at home with ann

Sometimes I spend hours thinking about what to cook.  Usually these hours occur in the middle of the night while I'm up with Colin.  Then I get hungry.  Then I start counting down to breakfast.  And that's how I end up eating an entire batch of vegan banana pancakes .  This post isn't about pancakes, though, it's about a dinner that did not have much planning at all.  Chicken sausage was on sale at the market.  As were baby portobello mushrooms.  Broccoli rabe came from the CSA, we had leftover garlic scapes, and I always have some whole wheat pasta on hand. And thus, this dinner was born.  It didn't hurt that the whole thing came together in the time it took to boil the pasta.  Chicken Sausage, Mushroom and Broccoli Rabe Pasta Serves 6 Ingredients: 12 oz. package pre-cooked chicken sausage, sliced (I used spicy jalapeno) 16 oz. mushrooms, sliced 2 garlic scapes, sliced (or 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped) Olive oil 1/4 teaspoon cr...

This is one of those meals you make when you don't feel like cooking.  Easy, healthy, and made up of all pantry/freezer items.  You might even have everything on hand. The potatoes give this a creamy texture, without any cream.  Leaving half the broccoli and cauliflower as florets gives you something to chew on so it's not just a puree soup.  Add the bacon for a little extra smokiness and baconess.  Leave it out and you've got a vegan soup.  Broccoli, Cauliflower and Potato Soup Ingredients: Olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 large carrot, chopped 4 Yukon gold potatoes, or about a pound and a half of any potatoes, chopped 1 lb. frozen broccoli florets 1 lb. frozen cauliflower florets 1 teaspoon dried thyme 4-6 cups vegetable broth Hot sauce Salt and Pepper Crumbled bacon, for topping In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium. Add in onion, celery and carrot and cook for a few minutes...

This is another pantry recipe.  At any given time, you probably have most, if not all, of these ingredients on hand.  As such, it's a great idea to have in the back of your mind for an easy lunch or supper.  While I was watching Rachael Ray the other day I took note of her garbage bowl.  If you haven't seen it, the garbage bowl is just the bin she uses to dispose of scraps, containers, etc. while she's cooking.  You can go online and purchase your very own garbage bowl for the reasonable price of $19.99.  Or, you can just use one of the many bowls you already have.  I take it one step further and use produce bags.  For any given recipe, I am usually emptying some produce bag, so I leave on the counter, put all my cooking scraps and trash in it, and toss it when I'm done.  This isn't any genius idea, but it does save me a lot of time because I'm not turning to throw things out all the time.  Back to the soup.  Potato Soup with ...

Homemade mac and cheese is one of the best comfort foods of all time.  However, you need to be in a particular mood to consume huge amounts of pasta and creamy cheese sauce.  That mood being one which involves yoga pants.  These days my mood always involves yoga pants, but I wanted to add a few healthy features to this mac and cheese so I could get away with serving it for dinner without a side of running on the treadmill.  In addition to your usual pasta and cheese, this recipe includes roasted butternut squash puree, as well as steamed broccoli and kale.  The butternut squash thickens the sauce and brings that lovely orange color reminiscent of the blue box we all grew up with.  Butternut Mac & Cheese 1 cup cooked butternut squash (I roasted a 4 pound squash, and reserved the rest.  You can also substitute frozen butternut squash puree.) 3/4 -1 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk) 1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 2 tsp dijon mustard ...

I thought I had a fridge full of vegetables ready to go into a stir fry.  When I actually took a look, it turned out to be mostly broccoli, but broccoli is good stuff, so broccoli stir fry it is.  As with any stir fry recipe I share with you, all the ingredients and amounts are customizable to your tastes or what you have available. It's all about creating a mixture of vegetables (and meat if you're into that), a savory sauce, and some grain to serve it over. Broccoli Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce Ingredients: 2 bunches broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups) 1/4 bell pepper, sliced (I thought I had more, but no) 1 onion, sliced 2-3 carrots, cut into matchstick slices 1-2 teaspoons canola oil any other vegetable you like - celery, mushrooms, bok choy, whatever spaghetti, soba noodles, any kind of noodle or rice Peanut Sauce 1/4 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy) 3 Tablespoons soy sauce 1 Tablespoon each sesame oil, mirin, and rice wine vinegar 1/4-1/2 teaspoon c...

Last night was pizza night, because it was Friday, and Good Friday, and I actually had someone to eat dinner with for a change. I used the usual recipe for pizza dough , and did an assortment of vegetable toppings.  One pizza had lightly sauteed red peppers, and onions.  The other was topped with roasted broccoli, asparagus, and grape tomatoes.  The sauce on both was just crushed tomatoes, oregano and garlic.  For cheese I used freshly grated mozzarella and a few dots of ricotta.  I would highly recommend topping pizza with ricotta, it adds a whole other flavor of mild creaminess. Also, Jon would like to add that the Chimay Grande Reserve you see in the background of these pictures is excellent, and a perfect accompaniment to pizza.

This is one of those recipes I always come back to.  It's a nice change from the usual Italian or Greek flavored cold salads, and has some of my favorite ingredients (broccoli and feta).  In case you haven't noticed, I like to top almost everything with at least a little cheese. I would make an unsuccessful vegan.  Curried Couscous with Broccoli and Feta recipe from Cooking Light Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked couscous (I used whole wheat) 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets (I probably used about double) 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 1/3 cup shredded carrot (I grated the carrots on my large microplane grater) 1/4 cup raisins 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar) 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 Tablespoon sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder 1 teaspoon ground ginger 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed Bring 1 cup of water to a boil.  Add couscous, remove from heat, and cover for at least 5 minutes, or un...

I know I said I was all about lighter Spring food, but this isn't it. This is actually not all that unhealthy, the base is broccoli and white beans, and the sauce is mostly lowfat milk. Also, I blasted music and danced around the kitchen while I was making it.  That doesn't have anything to do with the recipe.  It does make cooking extra fun, though.  You might want to try it when no one is home. Broccoli and White Bean Gratin pieced together from a bunch of recipes online 1-2 pounds broccoli florets (I used fresh, but frozen and thawed would work as well) 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onion (1 small) 3 cups milk (I used 1%) 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 clove garlic, minced 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg salt and pepper 1/4 cup flour 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (I used half parm and half asiago) 2 15 oz. can cannellini beans 1 slice whole wheat bread, or 1/2 cup bread crumbs Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot, steam the broccoli florets for 2-3 ...

I am declaring this recipe a work in progress, and might repost when I've made it again.  This came together as a result of things left in the fridge for more than a week.  Not glamorous, but practical. Broccoli Potato Soup 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 onion, diced 3 cups broccoli 1 pound potatoes 2 Tablespoons flour salt pepper 1/2 teaspoon paprika 2 cups vegetable broth 1 cup skim milk 1/4-1/2 cup shredded cheese Start by heating the olive oil in your soup pot on medium heat and sauteing the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Next chop your potatoes to about 1/2-1 inch pieces.  I used red potatoes because that's what I had around, and opted to leave the skins on.  Any kind of potato would work, though. On to the broccoli.  Anytime I use broccoli florets, I trim the bottoms off the stems and toss them in a bag  in the freezer.  They are a perfect addition to soups.  I would have also added some fresh florets, but I accident...

When I make Asian-themed stir fries, I rarely use any measurements at all, I just dump things in until I decide it's done.  So, feel free to use this as a rough guideline and throw whatever you want in your pan.   Also, I know some people aren't fans of tofu, either because they aren't comfortable with processed soy, or they just don't like the taste or texture.  I support most things in moderation, and it's a good source of protein.  We eat tofu maybe once every six months, so I'm not overly concerned.  If you are, feel free to swap out thinly sliced chicken or beef, or go straight veggies. Vegetable and Tofu Stir Fry Ingredients: 1 T. oil (canola, vegetable, or peanut) 1/2 block extra firm tofu, drained 1/2-1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 cups broccoli florets 3 oz. peapods Sauce Ingredients: 3-4 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce 2 Tablespoons peanut butter 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar 1 Tablespoon hot chili paste ...

Frittatas are great.  They are healthy, easy to make, and reheat reasonably well in the toaster oven. Broccoli and Potato Frittata adapted from McCormick Ingredients 2 cups cubed potatoes (I used baby red) 2 cups chopped broccoli florets 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion (I used red onion) 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon salt (I always use kosher or sea salt) 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 6 eggs 1/4 cup milk (I used almond milk, any kind will do) 1/2 cup chopped or sliced tomatoes 1/4 cup grated cheese (I used sharp cheddar, any kind that melts well is fine) Directions Put cubed potatoes in a saucepan.  Fill with enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Cook until almost tender (about 6 minutes).  Add broccoli, cook 1 minute more.  Drain. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  I used a 10 inch All Clad stainless steel skil...

This is one of those recipes that tastes even better the next day when the flavors have had a chance to blend together.  It tastes good warm, cold, or room temperature, making it an excellent take-with-you meal.   Curried Couscous with Broccoli and Feta slightly adapted from Cooking Light Ingredients 1 3/4  cups  water or vegetable broth, or a combination 1  cup  uncooked couscous 1 1/2  cups  small broccoli florets 1/2  cup  finely chopped red onion 1/3  cup  shredded carrot 2  tablespoons  red wine vinegar 1 1/2  tablespoons  olive oil 1  tablespoon  sugar 1 1/2  teaspoons  curry powder 1  teaspoon  bottled minced fresh ginger 3/4  teaspoon  salt 1  (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese Preparation Bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually st...