand, except those obviously use meat. I probably should have added some vegetables (I think bok choy would be great), but it kind of escaped my mind at the time.

I sauteed some shallots, ginger, and green onions, then added the tofu and let it soak up those flavors before I added broth (and a pinch of five spice powder). The dumplings aren’t completely necessary, but they are a nice addition. I just used basic yellow noodles I found at the Asian grocery store. The addition of chili garlic sauce, in my opinion, is non-negotiable (especially for cold-curing purposes).

I’m submitting this to my friend (and fellow science teacher) Branny’s Souper Bowl. Click on that link to participate too (you don’t even need a blog!) Branny loves animals more than anyone else I know, and for every soup that’s submitted, she’s giving a dollar to the ASPCA. I’m dedicating this to Berkeley, the golden retriever my family had during my teens and early twenties. He was probably one of the worlds dumbest dogs, but he was a total sweetheart. I miss so many things about him, but my favorite thing was his full-body wag every time I walked in the door.

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Tofu Noodle Soup with Dumplings

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 green onions (green and white parts), thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp finely minced ginger
  • 1 lb extra firm tofu, drained and pressed, then cut into 1 cm cubes
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • pinch five spice powder
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 8 ounces thin yellow noodles
  • 10-12 frozen dumplings
  • chili garlic sauce, for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot and add the shallots. Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic and scallions, and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
  3. Stir in the tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth, soy sauce and five spice powder and let simmer.
  4. While the broth is simmering, cook the noodles according to package directions, then drain and rinse.
  5. Stir the dumplings into the broth and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
  6. Taste and add salt as needed. Add the noodles, mix well, then ladle into bowls to serve.
  7. Top with a little chili garlic sauce
http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/tofu-noodle-soup-with-dumplings/

]]> http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/tofu-noodle-soup-with-dumplings/feed/ 7 Tortellini Salad http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/tortellini-salad/ http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/tortellini-salad/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:44:00 +0000 Cate http://catesworldkitchen.com/?p=10502

I definitely made the most of this three day weekend. In addition to penguins, grocery shopping, and paper-grading, I got to go for an awesome 14 mile run to celebrate Aron’s birthday.

It was the longest run I’ve done since Boston, and it felt fantastic.

I also did a little kitchen project that should be ready in about 3 weeks.

There are tons of organic lemons available right now so it’s the perfect time to preserve them!

One thing we noticed after buying groceries last week was how much plastic was included with our produce. We were completely disgusted, so this week we made a point to buy everything at the farmers market or the co-op with our re-usable produce bags. The packaging from last week is on the left and this week is on the right. Definitely an improvement.

I also found a great blog about living without plastic.

The beauty of this salad is that everything in it can be bought in bulk so there’s no waste. I know some people have issues with bulk bins, but I’ve been shopping out of them for years and never had a problem. Plus it’s a great way to try just a little bit of something without having to commit to a big package.

As I was making this I really wasn’t sure about how well everything would work together…broccoli, lemon, pine nuts, tortellini, cilantro, mint, sprouts. It all sounded good, but it also sounded like a lot of different flavors. It turned out to be completely delicious (not surprising, it’s one of Heidi’s recipes!

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Tortellini Salad

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces dried cheese tortellini
  • 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 2 cups sprouts
  • 1 medium avocado, diced

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook until almost perfectly tender. Stir in the broccoli, cook for 1 minute, then drain and rinse with cold water.
  2. Put the garlic clove in a mortar and pestle with a big pinch of salt and mash into a paste.
  3. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, and garlic paste.
  4. Combine the tortellini, broccoli, sprouts, nuts, and herbs in a large bowl and mix gently. Add the dressing to taste, and toss just before serving.
http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/tortellini-salad/

(adapted from Super Natural Every Day)

]]> http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/tortellini-salad/feed/ 7 Fontina and Portabello Pizza http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/fontina-and-portabello-pizza/ http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/fontina-and-portabello-pizza/#comments Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:13:21 +0000 Cate http://catesworldkitchen.com/?p=10496

I can’t say what exactly made this week so stressful, but I was TOTALLY ready for a beer and Pizza Friday when it finally rolled around. Fortunately, this three day weekend is already going pretty well, so I’m sure by Tuesday I’ll be out of my funk. I just have about 3 million papers to grade between now and then…

One of my essential Friday night or Saturday morning activities is planning my meals for the next week. I’ve done this on and off for years, but now that I’m using a Google Docs instead of random pieces of scratch paper that I inevitably lose, it’s going much better.

Using Google reader and one cookbook (I used to look at six or seven cookbooks and get totally overwhelmed), I put together a spreadsheet of what I plan to make. As I’m doing that, I write my grocery list, and we go grocery shopping and to the farmers market first thing Saturday morning. It’s nice to start the weekend knowing the whole week is already planned for, and not leave it hanging over my head until Sunday night.

Yesterday was grocery shopping day, but it also ended up being penguin-viewing day! We took Ellie back to the science museum and this time, the penguins were swimming!

I don’t know if she was more into watching the penguins or the other kids that came to see them, but we spent about 45 minutes there. Love that place.

This pizza went onto the menu as soon as I saw it. I forgot to get red peppers, and I don’t eat bacon, but I figured it would still be really good if I used some portabellos. And it was! The balsamic drizzle is amazing – don’t skip it!

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Fontina and Portabello Pizza

Ingredients

  • whole wheat pizza dough for 2 10-12" pizzas
  • 2 portabello mushrooms
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing pizzas
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 6 ounces freshly grated fontina cheese
  • 2 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 F with a pizza stone inside.
  2. Remove the stems and scrape the gills out of the portobellos. Cut the tops into thin slices.
  3. Heat the oil in a medium skillet and add the shallots. Cook over low heat until soft, about 15 minutes. Add the mushrooms and turn the heat up to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms are soft. Add the garlic, mix well, and remove from heat.
  4. Add a pinch or two of salt and stir.
  5. Mix the fontina and parmesan together in a separate bowl.
  6. Shape the pizza dough into 10-12" rounds on parchment paper. Brush with a little oil.
  7. Spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the pizza crusts. Top with the cheese.
  8. To bake the pizzas (one at a time), slide the parchment onto the pizza stone and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.
  9. While the pizzas are baking, bring the balsamic to a boil in a small saucepan and cook until thickened and reduced to about 1/2 cup.
  10. When the pizzas are done baking, let them cool slightly, then drizzle with a few spoonfuls of balsamic reduction.
http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/fontina-and-portabello-pizza/

(adapted from How Sweet It Is

]]> http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/fontina-and-portabello-pizza/feed/ 8 Quinoa and Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/quinoa-and-pistachio-stuffed-acorn-squash/ http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/quinoa-and-pistachio-stuffed-acorn-squash/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:13:22 +0000 Cate http://catesworldkitchen.com/?p=10482

Today, Ellie is four months old.   She’s only been in our lives a short time, but I can’t believe how much has changed.  Getting up at 5 AM is easier than I ever imagined it would be (she still hasn’t mastered sleeping through the night, so I’ve seen the wee hours of the morning a lot more than I would choose to).

I think I have done more laundry in these first few months of her life than in the full year prior to her birth. I’m eternally grateful for the washer and dryer in our house, because spending that much time at the laundromat would definitely make me crazy.  

It’s gotten to the point where a run without her in the jogging stroller just feels like something is missing, and I swear that pushing her all those miles has gotten me in better shape than ever (proof? I’m 2 pounds below pre-pregnancy weight AND I have that brand new 10K PR!)  

Her laugh is my favorite sound by far. I make a fool of myself numerous times a day just to see that huge toothless grin and hear her adorable giggle.  

I have hundreds of pictures of her on my phone and more on my camera’s memory card.  My instagram feed is heavily dominated by pictures of her. It’s ridiculous, but I can’t stop (even when I have 20 pictures that are pretty much identical).

I really, really love being her mom.

Although she’s still not eating anything but milk, she’s started to show some interest in fruits and vegetables (okay, toy versions of them).  She may not look terribly enthusiastic in that picture, but she LOVES those toys!  I’m really excited to start making her baby food soon.  Hopefully she’ll end up loving vegetables as much as her parents do!

Squash is my favorite vegetable of the moment.  Kabocha, butternut, acorn, spaghetti, delicata… I adore them all,  espcially roasted or stuffed!  These acorn squash have a simple filling, but the mix of flavors and textures is pretty hard to beat.  Salty, sweet, smooth, crunchy – it’s all in there!


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Quinoa and Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

  • 2 small acorn squash, cut in half and seeds removed
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped shallot
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1/2 cup toasted pistachios
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1-2 ounces feta, crumbled
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. Place the squash on the baking sheet cut side down and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the flesh is tender.
  3. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the shallot. Cook 3-4 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat and stir in the quinoa, pistachios, raisins, feta, lemon juice, and salt and pepper (to taste).
  4. Divide the quinoa mixture evenly among the squash halves.
  5. Return to the oven for about 10 minutes, then serve.
http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/quinoa-and-pistachio-stuffed-acorn-squash/

(adapted from With Style and Grace)

]]> http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/quinoa-and-pistachio-stuffed-acorn-squash/feed/ 13 Tortellini and Kale Soup http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/tortellini-and-kale-soup/ http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/tortellini-and-kale-soup/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:54:45 +0000 Cate http://catesworldkitchen.com/?p=10462
There are a million things to love about San Francisco, but this is one of my favorites:

We’re members, and this weekend, we gave Ellie her first science museum experience. Our first stop was the living roof, which is covered with native plants and absorbs 98% of the water that falls on it!

Next, we walked through the rainforest exhibit, which felt like Hawaii and had lots of birds and butterflies.

Ellie slept through the whole thing.
But she woke up when we got to the aquarium!

SO many cool fish!

And jellyfish.

The only disappointment was the penguin exhibit, which is usually my favorite. The penguins were all just kind of flopped around on the rocks, not doing anything. I guess we’ll have to go back very soon (this weekend, maybe?)

One thing I like almost as much as science museums is soup (worst tie-in ever? Oh well). This soup has it all – healthy beans and grains, cheesy pasta, and a spicy, fragrant tomato broth. The small changes I made to the original recipe were to reduce the liquid (I like my soups kind of stew-like), replace herbes de Provence with dried oregano and basil, and use kale instead of chard. It’s perfect comfort food!

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Tortellini and Kale Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 6 oz. dried cheese-filled tortellini
  • 1 bunch kale, chopped
  • shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or large pot.
  2. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes and cook an additional minute.
  4. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, beans, dried herbs. Bring to a boil and then turn down and simmer for about 15 minutes.
  5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  6. Stir in the kale and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the tortellini, cover, and simmer until the tortellini is done, about 15 minutes.
  7. Ladle soup into bowls and top with parmesan cheese to serve
http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/tortellini-and-kale-soup/

(adapted from Elly Says Opa)

]]> http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/tortellini-and-kale-soup/feed/ 10 Wheat Berry and Lentil Salad with Tahini Dressing http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/wheat-berry-and-lentil-salad-with-tahini-dressing/ http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/wheat-berry-and-lentil-salad-with-tahini-dressing/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:05:03 +0000 Cate http://catesworldkitchen.com/?p=10419

I think I have a good schedule worked out that will let me get in all the things I want to do. At least, it’s worked so far this week:

5 AM – wake up, make breakfast, write blog post

6 AM – shower, get ready

6:30 AM – get Ellie up, feed her

7 AM – Leave the house to take Ellie to daycare

7:15 AM – Arrive at work

3:30 PM – Leave work, pick up Ellie, go home and feed her

4:15 PM – Run with the stroller

5:15 PM – Home from run, shower, start dinner and do general household chores

7:00 PM – Ellie’s bedtime

8:30 PM – My bedtime

Since working out after school can be a little tougher than getting it done first thing in the morning, I hung a little motivation up in my classroom. The kids instantly recognized it as “that run thing I did last year when I was pregnant” (I may have mentioned it just a few times…)

I promised the kids I’d run with them today. I have four PE classes, and I’m running about mile with each class. I really do have the perfect job!

OK, so this is definitely very similar to this salad, which also has kale and lentils and lemon juice. But can you ever really have too much of a good thing? Especially when that good thing is healthy and filling?

Print
Wheat Berry and Lentil Salad with Tahini Dressing

Ingredients

    Salad
  • 3 large handfuls tuscan kale
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 3 cups cooked wheat berries
  • 3 cups cooked French green lentils
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • salt and pepper, to taste
    • Dressing
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 2-4 Tbsp warm water

Instructions

  1. Massage the oil into the kale until it is slightly wilted. Place in a large bowl and add remaining ingredients. You may want to put the onion in a sieve and run it under cold water for a minute if it is particularly pungent.
  2. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together, adding enough warm water to make the dressing creamy but pourable.
  3. Add to the salad and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste
http://catesworldkitchen.com/2012/01/wheat-berry-and-lentil-salad-with-tahini-dressing/

adapted from Oh She Glows

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