Secretly Stuffed-With-Veggies Fettuccini With Tomato Cream Sauce

Because the goal of my life, of course, is to secretly ferret vegetables down the throat of my husband without his knowledge, I am proud of a recent delicious and successful meal I served, in which he had no knowledge of the amount of healthy vegetables consumed. And I'd like to keep it that way.

I made a simple roux with Earth Balance margarine and flour, and added to that vegetable stock and almond milk, which makes a really nice cream sauce base. To that I added a couple of slices of light Edam cheese, black and pepper, salt, red pepper flakes and tomato paste cut with water. It was the most delicious tomato cream sauce I have ever made, and it has almost no saturated fat.

But the vegetable stock does not comprise all the vegetables I have snuck in here. I found a Ronzoni brand fettuccine product called Garden Delight, which is an enriched tomato, carrot and spinach pasta blend, that purports to deliver a full serving of vegetables per 4 oz. serving. It paired really well with the cream sauce. Sprinkled with parmigiana, there is no way anyone will think this dish is made with anything other than heavy cream and full fat cheese. This really is a must-try! Tomorrow night!

1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1 to 1 and 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup almond milk or MimicCreme
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2-3 tbsp tomato paste, diluted in 3-5 tbsp warm water

1 box Ronzoni Garden Delight Fettuccini, prepared according to package directions.

Combine the flour and margarine in a hot, wide-bottomed saucepan and mix until you have the consistency of paste. Cook until bubbly, about 30-40 seconds, then add the vegetable stock, a little at a time, and keep mixing until smooth. Continue adding almond milk slowly and whisk as it cooks. When it reaches a boil, it should be ready. You will know it is ready when the sauce nicely coats the back of the spoon. Remove from flame. Add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and correct the seasoning. Add two slices or 1 oz. of light cheese (I use Edam), and mix in the diluted tomato paste. Turn flame back on, to low this time, and add the cooked pasta and toss in the sauce until all the fettuccine is coated. Dust with parmigiana cheese and serve immediately to people who hate vegetables, but who will ask for this again and again.

Portable Gourmet Mini-Quiches

I altered my herb-crusted sun-dried tomato quiche recipe for use as mini-quiches, because sometimes you want to make something fancy, but you want to be able to control the amount. I whipped up a dozen of these cuties for someone who recently had a baby, and I feel good that they can be eaten, hot, lukewarm, or even cold, in a few bites, and can be refrigerated or frozen for later.

Crust:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup oil (canola or vegetable)
5 tbsp water
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dehydrated or granulated garlic

Filling:

6 eggs, beaten (or the same amount egg substitute)
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk)
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, minced
4-5 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
6 oz. part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup (or more) chedder, colby or monterey jack cheese, grated
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp salt (not kosher salt)

For the crust, combine the ingredients and mix with a fork. Place about a tablespoon in each cupcake tin. (For me, this made 14 cupcake-sized quiche crusts). Flatten enough to have some of the dough crawling up the sides. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in a 375 degree oven until slightly browned. Remove from oven.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and combine with almond milk and ricotta and mix with a fork until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix until incorporated and spoon into the crusts. Bake for 15-25 minutes until firm on top and slightly browned.

Note: If you use this recipe in a regular piecrust, your cooking time will be longer, approximately 45 minutes to an hour, and you may have extra filling, which is delicious as an omelette.

Panko and Old Bay-Crusted Mahi Mahi

Mahi Mahi, a kosher fish also known as Dolphin fish (not Dolphin, which is cute, and non-kosher!) is a somewhat bland, firm fish that stands up great to pan-frying. This is a fun and different recipe to serve for a Shabbos lunch first course, or a relaxed weeknight meal. I make it in honor of my sister-in-law Mandy, who hails from the large Jewish community of Baltimore, Maryland.

2 cups Panko bread crumbs
3 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 Mahi Mahi filets
2 tbsp canola oil for frying (I use Mazola Corn Plus!)
2 egg, beaten
1/4 cup flour



Dredge the filets first in plain flour, then the beaten egg, then then the panko. Place presentation side down (the side that you will serve face up on the plate), in a hot pan preheated with canola oil. Cook approximately 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to oven ready pan and finish at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. The fish can then be chilled in the fridge and reheated for Shabbos.

I served these with stone ground cornmeal onion strips. Moisten sliced onions with unsweetened almond milk, salt and pepper, then transfer to a combination of 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup cornmeal 1 tbps salt and 2 tsp pepper. Add to a large pot with about 2 inches of hot canola oil (test with one ring, you want enthusiastic bubbling). Remove when brown and crisp, and serve immediately or keep warm in an oven until ready to serve.

Easy Beef Stew

When it's cold and everyone is fighting off a sore throat, the only thing that anyone really wants is a rich, nourishing soup. This stew or goulash recipe is something I have made several times of times over the past couple of weeks, and it's an easy fix-it-and-forget-it recipe. It's also very filling, so you won't go searching through the cupboard for a snack two hour after dinner (you know who you are!) This beef stew can also be made in the crockpot (combine ingredients, set on low heat and go to work, and come home to a house that smells amazing.) My recipe involved only about 15 minutes of work, and then periodic checking, with a total hour to hour and a half cooking time.

2 pounds boneless flanken, brisket, chuck or any other nicely marbled meat, cut in bite-sized pieces
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 parsnips, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 onions, roughly chopped
5 ribs celery, diced
4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp granulated garlic
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1 dash cayenne (optional)
2 tsp dried rosemary (or 4 tsp fresh)
2-3 cups vegetable stock

Sweat mirepoix (carrots, celery, onions) in olive oil in a deep pot, approximately 10 minutes.

In a large ziploc bag, incorporate flour and dried spices except for the rosemary, and add the bite-size beef pieces. Shake it all about! Remove the beef pieces, now lightly floured and spiced, and place in the pot with the vegetables. This adds just the right amount of flour to thicken the stew. Add cubed potatoes, parsnips, rosemary and vegetable stock, and cover. Simmer on medium heat for 10-20 minutes, then correct seasonings and reduce to a very low flame and simmer for an additional hour or more, until ready to serve.

This recipe serves four, easily. Add 1/3 to 1/2 pound uncooked meat for each additional adult. It also freezes beautifully.

Three Cheese Mac 'n Cheese

Here I present a rather non-traditional, non-yellow, non-elbow macaroni mac 'n cheese dish, with spinach, chickpeas and vegetable stock thrown in for good health. It's a light yet no less cheesy version of a classic dairy dish. I made it a couple of times last week to rave reviews. I hope you like it!

1 box whole grain pasta, cooked according to package directions

2 tbsp margarine (I use earth balance veggy sticks)
2 tbsp flour
2 cups pareve vegetable stock
1/4 cup almond milk (regular milk, half and half, or cream will also work well)
1 cup low fat part skim ricotta
1 cup shredded or pulsed parmesan reggiano cheese (plus extra for later)
2 oz or 2 slices light muenster or monterey jack cheese
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (broccoli or cauliflower would also work fine)
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp black pepper (or to taste)

In a large, wide-bottomed saucepan, combine the margarine and flour and make a roux by cooking together for a minute or so until pasty and bubbly. Add almond milk and vegetable stock slowly and mix thoroughly until there are no lumps. You should have a nice sauce that coats the back of the spoon well. Add the ricotta and parmesan cheeses and mix until incorporated. Add salt and pepper and correct the seasoning. Add the veggies, chickpeas and the pasta, correct the seasoning again. Transfer to a baking dish and top with parmesan and muenster/monterey jack cheese. Bake at 350 for 10-20 minutes.

Sweet Potato and Leek Latkes

After we're done making regular classic latkes for a couple of Chanukah nights, it's time to think outside the [white potato] box and get some anti-oxidents and vitamins into our bloodstreams!

I made latkes tonight with sweet potatoes and leeks and they turned out great. Let's face it -- fried anything would probably be pretty good. But these taste just like latkes should. Crisp and delicious and mightily Chanukah-esque. I hope you enjoy these as much as my [vegetable hater] husband and I did.

6 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped fine in food processor
6 leeks, white and very light green parts only, washed and chopped fine in food processor
3 eggs
2 tsp salt (or to taste, 2 tsp makes a very savory latke)
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup flour

vegetable oil for frying (I use Mazola Corn Plus!)

Let sweet potatoes drain a bit before combining with other ingredients. Heat oil in a wide bottomed pan until very hot, and fry latkes until brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels and transfer to a warm oven and serve hot!

Scottish Oatmeal Shortbread Squares

I was inspired by Amy, a fellow blogger over at Baking and Mistaking to make Scottish shortbread with oatmeal. I was all ready to make her version, but then, while talking with my mom, she pulled out a very old, out of print cookbook from McCall's Magazine that she got for her wedding which had a amazing recipe that I just had to try. Like Amy's recipe, there are few ingredients, but in this one there's a ton more oatmeal, which is a whole grain! Now, while I won't look you in the eye and tell you this is health food, I do feel better about serving these than say, chocolate covered marshmallows...

I will tell you that this recipe is quick and easy and it's a perfect thing to bring to friends for dessert on a cold winter evening. And it really tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen!

3 cups quick cooking oats
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1 tsp vanilla

(optional) 1 high quality Swiss dark chocolate bar for dipping, melted in the microwave and stirred with a teaspoon of vegetable oil.

Mix ingredients only until incorporated, until it resembles a coarse cornmeal. Press with your fingers into square pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Score (slice) into squares as soon as it comes out of the oven. Makes 18 generous squares.

If dipping, place dipped cookies on parchment paper and store in the refrigerator until set.