Vegetarian Stuffed Shells

Rare kitchen moments make me feel like a rock star, and last night's vegetarian stuffed shells was one. Initially I intended to brown ground chicken and make a traditional stuffed shell, but after browning some onions, zucchini, and summer squash, I decided to go in a different direction.

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I began by browning a medium onion in a bit of canola oil and low-fat margarine (for flavor). I added a teaspoon of minced garlic (maybe a clove or two, if you're starting from scratch, or a teaspoon of garlic powder if you're going that route) and a sprinkle of thyme and let them sweat. I added finely chopped summer squash and zucchini, combined them with the onion, and put on a lid to let the whole thing almost steam together. The smell, at this point, had my stomach growling.

But I knew I needed something to pull those fresh, delicious ingredients together. I pulled a rectangular block of frozen butternut squash out of the freezer and stuck it in the microwave, per its instructions. When it was thawed, I added it to the vegetable mixture and let the whole thing rest over an extinguished burner.

While the vegetables were working, I had boiled water and added jumbo pasta shells. I wasn't able to find whole grain or whole wheat shells, so good old fashioned white shells had to do. When they were ready, I strained them and ran them under cool water so that I could handle them without suffering a burnt-hand malfunction. I stuffed the shells using a teaspoon and lined them up in a shallow baking dish (actually, my ceramic pie pan), which I had sprayed with cooking spray and coated in a thin layer of tomato sauce (straight out of the jar).

After stuffing all the shells, I dropped tomato sauce carefully over and around the shells, as well as the remaining stuffing. I didn't want to overwhelm the flavor of the vegetables with the sauce, so I went a little light-handed with it. I baked the whole shebang at 350 for about twenty minutes.

The flavor of creamy and sweet butternut squash, nutty onions and zucchini and summer squash, and the slight sour notes of the tomato sauce combined into a truly remarkable dish. All the ingredients melted together perfectly, and the balance was spot-on. I loved the way each vegetable maintained its personality but didn't overwhelm its comrades. And, ultimately, the warm, soft bites were comfort food at its finest. The added bonus was that this preparation eliminated meat, upped the fiber, and reduced the salt, fat, and calories that are so typical of a baked pasta dish. And while this was not a substitute for a pan of cheesy, beefy stuffed shells, it was a healthy and satisfying alternative. I hope you'll enjoy these vegetarian stuffed shells as much as I did-- with fork in hand.

Shrimp and Vegetable Pasta

Well, friends, I'm in the throes of holiday planning, with a longer-than-normal list of goods to make. Apparently I'm the Queen of Baking this year. To be honest, I'm not sure what my mother is thinking.

The point is, I've been doing a poor job of creating dishes and updating the blog. But here I am, back again, with a dish that took very little time to prepare and packed lots of delicious and healthy flavor.

The afternoon before I made this for Ram, I indulged in a shrimp pasta dish at the Olive Garden. After rolling myself out of the restaurant, I decided I would give this dish a whirl of my own, supplementing the original concoction with added vegetables and controlled ingredients.

I started by sauteing onion, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, carrot, and celery. I let them get nice and brown, and the smell of the "holy trinity" of cooking was unmistakable. I added some diced tomatoes (diced by yours truly, not out of the can) and the shrimp (which was already pre-cooked). I added about a half-cup of pasta sauce (I've been in the nostalgic mood for Prego lately, and they sell a heart-healthy, all-natural variety that I'm allowing into our diet) and a ladle-full of pasta water (pasta already boiling away on the stove at this point). I let the shrimp/vegetable/tomato mixture work together until the pasta was done to my liking, at which time I drained the penne (so much easier to eat than spaghetti and her cousins) and added it to the sauce.

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Cooking the pasta in the sauce mixture gives it a minute to soak in the flavors, and every bite is certain to burst with the rich taste of the sauce. This dish tasted great, and it was a healthier version of the one I devoured for lunch. I controlled the ingredients, I added more vegetables (and organic, whole-grain pasta), and (if we were so inclined) we could control the portion size too. It's a fast and delicious addition to our menu. This could also easily be made with chicken (saute a little longer than the pre-cooked shrimp) or as a vegetarian dish.

I hope your holiday season is full of delicious and made-with-love dishes. Enjoy-- with fork in hand.

Coconut Macaroons

I am not a baker, so for my mom to request a coconut dessert for Thanksgiving was a bit unusual. But we are planning for my brother-in-law's Christmas visit with my sister and niece, and his family always has some sort of coconut dessert. Alas, it fell to me to experiment.

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For once, I relied on a recipe. I know this is essential when baking, so there was no doubt I would lean heavily on the science of someone else's recipe. This one is simple:

5 cups of coconut (one bag)
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
4 egg whites

Here are the steps: mix well, plop onto baking sheets, bake at 375-degrees for 25 minutes. Oh-- and watch them because, as my mom warned, "coconut burns quickly." As a finishing touch, I melted chocolate and dipped just the bottoms in the drippy chocolate (after letting the cookies cool in the fridge for a while).

They were a big hit at Thanksgiving, and I have no doubt they could successfully be made with a sugar substitute for those watching their holiday (and everyday) sugar intake. If you're an established baker or an aspiring one, you, too, can succeed at baking these macaroons-- fork (not) in hand.

Microwave Baked Apple

There are certain foods that say "fall" to me. One of them is apple crisp, and when I have a chance to eat it, I do my best vacuum cleaner impersonation. However, I acknowledge that some of the necessary ingredients in apple crisp-- like the salty butter and chunky brown sugar-- are not exactly healthy-diet-friendly. So to satiate my need for apple crisp, I attempt to mimic the dominant flavors and make a super-quick microwaved "baked" apple.

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I start by selecting the biggest apple in the bag. Then, I embark on the hardest part: using a paring knife to cut out the core. I do not like the texture or the taste of apple core, so this is an important step for me. After coaxing out the core, I dump in a combination of instant oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, and a tiny bit of brown sugar. I stick the whole thing in the microwave, where the apple proceeds to bubble and give up its natural juices.

You only need to microwave the apple until the juices start to run. And be prepared for a pool of flavor in the bottom of your bowl. But for all it's sloppiness, this hot and comforting treat hits the flavor notes I crave this time of year. And, indeed, I eat it voraciously with fork in hand.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Sometimes I crave comforting, warm food, and since breakfast is my favorite meal, the two often go hand-in-hand. Oatmeal, when infused with tasty morsels, can really hit the spot. But I'm not a huge fan of the pre-flavored oatmeal that also contains copious amounts of sugar and preservatives. Instead, I opt for making my own delicious morning meal, and this is how I do it.

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I started with a small saucepan in which I poured about a half-inch of water. I brought that to a simmer, adding chopped apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a tiny bit of maple syrup. As the apples cooked down, I prepared (in a separate pan) some instant oatmeal. When the oatmeal was soft and fluffy and the apples had cooked down to a soft consistency (most of the water evaporated), I simply mixed the two together.

Making this breakfast requires two pans, which I realize is a little annoying. But you get to control the ingredients and know exactly what you are putting in your body. For me, this is a growing imperative. You could also customize your oatmeal for picky (or simply diverse) eaters. I have poured hot oatmeal over chopped bananas, walnuts, and cinnamon for a banana-bread-like oatmeal that definitely hit the spot.

So, the next time you are in the mood for a stomach- and soul-warming dish, regardless of the time of day, consider reverting to a classic-- with your own spin, of course. Enjoy with fork (and/or spoon) in hand.

Roasted Cauliflower

I am in a phase of experimentation, with my husband on the other side of the planet. Here, I attempted to roast cauliflower, and it turns out this is a great way to enhance the flavor and maintain the integrity of this oft-maligned vegetable.

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Relegated, for the most part, to vegetable platters, cauliflower has posed certain obstacles for me in the past. I have tried to make "creamed" cauliflower to serve as a most nutritious substitute for mashed potatoes, but without using a dense cream (I just used a touch of milk), the texture and consistency were never quite right. But I longed for a way to serve this toothsome treat that didn't require an abundance of butter, milk, or effort. Enter: roasting.

I cut my cauliflower trees from their hearty trunk and laid them out on a cookie sheet (sprayed with a little cooking spray). I dusted them with black pepper, garlic powder, and tiny bit of salt. I slid the pan into the oven (preheated to 350-degrees) and let them roast, unattended, for about thirty minutes. When I pulled them out, the sides against the pan had turned a beautiful brown, and the stalks themselves maintained a bite that I like in my vegetable sides. The seasoning was unobtrusive and acted as a mild balance for the timid cauliflower.

I'm counting this experiment among my successes. I'm excited to build meals with the addition of this texture and flavor, which is (to my estimation) pretty unique. I suspect I'll be attempting to roast a few more vegetables before this chilly fall (and surely frigid winter) are over, and I hope you'll join me with fork in hand.

Stuffed Butternut Squash

Last year, I took the standard 'bite' of squash at Thanksgiving dinner, primarily to appease my mother, who felt that "If you just try it enough, you'll like it." Fast forward to today: I can not get enough of this fruit. I have begun purchasing squash in every imaginable form: frozen cubed squash, frozen pureed squash, and fresh from the produce department squash. And I am in love with them all.

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This time of year, squash is cheap. Last week I purchased a small butternut squash for $.39 a pound, and, after much deliberation, I decided to try stuffing and roasting it. For the stuffing, I concocted a mixture I've made before. It consists of frozen corn, whole grain bread crumbs, rosemary, and black pepper (this time I threw in a little cinnamon) tossed in a dry frying pan. No oil necessary! I let the corn warm and the bread crumbs attain a fantastic nutty flavor. For me, it hits all the flavor notes of a delicious homemade stuffing.

I preheated the oven to 400-degrees and dusted my bisected and devoid-of-seeds squash with some fresh cracked black pepper and cinnamon. I stuffed the hollow with the corn and breadcrumb mixture, then baked the whole thing for about an hour. (I was paranoid that it wouldn't be spoon-soft, but it was. In the future, I think 45 minutes is enough to bake it through.)

I served this dish with a side of just black-pepper-dusted salmon (and shrimp for me). It was the perfect fall dish, and it's a "set it and forget it" kind of side dish. I think it would make a great entree, too, with added protein in the form of diced or shredded chicken or chickpeas.

However you choose to prepare it, be sure to take advantage of the season's best offerings with fork in hand.