Ranch, Black Bean, Rice, & Veggie Casserole

Small zucchini

Small yellow squash

1 packet ranch dressing mix

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 ¼ cups lowfat buttermilk

2 cups cooked rice

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

1 medium tomato

1. Slice squash into very thin disks, place in large Ziploc.  Drizzle in olive oil and ½ of ranch packet, and toss to coat.  Let sit.

2. Reserve 1/3 cup black beans, mix the rest with the rice and spread on the bottom of a 1 Qt greased baking dish.

3. Whisk remaining ranch mix into buttermilk and pour over rice/bean mixture.

4. Thinly slice tomato and layer on top of mixture.  Top with ½ of grated cheese.

5. Layer squash on top.  Top with remaining beans and cheese.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until squash is tender.

**Note: The original recipe called for 2 cups crushed tortilla chips instead of rice.  We think it tastes MUCH better with rice instead of the chips (which turn back into soggy tortillas after you coat them in buttermilk and bake them).

Delicata Squash Bisque

This is delicious!  If you haven't tried delicata squash, this will make you a believer.

Delicata Squash Bisque

Serves 4 large bowls, 6-8 Cups

3 Pounds Delicata Squash, (2 pounds after prepping)

Oil for roasting

4 Cups Rich Vegetable Broth (Homemade recipe is also on the blog)

1 tsp Thyme

Lots of Black Pepper

1 1/2 tsp Salt, more or less to taste

Cashew Cream

1 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews

1 Cup Rich Vegetable Broth, divided

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Peel squash and chop off the ends.  Halve the squash and scrape out the seeds.  Place on a baking sheet cut-side down and brush lightly with oil.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until tender and beginning to brown.  Flip squash before the baking is finished if needed to prevent burning.

Meanwhile, add the cashews to your blender and 1/2 cup of veggie broth. Begin pulsing to incorporate, eventually turning the blender all the way on while slowly adding the other 1/2 cup of broth. Once all the broth is added (1 cup total), let the blender run for 1-2 minutes until very, very smooth. Set cream aside.  If your blender can’t get the cream completely smooth, strain before adding it to the soup.

Remove squash from the oven. Using a spatula, transfer it into a large soup pot. Break up the squash into chunks with a spoon or your spatula and add 4 cups of veggie broth, thyme, and black pepper. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, covered.

Working in batches if needed, blend the soup until very smooth, being careful not to overfill your blender. My 64 oz blender fit the entire batch of soup.

Return the blended soup to the pot and add all but 1/4 cup of the cashew cream. Season with salt and more pepper. How much salt you add with depend on how salty your broth is to begin with. I thought 1 1/2 tsp salt was perfect for my batch, but yours might differ.

Remove soup to bowls (or mugs!) and garnish with extra cashew cream drizzled on the top and some fresh black pepper.  Little squigglies of cream look nice, but you can also draw hearts or stars or swirls, whatever!

Homemade Vegetable Broth

I know what you are thinking.  Make my own broth?  Why?  Because it is DELICIOUS and easy and healthy. 

Vegetable Broth

Makes about 10 Cups of Broth

Core Ingredents for Broth

2-3 Tbs Olive Oil

1-2 Large Onions, chopped

1 lb Celery, Chopped

1 lb Carrots, washed but unpeeled, chopped

3 Whole Cloves Garlic

1 Bay Leaf

10 Whole Black Peppercorns

2 tsp Salt

1/4 Cup Low Sodium Tamari

1 Gallon Water

Optional Ingredents:

I also added, because I could

2 Parsnips, chopped

2-3 Tbs Tomato Paste (or one or two tomatoes)

A few Sprigs Rosemary (parsley is more traditional, use a lot!)

1 Head Broccoli (a strange but decent choice)

1 Sweet Potato (another odd choice, whatever)

Any fresh veggie scraps from other meals

Leeks

Mushrooms

Celery Root

Potatoes

Peppers

Turnips

Any Greens

Zucchini

Fennel

Heat a large stock pot with some olive oil in the bottom.  I chop my way through the vegetable list as I’m cooking–so once the onion is chopped, add it to the pot, then do the celery, the carrots, etc, adding each thing once it’s chopped up a bit.  When you’re out of stuff to add, pour in the water, turn up the heat and cover.  It should only take you about 20 minutes to chop everything and get it in the pot.  From then on out it’s easy street.

Cook for 1 hour, turning the heat down a bit once the whole thing starts boiling. 

I finish my broth by adding salt/tamari/soy sauce to taste and letting it simmer uncovered for another 20-30 minutes to concentrate the flavors.

Strain the veggies out into a large pot

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

This sauce is easy to make and has a subtle chocolate taste.

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa

 2 tablespoons chili powder

 1 teaspoon cayenne chili powder, or more to taste (optional)

 1 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram

 2 teaspoons ground cumin

 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder

 2 cups vegetable broth

 1 cup water

 2 8oz cans of tomato sauce (or 1 16oz can)

 salt to taste

For the sauce: whisk together the flour, cocoa, and spices in a saucepan without turning on the heat. Add 1/4 cup of vegetable broth and stir into a paste. Slowly whisk in the remaining broth and the cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and whisk in tomato sauce. Allow to cook for a few minutes until it thickens slightly to the consistency of tomato soup. Remove from heat and set aside. Taste for salt, you may need to add some depending on the saltiness of the vegetable broth you used.