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Make Ahead

Stromboli 3 Ways

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

I have always been a fan
of finger food. You know, things that have everything contained in a nice
little hand held vassal. It’s especially good if it’s cheesy, and dip able. Stromboli
is one of those types of things. I love making it for pot lucks, and camping
weekends because you can make it ahead of time wrap it in foil and then heat it
up when you are ready to eat.
Stromboli traditionally is
a type of turnover that is usually filled with cheese, Italian meats, and made
with Italian bread dough. Most of the time in the US you can find it with mixed
Italian meats and provolone, or mozzarella and pepperoni.
Just before Christmas (I know
I’m behind, things get busy) Chuck went up to hunting camp and I thought I
would make him some of these. The thing is that I wanted to try something a
little different than the usual, and then got a bit carried away. I ended up
with three awesome fillings, traditional meat and cheese, cheeseburger, and
vegetarian. I’ll admit the vegetarian one was mostly for myself to break off a hunk
of, and the boys didn’t appreciate it as much as the others, but it was still
good, especially dipped into a steaming cup of marina.
For all three of these I
used this pizza dough recipe.
Triple Meat & Cheese Stromboli
1 pizza dough recipe
6 oz pepperoni, sliced
thin
6 oz Salami, sliced thin
6 oz ham, sliced thin
8 thin slices provolone
½ cup shredded mozzarella
½ cup grated parmesan
¼ cup melted butter
(optional)

Preheat the oven to 375
degrees. Roll the pizza dough out into a rectangle (roughly 10 by 13 inches).
Layer the meats and cheeses, leaving about a 1 inch border. Roll the dough up
into a log, folding the ends in to seal them as you go. Place the roll, with
the seam down on a nonstick baking sheet. Brush the top with a bit of melted butter
if desired. Bake until the outside of the dough is golden and fluffy, about 30
minutes.
Broccoli Rabe &
Roasted Red Pepper Stromboli
1 pizza dough recipe
1 bunch broccoli rabe,
chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive
oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
8 thin slices provolone
½ cup shredded mozzarella
1 (12oz) jar roasted red
peppers
1 tsp salt
¼ cup melted butter
(optional)

Blanch the broccoli rabe,
then strain it and pat dry. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat.
Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the broccoli rabe, and sauté
until it begins to wilt, about 3-4 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste,
remove from heat. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll the pizza dough out
into a rectangle (roughly 10 by 13 inches). Spread the cheese over the dough,
leaving a 1 inch border. Layer the roasted red peppers, and broccoli rabe over
the cheese. Sprinkle the entire thing with salt. Roll the dough up into a log,
folding the ends in to seal them as you go. Place the roll, with the seam down
on a nonstick baking sheet. Brush the top with a bit of melted butter if
desired. Bake until the outside of the dough is golden and fluffy, about 30
minutes.
Cheese Burger Stromboli
½ lb lean ground beef
½ cup diced onion
½ tbsp flour
½ cup beef broth
1 cup diced tomatoes
¼ cup diced pickles
(optional)
1 cup shredded cheddar
cheese
¼ cup melted butter
(optional)

In a large skillet brown
the ground beef over medium high heat, about 3-5 minutes. Add the onion and
cook for another minute, until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the flour
until well combined then add the broth and tomatoes. Continue to stir and cook
until the liquid reduces and a thick sauce forms. Add pickles if desired, and
remove from heat. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll the pizza dough out
into a rectangle (roughly 10 by 13inches). Spread the cheese over the dough
leaving about a 1 inch border. Pour the beef mixture over the top and spread it
evenly. Roll the dough up into a log, folding the ends in to seal them as you
go. Place the roll, with the seam down on a nonstick baking sheet. Brush the top
with a bit of melted butter if desired. Bake until the outside of the dough is
golden and fluffy, about 30 minutes.

What are your favorite Stromboli fillings?

January 14, 2015 December 5, 2017 Filed Under: Recipe Tagged With: appetizer, Beef, Camp Food, Make Ahead, Pork, Vegetarian

Yellow Tomato Jam & Learning to Can

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

I’ve mentioned before, rather recently in fact that my tomato
plants have gone a little nutty. A few of them are even taller than I am, and
they are producing a lot. I never realized how many tomatoes you could actually
get from one single plant let alone the 3 that I have.
I decided to try a canning experiment this year, since the
tomatoes are abundant and everyone knows how much better home grown tomatoes
are. I of course went to seek the oh so wise words of the internet for a good
recipe and method for canning these little babies, and settled on this recipe
from Food in Jars.
I made about 1/3 of the prescribed batch, and the recipe for that
is listed below. The sauce was amazing and the spare can I left out for tasting
was gone in minutes. I’m sure this would be a great pairing for scones at a tea
party, or mixed with cream cheese at a cocktail party. It’s pretty versatile and
totally delicious.
Yellow Tomato & Basil Jam
1 1/3 pounds Sungold tomatoes, halved
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest of ½ a lemon
1 ½ tablespoons basil, chopped
Toss the tomatoes with sugar in a large bowl. Let them sit for an
hour or more and allow their juices to release. In a thick bottomed sauce pan add
tomatoes, their juices and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes
stirring continuously, until the sauce becomes thick. Remove from heat and stir
in lemon zest. Can immediately, or allow the sauce to cool and serve. The sauce
will store for up to one year in sealed jars.
I used the water bath method for canning, which I have seen Miss
Amy do about a million times, though she usually prefers large batches. I think
this method of just sticking leftovers into the water bath while I’m cleaning
up dinner is a method that will work for me. There are always leftovers with it
just being me and chuck around here, and this is a great way to get that
amazing flavor year round, and stay a bit greener, which is always a bonus.

Since I am not an expert yet, (yes, I plan to one day be) I don’t
think my experiences are enough to go by to tell you how to can things
properly. Besides I don’t want anyone to get botulism on my account. I suggest
using this website for the canning basics, it is a wealth of information.

September 12, 2014 January 29, 2018 Filed Under: Recipe Tagged With: Canning, Condiment, Make Ahead, Natural Living, Vegan, Vegetarian

Kchidhi – Easy, Clean, Vegan, and Delicious

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

This is a easy and healthy recipe based on traditional Indian Kchidhi.

In my vegetarian adventures lately I have been stumbling across some really interesting new blogs that I will definitely be sharing with
you guys in the near future. This recipe is one that I adapted from one of these blogs, Holy Cow. It’s a super simple rice dish that I made for my lunch
at the beginning of the week. It was actually filling and satisfying enough to get me through the entire week without getting bored. That is something that never happens.

This recipe actually serves 4-6 people, but I’m sharing it here today because I think it’s a great vehicle for the single person to eat
all week. I just added whatever leftover veggies we had the night before, or steamed up some new ones and I had a complete meal that varied a little
throughout the week.
The version you see here is a simpler version, I guess you could say I “Americanized” it, but I wanted it to be an approachable recipe. The
original recipe isn’t difficult by any means, but I opted not to use a pressure cooker, and frozen veggies, to speed up the whole process.

 

Note: Garam Marsala was not available at my regular grocery store, however I did find it at whole foods.

 (Original Recipe)

Kchidhi – Easy, Clean, Vegan, and Delicious
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 60 mins
Total time: 1 hour 5 mins
Serves: 4-6 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp cayenne
  • 1 tbsp coriander
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp dried ginger
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 ½ cups brown rice
  • 1 cup moong dal (lentils)
  • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
  • Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Place the moong dal in a bowl with 1 cup of water and let it sit for 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile heat oil in a large thick bottomed sauce pan, saute the onion for 5 minutes or so, until it is translucent and begins to carmelize.
  3. Add turmeric, cayenne, coriander, and ginger stirring for an additional minute.
  4. Stir in tomato paste for one minute then add rice moong dal (with liquid) and then 4 cups more water. Stir well and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 35-40 minutes or until the rice and lentils are soft.
  5. Stir in the frozen vegetables and garam masala. Then remove from heat. There should be some liquid left in the bottom of the pan so that the consistency is similar to a risotto. Serve warm.
3.3.3070

July 18, 2014 May 11, 2015 Filed Under: Recipe, vegetarian Tagged With: Dinner 4 1, Make Ahead, Vegan, Vegetarian

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Ok I have to admit something. I have never had white
lasagna. As a self proclaimed foodie this is something that I find so hard to believe,
but it’s true, and I have been meaning to change it for quite a while. I saw
this recipe last year and knew I had to make it, but the squash season flew
by me!

Now that squash is back this is the very first thing I decided
to make, except the broccoli rabe wasn’t looking so hot, so I swapped in one of
my other favorite greens spinach. I already knew this flavor profile would work
well since I have used in a bunch of other recipes, as it was pretty fabulous.

This whole tray was quite a lot for two people so we ended
up eating it all week, and we didn’t even get sick of it, that’s a surprise.
There is something so exquisite about this recipe, I can’t quite put my finger
on it, but it was a grand slam, and even though it’s meatless Chuck said I could
make it all the time (score).

In all honesty it was twice as good the next day. What is it
about certain dishes, like stews and sauces that always taste better the next
day, so maybe you put the whole thing together and save the baking for a day or
two? Sounds perfect for a dinner party or a weekend meal no?

Squash and Spinach Lasagna

1 (1-2lb) butternut squash
Extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups whole milk
1 tsp nutmeg
Salt & Pepper
12-15 Lasagna noodles, prepared according to package
instructions

1 lb of spinach, wilted
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
4-5 fresh sage leaves


Preheat the oven to 425. Cut the squash in half, de seed it,
drizzle it with oil, and lay it face down on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-30
minutes or until the thick part of the squash can be poked through with a fork.
Remove from heat and allow it to cool and reduce the oven temp to 375. In a
thick bottomed sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour
and then slowly whisk in the milk as well, making sure the sauce becomes well blended.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat and reduce to a simmer over
medium heat cooking until the sauce thickens (about 5 minutes), while stirring
often. Stir in the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper to taste, this will
be your béchamel. In a bowl use a fork or a masher to mash the squash into a
manageable paste. In a prepared 13x9inch baking dish lightly place a layer of béchamel
then 3 noodles length wise. Scoop about 1/3 of a cup of the squash over the
noodles and add more béchamel, and another layer of noodles. Repeat this
process once more. One the third layer of noodles spread the all of the spinach
over the noodles, and then béchamel and more noodles. Continue to squash, béchamel
and noodles until you run out. On the top layer of noodles spread generously
the final béchamel and top with parmesan cheese, and sage leaves. Place the pan
in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until the top begins to brown and
bubble. Remove from heat and let stand about 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Also don’t skip the sage, those leaves, even just placed on
top lend a whole other level to the flavor of the whole dish.

I’m totally interested in more inventive recipes with squash
in them. Any Suggestions?

December 3, 2013 December 5, 2017 Filed Under: Recipe Tagged With: Fall, Make Ahead, Vegetarian

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Hi, I'm Jessica. I'm an herbalist living in the great northeast with my husband Chuck, our two little boys, our dog Brody and a flock of chickens. I'm all about real, good food and good times with awesome people. I spend a lot of time outside, in my garden, and concocting potions and helping people feel their best. I also like tea, reading, and about a million other hobbies. I'm so happy your here on this adventure with me.

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