Spinach Parmesan Rice Bake, or Cheesy Rice with Mixed Veggies

December 22, 2012 by 2 Comments

Well, this is my last post before I head off to Los Angeles, California for a Christmas week with my family. My sister has rented a house at Manhattan Beach, which I’ve never been to before, but I am confident that our time will be a good mix of fun and relaxation. She and I are both “spreadsheet organizers” so we have put together quite a few options of eating and activities possibilities that we may or may not get to. Perhaps more eating opportunity options are listed, as those are so easy to think of…

Ok, on to some content rather than babbling. I’ve known about Kittencal and her recipes for a long time from her submissions to Recipezaar which later became to Food.com, and had success with several of her recipes. She was one of the original food internet people that I started gathering recipes from. This one she has for a spinach parmesan bake I’ve had printed out for quite a while (since when I still lived in Chicago…), but it never made it to actual execution until now as it serves 8 people for dinner or a party of 16 at a potluck where it is a small side. That makes it perfect for sharing the indulgence during any winter potluck get together though, and no one is going to see anything during the sweater season…!

This is my adaption. It would be easy to add other veggies or diced meats to the dish as well- the second time I made this and didn’t have any spinach, so I just threw in a steamed bag of mixed veggies from the freezer- I show pictures from both batches I made, the latter of which I dub “Cheesy Rice Bake with Mixed Veggies”.

Her original recipe uses 3/4 cup of melted butter during the mixing of the spinach, rice, etc. but I reduced it in the recipe I listed below as the cheese and milk (I used skim) already is going  to add fat. I used her amount with spinach and it was pretty rich.

Also, maybe F gave me a hard time about how much fat is in the dish when he had the Spinach Parmesan Rice Bak version, even though I thought it was tasty (though ok, admittedly a little oily, and it had a harder time holding together when hot). But, then when I made it with mixed veggies in the Cheesy Rice with Mixed Veggies version, I didn’t use melted butter at all in it and I thought it was a little dry if it isn’t warm and you aren’t eating from the center part (although the flavors are still good). So I think the amount I listed below is a compromise between the two (I have fixed what I shared below, versus what I actually did!).

I also upped the 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper because I wanted a little more heat. I doubled the amount of onion and then did a sauté of the onions so they are sweet and caramelized, and I threw in the garlic too to make it fragrant, but you can follow her original and  mix them in raw until oven bake time.

Ingredients:

  • 1 10 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach
  • 2 cups cooked rice (will be using cold rice)
  • 2/3 cup diced onions
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon of butter and separately, 1/4 cup of melted butter
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) of shredded cheddar cheese or swiss cheese or a mix of the two (or other cheeses of your choice). I used a mix of cheddar and monterey jack
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) of shredded parmesan cheese: 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese for creating the dish, and another 1/4 cup for topping
  • 3/4 cup milk or cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)
  • seasoning salt (to taste or can use white salt)
  • 3 eggs

Directions:

  1. Cook the rice and then set aside to cool in the fridge, or use leftover rice from when you went out/got delivery and had Chinese…
  2. Steam the frozen chopped spinach, and press out as much moisture as possible. Or… saute a bag of fresh spinach (though as you’ll see, this will make the final product a little bit more oily- but still delicious. Just leans towards more guilty pleasure. I was ok with this.). Or use a mixed vegetable bag around the same size in ounces and steam in the microwave… whatever suits you.
  3. Optional: Sauté the garlic and diced onion in a saucepan with the 1 tablespoon of butter on medium heat until fragrant and caramelized- the onions should become translucent.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and grease a 11 x 7″ baking dish.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the sauteed onion, cooked spinach or mixed veggies, cold rice, milk/cream, melted butter, and cheeses (the 2 cups shredded and 3/4 grated parmesan, saving the last 1/4 cup of grated parmesan for topping). Mix and season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste, keeping in mind to over-season by a bit as the eggs will dilute the flavor. Add in the beaten eggs and finish mixing everything thoroughly. I show both versions, one with spinach and one with mixed veggies below.
    spinach parmesan rice bake vegetables casserole spinach parmesan rice bake vegetables casserole
    spinach parmesan rice bake vegetables casserole spinach parmesan rice bake vegetables casserole
  6. Now, transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the last 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
    spinach parmesan rice bake vegetables casserole spinach parmesan rice bake vegetables casserole
    spinach parmesan rice bake vegetables casserole spinach parmesan rice bake vegetables casserole
  7. Bake uncovered or covered for 25 minutes or until set (over baking will cause a heavier denser texture if you prefer a lighter texture then bake just until set). Save the roof of your mouth from being burned by waiting at least 15 minutes before eating. You will want to eat this warm while its gooey. For the mixed veggies version I added a little more color by sprinkling some chopped chives and parsley on top at the end.
    spinach parmesan rice bake vegetables casserole spinach parmesan rice bake vegetables casserole spinach parmesan rice bake vegetables casserole spinach parmesan rice bake vegetables casserole

As you can see, it’s a cheesy creamy rice casserole indeed. And, it’s even better the next day reheated as leftovers as it gives it a chance to solidify a bit more in the fridge over night. Now make this and share the comfort with your friends to get rid of it, or you will end up coming back to eat all the leftovers!

Thanks Kittencal(the recipe itself is at http://www.food.com/recipe/kittencals-spinach-parmesan-rice-bake, but her own blog/website has many more recipes you may want to search/browse).

Her notes share that “This is a wonderful easy side dish to chicken or meat and any leftovers freeze wonderful, it may also be baked in a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate and cut into wedges, this may be doubled but I would still only use one package or spinach or maybe 1-1/2 packages adding in too much spinach will overpower all other ingredients, prep time does not include cooking the rice — FOR FREEZING prepare recipe as directed but do not bake, wrap pan in plastic wrap then tightly in foil and freeze, to serve thaw over night in refrigerator, remove wrapping bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until hot. ”

How so very motherly, even in the way she writes to share her recipe on a website right?!

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Tofu and Mushrooms A La King

December 19, 2012 by 1 Comment

I decided to try a vegetarian version of a gorgeous Chicken A La King recipe I saw on Pinterest and which originated from the blog Get off your Butt and Bake! I increased the cheeseiness from the recipe because I love cheese and it has never worked negatively for me when I have upped cheese. Nope, never ever ever. Anyway, this ends up yielding more sauce, so based on how many shells are in a package the recipe below is enough to yield enough sauce for two packages of six shells, or approximately six people if everyone has two puffs each along with another  side.

It is very rich, so would be wonderful to paid with another dish that has some acid to cut through this such as a salad with a citrus vinaigrette. I chose to use tofu and mushrooms, but having a variety of color and shapes in vegetables you choose, such as sliced carrots, peas, diced peppers, etc could make this really visually stunning. You could put anything into this sauce. Really, seriously, anything. This sauce is so good.

Ingredients:

  • 2 package of puff pastry shells (6 in a package).
  • 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water, beat together
  • 1/3 cup of butter for the sauce
  • 8 ounces of sliced cremini mushrooms
  • Optionally, add in any other vegetables, such as peas, carrots, etc.
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of chopped dill
  • 1/2 teaspoon of  chopped parsley
  • 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 2 cups milk
  • 12 oz (3 cups) of shredded cheddar cheese- I used a mild cheddar which is also why I upped the amount
  • 1 extra firm tofu, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon diced chives

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Beat together 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water. On parchment paper or foil on a baking sheet, lay out the thawed puff pastry shells. Beat together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water, and brush the tops with the egg and water mixture. Per the instructions on the package, bake the puff pastry for 20 minutes. After that time, remove the top of the pastry from the pan using a fork to help cut it out and place aside, and then  bake the shell portion for another 5 minutes or so just to make sure they are cooked through. Baking these shells could be done while preparing the sauce.
    Tofu and Mushrooms A La King Tofu and Mushrooms A La King
  2. Meanwhile, optionally prep and cook any additional vegetables (microwave, sautee, or steam them, or however you want to cook the veggies. I considered cooking the mushrooms sauteed in a butter sauce, but then decided since they were so fresh to not cook my tofu or mushrooms at all.
    Tofu and Mushrooms A La King
  3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, and then add the cornstarch water mixture, broth, milk, and all your seasonings of salt, pepper, dill parsley, pepper, onion powder, and sugar. You can be creative with the seasonings to suit your taste and the flavor of the broth you used. Stir until the sauce has all mixed and thickened so that if you draw a line on the back of your stirring spoon, holding it vertically the sauce should not drip and cross the line.
    Tofu and Mushrooms A La King Tofu and Mushrooms A La King Tofu and Mushrooms A La King
  4. Turn the heat to low, and make sure the sauce does not boil. Add in the grated cheese 1/2 at a time, stirring as the cheese melts.
    Tofu and Mushrooms A La King Tofu and Mushrooms A La King
  5. Combine the mushrooms and diced tofu now into the sauce. I didn’t need to cook my tofu and mushrooms, but obviously you are using meat it has to be cooked beforehand. Stir everything to mix.
    Tofu and Mushrooms A La King Tofu and Mushrooms A La King
  6. Plating time! This was the hardest part for me- spilling little drops of sauce from the pot to the plate! Pour with a spoon the mixture into the puff pastry shells, top with a little bit more cheese if you’d like, but I topped mine with some fresh chopped chives.
    Tofu and Mushrooms A La King  Tofu and Mushrooms A La King Tofu and Mushrooms A La King

This happens to have been done with puff pastry shells, but you can also use any kind of carb you want- toast, biscuits, english muffins, croissants, rice, pasta… Yum. I love how this particular meal plates in a more fancy fashion that you could have at a dinner party, or just for a romantic evening thanks to the pastry shells. As mentioned since you can fold anything into this sauce, you can use any leftovers you would like such as leftover turkey or ham or chicken, etc.

Tofu and Mushrooms A La KingTofu and Mushrooms A La King

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Dark Chocolate Porter Cake

December 13, 2012 by 3 Comments

This recipe is one that caught my eye from the book “The Best of American Beer & Food” by Lucy Saunders. She gathered this recipe from Chef Nathan Berg of Native Bay Restaurant and Lounge in Chippewa Falls using Viking Brewing Company’s Whole Stein porter. We used Mocha Death porter from Iron Horse Brewery.

This yielded a 13×9 cake that was quite dense and moist so that just a square was enough (great served with some fresh whipped cream and a berry sauce) to feed 20 some people at my work.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons of oil or butter or use cooking spray
  • 8 ounces of chocolate porter beer
  • 12 ounces of dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 8 tablespoons of cubed unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and coat the cake pan with oil or butter or use cooking spray.
  2. In a saucepan, bring the beer to a boil, and then slowly whisk in the dark chocolate until it is all melted and incorporated. Remove the chocolate beer pot from the heat and add the cubed butter and vanilla and stir until the butter is melted.
    dark chocolate porter cake dark chocolate porter cake dark chocolate porter cake
  3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients of the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
    dark chocolate porter cake
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs lightly, and then slowly pour in the chocolate beer butter vanilla mixture while whisking.
  5. Using a rubber spatula, fold the chocolate mixture into the large mixing bowl, mixing as little as possible. The batter should still be liquid and drip from the spatula
  6. Fill the cake pan evenly and place in oven on the middle rack. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean.
    dark chocolate porter cake dark chocolate porter cake
  7. Cool the cake for an hour before serving with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and topped with fresh whipped cream and/or a berry sauce.
    dark chocolate porter cake dark chocolate porter cake

Mmm, dense chocolaty goodness.

dark chocolate porter cake

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Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola

December 9, 2012 by 8 Comments

Soup sounds simple, but it is deceptively so. For me, it’s important that the soup have structure and depth of flavor- that it’s not just a liquified puree and/or a bunch of swollen vegetables and meat. The way each spoonful feels texturally in your mouth and the flavors that are briefly there as it passes on your tongue and lingers afterward need to combine to be memorable.

I think this soup meets those above criteria I have, and is worth the time to create rather than from the store pre-made in a container. I happened to make homemade mascarpone, but you can certainly just purchase it to save some of the prep work.

Ingredients (for 6 people):

  • 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cups of stock- I used vegetable stock
  • 1/2 cup of diced white onion
  • 1/4 cup of diced celery
  • 1/4 cup of diced carrots
  • 1/2 cup of an ale or you can also use hard cider. I used Sam Adams Dunkelweizen
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/4 tablespoon of ground coriander
  • 2 pounds of peeled, seeded, chopped butternut squash
  • 1/2 cup of Mascarpone cheese, or make your own using 2 cups of cream and 1/8 teaspoon of tartaric acid as I did. This will yield 2 cups of Mascarpone.
  • 1/2 cup of Cambozola
  • 1 cup of cream – you can also use sour cream or some of the yield of the homemade Mascarpone (I did the latter)
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups of whole almonds- they should be raw, not roasted
  • To Taste: salt, and pepper

Directions:

  1. If you are making homemade mascarpone, start with this step first the night before. Heat the 2 cups of cream in a saucepan to 180 degrees F over medium high heat, stirring and making sure it does not scorch. As soon it reaches 180 degrees F, remove from heat immediately and stir in the tartaric acid. You can find tartaric acid in the baking section of your grocery store, or you can go to a home brew or home wine store.
    Continue stirring for 1-2 minutes, and then transfer to a glass or plastic container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so it can thicken. You can set a sieve over a bowl and line it with cheesecloth and pour in the mascarpone and let drain for an additional 10 hours in the refrigerator… This yields 2 cups of mascarpone cheese.
    making mascarpone recipe homemade making making homemade mascarpone
  2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, while in a large pot that is at least 2.5 quarts, you heat up the stock. In the saucepan, add in the mirepoix – aka the onion, celery, and carrots- and sweat them until they are soft
    mirepoix mirepoix
  3. Meanwhile, watch your pot with stock. Once the stock is boiling, turn down the heat to low and add the beer, cinnamon, and coriander and let it simmer to develop the flavor for about 5 minutes. Then add in the mirepoix and the squash and continue to cook, uncovered, for the next 25-30 minutes. The squash should start to get mushy and fall apart and incorporate into the liquid.
    For my ale, I chose to use Samuel Adams Dunkelweizen, which was one of the beers offered on one of their seasonal variety packs. I picked the Dunkelweizen because it is a dark wheat beer brewed with Bavarian yeast that has flavors and aromas of clove and nutmeg with a tiniest hint of citrus and finished with malted wheat, so sounded like it would be a good mix with the rest of the vegetables and seasonings.
    Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola
  4. Remove the pot from heat and remove the cinnamon stick and let the soup cool until it is warm. You don’t want it to be hot because you are about to puree everything!
  5. In the meantime, combine the water, sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil and then add the almonds.
    Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola
  6. Cook and stir the almond/sugar water mixture until the liquid evaporates and leaves a syrup-like coating on the almonds. Pour the almonds onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper and flatten to help the almonds cool. Cool for about 15 minutes- and it is totally ok to sneak a few warm nuts as a snack! This is more than you will need to garnish the soup, but it will probably be gone in just a day or so (a handful at a time- because you can’t just have a couple), so don’t hesitate to make this amount.
    I know right, super easy! This will smell so good too. I always want to get these whenever I smell those little carts selling paper cones of candied nuts and you can eat them warm if you’d like. Or, you can add them like I did to soup. or to salad, or mix it with pretzels and peanut butter chips or chex etc. for a snack mix. I used almonds, but you can use any nut you’d like. You can also add vanilla or chili/cayenne/hot sauce for additional seasonings instead of cinnamon.
    Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola
  7. Once the soup so far is cool enough, mix in a blender on high in batches to puree the soft vegetables until smooth.
    Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola
  8. Take out the mascarpone and the cambozola and let it warm to room temperature.  You will then mix the 1/2 cup of the mascarpone with 1/2 cup of the cambozola to make a cheese mixture
    Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola
  9. Warm the soup at low heat, stirring 1 cup of the mascarpone, until it is at a temperature to serve (definitely do not get to boiling). You can also just use another substitute to make the soup creamier in texture and taste, such as light sour cream or tofutti- I didn’t have another use for the rest of the mascarpone and decided to use it here but the soup definitely missed the cream. Instead, use the rest of the mascarpone to make tiramisu or with fruit or in other desserts, try to use it in a few days while it is fresh and has that subtle sweetness.
  10. When serving, sprinkle the candied almonds on top of the soup and garnish with the cheese mixture. How pretty and fancy!
    Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone with Cambozola

Making the candied almonds makes your place smell so festive with the cinnamon scent! The optional step of making homemade mascarpone is extra credit but also pays off as  you will taste how fresh and subtle the sweetness can be, and the garnish of the mascarpone cambozola cheese allows you to add just a touch of creaminess and cambozola is a nice mix of the richness combining the butteryness of a brie type cheese but with a bit of tangy punch akin to blue cheese. Using the squash makes this soup so seasonal too, and the ale gives you the ability to give this a depth of flavor beyond just the average butternut squash soup.

I started to get a cold (sore throat, sniffles, cough) a little bit after making this soup and having this for lunch was so comforting. Whether you are feeling sick or not, it’s a nourishing remedy for the dark cold days this time of year and a perfect holiday soup that is wonderful for all winter season.

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Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

December 5, 2012 by 6 Comments

I didn’t know how much I liked brussels sprouts until I had these at a elegant dinner at a restaurant, and a few days later I was looking up how to make these myself. And, it turns out it is incredibly simple.

Ingredients (serves six as a side dish):

  • 1 1/2 pounds of brussels sprouts
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons of maple syrup
  • Optional: 1/2 cup of hazelnuts

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Cut all the brussels sprouts in half. If you can, buy them on the stalk as shown as they stay fresher and I think taste better than when they are purchased removed. Cut the stems off and remove any yellow or brown outer leaves. When I bring these home from the farmers market boy were they a heavy “bouquet” to carry across my arm as I walked up the hill like I was crowned a pageant winner…
    brussel sprout stalk
  3. Toss the brussels sprouts with the olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and black pepper- the best way to mix this is honestly by (clean obviously) hand to make sure it is all distributed to all your sprouts.
    Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
  4. On a baking sheet tray that is lined with foil or parchment paper (the tray will get messy from the caramelization process), spread all the brussels sprouts so they are all even and flat.
    Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
  5. Put in the oven and after every 15 minutes, turn over the brussels sprouts to even out the browning. After 45 minutes or so, they should be fork tender. Optionally, you can add hazelnuts in the last 10 minutes to toast them to add some crunch to your brussels  sprouts dish
    Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I know I said these could serve six as a side dish, but I have also totally made these as a lazy weekend lunch and eaten these just by themselves too!

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