Week 30: Goat Cheese and Leek Tart

I have never cooked with leeks before, but this recipe just called out to me when I stumbled upon it on one of the baking blogs that I follow. I thought it looked elegant, different, and CHEESY, so I was all for it.

I didn't LOVE the idea of using refrigerated pie crust, but I also wasn't opposed enough to actually attempt to make my own crust. Also, I forgot to buy cream cheese, so we just used all goat cheese. The cheese mixture was a little liquidy (which we handled very gracefully, right Abby?), and the cream cheese might have fixed that problem.

All in all, this was pretty easy to make, and I found it quite yummy. I think it would be pretty to display at a party, or even make little baby tarts!

(The pictures above show the tart being served with Wheatberry, Lentil, Caramelized Onion, and Feta salad. It was okay, but obviously not good enough to be featured in a Y.O.Y. blog post...)

INGREDIENTS
1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust
1 bunch leeks, white & pale green parts only, thinly sliced into half moons and washed well (see tips below)
1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt & pepper
4 oz. herb & garlic goat cheese, room temp
2 oz. plain goat cheese, room temp
2 oz. cream cheese, room temp
2 TBSP milk
3 egg yolks, divided
1/4 tsp dried thyme

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 with rack on the lowest shelf. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Toss washed and dried leeks with oil, salt & pepper.

Beat together the goat cheese, cream cheese, milk, TWO of the egg yolks and thyme until smooth. Lightly season with salt & pepper.

Place the pie crust on the baking sheet.

Spread goat cheese mixture on top, leaving a 2-inch border.

Top with leeks.

Fold edge of crust over the filling, pinching folds together to seal.

With a fork, beat together the remaining egg yolk with 1 TBSP water. Use a pastry brush to apply to dough.

Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 45-55 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature.

Week 29: Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Pasta

This week's recipe gave me a fun new way to eat sweet potato. I was a little skeptical when I heard that we were going to grate the raw sweet potato and put it straight into the skillet to cook briefly with other ingredients. I quickly found out that it would be nothing but delicious!

I loved the fresh flavor of this pasta with its yummy veggies. And, I've said it before, anything covered in goat cheese is a winner in my book.

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces whole-wheat angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups shredded, peeled sweet potato, (about 1 medium)
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup diced plum tomatoes
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar, or lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes or according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon oil and garlic in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant, 2 to 5 minutes. Add sweet potato, bell pepper, tomatoes and water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bell pepper is tender-crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.

3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the vegetable mixture, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, parsley, tarragon, vinegar (or lemon juice), salt and cheese; toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 2 tablespoons at a time, to achieve the desired consistency.

A Sign You've Really Arrived...

How do I know that I've really arrived in the baking world? Fourth graders swooning over my baked masterpieces would be the first indicator.

Or perhaps they're not THAT picky.

Last night I made a super-simple, semi-healthier version of chocolate cupcakes. I used that trick that everyone besides me probably already knew where you mix chocolate cake mix and a can of pumpkin, and then bake it. Those are literally ALL of the ingredients. I chose organic chocolate cake mix, because that seems to be the kick I'm on right now. Also, the recipe was for cake, and I opted for mini-cupcakes.

I brought them in for my class to try today. I told them that there was a secret ingredient that made them healthier than regular cake. They were guessing all this crazy stuff...soybeans, cranberries, tofu, apple juice, etc. After a hint about this ingredient being a current seasonal one, they guess pumpkin right away. I expected them to immediately get grossed out, but they still thought that these were the best things EVER. They asked for the recipe, and about half of my class frantically copied it down on post-it notes. One girl declared that this is what she was going to bring for her birthday treat!

I consider that a success. Even though I am responsible for the grades on my critic's report cards, I'm sure that didn't influence their reactions at all...

Week 28: Soup and Quiche, but MOSTLY Quiche...

This has been a busy week, so when it came to choosing something to make for Year of Yum, this week, I was a bit of a slacker.

OR I was an overachiever, depending on how you look at it.

Because I had a few different recipes that I wanted to try, but I just didn't quite settle on one. So we made two things:

Cumin-Scented Wheat Berry-Lentil Soup AND Spinach Quiche with Potato Crust

The quiche was so yummy. Nearly anything that has three different kinds of cheese will get my seal of approval. Also, even though the potato crust was a whole lot of work, it was worth it. It tasted pretty yummy, and certainly it had to be more healthy than a flour-and-butter crust.

The soup...not so much. It was lacking something. Well, technically it was lacking CHARD, since I gave up looking for it after two different grocery stores had none. But I also though some sort of noodle would have given the soup more substance.

Cumin-Scented and Wheat Berry-Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups lentils
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups cold water
3 tablespoons EVOO
3 large carrots, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 cups cooked wheat berries
1 bunch rainbow or red chard, large stems discarded, leaves roughly chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Combine lentils, broth, and water in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until the lentils are tender, but not mushy, 25-30 minutes (brown lentils take a little longer than green ones).

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat.

When the lentils are tender, stir cooked wheat berries and chard into the pot. Cover and simmer until the chard has wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot mixture and lemon juice.



Spinach Quiche with Potato Crust

INGREDIENTS
2 cups firmly-packed shredded potatoes
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated onion
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 package frozen spinach, thawed
3 egg whites
1 large egg
1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
4 ounces feta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 10-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Place potatoes and salt in a colander in the sink and allow to drain for 20 minutes. Press down on the potatoes with paper towels to squeeze out the excess moisture. Combine potato mixture, egg, and grated onion in a medium mixing bowl. Press in to the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie plate. Bake 20 minutes. Brush the top of the crust lightly with canola oil and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Do not over bake. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, squeeze moisture out of the spinach in a kitchen towel. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and egg. Add the ricotta and feta cheeses and the spinach. Mix well. Pour the spinach mixture into the prepared potato crust. Top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake 30 to 45 minutes (at 350) until the quiche is browned. Remove from the oven and allow the quiche to cool at least 15 minutes. This cooling/resting time is important because it allows the quiche to set. If you cut the quiche too early, it will be runny.