Miso sesame salad dressing

11 Wednesday Feb 2015

Posted by Zoli in gluten free, healthy, peanut free, quick and awesome, salad, Sauces, vegan, Vegetarian

Tags

asian salad dressing, healthy, miso dressing, miso paste, salad, sesame oil, vegetarian

Ugh it finally happened. The dreaded winter weight has arrived. Like an old friend that you don’t have much in common with anymore but you have so much shared history that they’re a fixture in your life. “What are you doing this month?” the dreaded friend messages you, “I thought I could come up and visit.”

And you can’t get rid of them till Spring.

So I’m drinking apple cider vinegar with hot water in the mornings, exercising more, going to bed early and trying to limit unhealthy food choices. Less chocolate and cheese for sure. And chips. Maybe even less wine…

More smoothies and dark greens and fruits and salads.

Miso salad dressing
Makes enough for 2-3 salads
1 tbs miso paste
1 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs fresh lime juice
2 tbs toasted sesame oil
1-2 tsp honey or agave
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 tsp – 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
chili flakes (optional)
toasted sesame seeds

Whisk all ingredients together. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. A whole raw garlic clove may too much for some. I thought it was delicious as is and good enough to dip in raw cut up veggies. It would also be an excellent marinade for portobello mushrooms or tofu. I made a quick lettuce, cucumber and red pepper salad with a veggie sausage for lunch, but fried tofu or sliced hard-boiled egg would work too.

Squash, rosemary and parmesan lasagna

12 Friday Dec 2014

Posted by Zoli in cheese, italian, pasta, Sauces, Vegetarian

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

butternut squash, parmesan, parmigiano reggiano, rosemary, vegetarian lasagna

An oldie but goodie in our house. Ok, so my kids wouldn’t eat it, but that’s their problem, and not this lovely lasagna’s fault. I consider this a crowd pleaser—vegetarian and carnivore alike will adore. Flavors are complimentary. It is creamy, a little chewy at the corners from the nutty parmigiano and just a little bit sweet in a delectable way from the roasted butternut squash.

Ingredients
serves 4 hungry people
1 medium butternut squash, diced (about 5 cups of squash)
1 fresh sprig of rosemary
olive oil
fresh ground salt and pepper
3 cups milk
splash of cream
1-2 cloves garlic
about 2-3 tbs butter
about 3 tsp flour
block of parmigiano reggianno
(or mix of mature cheddar and mozzarella)
about 9 lasagna noodles (fresh is best)

1) Heat up the milk gently—do not boil—and add in the fresh rosemary sprig. Cover and turn off the heat. Allow to steep for 20-30 minutes to incorporate the rosemary flavor into the milk. Remove the sprig before using the milk.
2) Meanwhile, peel and dice the squash. Roast it in a tray with olive oil, salt and pepper for about 20 minutes until tender (not mushy).
3) Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed pot, crush the garlic clove and throw it in with the butter. Gently fry for a minute before whisking in the flour till it is the consistency of wet sand. Cook on low for a couple minutes to get the flour taste out and then add in the 3 cups of rosemary milk.
4) Whisk frequently as you heat up the milk so that the flour doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. It should thicken to a creamy bechamel. Season with plenty of salt and pepper and then add in the roasted squash. Set aside.
5) Grate plenty of parmesan or a mix of mature cheddar and mozzarella.
6) Using fresh lasagna noodles or the no-cook noodles, assemble the lasagna. Ladle a little sauce in the bottom of a large baking tray and lay down three pasta sheets side by side, not quite touching.
7) Ladle squash bechamel sauce over each noodle, then sprinkle with grated cheese. Repeat 2 more times so that you have a 3-layer lasagna. There should just be enough sauce for this. The top most layer will need a bit of extra cheese (a little mozzarella is good here) and a splash of cream.
8) Cover with tin foil and cook in the oven for about 20-25 min on 375F, then remove the tin foil and bake another 5-10 minutes till the top is golden brown.

Let rest for a few minutes before serving.