Vegetable and Orzo Casserole & A Taffy Video

I got this recipe from Martha Stewart's site. My first time making any of her recipes and this one attracted me because I had most of the ingredients lying around my house already.

I am also trying to get my boyfriend to like yellow squash..there's just so much that he doesn't like...mushrooms, eggplant, raisins, etc. It makes cooking really hard when you have a picky eater. On the plus side, I noticed that the more I cook the vegetables he claims to hate, the more he slowly starts to like them.

Since the casserole is mostly orzo pasta with added veggies, I added marinara to the original recipe. Serve this with a slice of garlic bread for a really yummy meal.

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Ingredients

* 1 cup breadcrumbs
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
* Extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 pound orzo pasta
* 2 small yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
* 2 small bulbs fennel, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 small red onion, julienned
* 5 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1-inch pieces
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* Marinara sauce and/or Soy Parmesan cheese ( optional )

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Divide butternut squash between two baking sheets, spreading in an even layer. Drizzle each baking sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to oven and roast until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook for 5 minutes; drain and transfer to bowl with squash.

5. Heat 1 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer fennel to bowl with squash and orzo.

6. Return skillet to medium heat and add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, and 1/4 cup water; let simmer until tomatoes begin to soften, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to bowl with orzo, squash, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Transfer orzo mixture to a 3-quart baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with bread crumb mixture. Return baking dish to oven and bake, uncovered, until panko is toasted, about 10 minutes more.

Serve with marinara sauce and soy parmesan cheese if desired.


And now for a very pointless video of Taffy. Just him being himself on his very favorite spot, the hamper! Hope you all enjoy.
P.S. He does nothing in the end haha I still find it entertaining to watch : ]

Creamy Corn-Crusted Tempeh Pot Pie ( Pastel de Choclo )

Curious little kitty wanted to know what mommy was doing : ]


Shepherd pie has to be one of my favorite things to eat. But it just seemed like the wrong thing to make in the middle of summer. This dish takes on a new spin to what most people think a shepherd pie should be. Since corn is in season now, I had to take advantage of all the fresh, organic corn that has been piling into my local market. So I decided to cooked up some Pastel de Choclo, which translates to Corn Pie. To me it tasted like a sweet corn tamale but of course a little different, but different in a good way. I omitted the raisins and olives from mine just because I am not a big fan. But please don't feel the need to copy me and do add them if you like.

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Filling
* 8 ounces tempeh, sliced into 1/2 inch cubes
* 2 Tb peanut oil or olive oil
* 2 medium-size yellow onions ( 1/2 pound), chopped finely
* 1 large carrot, diced
* 2 Tb white or red wine or vegetable broth
* 1 tsp ground cumin
* 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
* 1 tsp ground sweet paprika
* 1/2 pound potato or yuca, peeled, cooked, and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
* 1 cup vegetable broth
* 2 Tb soy sauce
* 1/4 cup dark raisins
* 1/2 cup sliced green olives
* Freshly ground pepper

Corn Toppings -
* 3 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels ( thawed and drained, if frozen )
* 3 Tb cornstarch
* 2/3 cup soy creamer or heavy cream substitute, or a combination of the two
* 1 clove garlic, chopped
* 1/2 tsp salt
* Freshly ground pepper
* 3 Tb peanut oil
* 8 to 10 large fresh basil leaves, chopped finely
* 1 Tb sugar, or about 1 tsp of sugar per individual pie

Directions
1. Cook the tempeh for 10 minutes, either by steaming in a steam basket or microwaving for 8 minutes in a covered glass bowl with 1 cup of water. Drain the cooked tempeh if necessary and crumble when cool enough to handle. Lightly oil a glass or ceramic 11 by 7 inch baking dish that measures at least 3 inches deep, or use four 2 cup oven-proof individual ceramic casserole dishes.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil, add the onions and carrot, and saute for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the onions are very soft and translucent. Add the wine, stir, and bring to a simmer. Add the cumin, oregano, and paprika, and stir. Add the crumbled tempeh, potato, vegetable broth, soy sauce, raisins, olives, and a few twists of freshly ground pepper. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasonings with more ground pepper if desired. Remove from the heat and ladle into the prepared casserole dish(es).

3. Preheat the oven to 400 F and make the corn topping. In a blender jar, pulse the corn kernels, cornstarch, soy creamer, garlic, salt and pepper until thick and creamy. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, then pour in the corn mixture, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula or a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of thick cooked oatmeal. Remove from the heat, stir in the basil, and spread evenly over the filling. Sprinkle the top of the pie(s) evenly with the sugar.

4. Place a baking sheet with a rim under the pie in case the filling bubbles over the edges of dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the corn topping is golden and the filling is bubbling. If desired, broil on high for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, to create dark brown spots on the corn topping, to give your pastel de choclo a much-desired, traditional well-browned look. Let the pie(s) cool for at least 15 minutes before serving; the filling and toppings will be very hot!

Variation
For a soy-free variation, replace the tempeh with 4 cups of cooked chickpeas, chopped coarsely.

Spicy Tortilla Casserole with Roasted Poblanos

Another great recipe from my Viva Vegan cookbook! But I think I timed this wrong..it is way too hot to be roasting peppers and baking. Last week tricked me with the cool 75 degrees we were having here in California. Then the heat wave hit and it was too late to change the recipes I had planned. But either way, I am happy I made this dish, it came out looking and tasting great. Definitely like no casserole I have ever made before!

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Serves 6, or 4 to 5 generously
Time : About 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients
* 1 1/2 pounds white potatoes, peeled
* 1 pound poblano chiles ( about 4 large chiles )
* 1 small white onion, minced
* 1 ( 28 ounce ) can diced tomatoes
* 2 to 3 serrano or jalapeno chiles, stemmed seeded ( if less heat is desired ) and chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 tsp ground cumin
* 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 2 Tb peanut oil
* 1 cup vegetable broth
* 1 pound corn tortilla, preferably a few days old ( 14 to 16 tortillas )
* 1 recipe Pine Nut Crema ( See Below )
* 2 Tb pumpkin seeds or pine nuts

Directions
1. Roughly chop the potatoes, place them in a large saucepan, and fill with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, partially cover, and cook for 14 to 16 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, press into large crumbles.

2. Meanwhile, over a gas burner, roast each whole, intact poblano chile. Use metal tongs to turn the chile several times over the flame until its skin is blackened, sizzling, and blistered, 3 to 5 minutes. Place the roasted chile into a tightly covered container or a sealed paper bag. Repeat with the remaining chiles. Alternatively, you can roast all the chiles on a rimmed baking sheet at 450 F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until their skin is blackened and the chiles have collapsed. Allow the chiles to cool enough to be handled. Gently remove their skin, split open, cut away the stem and seed base, and remove any excess seeds. Chop the chiles into 1/2 inch strips and set aside.

3. Make the tomato sauce : In a blender jar, pulse together the onion, diced tomatoes with their juice, chopped serrano chiles, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt, to blend an almost smooth salsa ( some fine chunks are okay ). In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and carefully pour in the salsa. It may splatter a little but that's all right, just keep stirring. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, preheat the oven to 375 F and have ready a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan and a sheet of foil large enough to tightly cover the pan.

4. Assemble the casserole : Pour 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of the pan and tilt it to spread it around. Using tongs, dip a tortilla into the pot of sauce and place it on the bottom of the pan. Continue with five more tortillas, dipping them in the sauce and overlapping them, spreading their edges a little up on the sides of the pan. Top with about half the crumbled potatoes and sliced poblanos, then ladle another 1/2 cup of sauce on top. Dip another tortilla in the sauce, layer it on top of the potatoes, and continue as before with five more tortillas. Finally, sprinkle the remaining potatoes and poblano strips on top. Tear any remaining tortilla into thick strips, dip them into the sauce, and spread them on top of the casserole. Pour any remaining sauce evenly over the casserole and cover with foil, crimping the edges tightly. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and take off the foil. Increase the oven temperature to 400 F.

5. Spread dollops of the Pine Nut Crema over the top of the steaming hot casserole. You don't have to be even about it; a few bits of the casserole showing underneath are fine. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the crema. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the top of the crema is golden and the seeds are toasted. If desired, broil the casserole for 4 to 5 minutes to continue browning spots of the crema, but watch carefully as not the burn the seeds.


Pine Nut Crema
Makes about 1 1/2 cups crema

Ingredients
* 12 ounces soft silken tofu
* 1/2 cup pine nuts
* 2 Tb lime juice
* 1 Tb olive or peanut oil
* 2 tsp cornstarch
* 1 clove garlic, grated
* 1 tsp salt

Directions
1. In a blender jar, pulse together the tofu, pine nuts, lime juice, olive oil, cornstarch, garlic and salt until smooth and creamy, scraping down the mixture several times with a rubber spatula. Taste and adjust the flavor with more salt and lime juice if desired.