Acorn Squash with Fruits and Sesame Seeds

So, I was sick through most of the weekend. While I am no longer sick, I am still feeling the need for extra rest and some extra TLC.

As a result, I decided to cancel my usual Wednesday night plans, stay home, have a healthy, simple dinner, and go to bed early.

As has been true for several of my recent posts, this is a recipe that goes without much explaining: the direcctions are clear and free from confusing elements. Feel free to adapt the recipe somewhat, using whatever dried fruit suits your fancy, or substitute chopped nuts for the sesame seeds (following the proportions listed in the recipe).

I made this a complete meal by serving it along with some cooked wild rice blend mixed with some peas.

This recipe is adapted from The Joy of Cooking.

Acorn Squash with Fruits and Sesame Seeds

• 2 medium acorn squash, halved, seeds and strings removed
• 1 ripe pear, cored and diced
• 1/2 c dried fruit of your choice (raisins, cranberries, cherries, or currents can be used whole: dates, prunes, apricots, etc. should be chopped)
• 2 T sesame seeds and 2 T ground flax seed OR 1/4 c chopped nuts
• 1/4 c shredded coconut (optional)
• grated zest of 2 clementines
• 1/4 t ground cinnamon
• 1/8 t freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 T butter OR Earth Balance
• 1 T honey
• 2 T apple cider

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 
2. Place the squash cut side down in a baking pan, and add 1/4" hot water to the pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, mix the pear, apple, dried fruit, seeds or nuts, coconut (if using), zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. 
4. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the fruit mixture and honey and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cider. Simmer, stirring often, until the fruit is tender, 3-5 more minutes. Remove from heat. 
5. Remove the squash from the oven, carefully pour the water from the pan, and turn the squash cut side up. Fill with the fruit mixture. Bake until the squash is tender, 10-15 minutes more.

Pasta with Sauteed Leeks, White Beans, and Walnuts

I've been busy because life is full and rich.

The downside: I haven't posted in, like, forever. The upside: now that I'm posting again, you can be sure to get healthy and seasonal recipes that are quick and easy to make. Huzzah!

So, in the interest of making a post efficiently, I'm going to jump right to the recipe. I promise: future posts will include anecdotes. But this one won't.

Pasta with Sauteed Leeks, White Beans and Walnuts 

1 T olive oil
3 medium leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 t red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 c low-sodium vegetable broth
6 cloves garlic, chopped
12 oz. pasta of your choice (I used wild mushroom fettuccine from Flour City Pasta. It was delicious.)
3 oz. crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese (optional)
1/2 c chopped toasted walnuts

1. Put large pot of salted water on to boil.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leeks, bell pepper, and red pepper flakes: saute 10 minutes, or until vegetables just begin to brown.
3. Stir in beans, broth, and garlic. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
4. When water boils, cook pasta according to package directions to al dente. Drain. 
5. Gently fold the leek and beans mixture and the walnuts into the pasta. Serve sprinkled with feta or goat cheese, if desired.

(Adapted from a Vegetarian Times recipe)

Saag Paneer

-please feel free to enter your own clever anecdote here: I am busy doing mundane tasks such as laundry, which has left me satisfied, but not particularly inspired.-

This recipe is yummy. It is healthy. It elevates spinach to a whole different plane of delicious. Try it sometime.

Saag Paneer

• 20 oz. baby spinach leave, washed and rinsed well
• 4 t butter or ghee, divided
• 4 t coconut oil or grapeseed oil, divided
• 24 oz. paneer (you can make your own or purchase it from good grocery stores and/or Indian grocery stores: in Rochester, I recommend India House Food & Imports Store: http://www.indiahouse.com/StoreProducts/Store_Menu.htm)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1" piece ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 small green chilies
• 1 t curry  powder
• 2-3 t garam masala (like the paneer, this can be found at India House Food and Imports)
• 1 t cumin
• 1-2 c plain yogurt (preferably whole-milk yogurt: again, go to India House), as needed
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 c chopped cilantro
• 1/2 c chopped parsley
• 1/2 c golden raisins, soaked in HOT water about 10 minutes to soften (optional)
• Cooked basmati or jasmine rice
• Naan bread (optional)

1. Steam the spinach quickly, just until soft and bright green. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon each of butter (or ghee) and oil over medium heat in a large, nonstick pan.Add half the paneer, frying until each square is browned on two or more sides, turning the paneer and shaking the pan occasionally: this will take about 10 minutes . Remove from pan, set aside, and repeat with the remaining paneer.
3. Wipe out the pan. Heat the remaining butter (or ghee). Add the onion and saute until nearly translucent. Add the ginger, garlic and chilies and saute until onions are completely soft and translucent, 3-5 minutes more.
4. Add the curry, garam masala, and cumin. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Add the cooked spinach to the pan, stirring until well-blended. Transfer mixture to a food processor and add enough yogurt to render the mixture creamy. Pulse until smooth, but not pureed.
6. Return to pan. Stir in paneer, cilantro, and parsley. Adjust salt and seasonings to taste. Heat gently until the paneer softens somewhat.
7. Serve over rice with naan bread. Sprinkle with softened golden raisins, if desired.

Vegan Chipotle Chili

I have been on a major comfort-food kick recently. I am guessing that this has something to do with a combination of factors, including (but not limited to): the colder weather, the shorter days, the general busy-ness of life, and the increasing frequency that I have been speaking out in the community.

Most of which are completely self-explanatory, except for perhaps the final one. That last factor is significant because, truth be told, I get nervous when speaking in front of a group of people. Don't get me wrong: I'm good at public speaking. I'd just rather do my collocating, exhortating, educating and illuminating through writing. I like to take my time with the words and thoughts, allowing them to come together in their own time. If I can do this quietly while at home, next to the wood-burning stove and with my cat Fauxgerty on my lap, so much the better.

But far be it from me to turn down an opportunity to present my experiences and knowledge to the world, especially when there is a chance that my experiences and knowledge offer some potential for healing in the world, knock on wood. 

As a result, I have facilitated discussions on how to encourage and develop trans-inclusive language, how to make effective public service announcement videos, and how to come to terms with one's gender identity, all within the last month. I have also been recently interviewed on multiple occasions by multiple media outlets on my experiences with bullying and surviving through struggles with depression (check out my previous "About Me" post to watch the video I made for the It Gets Better Project: http://transgustatory.blogspot.com/2010/10/it-gets-better-letter-to-myself-at-17.html).

I am, above all, grateful for these opportunities to encourage discussions on these very important topics: however, I also tend to get very stressed out and nervous during the preparation and delivery of any sort of public speaking situations.

And, as I have said before and said again, the energy we take into our bodies has a direct effect upon the energy we have to give to the world. So, given all the busy-ness and stress, when I have gotten cravings for homemade comfort foods, I haven't been holding back. And when it comes to chilly evenings, sometimes nothing beats a steaming bowl of spicy chili.

This is another failure-proof recipe. Use whatever veggies you want, as long as you use the same total volume that is called for in the recipe (if you decide to use spinach, be sure to cook it before you measure it! It cooks down a LOT). Also, for the most satisfying chili, be sure to leave the veggies in nice, big, hearty chunks.

There is one ingredient that may strike you by surprise: unsweetened chocolate. As I mention in the list of ingredients, vegans should be very mindful to select a vegan brand. Any 100% cocoa baking chocolate should be vegan, and is actually what I recommend most strongly: when you start getting into the 95% and under chocolates, you have to be sure to check what that other percentage consists of!

The chocolate melts completely into the broth, giving the finished chili a mole-like quality that is simply divine. Simply trust, and enjoy.

(A quick note to new new readers, which will also serve as a disclaimer for the photo below: no, I am not a vegan, hence the appearance of real sour cream and cheese on my bowl of chili. However, in my efforts to prepare foods with mindfully-selected ingredients, a large percentage of the foods I make are vegetarian and/or vegan. I hope that these recipes can be enjoyable to you, without there being any offense taken at the recipes that do include dairy, egg, and meat products....)

Vegan Chipotle Chili

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 c chopped onion (Spanish or Vidalia)
• 1 c chopped carrots
• 1 c chopped red bell pepper
• 1 c green or yellow bell pepper
• ½ of a head of garlic, chopped
• Approx. ½ of a 7-oz. can of chipotles in adobo sauce (to taste), pulsed in a food processor until finely chopped (VEGANS: this is almost always vegan, but read the ingredients just in case! If you can't find a brand that you are confident is vegan, just soak 2-3 dried chipotles in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, then dice.)
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 T ground cumin
• 2 T cider vinegar
• 10 whole black peppercorns, ground
• ¼-1/2 t ground allspice, to taste
• ¼-1/2 c ground cloves, to taste
• 2 large bay leaves
• 2 t salt, or to taste
• 2 t ground cinnamon
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• One 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
• Three 16-oz. cans beans (I recommend one each of black beans, pink beans, and cannellini beans)
• 1-3 c tomato juice
• 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped (VEGANS: be mindful of what brand you get to ascertain it is, in fact, vegan: this can be omitted if you have any doubts)
• 1 avocado, in bite-sized pieces (optional)
• coarsely chopped cilantro (optional)
• Sour cream (or vegan substitute, optional)
• Shredded cheddar cheese (or vegan substitute, optional)
• Cooked spaghetti (optional)

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pan. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until almost entirely translucent (but not quite). Add the carrots, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onions are golden, about 10 to 15 more minutes.
2. Add the chipotles, chili powder, cumin, vinegar, pepper, allspice, cloves, bay leaves, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. Cook for two to five minutes, until fragrant.
3. Add the tomatoes, beans and 1 cup of the tomato juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the unsweetened chocolate. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding tomato juice as needed, until the flavors are fully blended, AT LEAST 45 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
4. Ladle into bowls (over cooked spaghetti, if you’d like: it’s yummy!) and serve with any combination of avocado, cilantro, sour cream and cheddar cheese that you desire.

Friday Night Lasagna

Who doesn't like lasagna? I honestly can't think of anyone. I know people who can't have it, due to diet choices, food allergies or a sensitivity to aged cheeses, but I don't know anyone who just plain doesn't like it.

I am calling this "Friday Night Lasagna" because, well, that's a good day to make this particular recipe. It's a bit too labor-intensive for most weekday nights, but uses sauce from a jar instead of homemade sauce (which is how I would prefer to make it if I had the greater time availability of weekends). 

Lasagna is another very forgiving recipe: as long as you keep the same basic volume of ingredients, there is a good deal of flexibility regarding what you can use. Don't like mushrooms? Use zucchini instead. Not a fan of spinach? Use a bell pepper. Think garlic and basil are gross? Well, actually, I can't help you with that one. That just baffles me. I suppose you could leave them out, but I can't really condone it.

It is important that you use the whole milk ricotta and mozzarella in this recipe, rather than the 2% or skim versions. The whole milk cheeses have a higher moisture content than the lower-fat versions, which helps to cook the noodles and blend the flavors, while preventing the final dish from being dried out. If you absolutely must use the lower-fat versions, add 1/2-3/4 cup water to the sauce: though this, of course, will dilute the flavors somewhat.

For a truly well-balanced meal, be sure to serve this with a salad or some steamed veggies: I served it along with a steamed Romanesco broccoli, which will be the topic of a later post.

There's really not much more to say regarding tips for this recipe. Make it, and enjoy!

Friday Night Lasagna

• 2-4 T olive oil, for sauteing
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 10 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/2 head of garlic, chopped
• 12 oz. baby spinach, very coarsely chopped
• 1/2 c coarsely chopped basil
• 24 oz. whole milk ricotta
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 c shredded whole milk mozzarella, divided
• 1/2 c grated parmesan (plus more for sprinkling on top of lasagna when serving)
• 1/4 c chopped parsely
• 1-24 oz. jar Diavolo sauce (or other tomato sauce)
• 1-23.5 oz. jar Vodka sauce
• 1 box (9 oz.) no boil lasagna noodles

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and saute until soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms release their juices and the moisture evaporates. Add the spinach and saute, stirring often, just until the spinach is cooked. Remove from heat, stir in the basil, and drain.
2. Combine the ricotta, egg, 2 cups of the mozzarella, 1/2 c parmesan, and the parsley.
3. Combine the sauces in a large saucepan and heat to a boil.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
4. Layer in the following order in a deep 9" by 13" baking dish: 1-1/2 c sauce, 4 lasagna strips, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the veggie mixture, 1-1/2 c sauce, 4 lasagna strips, the rest of the ricotta, the rest of the veggies, 1-1/2 c sauce, 4 lasagna strips, and the remaining sauce. Top with the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella.
5. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake approximately 15 more minutes, until the top is melted and golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
6. Serve sprinkled with some extra parmesan, if desired. 

Salmon Turnover with Cucumber Sauce

I apologize for how much time has passed since my last post: I was down for almost 2 weeks with a bad case of bronchitis. I am now pretty much caught up to the speed of life now, but it took a while for me to be able to have the time to sit down and type up a post.

And actually, a couple of things happened as a result of the bronchitis that are pertinent here.

Firstly, I quit smoking. I finally just got fed up with all of the expense and the health consequences of smoking, and it has now been almost three weeks since my last cigarette. Go, me! Since then, I have really noticed the improvement of my senses of taste and smell. I can hardly believe it: cooking and eating are even more enjoyable to me than they were before.

Secondly, I had a lot of time to think as I was laying down, barely able to function, weary and sick with a head full of medicine: a long enough time, in fact, that I eventually got around to thinking about my priorities in life, whether I'm living up to my potential, and what I could stand to work on in order to be living the most authentic, healthy life possible. Blah, blah, blah.

Of all the things that occurred to me as I (literally feverishly) considered my life-in-general, one was the importance of being more financially responsible. I have committed to depositing  a percentage of each and every paycheck into an IRA (the account type, not the army type), just the way real grown-ups do. No excuses, no justifications.

And, in addition to not smoking, one of the ways that I am going to free up the funds to do so is to work to keep my food expenditures down: I spend a perhaps disturbingly high percentage of my income on yummy foodstuffs. I love yummy foodstuffs. However, I am going to be dedicating more mindfulness to feeding myself on healthy, yummy foods that are also economical.

This recipe is going to be the first in a series of recipes that I will make that require less than $20 in purchases from Wegmans. Every recipe that I am able to make for less than $20 will be tagged with "LessThan20."

Keep in mind that I have a fairly well-stocked kitchen, so I rarely have to purchase all of the ingredients in any given recipe. Also, these prices reflect their cost at the Wegmans stores in Rochester, NY. You may have to spend more than $20 on these recipes, depending on what you already have on-hand and the prices of items in the area where you live.

So, yeah, that's that. Now on to the recipe that is the real focus of this post...

This recipe is one that my Mom used to make sometimes, and it was always one of my favorites.It stands out in my mind as one of my favorite comfort foods. The buttery, flaky crunch of the crust; the heavenly fragrance and melty, delectable flavor of the filling; the cool smooth finish of the cucumber sauce that stands in perfect complement to the turnover... it's a pure delight to eat.

Sadly, many years have passed since the last time I was lucky enough to have this dish. I just never remembered to ask Mom for the recipe, and so memories of this dish have taunted me and left me in a perpetual unsatisfied void of craving. -heavy sigh-

Until earlier this week. I finally remembered to ask Mom if she could please send me the recipe for this delightful, satisfying, creamy, buttery, veggie-ful, beautiful entree with a tender, flaky crust. And, joy of joys, she found it and sent it my way.

I decided I had waited long enough, and that I just had to make it right away. So, within 24 hours of getting the recipe, I was at Wegman's grabbing all the ingredients that I needed to create the dish that had, for so long, been haunting me with its elusiveness. The only ingredients I had to purchase were the zucchini, parmesan, mushrooms, salmon and cucumber, for a total cost of $15.24. Huzzah!

Now, just a few helpful tips and tricks, and we can get right on to the recipe...

 You can used canned salmon if you are short on time, but it's so easy to grill salmon yourself that I recommend doing it. Just take the salmon steaks and score the skin by making several diagonal slashes approximately 1/4-inch thick. Coat the fish fairly liberally with olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper, and place on a broiler pan with the skin side up. Broil 4-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish.

(You could, of course, stop right there and serve the salmon next to whatever seasonal veggies you choose to and have a lovely meal. But, really, you should go ahead and make the turnover.)

Cut the zucchini into cubes about 1/2-3/4 inch per side. This is large enough that their color, flavor and texture stand out, but not so large that they cook unevenly and/or make the filling seem too lumpy.

Don't fill the turnover beyond its capacity, or the crust will rip and the Senate in your home state will be taken over by Republicans (wait: did that already happen? Sigh.). Seriously, though, put in as much filling as you can, but make sure you will still be able to fold the crust over and seal it without overtaxing the fragile dough. If you have some of the filling left over, do not worry: you can saute it for a bit to cook the egg that's in it and eat it on its own. In fact, have it with some of the cucumber sauce: this can be a helpful way to fine-tune the seasoning of the sauce as you aim towards the perfect balance of flavors.

I STRONGLY recommend using parchment paper for both the rolling out of the crust and for baking on. It is easier to roll our dough very thinly without it ripping or tearing when you use parchment paper, plus you can roll out the dough without adding additional flour (which can make the dough dry and tough. Blech.). It is beneficial for lining the baking pan, too, because you will easily be able to get the turnover from the pan to the serving plate or cutting board without damaging it. It is sad when, after working on a pastry-wrapped goody for a good chunk of time, the pastry surrounding the filling cracks into pieces. The result of such drama is usually a messy, funny-looking pile-o-gook which, while tasty, is harder to serve and sadder to look at.

Regarding cucumbers: they are more than 90% water by weight. Thassa lotta water. And, when using them in sauces or salads, it is enough water to cause some undesired consequences: sauces can get too thin, salads can get wilted and spoiled prematurely. As a result, when I use cucumbers in sauces or salads, I always de-seed them first. This is insanely easy: just cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and, using a teaspoon, simply scoop out the seeds. The center membrane and seeds contain the runniest of the cuke's water weight, and so this one step can help keep your sauces the proper texture and your salads fresh and crisp for a longer time.

Don't be shy with either the sesame seeds or the sauce. They take the turnover and transform it from yummy to positively delicious.

And that's it! In case you haven't caught on by now, I really like this recipe, and I hope you will, too! Enjoy.

Salmon Turnover with Cucumber Sauce

• 2-3 T butter or olive oil
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 1 small yellow zucchini, in smallish bite-sized cubes
• 1 small green zucchini, in smallish bite-sized cubes
• 4 oz. mushrooms, sliced and coarsely chopped
• 1T flour
• 1/2 t dried marjoram 
• 3 or 4 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
• 1/4 c milk or half and half
• 1 pound grilled salmon, cooled and flaked
• 1/4-1/2 c grated parmesan
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 egg
• sesame seeds
• 1 recipe pie crust (below)
• 1 recipe cucumber sauce (recipe below)

1. Saute the onion in the oil or butter until it is translucent. Add the zucchini and saute 2-3 more minutes before adding the mushrooms.
2. Add the flour, mix well, and continue cooking for a few minutes. Add the herbs and stir gently for a few more minutes before slowly adding the milk or half-and-half. Cook until smooth, fragrant and bubbly. 
3. Stir in the salmon and the parmesan. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
4. Beat the egg. Add half to the filling and set the rest aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Allow the filling to cool while you make the pie crust (recipe below). Form the dough into a ball and place between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll the dough into a circle with a diameter of at least 13 inches: it will be thin and fragile.Transfer the circle of dough onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet or pizza stone.
6. Spoon the filling onto one half of the rolled dough, leaving a border approximately 1/2 inch deep around the edge. Be mindful to put in as much of the filling as will fit, but no more. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling and seal the edges. 
7. Cut a few slits into the top of the pastry, brush the dough with the remaining beaten egg, and sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds.
8. Bake 25-35 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with cucumber sauce (recipe below).

Pie crust: 

• 6 T cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 4-5 T cold water or milk (more or less)

1. Using a pastry cutter or a food processor, cut together the butter pieces and the flour until they are the consistency of rough cornmeal. Add salt.
2. Stirring with a fork (or leaving the food processor running on low), add the liquid 1 T at a time until the dough sticks to itself: stop adding liquid as soon as the dough holds together. The natural fluxuations in humidity will affect the amount of liquid that you will need to use.
3. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and chill for about 45 minutes before rolling it out.

Cucumber Sauce:

• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and shredded
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1/2 c mayonnaise
• 1 T rice vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Drain the shredded cucumber for a few minutes to get rid of some of the extra water.
2. Gently mix all the ingredients together. Fine-tune the vinegar, salt and pepper to your taste. That's it!

Sweet Potato Burgers

So, many of Transgustatory's fans on its Facebook page have requested recipes that use sweet potatoes. This makes perfect sense to me: they are colorful, chock-full of flavor, incredibly healthy, and available year-round (though their peak growing season is during fall and winter). They are unbelievably rich in vitamin A (over 700% of the RDA per serving!), and also good sources of vitamin C, vitamin B6, niacin and fiber. Given the fact that so many fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamins A and C go out of season this time of year, it makes perfect sense to have them frequently through the colder months.

There really is no need to give hints and suggestions for this recipe, as it is simple to make and impossible to mess up. All of the seasonings can be adjusted to taste: feel free to start off with less than the recipe calls for, and then increase until the flavor makes you smile and sigh a little.

For instance, this recipe was passed on to me by my friend and fellow activist Anne. Anne does not like cilantro, and doesn't like the flavor of ginger (and other spices) to be too intense. I however, could probably dine on salads made solely from cilantro and ginger quite happily for some time. So, while she substitutes parsley for the cilantro and uses closer to 1 tablespoon minced ginger, I was more than a little generous with both of these ingredients. I also have a rare reading complication that causes me to read "cloves garlic" as if it were "heads garlic." Don't ask me how much I put in. It was a lot.

So, play it by ear (or tongue), and make them so they are as mild or spunky as you prefer.

One thing: if you do decide to substitute parsley for the cilantro, make sure you use the flat-leaf Italian parsley and NOT the curly parsley. Curly parsley has an evil, magical ability to take away the flavor of anything it touches. Avoid it as if it was your most evil ex. Using it will basically turn anything you make into a boring dish only suitable for consumption by fundamentalist Republicans. Don't do it.

Sweet Potato Burgers

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 1/4 c quick-cooking rolled oats
• 3/4 c minced red onion
• 3/4 c chopped peanuts, soy nuts or cashews
• 3/4 c chopped cilantro OR 1 c chopped Italian parsley
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-3 T minced fresh ginger, to taste
• 1 1/2 t cumin
• 1 t salt
• Peanut oil (for frying)
• Sesame seed rolls (VEGANS: be sure to make sure to check with the bakery regarding the ingredients!)

Garnishes

• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Thinly sliced red onion 
• Tamarind chutney (VEGANS: be mindful of the ingredients in the chutney!)

1.  Put the prepared sweet potato cubes in 1/2 galon boiling vegetable broth. Boil until soft, 10-20 minutes. Drain and mash until smooth.
2. Mix all the ingredients (except for the oil, rolls and garnishes) together and form into 1/2-inch thick patties the size and shape of the rolls you are using. 
3. Preheat oven to 200-250 degrees F. Wrap the rolls in aluminum foil and allow to warm while the burgers are cooking.
4. Preheat a skillet over medium/medium-high heat, or preheat an electric skillet to 325 degrees F. Add 1-2 T peanut oil and heat until the oil is to temperature.
5. Fry until crisp and deep golden brown, turning once: be gentle with the patties, so they don't break apart!
6. Serve on warmed rolls, garnished with cucumber, tomato, avocado, red onion and chutney.

Spinach, Mushroom, Kalamata and Roasted Pepper White Pizza on a Parmesan Crust

 So, today is my birthday. I have been making a lot of yummy foods to enjoy over the weekend, which means I am behind in my posts. This recipe and some of the ones soon to follow may included slightly less commentary, just until I get caught up: however, I promise to continue including helpful hints and suggestions that will ensure delectable results.

Most parts of this recipe are pretty self-explanatory from the instructions, but I do have just a few things to add.

Do be mindful of the temperature of the water you use to proof the yeast. If it is not warm enough, it will not fully activate the yeast, but if it is too hot, it can kill the yeast. Either will prevent you from having a successful crust. Make sure the water feels very warm, but not hot, when dripped on your inner wrist. 

If, for whatever reason, the yeast does not get frothy during the first step when it is proofed with the water and honey, simply discard and start over. If it won't rise, it's not worth taking the time to prepare...

Two essential preparations that need to be done for this pizza to be possible are the roasting of the garlic and the roasting of the bell peppers.

For the roasting of the bell peppers, well, I hope you have a gas stove. I try to avoid living anywhere with an electric stove, and roasting bell peppers is part of the reason why. Just turn a burner on, and rest a washed bell pepper over the flame, turning with cooking tongs ever minute or so, until it is completely charred. Place the charred pepper in a plastic bag to sweat for a few minutes, then remove the burnt skin and seeds and rinse under running water.

To roast the garlic, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the uppermost quarter of the heads of garlic, rub the heads with olive oil, and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet or in a muffin tin and bake until the cloves are soft and golden, approximately 35-45 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oven and allow to cool just enough to handle the heads. Carefully remove each clove of garlic head by gently squeezing from the base of the head (this isn't as kinky as it sounds, really).


Free feel to change the pizza toppings based on your preferences and what is seasonal. Just be sure to consider the overall balance of flavor and texture.

Spinach, Mushroom, Kalamata and Roasted Pepper White Pizza

• 1 c whole milk
• 4 T salted butter
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 3 to 4 heads roasted garlic
• 2-3 T yellow cornmeal
• 1 recipe Parmesan Pizza Dough (recipe follows)
• 6 oz baby spinach, washed, rinsed and sauteed
• 8 oz. mushrooms, washed, rinsed and sliced
• 10-15 kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half
• 2 roasted red peppers, sliced into thin strips
• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 4 oz. feta, crumbled
• 2 T chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 T chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1. Gently heat milk in a small saucepan, just until barely simmering. Remove and keep covered.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add flour and stir until smooth. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring: do not allow the flour to brown. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking to combine. Add the salt and cayenne; increase heat to medium. Cook the mixture, whisking continuously, until the sauce comes to a boil and is thickened. Remove from heat. 
3. Add 15 of the garlic cloves to the sauce. Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor, cover, and process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and cool slightly. 
4. Place a pizza stone in the oven (if you have one) and preheat to 500 degrees F. 
5. Sprinkle about 2 T of the yellow cornmeal on a baking sheet or 15-inch-pizza pan. Place the rolled out pizza dough on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Spread the cooled sauce over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Distribute the spinach, mushrooms, kalamatas, and roasted red pepper strips over the sauce. Place sliced mozzarella over the toppings, then sprinkle the remaining roasted garlic cloves over the cheese and top with the feta.
7. Bake the pizza for 8-15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted, bubbly and golden brown in spots.
8. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chopped herbs over the top. Serve immediately. 

Parmesan Pizza Dough

•  1 c warm water (105-115 degrees F)
• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 1 t honey
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 1/4- 2 3/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c finely grated parmesan
• pinch salt

1. In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, honey and 1 T oil, stirring to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add 1 1/2 c of the flour, the parmesan and the salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. 
3. Continue adding the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition until the dough is smooth but still slightly sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but slightly tacky to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Oil a large mixing bowl with the remaining oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a warm, moist towel and set in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
5. Punch dough dough, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 9 by 13 inch rectangle or a 15-inch circle, depending on the shape of pan you are using. 

Chicken Divan (with bonus recipe for Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette)

This was one of those weekends that just didn't feel like a weekend. I have had one commitment after another, which continued until I got to a point where my bodymind pretty much just shut down. We've had leftovers for dinner the last two nights, just out of necessity.

Now, don't get me wrong: I don't mind leftovers, especially when the food that is leftover is delicious and homemade. But you can only have leftovers for so long until-- well, until there's no food that's leftover. And, of course, Lee returned to Buffalo today for hir next week of law school, and I like to make sure ze has some good food to take along with hir. These factors meant that, tired or not, I had to cook dinner yesterday night.

I decided the best bet was to take it a little easy on myself and make a casserole. Casseroles can be a beautiful, simple and delicious way to get a balanced meal. I made this casserole yesterday, and served it alongside a salad made with baby greens, dried cranberries, home-grown cherry tomatoes and a honey-mustard vinaigrette (recipe also in this post) and some warmed  whole-grain bread with garlic butter.

This recipe is also posted with my good friend and dharma sister Reaunna in mind. You see, Reaunna recently posted a request on Transgustatory's Facebook page that I put up a recipe for "a casserole that doesn't involve green beans or cream of mushroom soup." How can I resist such an amusingly specific request? (Especially since I had more than enough green bean casserole growing up. It was kind of a staple in some family members' homes. Don't judge: I lived in the Midwest.)

Now, many recipes for chicken divan that you will find nowadays DO call for canned cream of mushroom soup. A disheartening number of them, in fact: I looked up a good two dozen different recipes for it when Lee requested that I make Chicken Divan for us, and the vast majority called for cream of mushroom soup. What follows is my amalgamation of the best parts of all of them, with a laudatory absence of condensed soup products.

One of the ingredients in this recipe is leeks. Leeks are wonderful. According to my prized cookbook On Cooking by Sarah Labensky, Alan Hause and Priscilla Martel (thanks, Dad, for supporting my love of cooking with this indulgent cookbook that I never could have afforded!), "their flavor is sweeter and stronger than scallions, but milder than common bulb onions." This makes them optimal for adding some richness and flavor to dishes made with a white sauce.

Their peak season is from fall to early spring, but they can be grown in many regions year-round. One thing to keep in mind when preparing them is to cut them in half lengthwise and rinse out the gritty dirt between the layers. A bite full of grit will ruin an otherwise perfect dish.

Also, you can use some of the green part of the leek, but the tough, dark-green top should be cut off. The dark-green parts can be used to make stocks (as they are in this recipe), but shouldn't be chopped up and used in the dish itself. They are too tough. Who wants hard-to-chew, grassy onion gum? That's right: no one.

Another hint in the best interest of the dish: if the broccoli stalks are stringy or tough, go ahead and peel off the tough outer layer.

And, speaking of broccoli, it is VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO NOT OVER COOK THE BROCCOLI. Was I too subtle? I really hope not. Unless you actually enjoyed eating the brownish, texture-less glop of overcooked, cloyingly-odorous substance that once may have been broccoli that was served in your elementary school cafeteria, you need to trust me on this. The desired point at which to drain the broccoli is when it is bright green and "crisp-tender," as my Dad calls it: that is, easy to bite through without a crispy-crunchy sound, but still quite firm in the center.

On the same subject: it is actually important to have the broccoli and the chicken in two separate layers. You may be tempted to just mix it all together: what's the difference, right? Well, the difference is that the flavor of the chicken is enhanced by being on the top and getting slightly browned, while being on the bottom layer helps insulate the broccoli from being cooked too much during the baking process. Plus, it looks cool and yummyyummy with the layer of sharp cheddar cheese between the green of the broccoli layer and the golden brown of the chicken layer. Pretty foods taste better: I don't know why, but it's true. It may seem tedious, but it is well worth the extra three minutes it takes in prep time for the end result.

Traditionally, Chicken Divan is made with sherry. Here's the thing: I don't like sherry, and I don't want to spend my money on it: all it would do would be grow dusty in a corner of my cabinet, which for some reason seems wasteful to me. However, I didn't want to completely lose the flavor and texture benefits of a dry alcohol in the sauce. So, I substituted an extremely dry, rich white wine, and thought the result was delicious. So, use the traditional sherry, or substitute white wine if you're more likely to finish a bottle of that than of sherry, or omit it all together if you don't cook with alcohol. Whichever way you decide to go on that, the recipe itself is so solid and flavorful that you won't go wrong.

Chicken Divan

• 1 stick butter, divided
• 1T olive oil
• 1 large leek or two small leeks, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced into crescent-moons (as pictured above) 
• The dark-green tops of the leeks, washed, rinsed and left whole
• 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts, cut into quarters
• 1 large head broccoli or three broccoli crowns: washed, rinsed and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 c slivered almonds
• 1 c light cream
• 1 cup sour cream
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 lb. shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c sherry or dry white wine
• 1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 c bread crumbs

1. Melt 1 T of the butter in the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saute pan. Add the leeks and saute over medium heat until they are soft and translucent. Set aside.
2. Bring 8 cups water to a boil. Add the chicken and the green tops of the leek. Boil until the chicken is fully cooked, approximately 10-15 minutes. Remove the chicken and leek tops with a slotted spoon: DO NOT DRAIN. Discard the leek tops; set the chicken aside to cool some.
3. Add the broccoli to the water in which the chicken was cooked. Cook only until bright green, 3-5 minutes. Drain, but reserve 1 1/2 cups of the broth for the sauce. Mix the leeks and the broccoli.
4. Melt 4 T of the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the flour, and stir until smooth and fragrant. Slowly and gradually stir in the reserved broth. Stir in the almonds and cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Lower the heat to medium-low. Gradually stir in the cream, sour cream and lemon juice: cook for 2 minutes, still stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste, then stir in half the parmesan and the sherry or dry white wine. Remove from heat. 
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
6. Shred the chicken into small pieces with your fingers.
7. Add half the sauce to the chicken, and half to the broccoli. Stir gently but thoroughly. 
8. Melt the remaining butter, and stir into the breadcrumbs. 
9. Put the broccoli into a lightly buttered casserole dish. Top with the cheddar cheese, then cover with the chicken mixture. Top the chicken with the remaining parmesan cheese, then distribute the breadcrumbs over the cheese. 
10. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly. Increase heat to 450 and cook approximately 10 more minutes until the top is browned. Allow to sit 15 minutes before serving.

 Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette

• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 c lemon juice
• 2 T honey
• 2 T spicy mustard
• 1 1/2 t tarragon
• 1/2 c olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

1.  Place the first five ingredients in a blender. Blend over first low, then high speed.
2. Gradually, in a slow, thin stream, pour the oil through the hole in the lid with the blender still going. Doing this slowly and on high speed will help prevent separation of the ingredients.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste: fell free to adjust the amounts of the lemon juice, honey, mustard, tarragon and oil to suit your taste preferences.

Veggie-ful Rotini-and-Cheese

So, I don't really know anything about the demographics of the writers of other food blogs, but I'm guessing I fall somewhat outside of the norm. This probably true even if we do ignore, for the moment, the obvious traits that distinguish me from the average person in nearly any environment-- you know, the 2nd-generation-Caucasian-American-Buddhist thing and the whole pesky queer-person-with-a-gender-outside-the-binary thing.

You see, being a foodie typically requires a budget that allows for extravagances and the time to dedicate to preparing beautiful recipes that are more "created" than they are "cooked."

Yeah, right. I wish I could do that, and nothing else. However, it is good for you, kind reader, that I can't, because it means that the recipes that I am posting on this blog are, more often than not, simple enough to make amidst the cold, cruel realities of modern life. Yaaaaaay.

I work two jobs: one full time, one part time. I don't do this solely for the joy of being of service to the world: I actually really need the money from both jobs. My boo and I have to do grown-up things like budgeting our money and simplifying expenditures. I'd love to dine on truffle mushrooms and crème fraiche, but the reality is that the pragmatics of the Working Trannies' life make that pretty much impossible.

Sometimes, I get sleepy, and achy, and grumpy, and whiny, and don't feel like making dinner at all. But when you combine the pressure of Lee's first year of law school with the fact that I enjoy cooking, well, you get a situation that involves me cooking a lot.

Sure, we could just go out to eat. However, there are two major downsides to eating out on a regular basis: the first is that it gets really expensive really fast.

Furthermore, when you eat out, the truth is that you don't really know what you're eating. Chances are you didn't research the restaurant's suppliers, and you are probably eating produce from another continent that been sprayed in chemicals and trucked across the nation, deprived of sunlight, and lacking about half of the flavor and nutrients that it once had. Add to that the fact that you have no proof whether or not one of the kitchen employees decided to save a little time by cutting out that pesky "wash-and-rinse-the-produce" step, and who knows anymore whether the benefits of eating that meal really outweigh the costs.

So I do what I can to feed us well. Every once in a while, on a weekend when I don't have to work, I'll gild the lily and really go all-out on a meal. The rest of the time, I just want to make something that's affordable, nutritious, and home-made in whatever time I have available.Of course, the fact that I love to cook does make me willing to spend more time at it than some people would, but the fact remains that I have limited time to work with when it comes to cooking, especially if I want to have dinner ready before midnight (which I usually do).

One important disclaimer: when I think about how healthy a food is or is not, there are some criteria that I consider more personally important than other criteria. I am not terribly worried about low-fat, low-calorie considerations. In fact, I think that the cultural obsession with low-fat and low-calorie diets has resulted in so many people eating pre-prepared, chemically altered, packaged "foods" that have been designed not by nature, but by a lab. Nitrates, nitrites and sulfates abound. Partially hydrogenated substances that are the biological equivalent of pouring sand into a watch are guzzled down gullets with enthusiasm. People no longer know how their food was grown, whether it is in season, where it came from, or what's in it.

If you do choose to substitute one of the ingredients in my recipe for a more low-fat or vegan alternative, well, do what you have to do. But I would suggest making sure that you educate yourself as to the exact ingredients of what you're adding, and consider where the ingredients were produced.

I am going to reiterate something I wrote in an earlier post: "The energy we take into our body has a direct, undeniable connection to the energy we have to use in the world, and it is my hope that the forward-thinking revolutionary queers will all be filled with the best possible fuel for changing the world." It would be very sad if our culture and our community lost their connection to our sources of life-sustaining energy. Don't let that happen to you. 

What I do consider when making meals that will nourish is whether or not the food is in season, whether or not it is growing locally, and whether or not the foods that I am going to prepare create a well-balanced meal.

Some tips for this recipe: don't overcook the pasta. Given the baking time that happens after you cook the noodles, make sure they are al-dente, or even a little shy of al-dente. Unless you want to eat cheesy mush. Which just isn't as good as cheesy pasta.

Change the vegetables that you put in it based upon what is fresh where you live. Right now, Lee and I still have tomatoes growing in our backyard, which is nice. Once tomatoes go out of season, they go out of the recipe. It's just that simple. Winter tomatoes are gross, while imported tomatoes are grown in an unappetizing pesticide marinade. Blech. There are many things I enjoy putting in my mouth: crunchy tomatoes and pesticides are not among them.

Use whatever shape and size of pasta you want, other than lasagne noodles and manicotti shells, which just wouldn't work for this recipe (but will be used in future recipes, I promise!). Just make sure you don't overcook them.

If you want to add some fresh herbs, I suggest tarragon, basil, or dill, approximately 2 T (chopped coarsely) per batch. But don't feel obligated. Sometimes just a simple mac-and-cheese is all that is called for, without pretension or adornment.


With that said, what follows is a delicious, economical dish that is simple and quick to make. It is not low-fat. And yet, it is still nourishing. Enjoy.

Adapted from my grandmother's recipe.

 Veggie-ful Rotini-and-Cheese

• 1 pound rainbow rotini (or other pasta), cooked just short of al-dente
• 1 pound sharp cheese, shredded (the tried-and-true standard is sharp cheddar, but feel free to experiment with other cheeses, or to substitute 6 oz. goat cheese for some of the shredded cheese)
• 2 1/2 cups light cream or whole milk
• 3-4 T unbleached all-purpose flour
• 8 oz. baby 'bella mushrooms, chopped coarsely and sauteed
• 6 oz. baby spinach, chopped coarsely and sauteed just until it is soft and dark green
• 2 plum tomatoes or 1 heritage tomato, sliced very thinly
• salt and pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Put the cheese, cream or milk, and flour in a large, heavy-bottomed saute pan. Melt over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted and the mixture is hot. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir in the mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes.
3. Mix the sauce into the pasta until it is evenly distributed. 
4. Pour the pasta into a large baking dish or two medium baking dishes. 
5. Bake in the preheated oven 25-30 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and slightly crunchy and the sauce is bubbling happily. 
6. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. 

Shiitake and Avocado Bison Burgers

When Lee and I do eat red meat, it is almost always bison.  This is for both nutritional and ecological reasons.

The nutritional comparison between beef and bison is actually quite startling. According to an article onSuite101.com by James Clausen titled “Bison Meat vs. Beef—Burger and Steaks,” the nutritional facts break down like this:

“Bison, ground, grass-fed, cooked 3 oz.
•    Calories 152, Total Fat 7 grams (3 grams saturated fat)
•    Excellent protein with 40 grams, which is 84% of the daily value (DV) in a 2,000-calorie diet.
•    The biggest negative is that bison is high in cholesterol with 82 milligrams or 27% of the daily value.
•    Ground bison is high in vitamin B6 (17% DV), B12 (35% DV) and niacin (25% DV)

Beef, ground, cooked 3 oz. 85% lean, 15% fat
•    Calories 210, Total Fat 12 grams (6 grams saturated fat)
•    Good protein with 21 grams, which is 43% of the daily value (DV) in a 2,000-calorie diet.
•    The two biggest negatives are that beef is high in cholesterol with 75 milligrams or 24% of the daily value. Beef is also high in saturated fats with 6 grams, which is double the amount found in grass fed bison.
•    Ground beef is high in vitamin B6 (15% DV), B12 (36% DV) and niacin (24% DV).”

Even more important than that, though, is that bison is not raised in a factory farm setting. Ever. They are too wild: put them in a barn, no matter how roomy, and they’ll probably just bust down the door. Furthermore, the standards for raising bison are higher than they are for raising chickens or cattle. Every time you purchase bison, you can be sure that you are purchasing a free-range product. As if that isn’t enough, the National Bison Association prohibits the use of growth hormones and animal by-products on bison. Yaaaaay!

(Interesting fact: the largest bison farm in the world belongs to Ted Turner, and is the home of over 50,000 bison. Even this herd, which could be expected to be the most factory-farmy given its size, has approximately 2 million acres on which to roam, and are almost exclusively grass fed.)

So when, earlier tonight, Lee said that she was craving protein, I took a quick trip to the Wegmans to get the ingredients for a comfort-food meal of bison burgers and homemade french fries (recipe to follow in a later post). 

One thing that you will probably learn about me: I tend to believe that there are very few savory dishes that aren’t improved with the addition of either mushrooms and/or avocado. Think about it: it’s pretty much true. I also believe that almost all sandwiches require mayonnaise, homegrown tomatoes, and homegrown lettuce to be as good as they can be. So, yeah, I just piled some of all of that onto these delicious, meaty sammiches.

Now, here’s the thing: so many people mess up their burgers by adding stuff that they mistakenly believe will improve their flavor. When you have good, fresh bison meat, all you’re going to do by adding things to the burgers is detract from their hearty, earthy flavor while risking compromises to their texture. Trust me. All you need is a big hunk of meat. That’s all.

Shiitake and Avocado Bison Burgers

• 2 T olive oil
• 6 oz. sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 homegrown (or locally grown) tomato, sliced
• 4 leaves freshly grown lettuce, washed and dried
• 4 sourdough hard rolls
• 1 pound ground bison
• 1 T butter
• 4 slices muenster cheese
• salt and freshly-ground pepper
• mayonnaise

1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized saute pan over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms. Stirring frequently, saute them until their juices release and then fully evaporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.
2. Slice the rolls in half if they aren't already cut. Wrap them individually in pieces of aluminum foil. If you are environmentally-minded, use heavy duty foil, being careful not to rip it: you can rinse it off and save it for the next time you need to warm up rolls. Place the wrapped rolls in a 200 degree F oven and allow them to get warm while you cook the burgers.
3. Shape the burgers into four evenly-sized patties in the shape of the buns, but a little bit larger: they will shrink some while they cook.
4. Heat a pan over medium heat; add the butter, stir to coat, and gently place the burgers in the pan. Cook without turning until the juices start to seep out over the top surface of the patties. Flip them over and top then each with a slice of cheese. Cook about 3-5 minutes more, depending on how done you like the burger.
5. Remove the buns from the oven: spread on the desired amount of mayonnaise, sprinkle the mayo with any additional salt or pepper that you desire, and top with one of the burgers before adding as much of the available toppings as you want.

Beet, Wild Mushroom and Potato Casserole: A Delicious Fall Dish

I think most families have few recipes that are so tried-and-true, so delicious and hearty and satisfying, that they become worked into the meal rotation with great regularity. This can almost get to the point where some dishes are so liked and so familiar that they almost become default meals. 

("What do you want for dinner?" "I dunno, what do want?" "I dunno." "How 'bout we have __(fill in the blank)__?" "Good idea. Let's have that.")

In our home, this dish is the answer to the question of what to have for dinner more often than almost any other, especially this time of year. It is literally a dish you cannot mess up. Every time I make it, I make it a little bit differently than I did the time before, and it is always delicious.

With that said, I do have a few suggestions. When you cut the beets and onions, leave them in nice, big chunks: this dish is more satisfying when it's full of big, flavorful beety hunks of mmmmmmmmm. 

Feel free to experiment with what herbs you use, but don't leave out the dill, horseradish, or caraway seeds. They really bring all the flavors together.

Finally, don't rush the onions. Never be in a rush when you are sauteeing onions: allow them to cook until they are soft and see-through, and until their flavor is a little sweet, lowering the heat if you have to to prevent them from burning. When something (or someone) is as pungent as a freshly-chopped onion, it can take a little bit of time to get it (or him, her or hir) to mellow out. The end result of your dish will be much improved by being willing to allow a little extra time to this step.

Beet, Wild Mushroom and Potato Casserole 

• 2 T vegetable oil   
• 1 large onion, chopped  
• 1 t caraway seeds  
• 2 T all-purpose flour  
• 1/3 cup water  
• 1/3 cup dry white wine  (OR: omit water and wine, substitute vegetable stock)  
• 1 1/2 pounds cooked beets, peeled and cut into large bite-sized pieces  
• 5 T light cream  
• 2 T creamed horseradish (or to taste: I sometimes prefer a little more)  
• 1 t hot mustard  
• 1 T wine vinegar  
• 2 T butter  
• 1 shallot, chopped  
• 8 oz. assorted wild mushrooms (or, to simplify, baby 'bellas work well: though it's best if there are some oyster mushrooms in it!)  
• 3 T fresh parsely, chopped  
• 2 t each: fresh basil, marjoram, dill and oregano, chopped  
• Salt and pepper, to taste     

For the potato border: 

• 2 lbs. potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold or red potatoes, chopped into largish bite-sized chunks (leave peels on)  
• 1/2 c milk  
• 1/4  c butter  
• 1 T fresh dill, chopped  salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste     

OVEN TEMP: 375 degrees F

1. Lightly oil a 9 inch round baking dish, or similarly-sized casserole dish. Heat the oil in a large saucepan: add the onion and cook until soft. Add caraway seeds and saute a few more minutes, until fragrant. Stir in the flour, remove from heat, and gradually add the water and wine (or stock), stirring until well-blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Return to the heat: stir and simmer to thicken, then add the beets, cream, creamed horseradish, mustard and vinegar. Stir to mix.

3. Bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water and cook for 20 minutes. Drain well and mash wth the milk and butter. Add the dill and season with salt and pepper.

4. Spoon the potatoes into the prepared dish and make a well in the center. Spoon the beet mixture into the well and set aside.

5.Melt the 2 T butter in a large nonstick frying pan and cook the shallot until soft, without browning. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium heat until their juices begin to run. Increase the heat and boil off the moisture. When quite dry, season with the herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

6. Spread the mushrooms over the beet mixture, cover the dish with a lid or a piece of aluminum foil, and bake for about 30 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley if you desire.

This entire dish can be prepared in advance and baked when needed. Allow more baking time (approx. 15-20 minutes more) when baking from room temperature.

Eggplant, Smoked Mozzarella and Basil Rolls

So, the first time I made these, I sliced the eggplant and tomatoes too thick, and I ended up with blobs of what was basically Italian baba ganoush. It was very yummy, but not exactly what I was hoping for aesthetically. The second batch turned out much better.

The moral of the story is: size matters, but not always in the same way. Don't get over-enthusiastic: make your  slices thin.

Ready to roll!

Eggplant, Smoked Mozzarella and Basil Rolls

• 1 large eggplant
• olive oil
• 6 oz. smoked mozzarella cheese, sliced into 8 thin pieces
• 2 plum tomatoes, each cut into 4 thin slices
• 8 large basil leaves
• balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 10 thin slices and discard the two outermost slices. Sprinkle the slices with salt and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse, then pat dry with paper towel.
2. Preheat the broiler and line the rack with foil. Place the eggplant slices on the grill rack and brush liberally on both sides with olive oil. Broil for 8-10 minutes until tender and golden, turning once.
3. Remove the eggplant slices from the broiler, then place a slice of mozzarella and tomato and a basil leaf in the center of each eggplant slice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold the eggplant over the filling and broil, seam-down, until heated through and the mozzarella begins to melt, about 5 minutes. Serve drizzled with olive oil, if desired, and a little balsamic vinegar.