Cauliflower, Caramelized Onion, Gruyere and Truffle Tart (i.e. The Most Ridiculous Tart Ever)

This tart is amazing - if you are a fan of cheese, caramelized onions, or truffles, you have to make this.  It's so rich that you'll probably only be able to have one piece, but you'll probably end of up eating more anyway.  Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Ingredients

1 small head cauliflower, chopped into small florets
3.5 T olive oil
1/2 T truffle oil
1 refrigerated pie crust (you can make your own if you want, see this recipe)
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 T dijon mustard
2 eggs
1 container (7-8oz) mascarpone cheese
1/2 c full-fat milk (or cream)
1/4 t pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 c grated gruyere cheese
1/3 c grated parmesian cheese

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 425F.  Toss cauliflower in 2 T olive oil, spread on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast 25-30 minutes, tossing them halfway through to avoid burning.
2) Toss cauliflower with truffle oil and lower oven temperature to 350F.
3) Press pie crust into the bottom of a 9 inch tart pan, cover with foil, and pre-bake for 20 minutes, until the crust is golden.  (Use foil and pie weights if you have them.)  Let cool.
4) Heat remaining 1.5 T olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until a deep gold brown, stirring occasionally, 30-40 minutes.
5) Whisk together eggs, mascarpone, milk, and nutmeg in a large bowl, then add the gruyere.
6) Spread dijon mustard over the bottom of the tart pan, then sprinkle with onions.
7) Arrange cauliflower on top of mustard and onions, then pour cheese mixture on top.
8) Sprinkle with parmesian, and bake until the tart is gold and the center i set, about 40 minutes.  Cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Lemon-Scented Autumn Couscous

This is a delicious way to use up leftover roasted squash and zucchini.  This dish can be modified to use other vegetables and nuts, although I find this to be a particularly delicious combination.

Ingredients

1.5 c couscous
2 c water (or whatever proportion your couscous package calls for)
1 c roasted squash, cut into small chunks
2/3 c feta, chopped
1/2 c walnuts, chopped and toasted
1/2 c dried cranberries
1 zucchini, chopped
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 c olive oil
2-4 T lemon juice (depending on what you prefer)
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

Instructions

1) If you haven't roasted your squash yet, set the oven to 375F and bake on an oiled tray for about 30 minutes, until tender and slightly browned.
2) Combine the lemon zest, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic.
3) Heat 1t oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat, and saute the zucchini for 5 minutes, until tender.
4) Cook the couscous according to the packages instructions - this usually involves pouring boiling water over the dried couscous and covering for several minutes.
5) Combine the cooked couscous with the squash, feta, walnuts, zucchini, and cranberries, and then add the olive oil-lemon mixture.  Toss well to combine, and serve warm or chilled.

Gazpacho

This is a classic gazpacho - it's not fully pureed, but leaves some chunks of vegetable instead.

Ingredients

3.5 c tomato juice
8 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped finely
1 red pepper, chopped finely
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 c chopped fresh parsley
3 T fresh lemon juice
1 green onion, minced
1.5 t (about 1 medium) chile, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Instructions

1) Combine 1 c tomato juice, half tomatoes, half cucumber, and half bell pepper in a blender, and puree until smooth.
2) Pour puree into large bowl.  Stir in remaining tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, tomato juice, onion, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, green onion, chile, and garlic.
3) Season with salt and pepper, cover, and chill 2 hours before serving.

Swiss-Style Breakfast Muesli

This is a healthy and delicious breakfast option - be advised, it really needs to sit overnight, as the texture and flavors develop.

Ingredients

2 c natural yogurt
2 c rolled oats
1 c milk
3-4 T sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 apples, chopped into matchstick slices
2 bananas, sliced
1/2 c walnuts, chopped
other fruits and nuts as you want

Instructions

1) Stir together yogurt, oats, milk, and sugar.
2) Sprinkle lemon juice over fruit.
3) Combine yogurt, oat mixture, and fruit.
4) Cover, and chill overnight.

Spring Roll Salad

This recipe is very tasty, but it something you should make on a lazy sunday - it has a lot of steps, but together they turn out really well.  Adapted from 101 Cookbooks.

Ingredients

12 oz fresh shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 T olive oil
3 T soy sauce
4 oz thin rice noodles
2 carrots, grated
2 T fresh mint, chopped
3 T fresh cilantro, chopped
2 chives or green onions, chopped
1/2 c roast peanuts, chopped
1/2 cucumber, cut into matchsticks.

For the Peanut Sauce

3 medium shallots, unpeeled
1 C coconut milk (unsweetened)
1/2 c smooth peanut butter
1/2 t cayenne pepper (optional)
1.5 T soy sauce
2-3 T lime juice

For the Tamarind Sauce

4 T sugar
3/4 c boiling water
2 T fresh lime juice
4 T tamarind concentrate
2 T soy sauce
2 t fresh cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions

1) To make the peanut sauce, place the shallots on a foil-covered baking tray, and roast at 375F for 30-35 minutes, until very tender.
2) After the shallots have cooled, squeeze the pulp out of the skins into a small bowl
3) Combine with coconut milk, peanut butter, cayenne, soy sauce, and lime juice, and blend until smooth. Cover and set aside.
4) While the shallots are cooking, toss the mushrooms in the olive oil and soy sauce.  Spread on a foil-covered baking sheet and cook about 40 minutes, until the mushrooms are browned and slightly shrunken.
5) To make the tamarind sauce, combine the sugar and boiling water until the sugar is dissolved.
6) Add the lime juice, tamarind, soy sauce, garlic, and cilantro, and stir until blended. Cover and set aside.
7) Bring a pot of water to boil, remove from heat, add the noodles, and let them sit 3-4 minutes until tender.
8) Drain and rinse noodles with cold water for about 30 seconds.
9) Toss noodles with herbs, carrots, cucumber, and peanuts.
10) Serve noodles with mushrooms and both sauces.