Spaghetti Squash Gratin

Inspiration: Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. Summer will always win out for me, but there’s something so wonderful and comforting about the leaves turning, the wind blowing, the holidays approaching. And fall food is definitely a bonus. B always teases me for being such a seasonal eater, but there’s just nothing like a cup of creamy soup in the cold or some pico de gallo atop grilled fish in the summer. Squash is such a great fall food, and I’m sad to say that they’re really an unexplored territory for me. I’ve decided to change that, and next on the list is butternut squash!

What we Loved: This was our first experience with spaghetti squash, and we both were really happy to discover such an awesome vegetable! I love the way that the squash just pulls apart into spaghetti strings after baking.  Knowing nothing about the flavor or texture of this squash, I think we both expected it to be soft like spaghetti, but it’s actually quite crunchy, which was a nice surprise. The texture is crisp and fresh like a vegetable should be. In this dish, the squash was mixed with sour cream, chives, and cheese, and the end result was a creamy comfort dish that we both really enjoyed. The flavor of the squash was rich and cheesy, and I just loved the crunch. I’m so excited to try more spaghetti squash recipes!

Helpful Hints: The sticker on my squash directed to cut it in half before baking, but I couldn’t get a knife through my squash while it was raw. I was quite worried about cutting myself with my chef’s knife, so I just poked holes all over the squash with a fork, as the recipe suggested, and that worked just fine. I also want to note that this dish is very filling! I served it as a main vegetarian course, and B and I were both completely full halfway through our supper. The squash that I bought was really large, so I think I also could have added more sour cream and cheese to make it creamier, but it was great as it was, too. And the leftovers were just as good!

Spaghetti Squash Gratin
Source: Daily Unadventures in Cooking

1 spaghetti squash
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (or whatever cheese you’d like, really!)
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
Salt and pepper

1. Cook the spaghetti squash. Poke all over with a fork, and bake at 400 degrees for one hour.

2. Cut the squash in half. Remove the seeds from the center of the squash.

3. Scrape the squash strands into a mixing bowl. Mix with the sour cream, half of the cheese, the chives, and a healthy amount of salt and pepper.

4. Pour the mixture into a baking dish, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

Saag Paneer (Curry with Spinach and Cheese)

Inspiration: We have been eating food other than Indian lately, but with the recent successes that I’ve had cooking chicken tikka masala and shahi korma, I’ve been really looking to find and try new Indian recipes. B and I went out to an Indian restaurant recently and had this spinach and cheese dish, and we both really loved it. I always love to be inspired by restaurant meals!

What we Loved: This is the third Indian recipe that I’ve made in about a week and a half that has been absolutely delicious. Paneer cheese doesn’t have a whole lot of flavor on its own, but B and I both really loved the nice, brown crust on the cheese and how the creamy spinach sauce went so well with the texture and mild flavor of the cheese. This dish is loaded with spinach, but it doesn’t in any way taste like you’re eating a bowl of spinach. The curry sauce contains so many spices that combine really well with the cream, spinach, and cheese for a wonderfully flavorful curry that has a nice, yellow color from the turmeric that is added to the sauce. There’s a bit of richness from the cream and tomato, a fresh vegetable flavor from the spinach, and a wonderful, creamy depth of spices from the sauce. This is definitely another success!

Helpful Hints: I was a bit worried about sauteeing the paneer, since it is a cheese and I didn’t want it to melt into a gooey mess. It’s a very firm cheese, though, and it won’t melt. In a hot pan, it sautees up very quickly, so keep a careful eye on it. I only needed a minute or two per batch.

Saag Paneer
Source: Tea & Cookies

I modified the recipe just a bit. Here’s the recipe as I made it.

Extra virgin olive oil
8 oz paneer cheese, chopped into cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 green cardamom pods, smashed
1 stick cinnamon
3 small bay leaves
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 16 oz bag frozen spinach, thawed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pinch of cloves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 tesapoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 cup cream

1. Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the paneer cubes and saute until golden, just a few minutes. Remove the paneer from the pan and set aside.

2. Add another drizzle of olive oilt o the pan. Saute the onion until soft, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, garlic, ginger, and tomato. Mix to combine.

3. Add the spinach to the pan, and stir to combine. Saute for approximately 5 minutes, letting some of the water from the spinach cook off.

4.  Add the red pepper flakes, cloves, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

5. Add the cream and tomato paste, and mix everything well to combine. Bring to a simmer, and continue to cook for approximately 5 minutes.

Shahi Korma (Lamb with Creamy Almond Sauce)

Inspiration: B and I have been really into Indian food lately, and I’ve been having a lot of fun searching for Indian recipes and learning to make them at home. It’s such a fun, delicious cuisine.

What we Loved: As I was cooking this, I knew that it was going to turn out well because it smelled exactly like dishes that I’ve had at Indian restaurants before. I love the way that the smell of a recipe cooking can just take you places sometimes. And this curry turned out wonderfully. It was so incredibly rich with spices, from sweet spices like cinnamon to smoky spices like cumin, and it had a great layer of heat in the background. My favorite thing about Indian food is that incredible layering of spices. We also loved the creamy, silky sauce, which had a nice almond flavored base, and the lamb turned out incredibly tender. As noted on Mike’s Table, where I got the recipe, I was really pleased, too, that you could definitely taste the distinct flavor of the lamb. With such a complex sauce, I too was worried that you might not be able to taste the lamb itself, but its flavors were very pronounced and complimented the sauce perfectly. This is definitely a new favorite.

Helpful Hints: On Mike’s Table, he noted that his sauce ended up very thick, almost more like a crust to the meat. My sauce ended up as a creamy sauce, but I think if I would have continued cooking it longer, I could have gotten the same results as in the original recipe. I used 1/2 pound to a pound less meat, so I think that I would have needed to increase the cooking time in order for all of the sauce to be absorbed. But regardless of why or how the consistency of the two sauces turned out differently, I think that this recipe would taste great either way. So if you’d like a creamier sauce, cook for less time, and if you’d like a thicker sauce, cook away!

Shahi Korma (Indian Lamb with Creamy Almond Sauce)
Source: Mike’s Table

 I made just a few adjustments to the ingredients. Following is the recipe as I made it:

2 lbs lamb leg
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 inch knob of ginger
5 tablespoons almonds
6 tablespoons water
10 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
2 shallots, finely minced
2 jalapenos, finely minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon anise seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup water

1. Cut the lamb into 1/2 inch to 1 inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Puree the garlic, ginger, almonds, and water in a food processor until a paste is formed.

3. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a saute pan, and brown the lamb in batches until there’s a slight brown crust on the sides, approximately 5 minutes. Set the lamb aside.

4.  In the oil that is still in the pan, mix in the cardamom and cinnamon.  Add the shallots, and saute until slightly browned.

5. Add the garlic paste, jalapenos, and remaining spices to the pan. Stir for approximately three minutes, browning the mixture slightly.

6. Deglaze the pan with the cream and 1/2 cup water. Scrape all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the lamb pieces to the pan. Cover, and simmer on low-medium heat for one hour, stirring occasionally. After one hour, if the sauce is too thin for your liking, remove the lid and continue simmering until it thickens to your preference.

7. Remove the cinnamon stick and the cardamom pods that you can easily find. I stole the idea from Mike’s Table of using the cinnamon for a photo garnish :) Spoon the fat from the top of the sauce and discard.

8. Serve. I served over cauliflower rice and with some chives, because I wanted some green on the plate. I think that crumbled almonds would work well as a topping, too.

Chicken Tikka Masala with Cauliflower Rice

Inspiration: I’ve been wanting to try cooking more curry dishes at home for a while, now, and I stumbled across this recipe last week while I was looking for just that. Perfect!

What we Loved: This is the best meal that I’ve made in a while. B and I loved absolutely everything about this dish, and I wouldn’t change a thing. The chicken was incredibly moist, and the sauce was so spicy and creamy. It had all of the complex flavors of cinnamon, paprika, tomato, cumin, and garlic, and it had that perfect amount of heat that I expect Indian food to have. B said that this tasted just like what you would get in a restaurant. And on top of that, the cauliflower rice that I tried was amazing! I cooked cauliflower and then shredded it into rice using my food processor, and I can’t even believe how much it looked and tasted like regular white rice. I tried mashed cauliflower recently and couldn’t believe how well it worked, but this rice exceeded my expectations even more. Amazing and healthy.

Helpful Hints: I reduced the cayenne pepper in the original recipe by quite a bit (from two teaspoons to 1/2 teaspoon) and was perfectly happy with the amount of spice. With a jalapeno in the sauce, too, I really don’t think that the dish needed any more heat. But add more if you’d like.  And definitely give the cauliflower rice a try, even if you’re skeptical like I was. It’s amazing.

Chicken Tikka Masala with Cauliflower Rice
Source: Blogchef.net (for the chicken tikka masala)

I made a few changes to the recipe, mostly to adapt to cooking inside instead of grilling. Here’s the recipe as I made it.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite sized pieces)
¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped, for garnish)

For the marinade
6 oz yogurt (I used Fage 0%)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (minced)
Good pinch of black pepper and Kosher salt

For the sauce
Extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoon paprika
Good pinch of Kosher salt
8 oz tomato sauce
3/4 cup heavy cream

For the cauliflower rice
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets

1. In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, ginger, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken pieices, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

2. In a large saute pan, melt a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and jalapeno, and saute for one minute. Add the cumin, paprika, and salt, and stir to combine. Mix in the tomato sauce and cream. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.

3. While the sauce is simmering, heat a second saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken, and saute until cooked through, approximately ten minutes.

4. Meanwhile, add the cauliflower florets to a sauce pan. Cover with water, and cook for 6-8 minutes, until cooked through. Using the shredding attachment of a food processor, rice the cauliflower.

5. Add the chicken to the sauce, stirring to coat the chicken. Serve with the cauliflower rice and cilantro.

Shrimp and Tofu Salad

Inspiration: B and I really like tofu, but it always seems like every time that I buy it, I can’t figure out what I want to do with it. Most recipes that I find for tofu are Asian-inspired, but I just wasn’t feeling that this week. I had all kinds of odds and ends that needed used in my refrigerator, including a bunch of lettuce, so I decided to make a salad with a bit of a Mexican twist.

What we Loved: To be truthful, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this meal as much as I did. I’m really not a huge lettuce-based salad fan, and neither is B, but this salad was so great! Perhaps  because I put so many ingredients in it that you could barely find the lettuce. :) Regardless, it was a great meal-sized salad with all kinds of bright, Mexican/Southwestern-inspired flavors. I coated the tofu in a taco seasoning, and I coated the shrimp in a yellow pepper cilantro pesto, and the two different flavor profiles complimented each other very well. The tofu carried the flavors of all sorts of spices, and the shrimp were light and fresh. With the addition of tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and feta cheese, this salad had all kinds of bright, fresh, and spicy flavors that provided for a nice and healthy meal.

Helpful Hints: I mixed a ton of cilantro in with the lettuce, and I thought that it really went well with all of the other flavors. So I would definitely recommend going heavy on the cilantro. I also think that goat cheese or chihuahua cheese would work great in this salad. I used feta because it’s what I had, but really any kind that you’d like would probably taste great. Lastly, using a whole package of tofu makes a lot of tofu. We used about 2/3 of it. If’ you’d like, just use half a package and save the second half for another use.

Shrimp and Tofu Salad
Source: Original recipe to serve two

For the tofu:
1 package extra firm tofu
1/4 cup almond meal (or you could use breadcrumbs)
Chili powder
Cumin
Kosher salt
Oregano
Garlic powder

For the shrimp:
20 shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
3 tablespoons yellow pepper cilantro pesto

For the salad:
1 large bunch of lettuce, any kind that you’d like
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
Black pepper
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 lime

1. Add the almond meal to a shallow bowl. Sprinkle in a good shake of chili powder and cumin, and then add a pinch of salt, oregano, and garlic powder. Stir to combine.

2. Drain the tofu, and cut it into slices. Pat the slices dry with paper towels. Cut the slices into cubes, and toss them in the almond meal mixture. Set aside.

3. Add the pesto to a second shallow bowl. Add the shrimp, and toss to coat. Set aside.

4. Wash your lettuce, and tear into salad pieces. Arrange on two plates, topping with the cilantro.

5. Mix the tomatoes, onions, and a few grinds of fresh black pepper together. Add them to the salad, along with the feta cheese.

6. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the tofu, and cook until browned and heated through, approximately 8-10 minutes, stirring often to brown all sides.

7. Heat a second saute pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp, and cook until cooked through, approximately 3-4 minutes.

8. Add the shrimp and the tofu to the salads. Slice a lime in half, and squeeze half over each plate. Serve.

Mashed Cauliflower

Inspiration: I’ve seen the idea of mashed cauliflower floating around for a long time now, but for some reason I never thought to try it myself until last week when I was looking for a vegetable side dish. I was skeptical, but I was so curious that I had to give it a try.

What we Loved: What didn’t we love about this? I was completely shocked with how much this cauliflower tasted like mashed potatoes. The texture of my mashed cauliflower was a bit lighter and less dense than potatoes (almost a little bit soupier?), but with a pat of butter on top and some salt and pepper, the flavor is really outstanding! It really compares well with the flavor of mashed potatoes. And cauliflower is so ridiculously healthy for you. Considering the fact that we’ve had this side dish three times already, I think it gets a thumbs up from both of us (and especially from me, since mashed potatoes with plenty of butter and salt has always been a favorite treat of mine).  And if you’re interested, check out this awesome study regarding vegetables and fats that B recently shared with me.

Helpful Hints: Try this dish out a few times to get it just the way that you like it. The first time that I tried this, I only used a potato masher to mash the cauliflower, and the texture was completely wrong for me. It was almost too much like the texture of rice. I was really disappointed, and almost decided that I really didn’t like mashed cauliflower. But I tried it again, this time throwing the cauliflower into the food processor, and I ended up with awesome results.  Next time, I think I’m going to try Greek yogurt instead of milk for a bit of a thicker texture, which I would prefer. So if the texture doesn’t come out how you like it the first time, keep trying different methods! My recipe below is pretty vague for this reason. You can vary what you add to the cauliflower to adjust the creaminess, and you can process for varying lengths of times to get a lumpy vs. smooth texture.

Mashed Cauliflower

Source: Taken from bits and pieces of information seen around the internet and from my knowledge of making mashed potatoes

1 head of cauliflower, removed from the stem and cut into pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper
Skim milk (or you could use any other kind of milk, cream, sour cream, or yogurt – which I think might work best for a thicker result)
Add-ins, if desired, such as cheeses, cream cheese, or chives

1. Add the cauliflower to a  pot, and then add enough water to just barely cover the cauliflower.

2. Bring to a boil, and then cook until the cauliflower is softened, approximately 7-8 minutes.

3. Add the cauliflower to a food processor. Add just a bit of milk (the cauliflower will provide some water, so you don’t need much) or sour cream/yogurt, and season with salt and pepper. Puree until the cauliflower is the texture that you prefer.

4. If you are using any add-ins, add them to the food processor, and pulse a few times to incorporate.

5. Serve the mashed cauliflower plain, with butter and S&P, or with gravy.