Grits & Collards Casserole

I stumbled across this casserole recipe while looking for a way to use up some of the wonderful  spring yield of collard greens from our garden. I would estimate that it took my brain about 0.2 seconds to register the words grits and collards together before I was absolutely committed to making this dish. If you have a fresh or canned homemade salsa on hand, all the better ... and you definitely want a salsa with a bit of heat for this recipe.  I can honestly say this is now one of my favorite casseroles; I can't wait until there are enough collard greens ready for a second version of this dish with salsa verde instead!

Grits & Collard Greens Casserole  (adapted from Eating Well)

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small or medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups (reduced sodium) vegetable broth, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (if you're using regular broth, I would leave out this salt or cut it in half)
• 16 cups chopped collard greens, stems removed (about 1 1/2-2 pounds)
• 2 cups water, plus more as needed
• 1 cup cornmeal (technically this should be NON-instant grits here, but I didn't have any)
• 3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1-2 veggie sausages, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds *optional*
  
  1. Grease a 8x8" glass plan and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Heat a large skillet (or soup pot if need be) over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Then add onion and garlic stirring often until soft. Add 1 cup broth, greens, and salt, bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until greens are tender. (Add water if needed to keep pan from simmering dry). Remove from heat.
  3. When the greens are close to done, bring 2 cups of water and 1 c. of broth to a boil. Whisk the cornmeal in and reduce the heat to low, stirring occasionally for 5 until the polenta has thickened and tastes cooked. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 c. cheddar cheese and salsa. Let cool a bit before stirring in the egg.
  4. Layer half the polenta into the greased pan. Top with the greens and sausage. Layer the rest of the polenta on top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c. of cheddar cheese.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Cheesecake and Espresso Stout

Whoever invented espresso stout must have been dreaming of a perfect beer accompaniment to chocolate cheesecake. Rarely in my life have I so enjoyed an alcohol paired with dessert. I am definitely one of those people who would rather not have any alcohol with a meal to save room for a sweet! I must admit though after trying Oakshire Brewing's Espresso Stout with chocolate cheesecake, I would modestly call it an unparalleled success :)

Chocolate Cheesecake (adapted from Joy of Baking)
Crust:
1 1/2 c. of graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c. melted unsalted butter (I used salted, as always)


Filling:
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped
4 oz dark chocolate (baking), chopped  (could also use bittersweet)
24 oz (3 packags) cream cheese, room temperature
1 c. sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. sour cream
*optional 2-3 Tbs good quality dark cocoa

I did not make ganache, but topped it with Euphoria's mexican chocolate sauce spread.

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into springform pan. Cover and refrigerate. (I baked for 10 minutes for a crunchier crust but i'm not convinced it paid off)
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or carefully in a thick bottomed sauce pan) until smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. Using a mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth, then beat in sugar, then melted chocolate. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and sour cream, beating well. Pour filling into crust.
4. Place cheesecake pan in oven and bake for 50-55 minutes until the top is firm while the center looks a bit wobbly.
5. Place on a cooling rack to coo then cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Quinoa Bites, Caramelized Salmon, & Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

For some reason, May and June were like a speedy blur this year. I blinked and May was gone and now I find myself halfway through June already with few posts to show for it. This is not all a sign that I have not been cooking - I just haven't been blogging about it. So a couple of recipes to share - though there are no photos to entice you, I promise the recipes are worth making. I am so proud of my salmon cooking - for once I made a tasty dish where the fish was perfectly cooked! I followed Judith's advice on pan-searing salmon.

Appetizer: Quinoa Bites (great to make in advance and freeze, also a healthy kid snack! vegan)

Main: Pan Seared Salmon with a Hoisin-Chili-Ginger Glaze
Sides: Steamed rice and sesame ginger bok choy

Dessert: Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler (Extra VeganZa cookbook) - excellent vegan dessert with very little sugar in any form!


Quinoa Bites (makes ~20-21 bites using full sized muffin tins or 36 mini bites)

2 c. cooked quinoa (I cooked mine in leftover chickpea broth, could also use veggie stock - you will need 1 c. raw quinoa to prepare)
2 eggs
1 c. diced carrots
1/2 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 c. green onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbs flour
a dash or two of soy sauce, tamari or Worcestershire

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Saute the carrots, onions, garlic, and celery in a pan until golden brown - about 8-10 minutes. Add seasoning (sauce, salt and pepper to taste) and stir in green onions at the end.
4. Mix quinoa with flour, eggs, and veggie mixture in a large bowl. The mixture should seem to stick together.
5. Line mini muffin pans with little baking cups  (or regular sized) OR used silicone muffin tray coated with oil (I did this and it worked pretty well).
6. For mini muffin tins - fill cups almost to the top and bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. For regular sized muffin tins - fill cups about 1/4-1/3 of the way full. Bake about 25 minutes until golden brown on top. Let cool in pan for about 5-10 minutes and remove to tray to cool.
7. Excellent wrapped in lettuce leaves with sweet chili sauce. Likely also good with ketchup, salad dressing, or honey mustard for dipping! I reheated these by broiling for about 5 minutes to get a crispy underside.

Pan Seared Salmon 
24 oz of salmon fillet, with skin - cut into four pieces (note it may be useful to get your fish monger to cut the fillet into four pieces for you!)

1 1/2 Tbs honey
2-3 Tbs soy sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 c. hoisin sauce
1 1/2  - 2 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp garlic chili sauce (or 1-2 tsp chipotle chili sauce)

1. Stir all the sauce ingredients together. Taste the glaze to make sure you like it!
2. Heat a heavy skillet (cast iron) over high heat for 2-3 minutes. Brush the flesh side of the salmon with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Add a bit of oil to the pan and tilt to coat.
3. Add the salmon flesh side down to the pan and let sear for 3 minutes. You can watch the flesh of the fish becoming opaque.
4. Flip the fish over skin side down, lower the heat to medium-high, and brush or spoon glaze over the flesh side of the fish. Let cook for 4-7 minutes until fish is almost done. (You can gently poke the middle of the thickest part of the fillets.) It also helps to fold over the thin parts of the fillets so they don't overcook.
5. Apply the glaze 2-3 times during the cooking, this will form a nice caramelized skin on the bottom of the salmon.
6. Eat immediately!

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler (adapated from Extra VeganZa!)

Filling:
3 c. chopped rhubarb, half inch pieces
1 1/2 c. chopped strawberries
1/3 c. soy milk (or almond milk)
2 Tbs cornstarch
1/4 tsp cinnamon + some freshly grated nutmeg
1/2-1 tsp grated orange zest
1 Tbs canola oil or grapeseed oil
3 Tbs maple syrup


Cobbler Dough:  (I actually doubled my cobbler dough recipe because I love the topping and used an oval casserole dish)
1 c. whole wheat or spelt flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 c. canola oil
2 Tbs maple syrup
1/4 c. soy milk
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place all filling ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring for a few minutes. Make sure cornstarch is dissolved. Pour the filling into an 8 inch round baking (casserole) dish or an oval.
3. Stir the dry ingredients for the dough together. Make a well in the centre and add the wet ingredients. Mix gently until all ingredients are moistened. Spoon six even mounds of dough on top of the filling.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool ~10 minutes before serving.
5. For additional decadence serving this with coconut whipped cream would be awesome. Or coconut bliss ice cream.

Greens and Veggie Sausage Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings

All I can honestly say is MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. After finding this recipe in a Bon Appetite magazine (Jan 2011) and trying it out with vegetarian chorizo style sausage (Original Field Roast Grain Meat Co.)  - my mouth was blown away by the rich, intense flavors of the soup and the incredible cornmeal dumplings that topped it off. I wholeheartedly encourage the preparation of this soup whether in its vegetarian or meat format; it is truly a little boon to my transplanted southern stomach.

Mixed-Greens and Veggie Sausage Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings (serves a LOT)

 dumplings

• 3/4 c. all purpose flour
• 3/4 c. cornmeal
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 c. whole milk (or 1 or 2%)
• 1 1/2 Tbs butter, melted
• 1/2 c. finely chopped green onions

  soup

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 4 large garlic cloves, pressed
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme (or dried)
• 1 lb andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4" rounds (or 4 veggie chorizo sausages)
• 6 c. veggie stock
• 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes in juice (or roughly 1 quart canned tomatoes)
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 1/8 tsp all spice
• 1 12 oz bag mixed turnip, mustard, and collard greens (we just used collard greens)- stems removed, sliced into 1 1/2-2" wide strips

1. To prepare the dumplings: Whisk the first 5 ingredients together in a medium bowl. Stir in milk, butter, and green onions. Let stand 1-2 hours. Line a tray  with wax paper or plastic wrap then shape into dumplings (balls) about 1 Tbs in size. Should make about 16-18 dumplings.  Cover and chill. (Can be made 1 day ahead).
2. To prepare the soup: Heat oil in a large soup pot. Saute onion, garlic, bay leaves and thyme until onion is tender. Add sausage, saute 3-5 minutes (until fat renders if meat). Add broth, tomatoes & juice, hot sauce, all spice. Bring to a simmer. (Can stop here if needed and chill 1 day in advance).  Add greens to simmering soup and cook uncovered 10 min. Carefully lower dumplings into broth, cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer ~20-25 min so that dumplings are cooked through.

Another Springtime Sorrel Dish

Sorrel continues to have a warm spot in our hearts, or rather it continues to occupy a large percentage of my vegetable drawer, so I do my best to use it up before it decays beyond salvaging. This is my favorite sorrel recipe so far: simple, amazingly flavorful, and healthy. The red lentils provide the illusion of rich creaminess and the perks of protein! I found this recipe by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (for such a long name, I've never heard of him before) in the Guardian.


Lentil and Sorrel Soup

• 2 Tbs butter (or olive oil)
• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 3-4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 150 g red lentils
• 1 quart (1000 mL) vegetable stock (can use bouillon)
• 200 g sorrel, coarse stems removed, chopped into 1 1/2" strips
• 1 Tbs cream or creme fraiche to serve (totally not needed in my opinion)
• Salt and pepper

1. Melt the butter in a sauce pan on low. Saute the onion, celery, and carrot, covered, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, until veggies are slightly softened.
2. Stir in lentils and stock, cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer ~ 15 minutes until lentils are cooked.
3. Add the raw sorrel into the soup. Use an immersion blender to puree until desired texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve soup with cream or creme fraiche as desired.

No photo to show :(