Macaroni & Cheese with Tomatoes & Scallions

Pumpkin Soup

Bought a cheese pumpkin.
Looked a lot like this.
Leonard cut it in half for me (horizontally!) . We scooped out the seeds and put it cut side down on a lined rimmed baking sheet. Baked it at 400 F for about an hour, till it was easily pierced with a fork.
Scooped out the "flesh". Discarded the skin. Put it into the food processor in batches and pureed it. Then put it in 1-2 cup portions in ziplock bags and froze it. Total = 12 cups.
Tonight I used the first 2 cup batch to make Pumpkin Soup.

Ingedients - 3 Servings
1 tblspn butter
1/2 a small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp snipped fresh rosemary (use kitchen scissors to snip into little bits - leaves only)
1/4 tsp dried sage powder
salt & pepper to taste
about 2 cups pumpkin puree
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tblspoon Vegetarian Worchestershire sauce
1 slice good bread
1-2 Tblspns shaved parmesean cheese

1. melt butter in a heavy pot
2. add onion & garlic & snipped sage and cook over medium high heat until onions are soft and beginning to brown
3. add pumpkin, broth, sage, s&p, & worchestershire and cook about 20 minutes until flavors blend.
4. toast the bread and cut into croutons
5. Serve soup topped with croutons & shaved parmesean

Roasted Ratatouille

Spring Vegetable Rotini & Cheese

 

Ingredients

1/2 lb Rotini Pasta

2 leeks

2 carrots

1 small bunch asparagus
butter
flour
milk
cheddar cheese

Greens & Grains

Wanted: 

Something tasty, quick, and hearty for dinner.

Start with:

Chopped onion, garlic & EVOO.

Saute while you search the fridge for veggies.

Cook Up

Some quinoa, farro, brown rice,

or use what you have leftover.

Add:

Everything green you've got, chopped (I used spinach, broccoli, zucchini).

Saute some more.

Throw In:

A can of chick peas, drained and rinsed

Some Calamata Olives

Some Feta Cheese

Serve

Rotini with Spinach & Ricotta

So Simple, So Good.

Put the pasta water up to boil.

Chop an onion and start it sweating in a tad of olive oil.

Wash and chop a bunch of spinach.

Drop the pasta in the pot.

Throw the spinach in with the onions and cook until it wilts.

Remove the pasta from its pot to the pan with the spinach and onions, using a slotted spoon.

Stir in 1/2 - 1 cup ricotta cheese (use the purest you can find - read the ingredients - there should be only milk, vinegar, and salt).

Add a little pasta water to thin if you like.

Salt & Pepper to taste.

Top with a dollop of ricotta and little grated Parmesan if you like.

 

Greens & Feta over Polenta

Step One: Mix up some polenta, spread in a pan, cut into squares, let it set up, then brown in a little olive oil - or - cut up a pre-made roll and brown.

Step Two: Start with the barest amount of olive oil, some garlic and diced onions. Saute while you wash and chop the greens (any combo will do, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, collards, even romaine).

Step Three: Add the greens to the saute and cook them to your taste.

Step Four: Spread the greens over the polenta and top with Feta cheese.