Month: February 2010

Mini Veggie Potpies with Hats, Homemade Poultry Seasoning

Mini Veggie Potpies with Hats from The Family Fun Cookbook

(This cookbook  is, by the way, a GREAT cookbook for families with young kids or for kids who are just beginning to cook on their own.  The recipes are simple and universally appealing and there are lots of great, helpful tips and photos.  I have used this cookbook for years and we are only just now beginning to “outgrow” it, and my kids are 12 and 14.  I believe that there is a new, updated version of this book coming soon.)

1 small onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 1-pound package frozen mixed vegetables, such as peas, carrots, green beans and lima beans

1 10-ounce box frozen corn

1/2 red bell pepper, diced (optional)

2 10-ounce packages frozen puff pastry shells

Sauce:

2 cups water

1/2 cup cashew nuts

1 Tbsp poultry seasoning*

2 Tbsp flour

2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp brewer’s yeast (optional)

In a large skillet, saute the onion in the oil until transparent.  Add all the vegetables and cook until heated through.  Set the pan aside and cover.

Bake the pastry shells according to the package directions while you prepare the sauce.  In a blender or food processor, blend 1 cup of the water with the cashews until creamy.  Add the remaining water and ingredients, process until smooth, and pour the liquid into a heavy saucepan.  Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 15 to 18 minutes.

Add the sauce to the vegetable medley, mix thoroughly, and spoon into hollowed-out pastry shells.  Use the crispy shell tops as “hats” for the vegetables.  Serve immediately.  Serves 6.

*Poultry Seasoning:

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves

1 tsp dried rubbed sage leaves

1 tsp dried marjoram leaves

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 small pinch nutmeg

These were quite yummy and surprisingly easy.  Girl just ate this for her meal, but I added some sliced, grilled chicken for the Carni-boys.  Gently flatten a boneless, skinless chicken breast with a flat mallet.  Coat chicken with a VERY light layer of canola or olive oil (just a few drops) and then sprinkle/rub with a very generous coat of Baby Bam seasoning.  Grill until cooked through.  Allow to cool, off the heat/grill, for a few moments, then slice and serve.

Spaghetti with Roasted Cauliflower with Bacon Herbed Breadcrumbs

Recipe here.

This was REALLY delicious.  To adapt for Vegetarian Girl, I just set aside a few of the breadcrumbs without bacon for her to use.  I also added the parsley to the pasta, rather than to the breadcrumbs.

This made a HUGE amount of pasta.  We ate this for dinner one night and lunch another and then I still had a bit left over that I froze for Hubby to have for lunch sometime in the future.  There’s not a lot of cauliflower in each portion, because it cooks down so much as it roasts, so if you want more veggies and not so much pasta, I would use more (double?) the amount of cauliflower or add some other veggies (thawed frozen peas?  chopped fresh spinach?)

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Orzo in a Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Adapted from this recipe on Herbivoracious.

2 changes:

I couldn’t find Delicata squash right now (I suspect it’s not in season until the weather gets a bit warmer,) so I used acorn squash, instead, and baked it before stuffing at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

I pan-toasted the orzo before boiling it.

This was really delicious, although a bit time-consuming (and dirty pan-intensive.)  Surprisingly, all four of us liked it (even Hubby, who normally detests ANY dried fruit.)