Thanksgiving Staple and Side

Mollie Katzen's Spinach Ricotta Cheese Pie has been a favorite in my family for as long as I can remember. I always requested it for my birthday, my cousin always requested it for Thanksgiving and Christmas, my husband drops not-so-subtle hints every time it's been a while since I've made it, even a co-worker's mother demanded the recipe for days on end until I finally wrote it down for her. In short, it's one of the best savory pies I've ever had, and it has become a Thanksgiving tradition in our family. The recipe is from the original Moosewood Cookbook but was sadly omitted from the new edition. As usual, changes have been made over time. I'm also including a recipe for a side that I LOVE. The original recipe comes from a story I heard on NPR last year.

Je ne peux pas vivre sans: Spinach Ricotta Cheese Pie

Ingredients:
1 pie shell (I use a store-bought deep-dish shell to save on time. Feel free to make your own!)

1.5 packages of chopped frozen spinach
1 small onion
1 pint ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh, frozen, or dried basil (fresh is always best)

sour cream

Directions:
Steam spinach and drain thoroughly. Be sure to press out all excess water or you'll have a watery pie. Dice onion and saute in olive oil. Combine spinach, onion, ricotta, eggs, salt, cheddar, and basil in a mixing bowl. If you're afraid that the spinach is still too watery you can add a tablespoon of flour. Spread mixture evenly in pie shell. Spread sour cream over the top of the spinach mixture. You can use as much or as little sour cream as you want. I prefer to use a lot and spread it to the edges-- it's my favorite part of the pie. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.


J'adore: Wild Rice Stuffing

Ingredients:
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup wild rice*
1/4 cup dried cranberries (or other dried berry)
1/2 cup walnuts
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a pot, bring the vegetable broth to a boil and add the rice. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender (about 30 mins). Add cranberries, walnuts, salt and pepper to taste, and serve. Can be served inside a cooked acorn squash.

*I use half wild rice, half Brown Rice Medley from Trader Joe's, which has brown rice, black barley, and daikon radish seeds.

Vegetable Fajitas

I'm not sure if my mom came up with this recipe or if I did, but I think I've been making it for as long as I've been cooking. The measurements aren't too precise, but it's a wonderful summer recipe, especially with the bounty of home gardens and farmers' markets.

J'adore: Vegetable Fajitas with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:
1 zucchini
1 yellow summer squash
2 carrots
1 bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange)
olive oil (or Persian Lime Infused Olive Oil)
balsamic vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
approx. 1/2 jar salsa
chili powder
juice from 1 large lime slice (optional)

1 or 2 onions, sliced or diced
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. brown sugar

tortillas
grated cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)

For the fajita filling:
1. Dice all vegetables and put into a large non-stick skillet. Add approx. 1 Tbs. of olive oil or lime olive oil, stir to coat vegetables, and turn heat on to medium-low.
2. Cook vegetables for about 5 minutes, then add approx. 1 Tbs. balsamic or white balsamic vinegar to the skillet. Add approx. 1/2 a jar of prepared salsa to the skillet. Stir to combine ingredients. Add chili powder to taste. Cook vegetables long enough that they are soft, but still a little crunchy. Remove from heat.

For the caramelized onions::
Slice or dice onions according to your preference. I prefer to half my onions and then slice them; Scott prefers them diced so that they're not too stringy and are easier to eat. Place onions in small non-stick frying pan with oil. Saute until tender. Sprinkle in brown sugar, stir, and continue to saute another minute or two.

Serving suggestions:
Heat tortillas for a few seconds in the microwave to soften. Layer grated cheese, caramelized onions, fajita vegetables, and sour cream onto tortilla. Fold and serve with tortilla chips, salsa, and guacamole.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

I've made this recipe twice in the last two weeks. My neighbor turned me on to it. We found them equally delicious when we used corn tortillas and when we used whole wheat tortillas, so use what's available to you or whatever your preference is. These are my modifications from the following recipe: Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Makes 10 enchiladas when using small corn tortillas, 5 when using larger flour tortillas.

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, rinsed, drained
4 cloves garlic, minced (I use my trusty garlic press)
1 or 2 limes, juiced (press firmly and roll them around on the counter first to loosen the juices)
3 sweet potatoes, cooked and diced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin plus a little extra
1/2 teaspoon chili powder plus a little extra
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro OR 4-6 cubes frozen cilantro
10 white or yellow corn tortillas OR 5 whole wheat or multi-grain tortillas
Olive oil
American cheese (optional)
Enchilada sauce
Shredded Pepper Jack cheese (optional)

Method

Start by peeling the sweet potatoes and slicing them into approx. 1/4 in. rounds. Pour a little olive oil into a glass baking dish and coat all of the potato slices (by "a little olive oil" I probably mean at least 2 Tbs). Add a little ground sea salt and toss to coat. Heat your oven to 350°F and roast the potatoes for around 30 minutes. Turn the potatoes at least once while roasting/baking.

In a mixing bowl, combine the drained black beans, minced garlic, and lime juice. Add the cilantro, cumin, and chili powder. When your potatoes are done (they should be soft all the way through and a little crispy looking on the outside) dice them and mix them in with the beans and spices.

Pour enchilada sauce into the bottom of a baking dish (a long one is best). Be sure to use enough to coat the bottom so that the enchiladas won't stick to the bottom. (The real recipe has directions for a home made sauce. I just used Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce.)

*If you are using flour tortillas skip to next part* To assemble the enchiladas, grab a skillet and heat a dash of oil. Lightly cook the corn tortillas to soften them, one at a time, as you stuff each one. (I was very skeptical about doing this, but it actually worked really well. Just be sure to heat both sides of the tortillas. If you prefer an oil-free method you can microwave them between two damp paper towels for a few seconds, although I have not tried this myself.)

Lay the first tortilla in the sauced baking dish. I placed 1 or 2 slices of American cheese on the tortilla, although this step can be omitted if you are trying to make it low fat or vegan. Spoon some of the sweet potato mixture down the center. Wrap and roll the tortilla to the end of the baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas (you may need to add more sauce to the bottom of the dish as you go because you'll be wrapping them IN the dish and using up the "buffer" sauce). Top with the rest of the sauce. Top with a sprinkle of shredded Pepper Jack cheese (optional). Be sure to wet all exposed parts of the tortillas with sauce in order to avoid having crunchy tops or ends. Note: I use the whole jar of T.J.'s sauce, and I even add a little water to it to thin it out and make it stretch.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are piping hot and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Be careful not to overcook them or they'll get dry.