Potato and Cauliflower Mash with Leeks

I was giddy with excitement and had to bite my tongue the whole time my hubby was eating this because I couldn't wait to blurt out "you're eating cauliflower!! muahahahaha!".  I had just told him it was mashed potatoes with leeks and spinach, which was bad enough in his opinion.  But he really liked it, despite my maniacal laughter, and even said he would eat it again!  

I loved the addition of the cauliflower to the potatoes, it made them more light and fluffy, plus made it that much healthier!  It was also nice having so many vegetables in one dish, it eliminated the need of having another side dish for my salmon.  I look forward to making this dish again as it was a really great accompaniment to the meal.  

Potato and Cauliflower Mash with Leeks

3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 cups cauliflower florets

2 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 leek

4 cups chopped spinach

salt and pepper

In a large pot of boiling water cook the potatoes for 5 minutes.  Add the cauliflower and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Cut the root and and the tough green parts off of the leek.  Run water through the leek to rinse out any grit.   Slice the leek lengthwise in half and then cut into thin slices.  Heat a large pan over medium heat.  Add the oil, garlic, and leek and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the spinach along with 2 tbsp of water, cook until spinach is wilted.

Drain the potatoes and cauliflower and mash well.  Mix in the spinach and leek mixture and season with salt and pepper.  Enjoy!

Artichoke and Crab Pizza

Ever since my little brother told me a few months ago that he makes the best home made pizza sauce and dough I have been excited to try them out.  And then last week while he was visiting I was finally able to.  The sauce he makes is absolutely fantastic...it involves roasting tomatoes and garlic for hours and then pureeing them with olive oil and I don't know what else.  Unfortunately it's his secret recipe and he didn't let me know what it was:(  But the crust is from the Joy of Cooking Cookbook and is super easy to make and really delicious.  Pizza is just so much better when the dough is freshly made.  I like a thin crust so we stretched it out quite a bit and were able to get 3 medium sized pizzas out of it.  It was perfect, and the outer crust didn't get all dried out.  My bro, hubby, and I each put different toppings on our pizzas, and I'm pretty sure mine was the best.  They just had outrageous toppings like pepperoni *gasp!* and green peppers.  I went with a different combination...

I had a small jar of artichokes at home, so it got me thinking of my favourite dip, artichoke and spinach, which got me thinking of crab dip, and the toppings just went from there.  The artichokes, spinach, crab, and red onion were superb together.  And I had some crab left over which I added to the cheese mixture in my cheese wontons, which turned out really well.  And now onto the recipe, because if I think about this pizza anymore I will have to make another!

 



 

Artichoke and Crab Pizza

 

1/2 of the pizza dough from the recipe below

1 small can pizza sauce (or make your own!)

1 6oz. jar of artichoke hearts, rinsed and chopped

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 can of crab meat

1/4 cup cooked spinach, chopped and drained well (about 1 1/2 cups before cooking)

2-4 tbsp finely diced red onions

1/4 cup finely diced yellow and/or orange peppers



 

Preheat oven to 450F.  Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal.  Roll and stretch the dough into the size and shape of pizza wanted and put on the baking sheet.  Spread desired amount of sauce over dough.  Place artichoke pieces over the sauce and then cover pizza with mozzarella cheese.  Top cheese with the remaining ingredients, evenly covering the pizza.  Bake for 10-12 minutes on middle rack, or until crust begins to brown.  Broil for 1-2 minutes at end to turn cheese golden and bubbly.  Let cool for a minute before cutting and enjoying! Yummmm!

 

Pizza Dough Recipe

 

1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast

1 1/3 cups warm water

3 1/2  to 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp for coating bowl

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar, if desired (sugar makes a puffier crust)

 

Sprinkle yeast into the water in a large bowl and let stand 5-10 minutes until yeast is dissolved and foaming.

Mix in the remaining ingredients until it's all holding together (start with less flour and add more if needed).  Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.  Dough will be smooth and elastic when done.

Coat a large bowl with remaining oil and place the dough in it, turning it so that oil coats the whole dough ball.  Cover with a clean dishtowel and let rise for an hour and a half in a warm place.  Dough should double in volume.

Punch the dough (best part!) and divide it in half, forming 2 balls.  Lightly cover the balls and let rise for an additional 15 minutes to 24 hours.  (If letting it rise for a long period leave it in the fridge and take it out about 15 minutes prior to using.) *My brother made the dough the night before so it was ready for dinner the next day.*

Roll out the dough balls, top with your favourite sauce and toppings, and bake at 450F for 10-12 minutes.

 



Creamy Asparagus and Artichoke Pasta

I don't know why, but all I've been wanting to eat lately is cheesy, creamy pastas.  I ate pretty healthily all winter, and now that the warm weather is here I just want not-so-healthy comfort foods.  Isn't that the opposite of what people usually do?  Aren't you supposed to crave light, crispy salads once the hot weather hits, and try to look good in your bathing suit?  But I don't really care about my bathing suit because this pasta was worth every cheesy, delicious, calorie.  And I like to think that with all the asparagus and spinach in it, it can't be that bad!  And I did control myself on the cheese.  I was really tempted to bake this at the end, with a layer of shredded cheddar on top, just for that extra over-the-top-ness.  But I held back, especially since I knew I would be the one eating the whole thing since my hubby doesn't like pasta, or asparagus, or artichokes...seriously, what's wrong with him?  But by all means, feel free to go that extra step!  I will be jealous if you do though!

Creamy Asparagus and Artichoke Pasta

350 g Farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 lb roasted asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup white wine (or vegetable broth)
1/2 cup milk

1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
1 large jar artichoke hearts, chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp hot pepper flakes
Pepper, to taste

Cook pasta to al dente.  Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat and add garlic.  Cook for 2 minutes.
Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and wine, whisking into a smooth cream.  Whisk in the milk and Parmesan cheese, then add spinach.  Cut the roasted asparagus spears into 1" pices.  Add the cooked pasta, asparagus, artichokes, and seasoning.  Serve with additional pepper and chili flakes on top.

Sauce before the pasta is added in.

Super Easy Stuffed Shells!

I used to always buy the frozen cheese and spinach stuffed cannelloni, but for close to $10 I was only getting a little over 2 "servings" ('cause I do love my pasta!) so I thought I should try making it myself.  I have never bought it frozen since!  It's simple to make, and for about the same price I get so much more food out of it.  Plus I can make it much healthier than the store-bought stuff.  This is another one of those recipes that's really easy to change, depending on what you have on hand.  For example, this time I added cauliflower to the filling.  I have also made it many times using only tomato sauce (no Alfredo) or by adding some cream to the tomato sauce.  If you want to make it really healthy, just go with the tomato sauce, and if you want something extra decadent, cover the top with grated Mozzarella and Parmesan.  Mmmm, cheese.  I also usually use a large container of ricotta cheese, but the store was sold out, and so I just used a 300g container.  And it was still amazing!  By the way, I use jumbo pasta shells instead of Cannelloni because I find it way easier to stuff.  But if you have more patience than me, go for the Cannelloni!

Oops, didn't realize how blurry the picture was!

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

1 box Jumbo Pasta Shells

300 g. Ricotta cheese

1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach (300 g.)

1 cup finely chopped cauliflower

1 cup tomato pasta sauce

1 cup Alfredo sauce

Salt and Pepper

Cook pasta according to directions on box, then drain.  While the pasta is cooking thaw spinach in microwave and cook cauliflower.  Mix the vegetables with the ricotta cheese, season with salt and pepper.  Cover the bottom of a 9x9 pan (for 2 layers, if you want one layer use a 9x12) with a thin layer of tomato sauce.  Stuff each shell with about a tablespoon of the filling.  (If you want to swear less than me, wait until the pasta cools down before handling the shells!)  Once you have a layer of stuffed shells put a spoonful of tomato sauce over each one.  Continue stuffing shells and adding them to the pan until you run out of the veggie-cheese mixture.  (I usually have a few left over shells.)  Pour the rest of the tomato sauce on top, and then pour on the Alfredo.  Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Serve with freshly grated Parmesan if desired:)