Tofu, Spinach, and Goat Cheese over Pasta

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cooking, food, goat cheese, recipe, recipes, tofu, vegetarian

Let me make yet another confession about my experiences with food.

I’ve never cooked tofu before this meal.

When I was younger tofu weirded me out. It was just this icky, slimy, white-ish sponge, that was food? To me, it was something only vegetarians ate, and if you were a meat eater, fah-get-it.

But then I got over my pure disgust with the food and actually ate tofu. And I fell in love with it. It’s healthy. It marries well with any flavor. If cooked right, it’s got a slight crunch on the outside, and since it is so spongy — a burst of flavor when you bite into it.

That being said, I’ve mostly had tofu in stir fries in Asian dishes, and I never even bothered to try and prepare the white mass by myself. I didn’t grow up with it in my repertoire of recipes, and I guess you could say I was a bit timid to dice it up into cubes and throw it in a stir fry — because I was afraid it wouldn’t come out the right way.

But at 8:30 in the morning, while shopping in peace (for once) at Trader Joe’s last Sunday, I came across the packages of tofu. Without hesitation — like some strange force from within was pushing out my hand — I grabbed a package and threw it into my cart, not knowing what I would even do with it.

But I found something (of course), and of course it involved goat cheese. It was elementary enough for a novice tofu preparer like me to make it, and it turned out simply wonderful.

The original recipe made this mixture a tofu taco mixture, but since I didn’t have any tortilla wraps, I decided to add a bit more salsa and turn this into a topping for your favorite pasta. Dolloped with goat cheese, you’ve got a great meal in front of you.

Tofu, Spinach, and Goat Cheese over Pasta (Adapted from Monica Nelson Fitness)
>> Click here for printable recipe << 

Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 (4 oz) can chile peppers
• 1 (14 or 19 oz) pkg firm tofu, drained, patted dry, and crumbled
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• salt and pepper
• 1 (10 oz) pkg frozen corn, thawed
• 1 (10 oz) pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 cup of your favorite salsa, plus more for topping
• 3 oz goat cheese
• 1 box rotini pasta, cooked according to package directions

Directions:

 

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu, chili powder, and a few dashes of salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Add the chile peppers and cook for another 2 minutes.
2. Add the corn and cook, tossing until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and a few more shakes of salt and pepper and toss. Then add the salsa and stir until heated through, about 1 minute.
3. Place the rotini in a bowl or on a plate and top with the tofu mixture. Add additional salsa and crumble the goat cheese on top of each serving.

My Two Cents: Don’t fear tofu. Since this recipe called the tofu to be crumbled, it sort of turned it into a form of vegetarian ground meat — hence making it an ideal topper for pasta.

I think these would be equally wonderful in tortillas — so if you have them on hand, do it up.

Hopefully this is the beginning of many more tofu recipes to come….

Enjoy!

Spinach, Bacon, and Goat Cheese Quiche

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bacon, Breakfast, brunch, cooking, eggs, food, goat cheese, quiche, recipe, recipes

I bought a package of bacon on Saturday.

I don’t usually buy bacon, or eat it. But Saturday was special. Chris and I spent the day together at home. No studying. No cleaning. No wedding planning. No bill paying. No blogging. No thinking. Just us and some good books and good TV.

We started the day with bacon and eggs, of course But then I had half a package of uncooked bacon left, and I couldn’t just leave it there, all fat and sad and wanting to be cooked.

So I made some quiche.

Some really, really good quiche.

Spinach, Bacon, and Goat Cheese Quiche
>> Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients:

• One 9 inch deep dish frozen pie crust
• 4 slices bacon
• 1/2 of a 10 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1/3 medium zucchini, diced
• 10 grape tomatoes, sliced
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place pie crust on sheet.
2. Cook bacon until browned and crisp; drain on paper towels. Chop into small pieces and place in large bowl with the spinach, onion, zucchini, and tomato; toss the bacon and veggies, then place into the pie crust.
3. Beat the eggs and milk together in another bowl, then add then garlic powder, dill weed, and pepper to the egg mixture. Beat well. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies in the pie crust. Mix around gently with a fork to evenly distribute the eggs into the veggies.
4. Drop the goat cheese crumbles evenly on top of the eggs and vegetables. Then sprinkle with the cheddar cheese.
5. Bake the quiche for 1 hour. Let cool for a few minutes; serve hot or at room temperature.

My Two Cents: Quiche has been and forever will be my one of my favorite foods. You can literally put any veggies you have leftover in your fridge into this. Just keep the milk and eggs the same in every recipe, and go wild.

When you’re cooking the bacon, be sure to add one or two extra slices to the pan for yourself while you’re cooking

Or omit the bacon all together (for a vegetarian option, but it’s so so good).

And please, for the love of God, do NOT omit the goat cheese.

Enjoy!

Jalapeno Poppers with Goat Cheese

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appetizers, cooking, food, goat cheese, jalapeno poppers, jalapenos, recipes, spicy food

It’s Friday.

It’s time to spice things up.

Last week when I went food shopping I needed exactly one jalapeno for this awesome Romesco Sauce. But Target didn’t have jalapenos out loosely. (Of course I shop at Target sometimes. So. Much. Cheaper.) So I grabbed a package of 10 jalapenos and thought, “hm. I’m going to make some poppers out of these.” Then in the cheese aisle I saw the logs of goat cheese.

And magic happened.

Jalapeno Poppers with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

• 10 jalapeno peppers
• 3 oz goat cheese
• 1/3 cup cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. Slice jalapenos in half lengthwise. Cut out the membranes and scoop out the seeds. Leave some in if you like things really spicy. The heat mostly lies in the seeds.
3. Place about a teaspoon of goat cheese in each jalapeno half. Top with another teaspoon of cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with garlic powder and black pepper.
4. Bake the peppers for 17-20 minutes or until the cheddar cheese is a nice golden brown.

My Two Cents: You’re going to want a glass of milk nearby, especially if you’re a wuss like me. Though, I’m pretty sure I accidentally ate the jalapeno that I left the seeds in that was intended for Chris. I thought my face was going to fall off. But it was so worth it. Because a little spice with a dollop of goat cheese will make anyone’s night.

At least it should.

Happy Friday!

Creamy Spinach and Goat Cheese Soup

Tags

food, goat cheese, recipes, secret recipe club, soup, spinach, vegetables, vegetarian

Today is the day after Christmas. You probably don’t want any more sweets. You were probably sick of eating cookies and candy well before Christmas Day even rolled around (especially, if like myself, you went to several cookie swaps before Christmas!)

So when I was assigned Laura’s blog, A Healthy Jalapeno, for this month’s Secret Recipe Club, I wanted to find something light and healthy for the day after Christmas. I had a hard time deciding which recipe to go with, (she does have healthy in her blog title after all.

But then.

Then.

I saw the word “goat cheese” in the title of her Spinach and Goat Cheese Bisque.

My heart stopped.

Well maybe it just skipped a beat.

And if hearts could drool, it most certainly did.

Goat cheese and I have a long (quite happy) history: i.e. Artichoke Pizza with Goat Cheese and Olives, Artichoke and Goat Cheese Strata, Goat Cheese and Couscous Stuffed Eggplant, Roasted Onions stuffed with Goat Cheese and Sun-dried Tomatoes, Tomatoes Stuffed with Couscous, Goat Cheese, and Zucchini.

Clearly, this list needs a soup on it.

And this recipe is loaded with spinach, which is an amazing leafy green—packing in antioxidants (which can help eyesight—great pro for the near blind like me), and it’s a great source of vitamins C and E (keep that immune system strong!) Plus, great source of fiber—all while having almost zero calories.

Plus, did I mention there was goat cheese?

Creamy Spinach and Goat Cheese Soup (Adapted from A Healthy Jalapeno)

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped (about 4 cups)
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 2 tbsp plus 2 cups water, divided
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
• 2 tbsp Marsala
• 1 (32 oz) package low-sodium vegetable broth (4 cups)
• 2 (11 oz) packages of baby spinach (24 cups, or 1 1/4 lbs)
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 oz crumbled goat cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions and 1/4 tsp salt; cook, stirring constantly until the onions are soft and slightly brown, about 5 minutes. (Stir constantly to prevent burning.)
2. Reduce the heat to low; add 2 tbsp of water and the thyme. Cook, stirring frequently until the pan cools down a bit, then cover the pan and let onions cook, stirring occasionally, until they have a deep caramel color, about 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 cups of water and 1/4 tsp of salt in a large Dutch oven. Add the potato and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, maintaining a simmer, and cook the potatoes until they are fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
4. When the onions are done cooking, stir in the Marsala. Then add them and the vegetable broth to the Dutch oven. Return mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir in the spinach (this will have to be done in two batches. Wilt the first batch, then add the second.) Cook the spinach for just a few minutes (3-5)–just enough so it wilts, but not too long so that it keeps its vibrant green color. Add in the nutmeg and cayenne pepper.
5. Turn off the heat and stir in the goat cheese until it melts. Stir in the lemon juice.
6. Blend the soup in 3 batches (or use an immersion blender). Return to pot, heat on low, and adjust seasonings to your taste. Serve immediately with a nice dollop of goat cheese and extra lemon juice if desired.

My Two Cents: Ah, love.

There were so many wonderful things about this soup. First, I almost never make soup with cream of half and half in them. So when I find a soup that’s packed with flavor and the feeling like it is filled with rich cream, but it’s not, is so rewarding.

The caramelized onions bumped this soup up from just “good” to “outstanding”. It added an extra depth of flavor that actually intensified the next day. I believe Laura said the soup was a little nutty, and she’s right. The goat cheese combined with the nutmeg and onions gave it a tiny hint of nutty.

Let’s not forget about the color. I’ve never eaten something such a vibrant shade of green. In fact, I’m a little sorry the reveal day for this SRC is the day after Christmas. Imagine serving this as your first course for Christmas dinner!

I have no doubts in my mind you will truly love this soup. And check out A Healthy Jalapeno—she’s got some stellar stuff on there!

Click the link below to see ALL the recipes from today’s Secret Recipe Club Swap.

Goat Cheese and Couscous Stuffed Eggplant

Tags

cooking, eggplant, food, goat cheese, recipe, recipes, vegetarian

The other week my boss walked into my office and said, “Hey Cooking Whims! I have some baby eggplant from my neighbor’s garden that I’m not going to use. Do you want it?” I didn’t even take a breath before I said, “Yes!” It’s hard to get my hands on fresh eggplant this late in the season, so I couldn’t pass ‘em up

I didn’t know what to make with them, though. I put them in my fridge and stared at them for two days. I always make eggplant parm with eggplant, and I wasn’t in a ratatouille mood. Then I remembered my love affair with stuffed vegetables. As I scavenged around my fridge, I also found a block of goat cheese I had forgotten about. (I know. An absolute royal SIN in my kitchen.) So I grabbed some canned tomatoes, couscous, an onion, and garlic, and away I went.

Goat Cheese and Couscous Stuffed Eggplant (Inspired from America’s Test Kitchen’s Tomatoes Stuffed w/ Couscous, Goat Cheese, and Zucchini)

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 baby eggplants
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained (I used about 3/4 of the can, but feel free to use the whole can)
• 2/3 cups couscous
• 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
• 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise. Cut the eggplant flesh out of each half, leaving about 1/4 inch thick shell. (You may have to scoop out the flesh. I recommend a grapefruit spoon for this because it has teeth.) Place the shells on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Dice the scooped out eggplant flesh and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the eggplant and cook until eggplant is soft, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the couscous to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes until lightly toasted. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer. Take off the heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes until the couscous is cooked. Put the pan back on the heat, add the diced tomatoes, goat cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Stir until combined and heated through.
5. Divide the stuffing evenly among the eggplant shells. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the eggplant shells are soft and the filling is lightly browned.

My Two Cents: What other veggies can I slice in half lengthwise and stuff with goat cheese and couscous?

I liked how the couscous browned in the oven when I cooked the entire eggplant. It gave it a nutty flavor and a nice texture.

I used canned diced tomatoes because that’s what I had in my pantry. But fresh tomatoes would work just as well here.

So if you are craving some eggplant or picked some up on a whim, this is a winner!

Tomatoes Stuffed with Couscous, Goat Cheese, and Zucchini

Tags

cooking, couscous, food, goat cheese, recipe, recipes, tomatoes, vegetables, vegetarian

Have you ever seen anything more beautiful in your entire life?

I have. It was this stuffed tomato. About 5 seconds after I took this photo I inhaled it. It was good.

It was real good.

It was good because I followed this recipe to the T from the America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.

If you follow their recipes, things turn out good.

So come, make this (it’s pretty simple), marvel at its beauty, then put it in your belly.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Couscous, Goat Cheese, and Zucchini aka Pure Goodness (From The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 6-8 large tomatoes (I used 6, but generously stuffed them. The recipe calls for 8 )
• 4 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb (12 ounces) tops discarded, halved, cored, and minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 large zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 cup whole-wheat couscous
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Slice the top of each tomato off (about 1/8 inch) and carefully remove the core and seeds. You can do this with a pairing knife or your hands. Sprinkle the inside of each tomato with 1/8 tsp of salt. Place upside-down on several layers of paper towels and let drain for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the fennel and shallots and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.

3. Stir in the zucchini and cook until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the couscous and cook until lightly toasted, 1-2 minutes.

4. Stir in the broth and bring to a brief simmer. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Using a fork, gently fluff the couscous and stir in the Parmesan cheese, goat cheese, and basil. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Pat the inside of each tomato dry with paper towels. arrange the tomatoes, cut-side up, in a 13×9 inch baking dish lined with aluminum foil. Brush the cut edges of the tomatoes with the remaining 1 1/2 tsp olive oil. Mound the couscous filling into the tomatoes (about 1/2 cup per tomato).

6. Bake for 15 minutes until the tomatoes are tender and the tops are slightly browned.

My Two Cents: I’ve made stuffed vegetables before, including zucchinis, onions, and peppers. They were good. But I’m afraid this one outshines them all. Can you guess why?

Got it?

Yep!

Goat cheese Essentially, if I put goat cheese in anything, I think it tastes good But in all seriousness, this was good for other reasons! First, the tomatoes held their shape, which is always a rare thing for a tomato. They hold so much water, and they get soggy, etc. But since they were emptied of their bellies (and stuffed with something infinitely better) and salted, they stood strong in the oven.

Other flavors that really enhanced the stuffing was the basil, fennel, and garlic. There wasn’t too much basil so that it was overpowering–I liked the subtle hint of it. And the fennel? Amazing. Interestingly enough, this was the very first time I ever prepared fennel. And I have to admit I was skeptical. “What the hell is that licorice-smelling piece of white junk?” I thought. But my doubts subsided immediately once I sunk my teeth into this.

I cheated and used 6 tomatoes in the recipe. I only had 6. So I just overstuffed them…and maybe just ate spoonfuls of the bits of leftover stuffing I had after I was done stuffing the tomatoes… So use 8. That’s ideal…for the correct serving size

Here’s one thing that could throw people off, though, especially if they don’t own a kitchen scale (like this chick over here). How can you tell if you have 8 ounces of zucchini? Or 12 ounces of fennel? Without a scale, you really can’t. You can measure at the grocery store. But I never have the patience to do that…or write down the exact ounces of produce on my list. In this particular case, I used equal amounts of fennel and shallots in the dish. I think I picked up a rather large fennel bulb, so I ended up tossing about 1/4 of it. As for the zucchini, I used a big one for the dish. And it was absolutely perfect.

Also, I  really recommend cutting fennel with a sharp knife. It will make your life easier.