Recipes – Page 28 – The Pajama Chef

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Tart

April 8, 2015April 5, 2015 Sarah

This tart is full of hearty butternut squash and mushrooms, and of course has some cheese and bacon on top for extra deliciousness!

Tarts and quiche are some of my favorite foods! They’re fancier than a regular frittata but almost as easy. The thing is… I like to fill them with things like butternut squash, zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, and the like. All veggies that while Ben tolerates, he doesn’t really like. Soooo when I know I’ll have an evening to myself, this is just the sort of dish I like to make. Cooking for one only has to be a bore if you let it! Though, I must say, I don’t cook for one very often these days so when I do it’s kind of a novelty. But back to this tart!

A slice of this tart is pretty much the best thing ever. Though it has a lot of steps, the work goes quickly and when it’s done, you get to eat! 🙂 I used the crust the recipe suggested, and it’s pretty basic with the twist of using olive oil for the fat and seasoning just with salt and pepper. You could certainly use your favorite tart/pie crust though. This crust was super flavorful and once it was topped with the filling it was just perfect! I loved that the cheese was spread out throughout the tart, not just on top, but next time I will probably mix together all the veggies and the bacon with the eggs, and top with cheese for simplicity’s sake.

I enjoyed this tart for dinner, but the leftovers were equally fabulous for breakfast and lunch, so make it anytime you please! Enjoy! 🙂

one year ago: Oatmeal Fudge Bars
two years ago: Lemon Pasta Salad
three years ago: Pineapple-Apricot Teriyaki Chicken
four years ago: Sweet and Tangy Pork Chops with Pineapple

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Tart

Servings: 8
Time: 30-40 minutes
Print

from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

for crust

5.6 ounces all-purpose flour [about 1 cup + 2 tablespoons]
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons ice water

for filling

3 cups cubed and peeled butternut squash
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3/4 cup diced onions
2/3 cup [2.5 ounces] swiss or Gruyère cheese, divided
2 large eggs
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 ounces pancetta or 2 strips bacon, chopped
5 ounces sliced mushrooms [shiitake is preferred but any will work]
1/4 cup white wine or chicken stock

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9 or 10 inch pie pan coated with cooking spray. Begin by making the crust.

In a food processor, combine flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder and pulse until combined. In a measuring cup, whisk together oil and water. With processor running, slowly pour in oil mixture. Process until dough is just barely crumbly. Press dough into an even layer on bottom and sides of pie pan. Place in preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Next, make filling. Place butternut squash into food processor [no need to clean first!] and pulse for about 1 minute to finely chop squash.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan. When hot, saute squash and onion for 7-9 minutes, stirring constantly.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together 1/3 cup cheese, eggs, and pepper. When squash is cooked, fold in with egg mixture. Evenly spread over pre-cooked crust, then return to oven for 9 minutes.

Using the same skillet as before, set over medium-high heat, cook pancetta or bacon until it starts to brown [about 1 minute for pancetta, more for bacon]. Add oil if necessary. Add mushrooms and reduce heat to medium, then saute for 5-6 minutes until browned. Season with pepper to taste, then add wine/stock and turn heat to high. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until liquid cooks down.

Spread mushroom mixture over egg mixture, then top with remaining cheese. Return to oven and bake for 4-5 minutes until cheese melts. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Main Dishes, Recipes, Seafood and Fish, Soups

Mystery Dish: Sesame Ginger Shrimp Ramen Noodles

March 26, 2015May 5, 2015 Sarah

Ramen noodles can be classy too! They aren’t just college student food. These ramen noodles feature shrimp–REAL sesame ginger seasoned shrimp–and lots of yummy vegetables, all cooked in a delightful ginger-chili broth.

This dish is genius, if I do say so myself. I’ve made a fancified ramen dish before [check it out!] and ever since then, I’ve been dreaming about ramen noodles… but not the uber salty college kind. Ramen noodles with real food. Mmm!

But it wasn’t until this month’s Mystery Dish [hosted by Mary Frances of The Sweet {Tooth} Life] when one of our challenge ingredients included RAMEN NOODLES! Woot! Other ingredients we had to choose from included clams, blueberries, heavy whipping cream, chocolate chunks, potato chips, kale, almond butter, chiles, and orange juice. I used chili pepper paste and kale in this recipe too. Originally, I planned to make this a pretty simple kale ramen noodle dish with a chili pepper sauce. But then when cooking, I saw shrimp in the fridge… shrimp that I had been planning to use for the 2015 Healthy Solutions Spice Blends Blogger Recipe Challenge. Then I wondered… what would shrimp ramen taste like? Turns out, it’s pretty fabulous and I’m so proud to enter it in this awesome recipe contest as well as use it for Mystery Dish. 🙂 I didn’t intend to make one recipe for two events but it worked out really well!

Before the recipe, let’s talk about how flavorful these ramen noodles really are. Ramen noodles usually just have some sauce on them. Not mine! These ramen noodles begin with a flavorful ginger-chili broth, made with lots of fresh Asian/Thai ingredients like ginger, garlic, lemongrass, and chili pepper. Add in some fresh veggies [I used kale, mushrooms, and bell peppers] and some flavorful shrimp and you are set for one classy meal! Ben and I both agreed that the shrimp were the best part of the dish… right next to those slurpy ginger noodles, that is. 🙂

To make the shrimp so fabulous, I started with a quick marinade/rub. I used some of the usual suspects–soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, fresh ginger, lemongrass, chili pepper–as well as the star seasoning blend from Healthy Solutions… Sesame Ginger Tuna. This seasoning blend is super flavorful and zesty; it’s hard to believe it doesn’t contain sugar or salt.

I rubbed all this on some large shrimp and let it hang out while I whipped together the broth, then I sauteed up all the veggies and shrimp. There’s a lot going on in this dish, but with the common flavors–ginger, garlic, lemongrass, chili pepper… everything goes together SO well. And bonus! This dish comes together in about 30 minutes so it’s perfect for a weeknight family dinner. If you’re super organized, you could put the rub on the shrimp earlier in the day to infuse more flavor into them but that’s totally not necessary. I’m so excited with how well this dish turned out and I hope you love it too! Thanks to Healthy Solutions and Mystery Dish for the inspiration behind this dish. Enjoy! 🙂

one year ago: Lightened Up Cheesy Sausage Grits Breakfast Casserole
two years ago: Chipotle Black Bean Soup with Avocado Cream
three years ago: Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken
four years ago: Whole Wheat Apple Pancakes

Sesame Ginger Shrimp Ramen Noodles

Servings: 4
Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients:

for shrimp

1 1/2 tablespoons Healthy Solutions Sesame Ginger Tuna seasoning blend
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons lemongrass paste [I used Garden Gourmet brand]
1 tablespoon chili pepper paste [I used Garden Gourmet brand]
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and devined [mine still had the tails on though]

for ginger-chili broth

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated [from about 1-2 inches fresh peeled ginger]
2 scallions, chopped – green and white parts separated
1/2 tablespoon chili pepper paste [I used Garden Gourmet brand]
4 cups chicken broth

for ramen

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 cup bell peppers, thinly sliced [I used the mini red, yellow, and orange peppers]
1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated [from about 1/2-1 inch fresh peeled ginger]
1 teaspoon lemongrass paste [I used Garden Gourmet brand]
1 teaspoon chili pepper paste [I used Garden Gourmet brand]
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 – 8 ounce packages ramen noodles, uncooked [any flavor – flavor packets are NOT used]
1 cup kale, thinly sliced into ribbons and firmly packed
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1-2 teaspoons fish sauce, to taste
additional broken ramen noodles, for garnish
chopped cilantro, for serving

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together Healthy Solutions Sesame Ginger Tuna seasoning blend, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, lemongrass, and chili pepper. Add shrimp and toss together to coat. Set aside.

Next, prepare ginger-chili broth. In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and the white part of the scallions. Cook, stirring constantly, for about one minute. Add chili pepper paste and chicken broth, and stir until it comes together. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil for another minute. Reduce heat to low and simmer while the rest of the dish comes together.

In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add mushrooms, peppers, ginger, lemongrass, and chili pepper. Saute for three to four minutes, then add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.

Next, cook the noodles. Break the noodles up and add them to the ginger-chili broth. Turn heat to medium-high, keeping just below a boil. Cook for 3 minutes then remove from heat.

While noodles are cooking, add shrimp to the veggies in the wok. Stir regularly for about three minutes or until shrimp are no longer pink. Next, reduce heat to low and pour ramen and broth in the pan. Add kale, lime juice, fish sauce, and most of the reserved green scallions from the broth. Stir then let rest for about a minute. Serve topped with additional broken ramen noodles, chopped cilantro, and green scallions. Enjoy!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary packet of Sesame Ginger Tuna Spice Blend by Healthy Solutions Spice Blends for participating in this recipe contest. You can use any sesame ginger seasoning blend for this recipe. I received no additional compensation for this post; all comments are 100% accurate and 100% my own. I was not paid or required to publish positive comments but I happen to love Healthy Solutions Spice Blends… check out my review of them here.

Check out other Mystery Dish recipes below:

Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chunk Sandwich Cookies from Flavor the Moments
Blueberry Frozen Custard Pops from Simply Gloria
Sesame Ginger Shrimp Ramen Noodlesfrom The Pajama Chef
Potato Chip Chocolate Chunk Cookies from I Dig Pinterest
Almond Butter Chocolate Chunk Potato Chip Cookies from Chez Catey Lou
Blueberry French Toast Casserole from Yummy Healthy Easy
Spicy Clam & Kale Appetizer by Inspiration Kitchen
Chocolate Covered Potato Chip Rice Krispie Treats from The Sweet {Tooth} Life

Breakfast, French Toast, Recipes

SRC: French Toast Casserole

March 15, 2015May 6, 2015 Sarah

French Toast Casserole is a great treat to wake up to!

Yay SRC! This is my second month participating in SRC group C and once again I had a blast! This month I was assigned to Jess’ blog, Pumpkins and Peonies. Two things I love! 🙂 Jess’ blog is beautiful and her love of life, pretty things, and delicious baked goods is SO apparent. Her wedding pictures are gorgeous too! I was tempted by many of Jess’ recipes including these Deep Dark Chocolate Chunk Muffins, S’mores Cookies, and Popovers. In the end though, I decide to go with French Toast Casserole, because when is french toast wrong?!? Mmm!

Jess made me fall in love with this French Toast Casserole when she said it was perfect… not too wet, not too dry, not too sweet. I’m sure you’ve had french toast that falls into any [or all] of those three categories, and this recipe does NOT disappoint! It’s practically foolproof too. I love simple recipes. 🙂

The original recipe suggested using brioche or challah, but I used Texas toast and am happy to report that was an awesome choice. I just felt like it so I went with it. It’s still a soft, white bread so it works well, but use whatever you please.

This french toast bakes up nice and soft, with a sugary crust on the bottom and a nice crisp topping. Jess used pecans to top her french toast, but I just left them off. And this may go without saying, but this french toast makes weekend mornings even BETTER than they usually are. You can assemble the casserole the night before, and wake up and have breakfast on the table in less than an hour. Perfect-o! Enjoy! And thanks, Jess, for the great recipe!

one year ago: Tasty Mexican Lentils
two years ago: Quick Chocolate Pudding
three years ago: Alice’s Vanilla Tea-Infused Granola
four years ago: Roasted Tomato & Black Bean Soup

French Toast Casserole

Servings: 12
Time: 1 hour + overnight
Print

from Pumpkins and Peonies

Ingredinets:

4 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 loaf brioche or challah, sliced [or I used Texas toast!]
8 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup pecans, chopped [I left these out]
maple syrup, for topping
powdered sugar, for topping
fresh fruit, for serving

Directions:

Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.

In a small bowl, whisk together butter and brown sugar. Pour mixture into bottom of baking dish.

Arrange bread on top of brown sugar mixture, overlapping as needed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger. Pour over bread slices, then sprinkle on pecans if using. Cover with foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, remove pan from refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes while preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30-35 minutes, covering with foil partway through if the top starts browning too much. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving with maple syrup, powdered sugar, or fruit.

Be sure to check out what else my SRC pals made this month:

Beans, Main Dishes, Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

Mujaddara: Mediterranean Lentils and Rice with Carrot Slaw

March 12, 2015March 12, 2015 Sarah

Lentils are the new black beans. 🙂 This easy vegetarian meal is our new staple weeknight dinner! The carrot slaw elevates the classic Mujaddara dish into something extra special.

I used to not know what to do with lentils. They seemed mushy and weird. But then Ben and I started frequenting this fabulous Turkish restaurant in Indiana and I fell in love with their red lentil soup. So I bought lentils to recreate it at home… and they sat in my pantry for like two years. And moved to Nashville with us. Once here, I started making red lentil soup, but that’s all I did with lentils. Until I found this recipe in an old issue of Food Network Magazine. [True story.] Though the recipe didn’t say this was Mujaddara, aka the beans and rice of the Mediterranean, Middle East, and beyond, it clearly is.

I had a hard time making lentils and rice look pretty but there you have it. Since the fall, we’ve had this for dinner almost every other week and it’s so simple I can practically make it in my sleep! Since I can’t leave recipes alone, I have simplified the dish a weeee little bit from the original. Namely, the traditional dish calls for caramelizing the onions. I’m sure that’s great, but for a quick weeknight dinner? Not gonna happen, sorry. The traditional dish also serves the onions on top of the lentils and rice. But there’s no way Ben would like that, so I just dice ’em up like usual and saute them until they’re really soft and call it a day. Or a night. Or a dinner, whatever. I’ve also noted this in the recipe itself but you can use ANY rice and ANY lentils to make this fabulous meal. My most used combo is brown lentils with jasmine rice, but any combo will do. Just know that the amount of time it takes to prepare this dish is related to what type of rice and lentils you choose. Red lentils are quick, brown rice is slow, etc. And don’t forget the carrot slaw. It’s tangy and earthy and uses just three ingredients to make its magic! Carrots, lemon juice, and cumin. You can season with salt and pepper too. It’s divine! I really should always make a double batch of this stuff because Ben and I are ADDICTED to it, and I usually make more later in the week for leftovers. The contrast of the hearty lentil and rice mixture with the fresh slaw and yogurt is just fabulous. Enjoy!

one year ago: Apple Rubies in Coconut Milk
two years ago: Double Blueberry Walnut Muffins
three years ago: Quinoa Pancakes
four years ago: Lemon Blueberry Bread

Mediterranean Lentils and Rice with Carrot Slaw

Servings: 4-6
Time: 30-45 minutes
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from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups rice – I’ve used basmati, jasmine, brown, and white so use what you like/what you have!
3 cups water or broth
3 cups shredded carrots – about 6 medium carrots
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 1/4 teaspoons cumin, divided
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup lentils – any kind you like… red, green, or brown
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
freshly ground black pepper + salt
plain greek yogurt or sour cream, for serving [or tzatziki!]
fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions:

Begin by preparing rice according to package directions.

In a medium bowl, combine carrots, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and a little freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 6-7 minutes. Stir often and when almost done, add garlic, cinnamon, cayenne, and remaining cumin and cook until fragrant. Add lentils and water/broth to the pan and stir well to combine. Raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low, and allow to cook for about 10-15 minutes or until lentils are tender. When rice and lentils are done, add rice to the lentil pan and stir to combine.

Serve rice and lentils topped with carrot slaw, yogurt, and cilantro.

Cakes, Desserts, Recipes

Chocolate Coffee Bundt Cake

March 6, 2015March 5, 2015 Sarah

This chocolate bundt cake is fabulous. It’s light and fresh, flavorful and addictive.

So I’m sitting here on my couch, kitty by my side, five days after I made this cake, wishing desperately that I had another slice. It’s another unexpected Nashville snow day and I’m re-watching the last episode of Parenthood again [it was DVR’d even though I watched it live, and I couldn’t bear to just delete it.]. A slice of this uber chocolately cake would just complete the moment.

I don’t make bundt cakes very often but when I do, I find that I’m often disappointed because they can be so buttery and heavy, and take forEVA to cook. This one–despite being wayyyy chocolately–is just the opposite. It’s light and moist [sorry!]. Coffee lovers love this cake because the coffee in the batter brings out the flavor of the chocolate but non-coffee lovers won’t even know there’s coffee in the cake! Funny how that works out, right? Everyone who tried this cake loved it and it was so simple to make I know it’s going to be part of my cake repertoire forever and ever. [Hope that works for you, friends!]

This time, I topped the cake with a simple dusting of powdered sugar because I was in a rush, and truly that was all it needed. Just for show, ya know? But to make this more decadent and indulgent, a silky chocolate ganache, a peanut butter glaze, or even a fruit compote topping would totally fit in. Eating this cake with ice cream is also highly recommended. But beyond ice cream or toppings or powdered sugar, making this cake is necessary for your weekend. It’ll make it 100 times better, I promise. 🙂 Enjoy!

one year ago: Strawberry Yogurt
two years ago: Cumin-Scented Cabbage Salad
three years ago: Extraordinary Grilled Cheese
four years ago: The Best Egg Salad I’ve Ever Had

Chocolate Coffee Bundt Cake

Servings: 24
Time: 90 minutes
Print

from The Tart Tart

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups brewed coffee
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
pinch of Kosher salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 whole large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups + 1 tablespoon buttermilk [or 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar + 1 1/4 cups milk]
1 cup + 2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
powdered sugar

Directions:

In a small saucepan, whisk together coffee and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and let boil for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and then set aside to cool completely. When cooled, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugar, salt, baking soda, and eggs. Beat on low to combine. Add buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, then mix again until blended. Slowly add flour and mix on low for 2 minutes. Add in coffee/cocoa mixture and beat until combined. Batter will be very thin.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50-65 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before gently removing by interverting on a platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.