Week 39

Poblanos stuffed with Polenta, Cojita and Spinach
3 cups veg. broth
1 cup water
1 cup dry polenta
6-8 large fresh poblano or pasilla chilies
2 Tbs EVOO
1 cup diced red onion (about half a large one)
1 med red bell pepper, diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cups packed baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
2 Tbs minced fresh sage
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ancho chilie powder
1 cup cojita (or feta) cheese, divided

Preheat oven to broil. Place chilies on baking sheet and roast, turning frequently, until charred. Remove from oven, place in towels or brown paper bag to steam a bit and let cool. When cool, peel, slice down one side and remove seeds. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat broth and water in 4-qt stock pot to boiling. Whisk in polenta. Boil 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low, cook, uncovered about 30 mins, stirring regularly, until soft and creamy.

Heat oil in heavy skillet and saute onion bell pepper and garlic until softened, about 5 mins. Stir in spinach and cook just until wilted, about a minute. Stir in sage, pepper, and spices. Season with salt to taste. Stir spinach mixture into polenta. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Divide filling among chilies. Arrange slit side up on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cojita. Broil about 5 mins or just until cheese is browning. Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional paprika and chili powder if desired.

Laina wanted me to take a pic of her plate

Raw Kale Apple Salad
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 apple, cored and chopped
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup EVOO
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients in large bowl and massage with clean hands until kale is wilted. May be made upto a couple days in advance and stored in fridge.

Chickpea Patties
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 15 oz can, drained, rinsed and mixed with a spritz of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground corriander
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
3 Tbs EVOO
2 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 1/2 cups cooked brown basmati rice
3 Tbs finely diced bell pepper
1/4 cup loosely packed minced fresh flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 375 and line baking sheet w/parchment paper. Combine chickpeas through 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice in food processor and pulse until smooth and well combined, scraping down sides. Transfer mixture to bowl and fold in rice, bell pepper and parsley. Shape mixture into 1/4" thick patties, about 3 inches in diameter. Place on prepared pan and bake for 20-25 mins, until patties crisp up on the outside. They will firm up as they cool. Serve atop mixed greens with a yogurt dressing (simply mix plain, thick yogurt with a few Tbs lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. You can add grated cucumber if you like).

Farro with Squash and Greens
4 Tbs butter, divided
1 small acorn or delicata squash, peeled, halved, seeded and cut into 1/2" cubes
kosher salt and cracked pepper
1/2 bunch greens of choice (kale, beet greens, chard, whatever), center stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
1 Tbs EVOO
3/4 cup farro (Italian wheat berries)
3/4 cup diced onion
1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups veg stock mixed with 2 cups water, warmed
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375F. Melt 1 Tbs butter in large oven proof skillet. Add squash, season w/S&P, toss to coat. Spread out on rimmed baking sheet and roast, turning squash every 10 mins, until tender, about 35 minutes total. In same skillet, saute greens until wilted, adding more butter or EVOO as necessary. Remove from skillet and set aside. In same skillet, heat 1 Tbs EVOO, add farro and toss to coat. Roast in oven until toasted, stirring once, about 6 mins total. Transfer to bowl. Melt remaining butter in skillet. Add onion and cook until translucent, stirring. Add garlic, stir. Add wine and increase heat to high. Reduce by about 3/4, about 2 mins. Add farro and 1/2 cup warm stock mixture. Stir until almost all liquid is absorbed. Continue adding small amounts of stock mixture and cooking until the farro is tender. Stir in roasted squash, greens and Parmesan. Heat through and serve immediately.

Chicken Tortellini Soup (from Mama Manifesto)

Fingerling Potato Salad (from my Worth Repeating post)