GreenSunflower Cooks

Grilled Swordfish with Sundried Tomato, Pear, and Onion Jam

Grilled Swordfish with Sundried Tomato, Pear, and Onion Jam
Originally uploaded by greensunflowerRN.

I love when fall and summer intersect in September.  It is a perfect time of year.  Your last chance to get something on the barbeque, and a first chance to include winter produce in your food.  I am just going to give the recipe for the jam here.  You can basically put this on any firm fish, no matter how you cooked it.  Grilled, in my book, is always best. This could also make a good bruschetta topping for something different.

Sundried Tomato, Pear, and Onion Jam

1 small jar sundried tomatoes in oil, sans oil
1 ripe pear, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 small red onion sliced thinly
1 tsp raw cane sugar
1 TB olive oil
1 cup red wine (use a good one)
1 cup GF chicken broth

In medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat, add onion and saute for five minutes until soft.  Add raw cane sugar and saute, until the onions are very caramelized but certainly not anywhere near burned.  Add pear and sundried tomatoes, stir to combine.  Add chix broth and wine.  Bring to a simmer and reduce until the mixture is a jam like consistency.  Cool until lukewarm.  Spread over what ever you like to your heart's content.

Tuna Casserole with Leeks, Thyme, and Sherry

Tuna Casserole with Leeks, Thyme, and Sherry
Originally uploaded by greensunflowerRN.

I don't know how long it has been since I blogged.  There is always my personal blog, if you are enthralled with my impressive writing style. 

Someone once read my blog and said it was like I ate nothing but alcohol, butter, and cheese.  This is almost the case.  If it could be the case, with fruit added and I could live... I would do it in a heartbeat. 

I am on a quest to make a mac n' cheese or tuna casserole that Babe likes.  He gave this a hesitant thumbs neutral and if you know Babe, that means if was really good.

Tuna Casserole with Leeks, Thyme, and Sherry

• 1 lb gluten free macaroni (or with gluten if you can), cooked al dente
• 3 TB olive oil
• 2 TB butter
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 2 carrots chopped
• 2 large leeks, white part only, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons gluten free flour mix (without leavening) or wheat flour
• 1/4 cup dry sherry (not cooking sherry)
• 2 1/2 cups low fat milk
• 12 oz aged coastal white cheddar (any very flavorful white cheddar will do)
• 1/2 cup goat's milk Gouda
• 2 tsp FRESH thyme, chopped
• 2 medium cans Italian yellow fin tuna, in olive oil
• 1-2 cups frozen peas
• 1/4 cup gluten free bread crumbs (I make my own) or store-bought wheat ones

In large heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium to medium high heat.  Add onions, celery, and carrots.  Salt and pepper this layer.  Saute stirring frequently, after 5 mins, add leeks.  Saute another five minutes or until soft and they look like this.

Add the flour.  Quickly stirring and scrapping the bottom of your pot.  Add sherry and with whisk scrape bottom of pot and stir until thickened.  Add half of the milk.  Whisk until thickened.  Turn down heat by 1/3.  Add the rest of the milk.  Whisk until thickened.   Stir in  and thyme, reserving about 1/3 cup of cheese.  Add tuna and peas.  Take off heat and stir.  Test for seasoning.  Salt and pepper as needed. 

Add pasta, stir to combine.  Place in 9x13 dish.  On your cutting board, or in a bowl, mix breadcrumbs and reserved cheese.  Top casserole.  Bake at 350 for 45 min or until brown and bubbly.

Italian Sausage Lasagna

Lasagna
Originally uploaded by greensunflower.

Babe claims he hates lasagna.  I think the only lasagna he has ever had was Stouffer's because I knew he would love this.  And he did, he ate two portions.  I put a TON of ricotta in it, because I love ricotta, you can cut down on it if you want. This is very easy to make.  Do not be put off by assembling a lasagna.  It is one of the easiest foods to prepare. The smell of this cooking in your house, will make anybody hungry.

GreenSunflower's Italian Sausage Lasagna

• 1lb bulk mild Italian sausage, browned
• 1 small box lasagna noodles (wheat or wheat free) cooked very al dente
• 2 jars premade marinara sauce (I used Classico and recommend it)
• 1 extra large container ricotta cheese (any fat content you desire)
• 2 eggs
• 1 ball part skim pasteurized mozzarella (it will melt better than fresh)
• 1/2 cup grated peccorino romano (or Parmesan) cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  After browning and crumbling the sausage in a large pan, add both jars of marinara and stir to combine.  Remove from heat. Place ricotta in a bowl and add both eggs.  Stir until mixed throughly.  At this point, create an assembly line of all the ingredients (noodles, sauce, and cheeses).

In 9x13 pan, place a thin layer of sauce.  Top with 3 noodles along the length of the pan (if your noodles are broken, you can piece them together to make one noodle length).  On top of each noodle, spread a layer of ricotta along the length of the noodle (if you want less ricotta, just dot it on evenly spaced out).  Spread a layer of sauce on top (you have to evenly lay out the sauce to last for 4 layers).  Top with 1/4 of the mozzarella.  Top with more noodles.... etc, until you have used up all the ingredients (approx 4 layers).  When you get to the top layer cover the lasagna with the peccorino romano.  Bake in oven for approx 45 min, until bubbly and browned.

Pasta with Pesto and Peas

Pasta with Pesto and Peas
Originally uploaded by greensunflower.

I made this as a side dish, to some food with simpler flavors.  But it could easily be a main course and you could add protein with chicken, tofu, or flaked cooked fish. You will need a food processor for this recipe.

• 1 lb wheat free pasta cooked al dente (I used spirals)
• 2 medium sized bunches fresh basil, leaves torn away from stems
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 toasted pine nuts
• up to 1 cup olive oil
• 8 oil packed sun dried tomatoes
• 4 gloves garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 handful frozen peas
• 2-3 tb freshly grated ricotta insalata or Parmesan.

In bowl of food processor place basil leaves, Parmesan, pine nuts, salt, and pepper.  With processor on stream in olive oil until pesto makes a nice paste.  Add tomatoes and garlic.  Process again, adding olive oil until it is a less thick paste.  Taste for seasoning. 

In bottom of large bowl place pesto and peas.  Pull pasta out of pasta water with a straining spoon, letting most of the water fall, but a little getting into the bowl, while placing pasta into bowl.  Mix the pasta, peas, and pesto.  Top with freshly grated Parmesan or ricotta insalata for an earthier flavor.

Seafood Pasta

Seafood Fettuccine
Originally uploaded by greensunflower.

I am allergic to shrimp (not shellfish, it is weird) and wheat, so seafood pasta in any restaurant is out of the question for me.  Which is a shame since it is my favorite dish. 

So as a good gluten free girl, I made up my own recipe.  This pasta is not done justice by any of the pics I have, but is sooooooooooo good.  Serve it with good white wine and feast.  This is definitely an at home date night dish.

PASTA WITH ALFREDO SAUCE, CRAB, AND SCALLOPS

• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2-3 tb crushed garlic
• a little ground black pepper
• 1 cup crab meat
• 12-15 medium sized to smaller sized scallops
• 1 lb wheat free pasta of your choice.  I used wide Thai rice noodles.

Over medium heat melt butter.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant.  Add half and half and cream.  Let heat until comes to barely a simmer (don't worry it will get thicker).  Add Parmesan and whisk in until blended.  Add seafood and simmer stirring frequently until scallops are firm with a little itty bit of give.  Mix cooked pasta into pan and toss.  Serve.

Spaghetti with browned butter, caramelized mushroom sauce, and Myzithra

Spaghetti with browned butter, caramelized mushroom sauce, and Myzithra
Originally uploaded by greensunflower.

This is Babe's favorite pasta dish. If you don't like the strong flavor of Myzithra, you can use Parmesan. 

• 1 lb cooked pasta (brown rice, whole wheat, or wheat)
• 1 jar any tomato based pasta sauce, or 4 cups of your own
• 1 stick and 3 tb butter
• 2 tb olive oil
• 1lb mushrooms
• 1 cup Myzithra/Mizithra cheese, finely grated

Heat on medium high olive oil and 3 tb butter in large saute pan. Slice mushrooms and add to pan.  Stir mushrooms to coat with oil and butter. Stir occasionally, but not too much because you want them to brown.  DO NOT SALT MUSHROOMS, all the water will weep out and you will end up boiling them.

In small saute pan, heat stick of butter over medium heat. Let sit until browned, but not burned.  Skim off solid particles.

After mushrooms are nicely golden brown, turn down heat to medium and add sauce.  Bring to a simmer and turn off.

In a large bowl toss the pasta with butter, then tomato sauce, and finally top with a generous portion of the cheese.