Delishytown
Cooking is fun. Eating is funner. I cook, photograph and write these recipes.
Everything I post on this blog I make from scratch using fresh wholesome ingredients.. I've been cooking since I was a little kid.
My recipes are based on trial and error, along with studying cookbooks, family recipes, blogs and cooking shows.
Some of the veggies and herbs I use are grown in my garden. Yay sustainability!
I'm working on making my yard into an edible landscape. It's really fun to go out in the garden and pick your veggies for dinner!
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Almost ready
I packed socks and underwear so far. I’m going to freeze to death.
I have a little gift for Jon’s daughter.
I have the wildflower...
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Here’s to perpetually filled beers, preferably of Michigan origin
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Front Garden Edible Landscape Project
This is a big, beautiful vegetable and fruit garden I planted in my friend’s front yard....
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Ladies and Gentlemen: Jon Stewart on our tax code… (from last night’s Daily Show)
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Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Weight Management Center...
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more lentil burgers
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A healthy way to start the day at the Chopard Lounge in Cannes. Photography by Jamie Beck.
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Funny Food is here today in Our Global Kitchen crafting silly snacks, like this “Plum-Alisa,” from 10:30 am to 1 pm.
From Funny Food, by...
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Big enough to kick in the door and take his honey back
So I’ve just spent half an hour happily chucking handfuls of wildflower seed into every spare...
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We had a grand time this last weekend. Pictured above is a lovely pescadería by the name of Baja Fish in San Pedro. I like this kind of hole in the...
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26 posts tagged cheese
Rainbow Chard Quiche with Buttery Corn Flake Crust
This quiche was made with Rainbow Chard from our edible garden. The corn flake crust was a delicious experiment. I used up the last of the flour to make this crust and forgot to save some for rolling out the pastry dough. I wracked my brain and came up with the idea to blend organic corn flakes in the food processor until very fine, and use it as the flour to roll out the dough. It’s the best experiment I’ve ever tried. Please try this technique! It’s so good, flaky, crispy and tasty!
Heat oven to 400.
In a mixing bowl, sift 1 cup flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar. Grate 1/2 stick cold butter into it with 2 tblsp coconut oil. Mush together with your fingers until pea sized bits form. Add 2 to 3 tblsp ice cold water and mix together until just combined. Form into a disk, cover and chill for 20 minutes.
While the pastry dough rests in the fridge, Saute 1 small chopped onion and 2 - 3 cups chopped chard, stems and leaves, in a skillet. Season with salt and pepper.
Scramble 4 eggs with 1/2 c milk. Add fresh grated nutmeg to the egg mixture.
Grate about 3/4 cup cheese, I used cheddar, swiss and parmesan.
Pulverize organic corn flakes in a food processor until fine and floury.
Dust the surface of a large cutting board with the corn flake flour, place the chilled disk of dough on the board, top the disk with more of the corn flake flour and roll into a circle about 12 inches in diameter, adding more of the corn flake four as needed. The corn flake flour and crumbs will press into the pastry and become one buttery flaky delicious crust once baked. Yum!
Press the rolled out crust into a buttered pie pan. Press gently into the pan and shape the edges. Add the sauteed vegetables, then the grated cheese, and pour the egg mixture over it. Bake at 400 for 1/2 hour or so until a toothpick comes out clean. Yum!
Cheesy Eggs Baked in Tomatoes with Pita Toast
It finally got cool here and we can turn the oven on. Yay Autumn! This is a delicious, cheesy and very easy dish. It also looks very pretty if you’re having people over for breakfast.
Cut around the core of the tomato and discard. Cut a wide-ish circle into the tops of however many tomatoes you’re cooking and scoop out some of the tomato, creating an opening big enough to hold an egg. Chop the parts you scooped out and mix with slivers of garlic, salt & pepper, basil and olive oil. Drizzle some of the juice from this garlicky mixture into the cored tomato to give it flavor as it bakes. Place the chopped mixture in the bottom sides of a small oven proof dish, one oven proof dish per tomato. Place the cored tomato in the center and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and crack an egg in the center. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and julienned basil. Return to the oven and bake an additional 10 or 15 minutes until the egg is cooked, cheese is melted, and the tomato is soft and bubbly. Add pita bread to the oven for the last 3 or 4 minutes of baking to toast. Yummy!
Insalata Caprese
This is sooo delicious! I love this salad because it is so easy. It’s also very inexpensive if you’re already growing tomatoes and basil.
Rub a serving plate all over with a cut garlic clove. Wash and slice any fresh tomatoes you have on hand. Slice fresh mozzarella cheese. Season tomatoes and cheese with kosher salt and black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Top with fresh chopped basil leaves. Yum!
Turkey Tacos with Red Jalapeño Salsa
Mmmm, tacos… These are better than anything you might get at a corner taco place. These are actually better than anything. I love tacos. Especially the kind with savory crumbled meat. However, chain restaurant food always makes me wonder, “What exactly did I just eat?” So, I like to make my own at home. That way I know what foods are in my food.
In order to get the “all day cooked” taste of the corner tacos, I slow cook the lean ground turkey with olive oil, garlic, chili powder and other aromatics. Here’s how we made this:
Add to a skillet a little olive oil, sauté one chopped shallot, 1 small chopped onion, 2 or 3 fresh chopped garlic cloves, and 1/2 red jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced. Season with celery salt and pepper. Add 1 lb free range ground turkey and sear until parts of it get golden brown. Break the ground turkey apart as it cooks with the aromatics.
Once the meat is mostly cooked, deglaze the pan with 1/2 bottle of beer, drink the other half. Add 1 tsp ancho chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, a sprinkle of garlic powder, a sprinkle of onion powder, black pepper and salt and fresh chopped cilantro. Cover and turn the heat way down. Slow cook for about 40 minutes or more, stirring occasionally and adding more beer or stock as the liquid evaporates. Cook until very tender.
Meanwhile, grate cheese (we used cheddar and queso fresco), chop lettuce (these were from our garden) chop tomatoes and avocado, slice lime wedges.
I also like to make a little fresh hot salsa for this by combining some of the chopped tomato with the other half of the minced jalapeño pepper, salt & pepper, chopped cilantro and crushed garlic and lime or lemon juice.
Heat oven to 350 and cook taco shells according package directions. These were organic blue corn taco shells. Assemble tacos with meat on the bottom, tomatoes and avocados, lettuce, cheese, and the spicy salsa. Yum!
Delicious Potato Lasagna
This is so delicious! Sorry my pictures aren’t so great here, I like to wait until nighttime to turn the oven on. If you’re growing zucchini (or any kind of summer squash) and tomatoes, I highly recommend this easy dish. My husband and I ate seconds and thirds.
This isn’t actually lasagna, there are no noodles, no tomato sauce or béchamel. This is so much easier than making a lasagna! It’s just sliced fresh vegetables, cheese and aromatics, including red potatoes, plum tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, shallots and fresh basil, parmesan and cheddar cheeses, and drizzled at the end with olive oil and white wine. The delicious “sauce” comes from the bubbling wine and aromatic ingredients.
To prevent the cheese from burning before all the veggies are cooked, cover the dish with parchment before baking. Twist the corners to get it to stay on, and cut a slit in the center to let the steam escape. I cook this until there’s no longer any bubbling liquid in the bottom of the dish.
Here is a word diagram of the layers in the casserole dish, I season with a little salt and pepper between layers. Butter the pan generously before adding vegetable slices:
Top layer: chopped shallots and grated cheeses
drizzle of olive oil and 3/4 cup white wine
sliced potatoes
sliced mushrooms (I used mini portabellas)
chopped garlic, basil, grated parmesan, & olive oil, salt and pepper (I call this the pesto layer)
sliced plum tomatoes
sliced zucchini
Bottom layer: peeled and sliced red potatoes, salt and pepper
buttered casserole dish
Once you have the layers assembled, before you put the cheese on top, press down on the whole thing gently with your hands. Add the rest of the chopped shallots and cheese. Cover with parchment with a vent cut into it. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 and bake an additional 15 minutes until most of the the liquid is absorbed. Yum!
Homemade Mac and Cheese
This was delicious! We had this for dinner last night with a big salad. (I didn’t get a picture of the salad.) Homemeade mac and cheese is a real treat, and it’s simple to make. Sorry this picture is a bit blurry, it’s hard to hold a camera and a fork at the same time. Here’s how:
Boil salted water for macaroni. Heat oven to 350. Cook macaroni a little firmer than al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a saucepan, melt 2 tblsp butter, whisk in 2 tblsp flour and salt and pepper. Whisk as the combination bubbles, reduce heat, then add 2 cups milk. I used 2%.
Grate 1 c Cheddar cheese, we used New York white cheddar. Once the milk mixture thickens a little, slowly add the cheese, a little bit at a time, and whisk it in. Take the cheese sauce off the heat. Add a little fresh grated nutmeg.
Butter a casserole dish. Mix the cheese sauce with the drained noodles. Top with a little extra cheddar. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and bubbly. Delicious!!
I was in the garden harvesting lettuces and baby arugula when I thought how delicious spicy baby arugula would be tucked inside a grilled cheese with the honey turkey, Danish Havarti & crusty bakery bread I bought at the deli today. And it’s still Grilled Cheese Day. So here’s this one too. It was really yummy!
I’ll stop with the grilled cheese now.
Swiss Chard and Veggie Enchiladas
Yum! I love Mexican food! This is a good way to use up all those garden greens. The Swiss chard and celery in this dish were from our edible front garden.
Here’s how to make this delicious vegetarian dinner:
Cook your favorite rice in some veggie or chicken broth. I used long grain white rice.
Chop 1 large onion, 2 carrots, the stems of the swiss chard, and 1 celery stalk. Saute in a skillet with a little olive oil. Reserve a little for the filling.
Add 2 smashed garlic cloves, salt and pepper, 1 or 2 chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, (optional) 1 large can tomato sauce, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a dash of smoked paprika, 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tblsp ancho chili powder. (or just buy enchilada sauce with already added seasonings) Simmer until bubbly.
Chop some swiss chard greens or any greens you have on hand. Mix with grated queso fresco and cheddar cheeses and some of the sautéed veggies from step 1.
Heat each tortilla in a dry skillet, fill with some of the chopped chard and grated cheeses and roll them up arranging in a buttered casserole dish, being careful not to burn your fingers. Cover with the rest of the sauce & shredded queso fresco and cheddar cheese and bake at 350 until hot and bubbly. Serve with a side of rice and beans.
Meanwhile open a can of fat free refried beans, put them in a small casserole with some of the cooked rice and a little chicken stock, cover with cheese and bake alongside the enchiladas.
Yum!
Carm’s Sunday Ricotta Lasagna
My husband grew up in an Irish/ Italian neighborhood. His neighbor Carm used to make this lasagna. This is a very basic, old timey recipe. It has a layer of ricotta in the center, sandwiched by noodles. It’s a good thing to make on a lazy day. If you make it for lunch, you can have leftovers for dinner.
In a large skillet or heavy bottomed soup pot, brown 1 lb sweet Italian sausage. Season lightly with salt and pepper since the sausage is already seasoned. Once browned, remove to a colander & drain.
Chop 1 large onion, 2-4 garlic cloves, 1 stalk celery, 1 small carrot, 10 or so mushrooms. Add the onions & veggies to the pot and cook until translucent. Add the reserved meat along with 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, blended, and 1 large can tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 tblsp basil and 1 bay leaf. Simmer to bring all the flavors together.
Meanwhile: Boil water and cook the lasagna noodles. Grate some cheeses, mozzarella, parmesan, and cheddar if you like.
In a bowl, combine 1 container ricotta, 2 eggs, fresh chopped parsley, salt and pepper, and a little garlic powder. Reserve a little of this for the top if you like.
Layer the lasagna starting with some sauce on the bottom of the lasagna pan, then noodles, sauce, cheese, noodles, the ricotta layer, noodles, sauce and cheese including any extra ricotta on top. Bake at 350 until bubbly and melted about 35 minutes. Wait a few minutes before you cut it or the middle cheese layer will collapse.
Yum!
Cheeseburger Noodles in Tomato Cream Sauce
My husband and I were trying to figure out what to make for Sunday supper. It’s chilly today and we were out late last night. I really wanted something that would induce a long nap.
My husband said he had a taste for this thing he and his brothers used to make when they were teenagers. I’m all for indulging food memories. I had to interview him in order to get to the bottom of this. He said it was like mac and cheese with ground beef. On second thought, he said, it was egg noodles, not macaroni, and he remembered it had tomato soup in it. And cheese. It had cheese. I did a quick search and found an old recipe which was just tomato soup, chopped onion, ground beef, noodles & cheese. I knew I could do better than that. And I wanted veggies to help cure me from my late night shenanigans. This is what we made. It was ridiculously creamy and good. As my husband likes to say, “It was mental”.
First, make a tomato cream sauce by melting a tblsp butter into a sauté pan, add the same amount of flour and let them cook together. Once it bubbles, add a cup of milk and 2 tblsp tomato paste, salt & pepper. Let it simmer with the heat down low.
Meanwhile, cook egg noodles until al dente. Brown ground beef and drain off the fat. Sauté some veggies, onions, celery, zucchini and garlic, or anything you like. Season the veggies w/ salt & pepper.
Toss the cooked noodles with a little cream cheese, about 1/8th cup, cut into little bits, and let it melt into the hot noodles. Then combine everything with the tomato cream sauce, a little shredded cheddar, chopped cherry tomatoes, and top it with a little more cheddar. Bake for 25 minutes, or more until bubbly. Serve with a big crunchy salad so your heart doesn’t stop cold.
Exploded Potatoes
Here’s how to get your kids to eat broccoli: 1) Make it taste amazing. 2) Give it a good name that doesn’t include the word broccoli, like Exploded Potatoes, Potato Puffs Supreme, or Candied Potatoes Francais.
Heat oven to 350. Bake potatoes appx 45 minutes. Chop broccoli, peel stems and chop those up too, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, bake at 350 appx 20 minutes.
Saute chopped shallots in 2 tblsp butter.
Cut potatoes in half. Scoop cooked potato into a bowl. Place potato skins in a buttered casserole dish.
Mix the sautéed shallots and melted butter with the potatoes, add 1/2 cup milk* and 1 small container of plain Greek style yogurt or sour cream, salt and pepper to taste, 1 tblsp dried parsley. Mix it all together, add the roasted broccoli pieces. * (this amount is for 2 large russet potatoes, add more milk and yogurt if you’re making extra potatoes)
Scoop potato mixture into the skins and top with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for another 20 minutes at 400 until golden, crispy and amazeballs.
The last picture is the same recipe with the roasted broccoli left out for the Mama’s Boys.
Yum!
