Baked Mac & Cheese with Heirloom Tomatoes

Happy Halloween! I realize that a pumpkin-related post would be more relevant today (and I actually made a recipe with sugar pumpkin last night that I'll be posting soon) but I wanted to get this recipe up before it's too late to find the last tomatoes. We recently joined a CSA through Full Belly Farm and I'm already in love with it after the first two weeks of boxes. Here in Northern California (where it was 75 degrees today) we are still getting the last bits of some indian summer produce, and I was lucky enough to get a few beautiful tomatoes from our CSA box over the past two weeks. Given that they are a little past their peak, I thought they'd be best incorporated in a dish rather than on their own, and they were absolutely delicious as an accent in this baked mac n' cheese. If the tomatoes near you don't look good, try stirring in another vegetable instead, such as roasted butternut squash, steamed/sauteed broccoli, or you could even use diced canned tomatoes (rinsed of their juices). We ate half of this for dinner along with a green salad one night, then had the rest for lunch for leftovers for lunch the next day, and it was equally delicious!

Baked Mac & Cheese with Heirloom Tomatoes
Serves 4

Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

8 oz. brown rice, whole wheat, or regular dried macaroni noodles (I used brown rice macaroni noodles that I found at the store but regular or whole wheat macaroni would also work well)
3 T. flour
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. lowfat milk
1 bay leaf
8 oz. sharp cheddar (preferably lighter in color, not orange), grated
1 large heirloom tomato, chopped (or other vegetable of your choice)
1 1/2 - 2 slices whole wheat bread, torn and pulsed in a food processor or blender until breadcrumbs form

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and grease an 8x8 inch baking pan with olive oil or butter.

Heat a pot of boiling water and cook the noodles about 1-2 minutes less than the stated cooking time. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat 2 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute 15 seconds, then whisk in the flour, continuing to whisk for about 2 more minutes. Then, gradually whisk in the milk, whisking constantly to ensure that that everything combines without clumps forming. Add the bay leaf and continue cooking until the pasta is done, whisking occasionally.

Drain the pasta, then stir in most of the cheese into the saucepan with the milk, then add the noodles, tomato/vegetable, and 1 t. salt. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish (it will be saucy, but this will all bake together) and top with the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs, pressing the breadcrumbs down slightly into the top of the macaroni mixture (the top should be well coated with breadcrumbs).  Bake for about 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling, then remove from the oven and let sit a few minutes before serving.

Butternut Squash, Chard, and White Bean Orecchiette

Sometimes it's difficult to use up a whole butternut squash and not get sick of it. Unless I'm making soup, I generally buy them smaller in size, and use it in a few different recipes as an accent (i.e. the Fall Moroccan Tagine that I recently posted) rather than the feature of a dish. I actually used the other half of the butternut squash I had from making that dish (it keeps well in the fridge) to come up with this quick pasta using just a few ingredients that I had on hand - green swiss chard, a can of cannellini beans, and some orecchiette pasta. It was a great weeknight meal not only because it's well balanced - getting your vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates in one bowl - but also because it's relatively quick, and the flavors all went together even better than I expected. When the butternut squash is roasted and paired with the earthy beans and chard, it takes on more of a savory quality in this dish than sweet, and I think you'll like it! This makes enough for 2, but can easily be doubled for more people.

Butternut Squash, Chard, and White Bean Orecchiette
Serves 2

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small or about 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 bunch green, swiss, or rainbow chard, leaves removed and chopped
6 oz. orecchiette or other small pasta (shells would also work)
1 15 oz. can cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the squash in a little olive oil, season with a pinch of salt, and lay out on a sheet pan. Roast for about 30 minutes (mine went a little longer and was slightly browned on the bottom but still tasted great).

Meanwhile, heat a pot of water and cook the pasta until al dente, reserving 1/4 c. of the cooking water before draining. Additionally, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or saucepan. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for about 30 seconds, then add the chard, cover, and cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring once or twice, until wilted. Remove the lid, add the beans, and simmer over low heat until the pasta is done.

Combine the pasta, squash, greens/bean mixture, and cooking water along with 1 t. kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir for 1-2 minutes until everything combines and a light sauce forms. Divide into pasta bowls and serve.

Fall Moroccan Tagine

This was my first attempt at a Moroccan-style tagine and it was quite successful! Traditionally, a tagine is made in a special dome-shaped pot, but I found that using a dutch oven (or any large saucepan or stockpot with a lid) substituted just fine. This dish incorporates some classic tagine spices - coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, ginger, and cayenne, with butternut squash, carrots, sweet potato, chickpeas, dried apricots and olives. Other than prepping the ingredients, it's an easy dish to make, incredibly healthy and wonderfully warming on a fall evening. I served this over whole-wheat couscous, but quinoa or brown rice would also work well.

Fall Moroccan Tagine
Serves 4

Active Time: 20-25 minutes
Total Time: 65-70 minutes

Extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet potato or yam, peeled and cut into small (~1/2'') pieces
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into small (~1/2'') pieces
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. green olives (such as castelvetrano)
1/2 c. dried apricots, chopped
1 t. coriander
1 t. cumin
1 t. turmeric
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. sweet paprika
1/2 t. ground ginger
Kosher salt

Toast the spices in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until fragrant, a few minutes, and set aside.

In a dutch oven or stockpot, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds, then stir in the spices. Add the carrots, sweet potato/yam, butternut squash, and apricots to the pan, along with 1 1/2 c. water and 1 t. salt. Cook for a minute longer until everything reheats, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chickpeas and olives, reduce heat to low, re-cover, and cook another 10-15 minutes. Season to taste with salt (I added another 1 t.), stir, and serve over whole-wheat couscous, quinoa, or brown rice.

Farro Risotto with Cauliflower, Mushrooms, and Truffle

Fall is here! As much as I love summer and all of its wonderful produce, I have to admit that I look forward to cooler days, fallen leaves, and that crispness in the air that makes me crave warming meals, red wine, sweaters, and boots. This recipe is a wonderful way to bring in the fall with a healthy and hearty risotto made with farro (a whole-wheat grain) rather than the traditional arborio rice, combined with wild mushrooms, browned cauliflower, and finished with truffle oil. I made it for a small dinner party by sauteing the mushrooms and cauliflower in advance, then making the risotto as we got closer to dinner time and stirring in the mushrooms and cauliflower later. I have to say we all thought it was a wonderful dish (even the guys loved it).

Farro Risotto with Cauliflower, Mushrooms, and Truffle
Serves 4

Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour

Extra virgin olive oil
3 c. cauliflower, cut into small, bite-sized florets
5 c. assorted mushrooms (I used king oyster, cremini, and shitake), chopped (if using shitakes make sure to cut the stems off as they can be tough)
4 shallots, minced
1 t. fresh thyme, minced
1 1/2 c. farro
1 c. dry white wine (such as Chardonnay)
4 c. low-sodium vegetable stock
1/4 c. lowfat milk
1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
Black pepper
White truffle oil, for serving

Heat 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute the cauliflower with a pinch of salt and pepper until softened and browned in places, about 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside.

Heat another 1 T. olive oil in the same skillet over medium high heat, add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside with the cauliflower.

When ready to make the risotto, heat 1 T. olive oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. In another saucepan, heat the vegetable broth until warm, then keep at a simmer. In the saucepan/dutch oven with the olive oil, add the shallot and thyme and saute until shallots are softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the farro and coat with the shallot mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the wine and cook until the liquid is about absorbed, a few minutes. Add 1 c. of the heated vegetable stock at a time, stirring often, until each cup is absorbed, which takes about 20-25 minutes in total.

Add the mushrooms and cauliflower back to the pan, and stir to heat through, about 2 minutes. Add the lowfat milk (farro is less creamy than arborio rice so needs this) and parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Spoon the risotto into pasta bowls, top with a drizzle of truffle oil, and serve.