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Vegetable pot pie

1 stick butter
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 fennel bulb, top and core removed, sliced
2 leeks, top removed, sliced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb potato, diced
3 cups frozen peas and carrots mix
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp cream
3 Tbsp parsley, dried
Puff pastry or pie crust

  1. Melt butter in a large pot at medium heat. Sauté onions, fennel, leeks, and mushrooms 10-15 minutes. Add flour, and cook over low heat for 3 minutes.
  2. Add stock, salt, pepper, and (optionally) white wine. Bring to a boil, and simmer 5 minutes. Add heavy cream.
  3. In another pot, boil potatoes for 10 minutes. Prepare peas and carrots.
  4. Add potatoes, peas, carrots, and parsley to the sauce. Mix well.
  5. Fill 11 x 13 pan with filling. Top with crust. Bake about 40 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling.

Baked brie with caramelized pears

8 oz round brie
1 Tbsp butter
2 shallots, minced
2 pears, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp thyme

  1. Melt butter in a skillet at medium heat. Add shallot and cook 1 minute. Add pears and cook 5 minutes, until soft.
  2. Add white wine, brown sugar, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat and simmer until evaporated and pears lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.
  3. Cut off top rind of brie. Pour mixture over brie, and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Serve with crackers.

Creamy tomato and spinach pasta

1/2 white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 lb penne
4 oz fresh spinach

  1. Cook penne in a large pot.
  2. In a skillet, saute onions and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in diced tomatoes (in juice), spices, and black pepper to taste. Mix in tomato paste and 1/2 cup water.
  4. Turn heat to low, and whisk in cream cheese until incorporated. Whisk in Parmesan, then add spinach and let wilt.
  5. Mix sauce and pasta, then serve.

Black bean quesadillas

15 oz black beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cups shredded cheese
10 taco-sized tortillas
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp corn starch

  1. In a large bowl, mix beans, corn, onion, garlic, cilantro, cheese, and spices.
  2. Fill tortillas. Freeze quesadillas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for one hour, then wrap and transfer to freezer bags.
  3. Reheat in microwave or skillet at low heat.

Tomato and shrimp pasta

8 oz fettuccine
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
15 oz diced tomatoes

  1. Start cooking fettuccine.
  2. In a large skillet, melt butter and olive oil. Add garlic and shrimp, and sauté 3-5 minutes until shrimp is cooked.
  3. Remove shrimp from skillet.
  4. Add tomatoes, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper to the skillet. Simmer five minutes until slightly thickened.
  5. Toss in cooked fettuccine and mix well. Toss in shrimp. Garnish with parsley.

Three berry pie

2 pie crusts
1 cup strawberries, halved
2 cups raspberries or blackberries
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp corn starch

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place bottom pie crust in pie pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine sugar and corn starch. Add the berries, and toss until coated. Let stand for 15 minutes.
  3. Stir the berries and pour into pie pan. Top with second crust, and seal.
  4. Bake for 50 minutes if the berries are fresh, or 90 minutes if frozen.

Baingan bharta

1 medium eggplant
2 plum tomatoes
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green chili
1/4 inch ginger
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp asafetida
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garam masala
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

  1. Microwave eggplant in a large dish for 8-10 minutes until tender. (Or bake on a cookie sheet for 45 minutes at 400 F, turning every fifteen minutes.)
  2. Let cool, then peel and chop into small pieces.
  3. In a food processor, blend tomatoes, ginger, and green chili.
  4. Heat oil in a saucepan on medium high, and fry bell pepper for about a minute. Take out the bell pepper from pan and keep aside.
  5. Reheat the remaining oil. As soon as a cumin seed cracks in the oil, add asafetida and cumin seed.
  6. After cumin seeds crack, add tomato puree, coriander, turmeric, red chili, and salt and let it cook a few minutes until tomato puree and oil separate.
  7. Add eggplant, and cook at medium heat for 8-10 minutes, while continually stirring and mashing the eggplant.
  8. Mix in bell pepper, cilantro, and garam masala. Serve hot over rice.

 

Pound cake

2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
3 egg yolks, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp water
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups cake flour

  1. With an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Slowly add sugar, and beat 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
  2. Stir together eggs, yolks, vanilla, and water. Pour slowly into mixing bowl while the mixer is on. Add salt.
  3. Sift flour in, 1/2 cup at a time, folding into batter with a spatula each time.
  4. Pour into a well-greased 9 x 5 loaf pan, and smooth.
  5. Bake at 325 degrees for 70-80 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack. Serve and store at room temperature.

Apple pie

2 pie crusts
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
3-4 red apples, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp lemon juice

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Place bottom pie crust in ungreased glass pie pan.
  2. Place sliced apples in a large bowl with lemon juice.
  3. In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Add to apple bowl, and gently mix.
  4. Spoon into pie pan. Dot the filling with 1 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces. Top with second crust, seal, and slit.
  5. Bake 40-45 minutes until golden brown.

Jalapeno poppers

6 medium jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 oz neufchatel cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chipotle pepper powder
1 egg
3/4 cup panko

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place jalapenos on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
  2. Mix cheese and spices until combined. Stuff peppers with the mixture.
  3. Mix egg and panko until combined. Top the peppers with the mixture.
  4. Bake 20 minutes.