Monthly Archives: January 2021

Dry Beans, Weekend Dinner, Weeknight Dinner, Winter

Winter Baked Ziti

A true classic! Delicious and cheesy. Perfect for chilly winter days.

Print Recipe

Winter Baked Ziti

Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Midwest
Keyword: Casserole, Pyrex
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 392kcal

Equipment

  • 2.5 QT Pyrex / baking dish

Ingredients

Beans

  • ¾ cup dry white bean Cassoulet, marcella
  • Bay leaf

Ziti

  • ½ lb pasta short tubes or other small shape
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 medium carrots diced
  • 1 serrano diced
  • 28 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp miso optional
  • 6 cups spinach rough chopped
  • 6 oz ricotta
  • 8 oz mozzarella grated
  • 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

Beans

  • Make the beans. Best method: rinse the beans and cover with about 1 liter water and around 10g salt, for a 1% saline soak. Soak for 4-8 hours. Drain and then add to a pot along with fresh water. Add bay leaf and any other seasonings. Bring to a boil for about 3-5 minutes and then turn down to a low simmer and cook for 20-45 minutes, depending on the bean. Remove from heat and drain once beans are tender and creamy.
    ¾ cup dry white bean, Bay leaf

Baked Ziti

  • Start the water boiling for the pasta and cook according to package instructions until just al dente or even a little under-cooked. Do not overcook as it will soften further.
    ½ lb pasta
  • Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  • In a large Dutch oven, heat the 2 tbsp olive oil to medium. Add the onion, garlic, carrots and serrano pepper. Cook until softened.
    2 tbsp olive oil, 1 medium yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic, 3 medium carrots, 1 serrano
  • Add the 3 tbsp tomato paste and 1 tbsp miso, if using, and stir until it’s combined and starting to darken.
    3 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp miso
  • Add the 28oz can crushed tomatoes and cook until it starts to bubble a little. Then turn off the heat and add in the cooked pasta and beans and spinach. Mix well.
    28 oz crushed tomatoes, 6 cups spinach
  • Add in the ricotta and about half of the mozzarella.
    6 oz ricotta, 8 oz mozzarella
  • Pour into a large (2.5qt) round baking dish, like a Pyrex. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid, put the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan on top, and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted.
    8 oz mozzarella, 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Notes

Serves about 6

Nutrition

Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 896mg | Potassium: 1414mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 8883IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 442mg | Iron: 6mg
Nutrition Facts
Winter Baked Ziti
Amount Per Serving
Calories 392 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 46mg15%
Sodium 896mg39%
Potassium 1414mg40%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 9g38%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 23g46%
Vitamin A 8883IU178%
Vitamin C 29mg35%
Calcium 442mg44%
Iron 6mg33%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Pressure Cooker, Weekend Dinner, Winter

Beets, Lentils and Chard with Whipped Goat Cheese

I put this together based on past recipes and ideas I saw in a cookbook about how to use lentils, since I had a bit of a surplus. This is delicious and the beets and lentils go really well together. The chard brings the extra flavor and fun that’s needed here.

Note that one big bunch seems like a lot chard, but it somewhat disappears into the lentils once wilted. You can consider two bunches if you want to really enhance the chard.

Print Recipe

Beets, Lentils and Chard with Whipped Goat Cheese

Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: California
Keyword: Lentils
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 576kcal

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker
  • Stand mixer

Ingredients

Beets

  • 10 small red beets about 2" each, leaves and stems removed, scrubed
  • 4 tbsp olive olive oil
  • 3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
  • ½ tsp salt

Lentils

  • 350 g French green lentils
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ tsp salt

Chard and onion

  • 1.5 lbs chard Swiss or rainbow
  • 1 small red onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ tbsp olive oil

Goat cheese

  • 11 oz goat cheese
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

Beets (up to 24 hours before)

  • Remove the leaves/stalks from the beets but don’t pierce the beet, if possible. Rinse the beets and scrub off any dirt. Add about 1½ cup water in the bottom of the pressure cooker, just below the steam basket line, and place beets into the basket. Pressure cook on high for 11 minutes for small beets (up to 18 minutes for large beets, or even 25 minutes for real monster beets) and allow pressure to release naturally. Check beets for doneness – a knife or fork should easily pierce the beet and it should be somewhat tender. Allow beets to cool.
    10 small red beets
  • As the beets cool, in a large, covered, non-reactive bowl, combine 4 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar and about ½ tsp salt and a good ¼ tsp or more of fresh ground pepper. Set aside.
    4 tbsp olive olive oil, 3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar, ½ tsp salt
  • Once beets are cool, slice off the ends and slide off the skin. Then large-dice the beets into bite-sized but hearty pieces, aka bite-a-beets – about ½” square, more or less. Toss well with the marinating sauce. You can add more of the ingredients to the bowl – in original proportion – if it seems like there is not enough dressing to allow the beets to marinate. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. Stir occasionally, especially in the beginning.

Lentils

  • When you’re ready to make dinner, boil some water in the kettle. Measure and rinse the French green lentils. Once the water is boiling, add to a large saucepan along with the lentils and ½ tsp salt and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then immediately turn to low, or a touch above low. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside.
    350 g French green lentils, 2 bay leaves, ½ tsp salt

Goat cheese

  • To make the whipped goat cheese, add the goat cheese, olive oil, milk, vinegar, pepper and salt to the stand mixer with the whipping attachment on and whip until the cheese is fluffy and soft. Taste and season with additional vinegar and salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
    11 oz goat cheese, 2 tbsp olive oil, ¼ cup whole milk, 1 tsp rice vinegar, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt

Wilt the chard and prepare

  • Strip the leaves from the chard and roughly chop or slice. Cut the bottoms from the stems and slice thinly. Keep with the chopped red onion and chopped garlic.
    1.5 lbs chard, 1 small red onion, 3 cloves garlic
  • To a large Dutch oven, add oil and heat to medium. Add the chard stems, red onion and garlic and simmer a bit until everything is softened a bit and fragrant. Turn down heat and add the chopped swiss chard and cook just until it’s wilted. Then add the lentils and toss gently. Add beets and toss again.
    ½ tbsp olive oil
  • Serve the chard, lentils and beets topped with the whipped goat cheese.

Notes

Serves 6

Nutrition

Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 1317mg | Potassium: 1465mg | Fiber: 24g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 7556IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 206mg | Iron: 9mg
Nutrition Facts
Beets, Lentils and Chard with Whipped Goat Cheese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 576 Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Fat 28g43%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 25mg8%
Sodium 1317mg57%
Potassium 1465mg42%
Carbohydrates 55g18%
Fiber 24g100%
Sugar 14g16%
Protein 29g58%
Vitamin A 7556IU151%
Vitamin C 45mg55%
Calcium 206mg21%
Iron 9mg50%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Dairy-Free, Dry Beans, Great Leftovers, Holiday, Projects

New Year’s Black-Eyed Peas and Veggie Sausages

This started out 2021 right for us. Filled with chunks of delicious, home-made sausage and filled with hearty legumes and brown rice, it was a nutritious start to what will be a great year.

It’s a real project with a great payoff.

Print Recipe

New Year’s Black-Eyed Peas and Veggie Sausages

Starting 2021 off right
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Southern, Vegetarian
Keyword: Dry Beans, Stew
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 351kcal

Ingredients

Beans and Rice

  • 2 cups dry black-eyed peas
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 dried chipotle pepper
  • ½ onion diced
  • 28 oz diced tomatoes fire-roasted preferred
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1.5 cups long-grain brown rice

Sauté

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ large onion diced
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded and chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper stemmed, seeded and chopped
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced or crushed
  • 1 serrano pepper stemmed and diced

Finish

  • 4 links sausage or soyrizo
  • 3 scallions optional, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley minced

Instructions

Beans

  • Rinse and pick over the black-eyed peas. Add to a large soup pot with 5 cups water and the bay leaf, chipotle and the diced half-onion. Heat to a boil and then cover and turn to low so it just barely simmers. Let cook until the beans are not quite tender – as quick as 30 minutes, or as much as one hour. You want them to be notably under-cooked, but at least half-cooked. They should have a crunch, but not still be dry.

Add Rice

  • Once the beans have reached the right near-cooked phase, add the tomatoes, 1 tsp salt and black pepper. Raise the heat and add the rice. Bring to a boil and then turn back to low so it barely simmers. Cook for 30-50 minutes until the beans and brown rice are tender and just cooked.

Sauté and Sausages

  • While the brown rice cooks, prepare the sauté ingredients. Also prepare the sausages by slicing them into 1-inch pieces.
  • When the rice and beans are nearly done, heat a large skillet over medium and add 2 tbsp olive oil and then the onions. Soften and brown the onions for 5-6 minutes. Then add the carrots and stir for a 2-3 minutes until bright and starting to soften. Then add the bell peppers, celery, garlic and serrano pepper. Sauté and stir for another few minutes until fragerant. Remove to a small bowl and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan.
  • In the same pan, add another 1 tbsp oil and heat. Then add the sliced sausages and gently fry, turning after a few minutes. Once done, turn off the heat and remove from heat.

Combine and Serve

  • Once the rice and beans are fully cooked, turn off the heat. Add the sauted vegetables and mix gently but well. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sausages last, or even add them as you serve the dish. Sprinkle the scallions and fresh parsley on top, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 757mg | Potassium: 1119mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 3625IU | Vitamin C: 49.5mg | Calcium: 132.5mg | Iron: 6.5mg
Nutrition Facts
New Year's Black-Eyed Peas and Veggie Sausages
Amount Per Serving
Calories 351 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 757mg33%
Potassium 1119mg32%
Carbohydrates 58g19%
Fiber 11g46%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 18g36%
Vitamin A 3625IU73%
Vitamin C 49.5mg60%
Calcium 132.5mg13%
Iron 6.5mg36%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.