The Veggie Spiral Slicer Cookbook (12 page)
Read The Veggie Spiral Slicer Cookbook Online
Authors: Kelsey Kinser
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup applesauce or vegetable oil, or blend of the two
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 yellow onion, spiralized on blade 3
1 cup shredded cheese
1 very large or 2 medium zucchini, spiralized on blade 3
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a standard loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2.
In a large bowl, whisk the flours, salt, garlic powder, and baking soda.
3.
In a small bowl, combine the applesauce/oil and eggs.
4.
Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until almost combined.
5.
Using a spatula, fold in the onion, shredded cheese, and zucchini. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with the sunflower seeds, and press them slightly to ensure that they stick to the dough. Bake for approximately 1 hour, until the top is golden brown and a knife poked into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Keep stored wrapped in tin foil to maintain freshness.
These dishes are, unsurprisingly, baked in a casserole dish. It’s one of the prerequisites. If you don’t have one, I thoroughly recommend you go out and buy either a 7 × 11-inch, 8 × 8-inch, or a 9 × 13-inch dish, as these are the most commonly used sizes. I also recommend glassware over metal. It allows you to watch what’s happening inside. Casseroles are classic comfort food. And if you’re one of those people who frowns on casseroles, don’t forget—lasagna is a casserole.
Potatoes are a classic comfort food. Gratin, however, can often contain an uncomfortable amount of fat. This recipe cuts down on a lot of that fat by using milk over butter and cream, and layering the cheese throughout, so each bite has the flavor but isn’t weighed down. For the potatoes, Russet is a great choice in this recipe.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
2 large potatoes
3/4 cup milk
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 packed cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
pinch of ground nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1.
Cut the potatoes lengthwise halfway to the center. Slice on blade 1 of the spiral slicer. This should leave you with little potato discs.
2.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a 7 × 11-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3.
In a large skillet, heat the milk, garlic, red pepper flakes, spinach, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and potato discs. Cover and allow to simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the potato discs start to become a little tender. Remove from the heat.
4.
Transfer some of this mixture to the baking dish. Spread the potatoes one layer deep. Sprinkle with some of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and cheese, so that the top layer is coated in cheese.
5.
Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes until the cheese is a nice golden brown and bubbly. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
This recipe is a lighter version of a “Mexican Lasagna” casserole my mother would make, which used tortilla chips in place of noodles. In this recipe, I use blade 1–sliced butternut squash as the noodle/chip foundation. This dish requires very little effort and very few dishes, and it makes lots of leftovers. It’s a forgiving dish that dare I say might just become an instant classic in your house. If you don’t want to use chorizo, you can replace it with chunks of chicken breasts tossed in adobo chili sauce or even canned black beans. It’s a rare dish that tastes this incredibly rich and flavorful without making you feel weighed down.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
1 (3-pound) butternut squash, with as straight a neck as you can find
4 chorizo sausages or 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
6 cups chopped kale
3 tablespoons salsa verde
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese blend, divided
sour cream and salsa, to serve
1.
Peel the neck of the butternut squash and cut off a 5-inch section. Reserve the remaining squash for later. Carefully make a cut halfway into the 5-inch log, going into the center but not cutting the squash in half. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2.
Using blade 1, slice the squash by cutting into the center. You should make medallions of squash instead of one long noodle. Set these aside.
3.
In a large, nonstick pan on medium-high heat, break up the chorizos. If using black beans, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan. Once the oil starts to come out of the chorizo or the vegetable oil has heated up, add the onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper, kale, and the beans, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until all of the vegetables are softened. Set aside.
4.
While the veggies are doing their magic (aka cooking), stir together the salsa, cayenne, ricotta (if using), and egg. Reserve 1/2 cup of the Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese blend and set it aside. Mix the remaining cheese into the ricotta blend.
5.
Grease your 9 × 13-inch or similar-sized casserole dish then line it with a double layer of the squash rounds. Butternut squash can get quite soft when cooked, so a double layer helps this casserole maintain its shape. Spread a layer of the ricotta mixture on the squash and top with a layer of the chorizo/beans with vegetables. Press this all down gently so there aren’t any large empty spaces. Top with butternut squash slices and repeat
until you are out of the chorizo/beans with veggies and ricotta mixtures. Top with one last layer of squash and sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup of shredded cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
6.
Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Top with sour cream or salsa to serve. This dish is excellent the second (and third) days.
Lasagna is classic comfort food and you’ll be even more comforted making this gluten-free and veggie-filled dish! Feel free to use crumbled Italian sausage or ground beef in place of the turkey.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon dried oregano
salt and pepper, to taste
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese
4 medium zucchinis, spiralized on blade 1
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Toss the onion into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions soften and become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds.
3.
To make the meat sauce, add the red pepper flakes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, ground turkey, dried oregano, salt, and pepper to the onion and garlic. Stir to combine everything and cook at a simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sauce is “dry” and sticks to the bottom of the pan.
4.
While this is cooking, assemble the cheese mixture. In a small bowl, stir together the eggs, Parmesan, and ricotta.
5.
Spray a 9 × 13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. To assemble, lay down a layer of the zucchini noodles, top with some of the meat sauce, then top with some of the ricotta and egg mixture. Repeat these 3 layers until you have used all the cheese and meat sauce. Top with zucchini noodles and cover those noodles with the mozzarella.
6.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the cheese has begun to turn golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
7.
Once the lasagna has finished cooking, let it sit for 10 minutes, and press it down gently with a large flat spatula to release excess moisture from the zucchini. Slowly and carefully tip this out and drain the liquid, taking care not to burn yourself or dump the lasagna out.
8.
Immediately cut the lasagna into portions, and if saving any for the following day, transfer the sliced portions to a plate, allowing space in between them as the zucchini may still release water.
The Greeks really are onto something with their signature red sauce, if you ask me. What makes a Greek tomato sauce unique is its addition of cinnamon and bay leaves. These two ingredients add a type of heat and earthiness that is unmatched in traditional sauces from other lands. I absolutely adore it and have faith you will too. Pastitsio is the less familiar cousin to moussaka, often referred to as “Greek lasagna.”
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
For tomato meat sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, in juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the noodles:
2 large zucchinis
salt
For the béchamel:
1-1/2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Kasseri cheese, divided
1.
To start, make the sauce. In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high. Add the chopped onion and sweat for about 5 minutes. You want them to become translucent and not take on color. Add the ground beef, breaking it up using a wooden spoon or spatula. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until all of the beef has browned and broken into small pieces. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the red wine, garlic, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and oregano. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium or medium-low, and simmer for about 45 minutes. Make sure to stir the sauce from time to time so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.