Abundant

Creme Caramel (Flan)

Back from a trip to the Texas / Mexico Rio Grande Valley, I am inspired to fix some Border food.  This flan was an indulgence and immensely enjoyable. 

Was it us?? Or was it the mushroom?

I could use some opinions here...  The wild & brown rice pilaf pictured in a photo several days ago had a variation recipe that called for reconstituted dried mushrooms and so I examined the options at the neighborhood supermarket.  The choices didn't match the recipe so I ended up guessing and picked dried oyster mushrooms.  While they were soaking I thought they smelled unpleasant so skipped the recipe variation.  But, to use them up, we cooked them and tried them "straight" (a bit of garlic and parsley).  I thought they were chewy and didn't taste appealing.  Was it how we used them?  We're thinking of avoiding dried mushrooms from now on.  Is that rash?

Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Using the mandoline to slice the veggies paper-thin, we then sauteed them with parsley and garlic.  They were slow cooked like some of the Southern dishes and yet didn't become too limp.  We overdid the olive oil and will cut that back next time.

Baked Oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of my favorite foods for winter breakfasts.  We're still having very cool nights so oatmeal is a nice start to the day.  Here it is shown baked with dried apples and topped with cinnamon and a bit of milk.  There is only 1 tablespoon of brown sugar in two servings so it isn't an overly sweet breakfast.  It seems like over the past year or so I've moved away from some of the super-sweet breakfasts that are typical of Americans.  Of course, that's not to say I don't still enjoy them... :)

Winter Squash Tart

To combine baking and cooking, I have been looking forward to making a savory tart.  This tart uses a winter vegetable -- acorn squash -- as its centerpiece.  We ate it with wild rice with brown rice pilaf and red onions with vinegar and thyme.  Several lunches this week are ready to go!

Irish Cheddar Soup

For this week's Sunday Night Soup, we chose to make a cheese soup in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Rather than being heavy like a Wisconsin cheese often is, this soup is light and flavorful -- with hints of the leeks, potatoes, and carrots that are in the base.  At the last bit of cooking, the Irish cheddar is added with a bit of milk.  We served a green salad alongside.

Poached dried fruit

Last night we pulled out a cookbook we've had for years (decades, perhaps) and found a brunch menu that included a recipe for poaching dried fruit.  We had several on hand and picked up a couple of other items at the store.  The fruit is covered in boiling water and then soaked overnight.  This morning we simmered the fruit in the soaking liquid and here you see the steam rising from the pot.  It can be served warm or cold.  It was naturally sweet and so not overpowering.  A nice start to the day... 

Blueberry Scones

These two blueberry scones were crispy on the edges but melt-in-your-mouth luscious.  I expected them to rise more than they did -- I'll have to try them again and see what happens...

Dandelion greens

I was inspired by the sign hanging in the Whole Foods store that ranked various vegetables by their nutritional density (or something).  Several that I really enjoy were very high on the list and then there were the dandelion greens....  I hadn't actually ever tried them but since as a kid, I loved the yellow dandelion plants that were considered weeds, I have thought to myself, "If greens are any good, I bet dandelion ones would be part of that."  After reading the sign and then turning around to see TWO varieties of dandelion greens, we decided to get some.  It turns out that I think they're good!

Another component dinner

Salad, broccoli, mushrooms, and egg noodles with lots of black pepper and just a bit of kid-friendly cottage cheese produced a very quick evening meal.  In many of our vegetarian meals, there is no single dish that is the entree.  We balance flavors, textures, nutritional needs, and often colors to provide an enjoyable experience eating.

Turnip Soup

Croutons we made at home with leftover rye bread float in turnip soup.  Rice was the thickener in the soup, which was mild in flavor. 

Huevos Rancheros

This morning we had a leisurely start to the day and I fixed huevos rancheros.  I forgot the cilantro on the shopping list so it's not quite up to the usual specifications.  It was a filling start to the day and is an easy dish to make.  (We used a can of veggie refried beans -- no lard for shortening.)

Cookies

This photo is from a couple of weeks ago.  When I was making treats for the staff meeting, I had extra dough from the base of the raspberry bars and so made sugar cookies.  They were so light and flaky.  I pulled out this dog shape and a little lion since it wasn't near any holiday. 

Homemade Wontons

We were curious about whether we could find a vegetarian option for wontons.  This one was located inside the packaging for the wrappers!  They are filled with spinach, carrots, onion, and bread crumbs; the seasoning included soy sauce.  And, they were easy!