Our Veggie Kitchen

September is right around the corner, and I'm start to think about fall foods.  And this hearty spaghetti sauce fits the bill perfectly.  A ragu is normally a meaty, complex sauce that simmers all day, filling the house with aromatic bliss.  I kept the ragu's essence, the onions and celery and carrots and added the earthy flavors of mushrooms, lentils and spinach.  The result was hearty and filling ... and the kids never knew they were eating their lentils and spinach.

This recipe makes enough sauce for two pounds of spaghetti.  I usually make a batch for dinner and freeze a batch for later.  It's a bit of work, so it is really worth making a full batch (or even a double) and freezing the extras.  Also, if you balk at the price of procini mushrooms, try dried shiitake instead.  They can be very inexpensive in Asian groceries.



Garden Ragu
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, grated
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup red lentils
3 cups spinach, lightly packed, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
28 oz can diced tomatoes
28 oz can tomato puree (sauce)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup basil, finely chopped
2 lb spaghetti pasta, cooked according to directions

Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 1 cup boiling water.  When they've hydrated, squeeze out the moisture (into the bowl), mince and put back into the water.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and celery and saute until the onions are soft.  Add the carrots and garlic and cook for another minute, until the garlic is aromatic.  Add the spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted.  Add the white wine, diced tomatoes, pureed tomatoes, and lentils.  Pour in the minced mushrooms, along with the soaking liquid.  Bring to a boil and cover.  Simmer until the lentils are very soft and begin to lose their shape (you want them to be mushy).  Stir in the basil and salt.

In three or four batches, pour the sauce into a blender and pulse until you get a good consistency.  There should be no large chunks, but thicker than a liquid.  Transfer back to the pot and simmer until ready to eat.  Mix with cooked pasta and serve.

8 servings:  610 cal (9g fat, 109g carbs, 21g protein)

I started off this year with a baking frenzy and, as work and life got busy, I backed off.  Then I make this bread and I think "why don't I do this more often?"  It really only takes five minutes mixing, an hour baking and a whole lot of sitting on the counter top.  You mix it the night before and just let it sit all night and into the next day.  It's that easy. 

More importantly, it is delicious bread.  Its got a nice crust and a chewy, buttery crumb.  I'm a big fan of leftovers but, with this bread, there are no leftovers.



No Knead Bread

I use this recipe.

After a few loaves, I have a few pointers:

Baking Pot:  You need an oven save

Goodwill - Thrift stores are your friend.  I've gotten all I need at Goodwill and St Vincent DePaul.  I think I've spent $10-15 total.

Parchment Paper - Parchment paper is your friend.  Line your proofing basket with a sheet.  When the bread is proofed, just lift the sheet (and dough) into the pot.  Easy peasy.  No mess.

Baking Pot - you need a baking pot (and lid) that can withstand 500 degree heat.  A $50 stone baking pan would be great, but absolutely not necessary.  A crock pot liner works.  A deep casserole works.  I found a clay pot at Goodwill for $4.  Just understand that the dough is soft and will conform to the shape of its container.  A round pot makes a round loaf, an oval pot makes an oval loaf.

Proofing Basket:  Once you've picked a pot, find a basket of a similar shape.  You can probably find one at a thrift store for 2 bucks.  The dough will never touch the basket, so just find a good shape.
Mise en Place:  Everything in its place.

Time to Cool - This may be the hardest part of the ordeal.  Bread needs time to cool.  As it cools, it will release moisture and finish cooking.  If you don't wait, a perfectly cooked loaf will taste doughy in the middle.  So resist temptation.

And finally, make bread and make it often.  This is seriously good bread and it takes almost no skill.  Even if you've never made bread, you'll be making delicious loaves in no time.

This dressing is crazy good.  It's a creamy cashew dressing with a chipotle kick.  I love it on tacos or a taco salad (with mojo tofu) and it makes tater tots sing.  When I want a dip, I leave out a bit of the soy milk, but the dressing is nice and thick on its own.

I keep a few chili powders in hand at all times.  I keep the basic, everyone has it in their spice rack, chili powder for most purposes.  I love ancho chili powder when I want a more fruity flavor, sweet paprika, and chipotle for a smoky kick.  This dressing has some heat.  If you want to cut back on the heat, replace some of the chipotle with another chili powder.



Chipotle Ranch
2/3 cups cashews
1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup vegenaise
1 lime, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 clove garlic
2 tbs shallots, chopped
1/2 tbs chipotle chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt

Add all the ingredients and blend thoroughly.  The dressing will thicken after it refrigerates.  Makes about 2 cups.

16 servings:  64 cal (5g fat,3g carbs, 2g protein)

The first thing I do when I visit my favorite Thai restaurant is ponder the specials board.  On my one of my recent visits, they had avocado curry.  I had never thought of mixing a decadent coconut curry with a delicious avocado.  After all, delicious fat plus more delicious fat is always a win.  So I ordered it, made mental notes along the way and whipped up a batch the very next day.  One tweaking batch later, and I've arrived at this.  I only wish the picture captured how absolutely delicious this is.



Avocado Curry
Curry:
1/2 large avocado (or 1 small)
14 oz coconut milk
1/2 cup water
2-3 Tbs Green Curry Paste (3 is quite warm)
3 Tbs golden mountain sauce (or soy sauce)
1/2 lime, juiced
Stir Fry:
8 oz tempeh, cubed
2 cups green beans
1 carrot, cut into batons
1 zucchini, cubed
1 cup good sized basil leaves
1/2 large avocado (or another small one)

Combine the curry ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  If it's too thick, add a little more water.  Pour into a large sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Add the tempeh, green beans and carrot and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until the beans and carrot are well cooked.  Remove the lid and stir in the zucchini, avocado and basil.  Cook, until the basil is wilted.  Serve over rice or noodles.

Note:  I've tried this with Thai basil and it is best with a large leafed Genovese or other sweet basil.

4 Servings:  451 cal (36g fat, 25g carbs, 17g protein)