Cookin' Canuck

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Spaghetti Squash Recipe with Spinach, Feta & Basil White Beans

It's a good thing that spaghetti squash is forgiving. It's a common occurrence for me to wander into our cellar (or the "pickle room" as we call it, though I have yet to actually pickle anything) and find a forlorn, yet resilient, yellow vegetable that has been waiting for weeks to be cooked and consumed. Spaghetti squash can be stored at room temperature for up to one month. Perfect for neglectful cooks such as myself. With a neutral, pleasing flavor, this large, cylindrical squash is able to accommodate a host of flavors. Paired with tomato sauce or pesto, it masquerades as pasta. Combined with a light vinaigrette, it makes a gratifying side dish. It's the chameleon of the vegetable world.

This recipe came to me courtesy of one of my best girlfriends, who found it in Six O'Clock Solutions by Eve Johnson and the Vancouver Sun Test Kitchens. My friend is not only beautiful in appearance and nature, but she is far better than I about cooking innovative vegetable dishes. This dish combines the tender-crisp texture of spaghetti squash with the tang of feta cheese and a light vinaigrette. With the addition of cannellini beans, it can effortlessly stand in as a vegetarian meal.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 (14 oz.) can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed), 1 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar.

Using a large, sharp knife, pierce a 3-pound spaghetti squash in several places.

Place the spaghetti squash in a glass baking dish and cook in the microwave on high for about 15 minutes, turning the squash halfway through cooking. Before handling, let the squash stand for 10 minutes. Cut it in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and fibers. Using a fork, twist out strands of the spaghetti squash flesh and place in a large bowl.

Wash one bunch of spinach and remove the stems. There should be approximately 6 cups (packed) spinach leaves. Working in batches, stack the spinach leaves and cut across the leaves into 1/4-inch wide strips.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and 2 minced garlic cloves. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the sliced spinach and cook until the spinach is just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese and the cannellini bean mixture. Cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add bean and spinach mixture to the spaghetti squash. Gently toss. Place the mixture on a serving platter and serve with finely grated Parmesan cheese.

Other spaghetti squash recipes:

Kalyn's Kitchen's Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin
Chocolate & Zucchini's Spaghetti Squash Gratin with Walnuts & Bacon
Eat This' Spaghetti Squash with Black Beans, Corn & Kale
Baking and Books' Spaghetti Squash with Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Spaghetti Squash with Spinach, Feta & Basil White Beans
Adapted from Six O'Clock Solutions

1 (14 oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 (3-pound) spaghetti squash
1 bunch spinach, washed and stems removed, about 6 cups (packed) leaves
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Finely grated Parmesan cheese

In a medium bowl, combine cannellini beans, basil, oregano, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and white wine vinegar.

Using a large, sharp knife, pierce spaghetti squash in several places. Place the squash in a glass baking dish and cook in the microwave on high for about 15 minutes, turning the squash halfway through cooking. Before handling, let the squash stand for 10 minutes. Cut it in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and fibers. Using a fork, twist out strands of the spaghetti squash flesh and place in a large bowl.

Working in batches, stack the spinach leaves and cut across the leaves into 1/4-inch wide strips.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the sliced spinach and cook until the spinach is just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add feta cheese and the cannellini bean mixture. Cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add bean and spinach mixture to the spaghetti squash. Gently toss. Place the mixture on a serving platter and serve with finely grated Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 main course or 8 side dish servings.

Printable recipe

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Reese's Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake Bars Recipe

While living in New York City, I made every effort to stay hush-hush about my apathy for cheesecake. Getting a decent apartment in Manhattan was difficult enough. I certainly wasn't going to 'fess up to my dessert inadequacies when it came to one of the pride and joys of my adopted city. To compensate for my shortcoming, I made a big show of folding my slice of pizza in half, honking the car horn at least once every 3 blocks, and talking about walking my dawg while drinking my cawffee. I had them fooled, right up until the point when I told someone to "Take off, eh?"

It wasn't until I moved west again that my acceptance, and eventual affection, for cheesecake blossomed. As much as I came to appreciate the silky, tangy filling that defines this dessert, there was nary a homemade cheesecake to be found in my kitchen. That is, until I spotted Daydreamer Desserts' Milky Way Midnight Cheesecake. When you check out her photos, you will concur that it is one of the most luscious cheesecakes around. Not wanting to jump in with two feet, my New York spunkiness momentarily drained from me, I opted for bars over a whole cheesecake. Following recent success with the Oatmeal Chocolate Fudge Layer Bars, I knew I was on the right track. After adding chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to the filling and drizzling the baked bars with melted chocolate, I was rewarded with a bar that caused my eyes to roll back in my head. They washed down beautifully with a cup of cawffee.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Prepare a 8-inch square baking pan by lining the pan with aluminum foil, leaving 3-4 inches of foil draping over the sides of the pan.

The Crust:
Place 7 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces, into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the crackers form fine crumbs, about 30 seconds.

To the crumbs, add 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter (melted and cooled), 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, and 1/8 teaspoons salt. Pulse until the ingredients are fully combined. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Bake until the crust is beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the crust cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.

The filling:
In a large bowl, beat 2 (8 ounces each) packages softened cream cheese until it is very smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape the beaters and sides of bowl frequently.

Gradually beat in 2/3 cup granulated sugar until the mixture is combined, about 1 minute. Beat in 2 large eggs, one a time, making sure that each is fully incorporated. Beat in 1/4 cup sour cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until fully combined, about 30 seconds.

Unwrap and cut 9 Reese's peanut butter cups (0.75 ounce each) into 6 pieces. Gently fold into the cream cheese mixture.

Scrape the cream cheese mixture into the baking pan, over top of the cooled crust. Spread evenly.

Bake until the edges are set but the middle still jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken slightly, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the bars to cool for 2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to 24 hours.

Using the overhanging foil, lift the bars from the pan. Gently remove the foil and cut into 16 bars.

Chop 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate and place in a small bowl. Microwave on 50% power until melted, stirring every 15 seconds. Drizzle the chocolate over the bars, top each with a small chunk of a Reese's peanut butter cup and serve.

Other cheesecake bar recipes:

Smitten Kitchen's Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Squares
Baking Bites' Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Bars
Playing House's Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Recipe Girl's Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars

Reese's Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Crust:
7 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt

Filling:
2 (8 oz. each) packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 Reese's peanut butter cups (0.75 oz each), divided, cut into 6 pieces each

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Prepare a 8-inch square baking pan by lining the pan with aluminum foil, leaving 3-4 inches of foil draping over the sides of the pan.

The Crust:
Place graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the crackers form fine crumbs, about 30 seconds. To the crumbs, add butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt. Pulse until the ingredients are fully combined. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Bake until the crust is beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the crust cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.

The filling:
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until it is very smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape the beaters and sides of bowl frequently. Gradually beat in granulated sugar until the mixture is combined, about 1 minute. Beat in eggs, one a time, making sure that each is fully incorporated. Beat in sour cream and vanilla extract until fully combined, about 30 seconds.

Unwrap and cut 9 Reese's peanut butter cups (0.75 ounce each) into 6 pieces. Gently fold into the cream cheese mixture. Scrape the cream cheese mixture into the baking pan, over top of the cooled crust. Spread evenly.

Bake until the edges are set but the middle still jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken slightly, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the bars to cool for 2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to 24 hours.

Using the overhanging foil, lift the bars from the pan. Gently remove the foil and cut into 16 bars.

Place bittersweet chocolate in a small bowl. Microwave on 50% power until melted, stirring every 15 seconds. Drizzle the chocolate over the bars, top each with a small chunk of a Reese's peanut butter cup and serve.

Makes 16 bars.

Printable recipe

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Artichoke & Hazelnut Pesto Spread/Dip Recipe

As I was flipping through my recipe box last week, I came across several recipes that were carefully transcribed onto pink and white floral cards. My grade 9 cursive spoke of the concoctions that my home economic classmates and I perpetrated - yes, I do mean perpetrated - on each other. Though it was many years ago, one recipe in particular has been stubbornly burned into my memory. My own personal culinary Hall of Shame. I have a vivid recollection of squeezing ground pork out of a tube, pressing it onto a cutting board, filling it with some sort of cooked apple glop, rolling it up, and baking it. The image still haunts me. Needless to say, I am indebted to my parents for the stipulation they placed on me when I turned 15.

In their ultimate wisdom, knowing that I had a mature (and expensive) palate but little to no culinary skills, my parents insisted that I begin to cook one meal every couple of weeks. There were certain qualifications set in place. For example, pouring cereal into a bowl and adding milk did not a dinner make. After three to four meals of baked potatoes with various toppings, the lowly tater was also eventually banned from the menu. This biweekly exercise inspired me to crack open cookbooks and magazines for easy recipes, which was how this simple artichoke pesto spread came to hold a treasured place in my recipe box. From toasting the hazelnuts to scooping the pesto into the bowl, this appetizer takes no more than 10 minutes to make. Along with the recipe links in Super Bowl Recipes: Chili, Wings & Beyond, it will round out your game day feast nicely. Don't thank me. Thank my mum and dad.

Lightly toast 2 tablespoons roughly chopped hazelnuts in a dry skillet set over medium heat, 4 to 5 minutes. Let hazelnuts cool to room temperature, then pulse in a food processor until finely chopped.

To the food processor, add 1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts,

1 minced garlic clove, and 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese.

Pulse until smooth.

With the food processor running, slowly add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Process until the olive oil is combined well with the artichoke mixture.

Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley. Serve with crackers, small toasts, or raw vegetables.

Other artichoke dips and spreads:

Smitten Kitchen's Artichoke-Olive Crostini
Farmgirl Fare's White Bean & Artichoke Dip
A Veggie Venture's Spinach, Artichoke & Bacon Dip
FatFree Vegan Kitchen's Artichoke & Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Life Ambrosia's Hot Crab, Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Artichoke & Hazelnut Pesto Spread
From Hawthorn Book Series, Dips and Dippers

2 tablespoons roughly chopped hazelnuts
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

Lightly toast hazelnuts in a dry skillet set over medium heat, 4 to 5 minutes. Let hazelnuts cool to room temperature, then pulse in a food processor until finely chopped.

To the food processor, add artichoke hearts, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Pulse until smooth. With the food processor running, slowly add olive oil. Process until the olive oil is combined well with the artichoke mixture.

Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley. Serve with crackers, small toasts, or raw vegetables.

Makes approximately 1 1/4 cups.

Printable recipe

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Crockpot Braised Country Style Pork Ribs Recipe in Tomato & Red Wine Sauce

I don't know what has taken me so long to cook with country style pork ribs. Was it the budget-friendly price that turned me away? Was it the promise of tender meat falling off the bone? Perhaps it was the words "country style". I am, after all, a city girl. What do I know about country style? Whatever the reason for my undeserved rebuff of this humble meat, the reformation is complete. A moment of silence was required when I first tasted the buttery meat. These ribs, which look nothing like traditional ribs, react best when braised in the oven or slow cooker. My crockpot has been on hiatus since October when it worked overtime on the Crockpot Chicken, Black Bean and Chipotle Pepper Soup, the Crockpot Family Applesauce, and the Gingered Chickpea and Spicy Tomato Stew. It was time to ride again.

After a quick sear, the ribs are placed in the crockpot and covered in a robust tomato and red wine sauce. Don't be surprised or put off by the secret ingredient. Fish sauce. Seriously. You will never know it's in there, but it adds a certain je ne sais quoi. Leave it out if you'd like but, if you do keep it in, I guarantee that you will not regret it.

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Trim large pieces of fat from 3 pounds pork country-style ribs and season with salt and pepper. Working in two batches, sear the pork until light golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. As each batch of pork is seared, place them in the bottom of the crockpot.

Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Add 1/2 cup minced shallots and 3 large garlic cloves, chopped, to the pot. Sauté until the shallots are light golden brown. Add 3 tablespoons tomato paste and cook until the paste becomes dark red, approximately 3 minutes.

Stir in 1 large (28 oz.) and 1 small (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes, 1 1/4 cups red wine, and 2 teaspoons fish sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Pour the tomato sauce into the crockpot.

Add 1 (14 oz.) cannellini beans to the crockpot. Cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours, or until the pork is tender.

Remove the pork from the crockpot and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Return the pork to the crockpot and keep warm until ready to serve over rice or pasta. Garnish with chopped fresh Italian parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

Other recipes with country style pork ribs:

Greg Cooks' Country Style Pork Ribs
Nook & Pantry's Chinese BBQ Pork - Char Siu
Use Real Butter's Chinese Pork Rib Soup

Crockpot Braised Country Style Pork Ribs with Tomato & Red Wine Sauce

2 tbsp canola oil
3 pounds country-style pork ribs, large pieces of fat trimmed
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup minced shallots
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 large (28 oz) and 1 small (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/4 cup red wine
2 tsp fish sauce
1 (14 oz) can cannellini beans
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season pork ribs with salt and pepper. Working in two batches, sear the pork until light golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. As each batch of pork is seared, place it in the bottom of the crockpot.

Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Add shallots and garlic to the pot. Sauté until the shallots are light golden brown. Add tomato paste and cook until the paste becomes dark red, approximately 3 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, red wine, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Pour the tomato sauce into the crockpot. Add cannellini beans to the crockpot. Cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours, or until the pork is tender.

Remove the pork from the crockpot and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return the pork to the crockpot and keep warm until ready to serve over rice or pasta. Garnish with chopped fresh Italian parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6.

Printable recipe