Published by mel on February 9, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I’m a big fan of any kind of baked and bubbly casserole, especially one covered in melty, browned cheese. And even more if that cheese is an aged Gruyere. Last week I was craving lasagna, but didn’t have the traditional ingredients on hand. Don’t you hate when that happens? Not to be downtrodden, I used whatever I had around and made this mushroom, rainbow chard and Gruyere lasagna.
Portabllo and baby bella mushroom are sauteed with onions until browned and almost caramelized, then layered with whole wheat lasagna and Rainbow Chard, ricotta and Parmesan. Cover everything with shredded Gruyere cheese and bake. Definitely much simpler than a traditional lasagna, and much more weeknight-friendly.
While I loved the richness of the mushrooms, I think I used too many. Next time, I’ll use half the amount and add some spicy Italian sausage or ground beef. I’m posting the recipe as I made it below, but am asking you all for any recommendations. What do you think this lasagna needs?
Continue reading ‘Mushroom, Rainbow Chard & Gruyere Lasagna’
Published by mel on August 22, 2008 in entree and recipe.
I should just rename this site The Chorizo Blog. I know I should stop, but I cannot help myself. Chorizo keeps well and is always there when I’ve run out of groceries, am too lazy to get more, but still want something delicious for dinner. Besides, Tom is obsessed with it and showers me with endless praise whenever I make anything with chorizo in it. Who doesn’t want that?
This week, I simmered a few links of it in some dry, sparkling cider. As the chorizo cooks, it absorbs the liquid and plumps up, losing all of its firm texture and becoming a lot more like the fresh sausage it started its life as. (Ending in a preposition. I know, I know. It’s Friday, so I’m allowed.) The chorizo also absorbs the cider’s sugar, making it savory, sweet and so deliciously addictive.
I added cider-spiked chorizo to some sauteed onions and chickpeas, then tossed everything with some pieces of crusty bread. In keeping with the sweet/salty theme (and because it’s all I had, really) I used a cranberry walnut bread. Everything is bathed in an egg mixture, topped with Gruyere and baked until crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.
This casserole feels homey and indulgent and comes together relatively quickly. The hardest part is waiting for it to come out of the oven.
Continue reading ‘chickpea & chorizo casseroles’
Published by mel on April 16, 2008 in entree and recipe.
We’re experiencing a freak cold front down here (55 degrees in April? What?) and I was craving a weather-appropriate meal. Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food. It’s creamy and cheesy and has the satisfying crunch of oven-crisped pasta. I wanted to make healthier weekday update to the classic that omitted the cream and introduced some vegetables.
So, I decided on peas because they looked vibrant and spring-like and added some basil for color and freshness. I also threw some Thai chiles in there for kick. I subbed skim evaporated milk for cream, but kept the Gruyere cheese so that the dish would still have the rounded richness of traditional mac and cheese.
I was really happy with the final product. Overall, it felt light while still retaining it’s comfort-food-ness. The Thai chiles made up for any flavor that might have been lost by omitting the cream and butter. Next time I make it, I might also add some crisp turkey bacon for that delicious smokiness.
Continue reading ‘cheesy pasta & peas (or, grown-up mac & cheese)’
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