BOLO BELLA

LASDI ©

The transition from summer to autumn is more than just a seasonal solstice change in my house.  Those of you who love Autumn best of all the seasons know exactly what I'm talking about.  It's a feeling.   And it runs DEEP.  It's in the air, it's in the colors, and it's in the food!

It's the season I love the most when it comes to cooking.  The switch from August to September is my hard line in the sand (pun intended), and I start to make the change without waiting for the official date.  This meal is one of my go-to's for that change, and it follows all the things I just spoke about: the smell in the air while you're cooking this meal will transition you into the time of year; the layers of burgundy, auburn, orange, and purple colors on the plate bring about the the genuine acknowledgment that this meal goes along with the transformation; and once you taste it, YOU KNOW FALL HAS ARRIVED!

This meal is perfect for Sunday Supper, Meatless Monday, the vegetarian or plant-based eater(s) in your life, or for any time while the season is in place!  Though I put it over low-carb pasta, it is hearty enough to eat without it.  

This does require just a smidge more work than the usual recipes I like to post, but it is worth every bit of it.  TRUST ME!

Eat every bite slowly, knowing the season will pass quickly, and enjoy the blessings of the seaon you're in!

EGGPLANT LENTIL BOLOGNESE

1 large purple eggplant

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 large onion, diced small

4 stalks celery, diced small

4 carrots, diced small

8 oz pkg mushrooms, diced small

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can tomato paste

2 tsp garlic powder

3 tbs fresh oregano, minced

3 tbs fresh basil, minced

3 cups cabernet (2 for the recipe, 1 for you to drink whilest cooking!)

1- 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes

1 pkg lentils, cooked

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Rub the eggplant lightly with evoo just enough to coat it in a thin layer. Wrap it in foil tightly and place in a preheated 375-degree oven. Bake until very tender, about an hour. Cook lentils according to instructions, draining any excess liquid left over.  Place eggplant and lentils aside to cool.  On a medium-high flame, heat a large, heavy saucepan (I use my cast iron Dutch oven!) for about a minute.  Pour enough evoo to cover the bottom and let it warm about fifteen seconds.  Add your veggies, a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper, and stir.  Brown the vegetables until caramelized and soft, about ten minutes, stirring about every two minutes or so. Add in the garlic powder and the fresh herbs, stir, and cook another minute or so.
Add the tomato paste, stir, and let cook another minute or so (see notes). Stir in 2 cups wine, diced tomatoes and stir.  Change your heat to low, and cook about five minutes.  While this is cooking, remove your cooled eggplant from the foil and scrape the insides from the skin onto a cutting board.  Mash with a fork.  Carefully add your eggplant and lentils to the pot, sea salt and pepper to taste, and continue to cook another ten minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and marry.  Serve over pasta, if desired, and especially serve with a side of cabernet baby bella mushrooms and onions.

NOTES: when you add the tomato paste and stir, it may seem as though it is sticking to the bottom of the pan.  This is great!  Once you pour in the wine, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and get all that flavor into the sauce! 

CABERBET BABY BELLAS & ONIONS

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

2 large onion (purple, if you want that depth of Autumn color!), cut in half and sliced

3- 8 oz pkgs baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp garlic powder

2 cups cabernet

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Heat a large, heavy pan (I use my cast iron!), on medium-high heat until it smokes slightly.  Pour in about 2 tbs of evoo, and add your sliced onion.  Stir the onion, evening it out and let sit for about two minutes, or until you see the bottom starting to brown, then stir again.  Add your garlic powder and stir again. Let sit another two minutes or so, add another 3 tbs evoo to the pan, then add your mushrooms and stir again, evening out the mushrooms and onions.  Stir about every two minutes, until the onions and mushrooms have a beautiful caramel color.  Add a half cup of wine and let cook until all the wine is reduced and absorbed by the mushrooms and onions.  Do this over again, a half cup at a time until all the wine has been used and is completely absorbed by the mushrooms and onions, and the mixture seems a bit creamy.  Add your salt and pepper, stir, (see notes). Serve with eggplant lentil bolognese!

NOTES: do not salt until you are almost ready to serve, as the salt will draw out liquid from the mushrooms and you will end up with a pan full of brown water instead of purple creamy goodness!

Yellow Velvet

LASDI ©

You know that old country song “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” by one Ms. Barbara Mandrell? Well that is kind of how I feel about this recent plant-based boom. I am not vegan, nor do I lay claim to the Meatless Monday origin, but I DO know I’ve been doing vegetarian meals one-or-more times a week for AGES! I suffered persecution from many (well, at least an eye roll or two) when I even mentioned it!

But as The People are coming to a much healthier realization as a whole, they are seeking out better ways to be younger and live longer, and also to ease up on that heavy carbon footprint. So plant-based and vegetarian options are no longer chastised! They are now a welcomed, relevant way to help with all of the above.

Enter in my eccentric obsession with themes, seasons, colors, and the like, and August means all things reflecting sunshine, sunflowers, daffodils, and daisies! And it also means this beautiful, light, creamy, yellow bell pepper soup! I paired it with a GORGEOUS melon salad, a crisp glass of sauvignon blanc, and The Hubster for a perfect August meal!

These are also very quick and easy recipes that will keep your oven off on a super-hot late summer day!

YELLOW VELVET SOUP

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 tbs butter (see notes)

6 yellow bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic

2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp coriander

sea salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

4 oz cream cheese, softened (see notes)

Heat your oil and butter in a large pot (I use my cast-iron Dutch oven!) over medium-high heat until the butter is melted, but not browned. Add all of your veggies, and sauté for three-to-five minutes, stirring often (see notes). Pour in veggie broth, add seasonings, and stir. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and turn heat down to low. Let simmer about twenty minutes, until all the veggies are nice and soft. Take your handy-dandy immersion blender, or in a blender, purée until smooth (see notes). Add cream cheese and blend again until the cheese is completely melted and the consistency of the soup is smooth and velvety. Serve with melon salad!

NOTES: For vegan version, replace butter and cream cheese with vegan butter and vegan cream cheese! The key here when sautéing the veggies is to cook them but not allow them to brown so that the bright yellow integrity of the soup stays intact. if using a blender instead of an immersion blender to purée, remember to allow it to cool just a bit prior to blending to avoid burns or soup explosion! Also, if you’d like a bit of spice, feel free to throw a little chopped fresh jalapeno into your sauté! Yum!

MELON SALAD

watermelon, chopped, chunked, or melon-balled

cantaloupe, chopped, chunked, or melon-balled

honeydew melon, chopped, chunked, or melon-balled

cucumber, chopped, chunked, or melon-balled

mint, minced, shredded, or finely cut

lime juice

teeny sprinkle of sea salt

In a large bowl, combine your melon, cucumber, and mint. Sprinkle with lime juice and sea salt. Toss. EAT!

BURNT OUT

LASDI©

Oh boy. That’s a scary title for a recipe! It is a phrase we don’t like to hear when it comes to life, and it is DEFINITELY a phrase we don’t want to associate with what we COOK!

I have to tell you it is so fitting for me at this particular time in my own life! This last week has been spent getting our home sale-ready, which means all furniture out and into storage, painting, cleaning, and repairing, waiting for our newest Grittle (GRAND Little) to be born, speaking engagements, catering jobs, and singing gigs coming my way (yay!), and all the while having to do the normal life things, too, of course!

I’m not burnt out as it were, but I sure am TIRED! So dinner last night had to be quick, easy, and nutritious, and still be DELICIOUS! Well this really hit the mark!

Red meat is a rare treat in our house (no pun intended!) but as a reward for all the hard work we’ve put in, I made a gorgeous flank steak with some of my famous chimichurri sauce and was looking for a way to incorporate the veggies I had in the fridge to go along with it.

I found leeks, delicata squash, broccolini, green beans, carrots, purple cabbage, garlic cloves, and red chard, and I garnished it with the carrot tops.

I realized this would be fantastic as an appetizer tray, or alongside a charcuterie, too! The best part about the recipe I am about to share with you is how completely flexible and inter-changeable it is! Isn’t that exactly what we need in our life so we don’t get burnt out?

CHARRED V EGGIE TRAY

WHATEVER VEGGIES YOU WANT! (fresh, not frozen) (prepared by cutting, slicing, dicing, or leaving whole)

evoo (extra virgin olive oil)

sea salt

pepper

garlic powder

chili powder

(OR WHATEVER SEASONING YOU LIKE!)

On a stainless steel or non-stick baking sheet (see notes), strategically place all your veggies together however you like. VERY LIGHTLY sprinkle evoo over the top of the veggies (see notes). Sprinkle the seasonings from a high point over the veggies (see notes). Place your oven broiler on high and place the baking sheet on the top rack of the oven. Set a timer for five minutes and check on the veggies to make certain they are not burning. Charred is completely different from burnt! Set the timer for every three minutes afterwards, rotating your baking sheet each time, and char to desired color and consistency. Take note during the process that charred veggies will ultimately be al dente so try not to overcook and send them into the burnt abyss!

NOTES: If you do not own a stainless steel or non-stick baking sheet, my suggestion is to prepare whatever baking sheet you have with parchment paper so that the veggies do not stick to the pan. The key to charring in a broiler is to not use too much oil so that the veggies maintain their integrity and don’t get mushy, so as you are sprinkling, either place a finger in the spout of the oil, or pour in your hand and gently and tenderly sprinkle over the top of the veggies. It is important to sprinkle the seasonings from a highter point to ensure the veggies are evenly seasoned. You and / or your guests will be wowed by this edible painting!

SUFFERING SUCCOTASH!

LASDI©

When most people hear, "We're having succotash with dinner", they don't get too excited, and feel they have to suffer through that part of the meal.  I DO get excited.  Now that it's March, and my color-themed OCD has been set to 'green', I couldn't WAIT to make this green-themed side.  It went with our oh-so-succulent sage and brown butter cod.  So we had succulent and succotash.  And it.  was.  WONDERFUL.  It was RICH.  It was ER'THANG. 

SUFFERING SUCCOTASH

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove elephant garlic (or two cloves regular), minced

1 bag frozen lima beans, thawed

2 medium zucchini, diced

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup white wine

1 large handful frozen sweet peas, thawed

chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

In a heavy pot (I use my cast iron Dutch oven!), sprinkle enough evoo to cover the bottom and let it heat for about two minutes on medium high.  Carefully add the onion and garlic cloves and stir into the evoo.  Let cook without stirring anymore for about two minutes, or until just-brown around the edges of the onion.  Add the lima beans and stir to blend with onion and garlic clove mixture.  Let cook without stirring anymore for five minutes.  I know.  This sounds like it's hard to do, but trust me - it makes for SUCH good succotash because it caramelizes your beans a little.  Once you see the beans browning, add zucchini and stir with onion / garlic clove / bean mixture.  Add seasonings and wine and stir.  Let cook another two minutes.  Remove from heat, add sweet peas and stir.  Garnish with parsley.  And stop eating it all while you're cooking it so as to save some for the others!