The Hungry Wife

This Creamy Squash Casserole recipe was made in an effort to use up all of my yellow squash supply.  Just like all the zucchini we have been getting from our CSA and our own garden, we have and overabundance of yellow squash.  In an effort to do something different with it, I have been searching through all my cookbooks.  The researching paid off with the Creamy Squash Casserole.

Even though it is called creamy, this dish is not heavy.  All the ingredients work perfectly together, Creamy Squash Casserole has an amazing aroma that will have your mouth watering.
Creamy Squash Casserole, continued…

Ah, Macaroni and Cheese, the ultimate comfort food. There is no food that more people love, than a hot, creamy, cheesy bowl of Classic Macaroni and Cheese. No recipe collection is complete without a Macaroni and Cheese recipe. Buying the blue box with the powdered cheese does not compare to making it yourself, and it doesn’t take much longer.

This Classic Macaroni and Cheese recipe is a blank slate, which you can add ingredients to, try out different types of cheeses, and even bake it in the oven to make a nice crispy, cheesy top.  Here, comfort food finds its definition in the traditional cheesy macaroni.  For a little extra zip, add a shake of hot sauce.  For some other ideas, you can add chopped onions, caramelize the onions, or use onion salt.  Chopped ham can be mixed in with the dish, so can veggies, like broccoli, zucchini, or bell peppers.  Doen’t be afraid to use your imagination when making Mac and Cheese, or eat it just as it is, classic.
Classic Macaroni and Cheese, continued…

In the classic, Italian-type frittata, everything is stirred together in a bowl before you pour it into the hot skillet.  With dill, mint and feta, this Zucchini Rice Frittata has Greek and Balkan overtones.  Use this Zucchini Rice Frittata recipe as a basic template, and try different cheeses, vegetables, or herbs, or use croutons or potatoes instead of rice – or no starch at all.  If you wish, puree eight ounces of tofu in the blender with the eggs, water, and salt for a nutritious boost of soy protein.

Leftovers are good served either cold or at room temperature.  If you do not have an ovenproof skillet, instead of placing the skillet under the broiler, cover and cook the skillet on the stove top until frittata is firm.
Zucchini Rice Frittata, continued…

Carne Asada Recipe:  Carne Asada is a roasted beef dish, that literally means “roasted meat”.  Carne Asada is typically made with thin slices of marinated meat, that is grilled and used in tacos and burritos.  This recipe is slightly different.  By using a beef round roast and cooking it in the oven for 3 hours, you get a super flavorful, moist beef that pulls apart easily for perfect taco sized portions.

Although this Carne Asada takes 3 hours to cook, it is extremely easy to prepare.  The green salsa complements the Carne Asada very well, and it adds a nice color to the dish.  Our family loves the crunchy cabbage in our tacos, but, if your not too sure about using cabbage then substitute with lettuce.  Also, you can use just soft tacos or pre-made hard tacos if you like.  Next time taco night rolls around at your house, try this recipe instead of the typical seasoned ground beef tacos.
Carne Asada Recipe with Green Salsa, continued…

Huge turnips came in this weeks CSA delivery.  I was pretty excited about this root vegetable, but also a little apprehensive about what to do with them.  I had to dig deep into my recipe collection, but I found some nice ways to prepare turnips and gave one of them a try.

Growing up in upstate New York, where there is a relatively short growing season, many of the local organic farmers grow root vegetables that sweeten in the ground as the air turns frosty.  This typically winter produce, is best featured by roasting the parsnips, carrots, beets, turnips, and rutabagas to draw out their natural sweetness and flavor.

If you would like to make this a more substantial vegetable side dish, try cooking up some greens and serving the roasted turnips on top of them.  The Hungry Wife suggests using hardy greens that last late into the growing season, such as Swiss or ruby chard, collards, kale, turnip greens, or mustard greens.  To prepare them, you can sauté some minced garlic in olive oil, and add some crushed red pepper as desired, and your choice of greens.  Cook, stirring them often, for about 15 minutes, until they are tender.
Oven Roasted Turnips, continued…

Since moving to South Carolina last year, The Hungry Wife has been trying to embrace our new southern lifestyle.  A lot of that is trying out new foods, and ways to cook them.  So, when we saw this Creamy Pasta and Greens recipe in our local newspaper this morning, we thought to give it a try.  And are we glad we did!

This recipe is one of the best things The Hungry Wife has made thus far.  It has all the creamy deliciousness of an alfredo cheese sauce, mixed with the semi-bitter greens, sweetness of the bell peppers, little bit of heat from the crushed red pepper, and of course, the salty, smoky taste of yummy crispy bacon!  Everything is better with bacon.

Collard, turnip, mustard  – The Hungry Wife can take about any leafy green vegetable and make it sing.  Greens are rich iron and good for you, but many people love them simply for their taste.  If you can eat spinach, you’ll love all the other greens.  If you have never tried greens before this is your chance.  Creamy Pasta and Greens is pretty simple to make, and the best to eat.  Maybe not the most healthy recipe, but without a doubt, the most tasty and comforting.
Creamy Pasta and Greens, continued…

All of us at The Hungry Wife had a great time tinkering with this perennial favorite.  The simplest egg salad made with fresh eggs, crisp celery, a good mayonnaise, and quality mustard is hard to beat.  But hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise are a fine vehicle for a host of other ingredients and seasonings.

Here is an egg salad that can be eaten as a sandwich, spread, or canapes, or stuffed into ripe juicy tomatoes shells, crisp cucumber shells, or bell pepper halves.

Serve Scandinavian Egg Salad as a sandwich between slices of whole wheat bread, baguette, or a coarse country-style bread with tender leaf lettuce and sliced tomato.  As an appetizer, serve with sesame crackers, pita, or rye crackers.

Reduce the fat content of Scandinavian Egg Salad by discarding the cooked yolks of five of the eggs.  If you don’t have a 2-quart saucepan, a larger one is okay – just use enough water to immerse the eggs completely.
Scandinavian Egg Salad, continued…

Who doesn’t love a good cup of soup?  Everyone has a favorite kind, and at only 123 calories per serving, you just might find this Creamy Broccoli and Carrot Soup to be you new favorite.  The crunchy pepper relish provides an interesting counterpoint to the creamy broccoli and carrot soup.  The relish serves to compliment the curry powder and yogurt in the soup.  If you like, try the soup both ways, with and without the relish, I think you’ll find that the relish adds something really special and completes the Creamy Broccoli and Carrot Soup.

I used canned cream of mushroom soup as a shortcut in this recipe.  Sometimes, for variety, I use cream of celery soup instead.  No matter which type you use, look for brands low in fat and sodium.  Don’t let this Creamy Broccoli and Carrot Soup fool you, it  is simple to make and tastes really good.  All the ingredients are balanced very well, nothing is overpowering.  One last tip, if you have a smaller food processor like I do, puree the ingredients in batches and then mix together well.
Creamy Broccoli and Carrot Soup with Pepper Relish, continued…

This Pasta with Easy Summer Sauce only requires a bit of chopping, and the green beans in the recipe cook right along with the pasta.  Here in Columbia, South Carolina it gets hot.  Really hot.  They call Columbia “famously hot” after all, and they weren’t joking.  The temperature is reliably around 90 everyday, and it’s only May.  So, what could be better in hot weather than a sauce that needs no cooking at all?

Pasta with Easy Summer Sauce, continued…

Artichoke Lasagna Rolls are a perfect way to use up left over lasagna noodles.  I always seem to have a few left in the box – not enough for a whole pan of lasagna.  You may assemble the rolls ahead and refrigerate them until you’re ready to bake them.  Any leftover Artichoke Lasagna Rolls reheat nicely – just microwave them for 1 to 2 minutes.  When I made this recipe, I only had no-boil lasagna noodles in the pantry.  So, instead of making rolls I simply made lasagna the classic way (by layering sauce, noodle, ricotta mixture, mozzarella ect.), just on a smaller scale using the 8×8 dish.

Sometimes you need scaled-down recipes.  Maybe you live alone or with just one other person.  Maybe the rest of the family is out doing something else, and you don’t really feel like preparing a lot of food.  No matter why you’re on your own, this is a recipe to turn to.  Artichoke lasagna rolls are also awesome if you are looking for low-fat recipes.  Coming in with 545 calories, 12.7 grams of fat, 8.4 grams dietary fiber, 10 mg cholesterol, and 547 mg sodium per serving, Artichoke Lasagna Rolls and good for you too.  You don’t have to be a non-meat-eater to appreciate the deliciousness of the low-fat recipe.
Artichoke Lasagna Rolls, continued…

Being new to the south, I was inexperienced with the cooking methods of collard greens. There is something special about the way they are made here, and if you do it wrong, you will end up with a bitter tasting vegetable (as I found out on my first attempt to cook collard greens). Collard greens are a staple food vegetable of Southern cuisine and soul food. They are often prepared with other similar green leaf vegetables, such as kale, turnip greens, spinach, and mustard greens in “mixed greens.”

Typical seasonings when cooking collard greens can consist of smoked and salted meats (ham hocks, pork neckbones, fatback or other fatty meat), diced onions, vinegar, salt, black, white, or crushed red pepper. Traditionally, collard greens are eaten on New Year’s Day, along with black-eyed peas or field peas and cornbread, to ensure wealth in the coming year, as the leaves resemble folding money.

Collard greens are simple to cook, and are extremely delicious.  When I first made collard greens, I tried to make them using no meat.  I do not suggest this.  Cooking collard greens with a ham bone or ham hock should be mandatory, it really adds a wonderfully, subtle flavor that you just can’t get without the meat.  I think it is best to keep your collard greens uncomplicated, not adding too many seasonings to them.  This recipe is very simple and brings out the best of collard greens.  I do think some onions would add a delicious flavor to these.  Next time I think I’ll add some in and see how that works out.
Collard Greens, continued…

A packet of fresh fish and vegetables steamed in savory or spicy flavors is like a gift.  This Gingered Fish in a Packet is a wonderful dish.  Each individually wrapped “present” releases a burst of aromatic steam when opened.  The flavors mingle sweet with spicy, hot with salty, briny with piquant.  Nothing escapes until the final moment of opening the foil.  Inside, the fish is tender and succulent, the vegetables are perfectly cooked, and the sauce has bathed every ingredient.

When cooking fish in a packet, potatoes take too long and asparagus and snow peas lose their bright color.  Carrots, onions, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell peppers are better choices.  Once you prepare all of the ingredients, each packet can be assembled and folded easily and quickly.  In general, I don’t recommend that you prepare the packets ahead of time because some ingredients may react with the aluminum foil.  Serve immediately to avoid overcooking.
Gingered Fish in a Packet, continued…

For those not familiar with Chinese Pepper Steak, let me give you a quick run down. Chinese Pepper Steak is basically a stir fried Chinese-American dish which consists of sliced steak, green bell peppers, and onions. The best part about this dish is the delicious tasting sauce, a mixture of soy sauce, beef broth, water, corn starch and in my recipe, margarine. I have been cooking this for awhile now and everyone just loves it. Don’t be hesitant, try it for yourself.

Chinese Pepper Steak, continued…

Kimchi Recipe:  Kimchi are traditional Korean pickled dishes with various seasonings.  You won’t be disappointed with this Kimchi recipe, it is our favorite, even in comparison to those made at Korean restaurants!  There are many different variations of kimchi that are dependent on region and often season by what is available.  This is a basic kimchi recipe, that is not made the traditional way, but one that is easily made and tastes every bit as delicious.  I do not use fish paste in my recipe (just not that big of a fan), however, if you prefer to have that in your kimchi it can be easily added in.

Kimchi Recipe, continued…

Pizza has become a quintessential American comfort food, and this Zucchini & Fresh Tomatoes with Fontina Pizza fits right in.  Ever since Italian immigrants started making pizzas in their neighborhoods, it’s been a hit.  Now you can find it topped with all sorts of vegetables, cheeses, seafood, meats, and even eggs and fruits.  There are pita pizzas, French bread pizzas, English muffin pizzas, taco pizzas, and Hawaiian pizzas.

Pizza goes great with soup and salad.  It’s often eaten for breakfast and is probably one of the healthiest fast foods you can buy.  Unless of course your like me, and prefer your pie with extra-cheese.  I love eating this pizza, mainly because I don’t feel bad after eating that extra piece.  This nice thing about this pizza is that if you buy pre-made dough, you can make it in a hurry.  Want it a little more organic, then try your hand at making your own dough.
Zucchini & Fresh Tomatoes with Fontina Pizza, continued…

Spicy Stir-Fried Savoy Cabbage is a quick side dish, that can be made just before sitting down to eat.  Cook thinly sliced savoy cabbage with the typical Chinese flavors of ginger, soy sauce, and chili paste.  For Variety , try this recipe with Chinese cabbage, common green cabbage, kale, or bok choy and sample their distinctive flavors.  I tend to like things a little on the spicy side, so I add in some extra chili paste.

Spicy Stir-Fried Savoy Cabbage, continued…

Foods that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition are called “functional foods.”  Functional foods do more than meet your minimum daily requirements of nutrients.  They can also play roles in reducing the risk of disease and promoting good health.

Phytochemical:  Sources – Potential Health Benefit

Allylic sulfides: Garlic, chives, leeks, onions, shallots – Detoxifies; antiviral properties; offers cancer resistance

Beta-carotene: Apricots, carrots, peaches, squash – Enhances immunity; helps prevent cataracts

Catechins: Green and black teas, chocolate – Reduces risk of cancer

Diadzein: Soybeans, tofu – Prevents estrogen from binding to receptors; has anticancer potential

Ellagic acid: Blackberries, cranberries, grapes, strawberries, walnuts – Provides antioxidants

Genistein: Tofu, soymilk, soybeans – Inhibits tumor growth; protects against heart disease

Isothiocyanates: Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower) – Reduces risk of cancer

Lutein: Spinach, collard greens, kale – Promotes against age-related eye disease; decreases risk of lung disease

Lycopene: Tomatoes, kiwifruit – Reduces risk of prostate cancer

Monoterpenes: Orange and citrus oils, kale – Slows growth of cancer cells

Omega-3 fatty acids: Fish oil (mackerel, salmon, trout) – Reduces risk of heart disease

Proanthocyanidins: Cranberries, cranberry products, cocoa, chocolate – Improves urinary tract health; reduces risk of cardiovascular disease

Resveratrol: Grapes, red wine, peanuts – Lowers blood pressure and risk of heart disease

Saponins: Soybeans, soy foods – Helps to lower LDL cholesterol; controls blood sugars; prevents cancer

Zeaxanthin: Arugula, collards, horseradish, yellow corn, mustard, sorrel – Provides antioxidants; boosts immune function

With company over this weekend I’ve had plenty of opportunity to put my recipes to the test.  This grilled corn salsa is the prefect mid-day snack to keep everyone happy between meals.  Grilled Corn Salsa is similar to texas caviar, except it is sauteed, and does not have beans in it.  This is a sweeter salsa, and the grilled corn adds a nice smoky flavor to contrast.  I severed it with tortilla chips like a traditional salsa, but it would also be fabulous served along with fish, or even as a relish on burgers.  My husband also likes to eat it all by itself as a side dish with meals.

Grilled Corn Salsa, continued…