HOW TO: Mirepoix (Carrots + Onions + Celery)

A simple, balanced, vegetable base that is the beginning of many recipes, a mirepoix is the French-style combination of onions, celery and carrots. This simple combination will add a depth of flavor to soups, sauces and more.

HOW TO: Mirepoix (Carrots + Onions + Celery)

Heat a large pot over medium-low heat, then add:

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup carrots, finely diced

Cook, stirring periodically for 3-5 minutes, then add:

1 cup onions, finely diced

1/2 cup celery, finely diced

Stir regularly, allowing the vegetables to slowly soften as the flavors meld and intensify. Continue to cook for 7-12 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft the mirepoix is ready to incorporate into a sauce, stew, gravy, etc.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: various

• This recipe can be multiplied or divided as needed for the application. The ratio is 2:1:1 (onions : carrots : celery)

Cabbage Stir Fry

This quick side dish is filled with fresh cut vegetables and is a great compliment to any meal.

Cabbage Stir Fry

To a skillet or wok, heated to medium, add:

1 Tbsp oil

1/4 cup onions, sliced thin

1 tsp garlic, minced

Sauté for 1 minute. Then add:

1 cup julienned carrots

Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Then stir in:

4 cups cabbage, sliced thin

Cook for 2 minutes, finish by stirring in:

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/8 tsp ground ginger

Serve hot.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 4 servings

• Serve as a side dish

• Substitute or add other vegetables as desired

Pea and Carrot Casserole

There are a few casseroles that need to be added to any dinner menu rotation - this is one. It is:

• a Saunders family favorite

• a comfort food casserole

• a great hamburger recipe

Make this tonight and find a new favorite.

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Pea & Carrot Casserole

Step 1: Beef

To a skillet heated to medium, add:

1 lb ground beef

Brown beef, breaking it up as it cooks through. Then add:

1 (8 oz can) tomato sauce

1 tsp seasoned salt

1 tsp garlic powder

Fold together, set aside.

Step 2: Pasta & Veggies

To a large pot (6-8 qt), add:

~2 qts water

Turn heat to High. Bring to rolling boil, add:

1 cup carrots, 1/4” diced

Cook for 5 minutes. Then add:

1/2 tsp salt

8-10 oz pasta (egg noodles recommended)

Reduce heat slightly, to Med-High, retaining a rolling boil until pasta is cooked to desired texture.

• Follow the package recommended cooking time for best results

Then stir in:

1 cup frozen petite peas

Rest 1 minute, then drain through a colander. Return to pot. Stir in:

1 (16 oz) pkg cottage cheese

1 cup milk (or cream)

Set aside.

Step 3: Assemble & Bake

Spray a 13”x9” casserole dish with non-stick spray

In the prepared casserole dish, layer:

• 1/2 pasta & veggie mix

• 1/2 cup grated cheese

• 1/2 ground beef mix

Repeat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350F for 45-60 minutes. Serve hot.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 4 to 6 servings

• Freezer option: this casserole can be fully prepared and assembled in a metal pan. Freeze instead of baking. Two hours before dinner: remove from freezer, place in oven and bake at 350F for 90 minutes (or until heated through).

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Window to B’s kitchen . . .

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Preheat oven to 400F.

Wash and snap* off the woody ends of:

~1 lb asparagus spears

Place in colander to drain, then spread evenly in a 15”x10” sheet pan.

Drizzle lightly with:

Olive oil

Sprinkle lightly with:

Garlic salt

Transfer filled sheet to hot oven.

Roast for 5 to 10 minutes until the spears turn bright green.

Serve immediately.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 4

• *Snapping asparagus: there is a natural breaking point where, as you lightly bend the asparagus stem, it will snap

Creamy Garlic Sauce

Brenda makes this creamy garlic sauce for pretty much any savory dish that needs a boost: pasta, gnocchi, veggies, chicken, pizza, beef, rice…the sky is the limit!

Scroll to the Brenda’s Tips section to learn how to turn this recipe into a soup.

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Creamy Garlic Sauce

Make a roux:

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp flour

Cook for 2-4 minutes on medium heat.

Whisking continuously, add:

1 cup milk

Once smooth, also add:

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp parsley

1 oz cream cheese

1 Tbsp parmesan cheese

Simmer.

Once thickened, cook an additional 1-2 minutes.

Serve hot.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving Size: makes about 1 cup.

• Roux? Sounds complex? Nope. Heat a skillet. Add butter and flour. Start whisking. The butter will melt and whisking will incorporate the flour. Once smooth let it bubble for at least a minute - to cook the flour - and longer will develop flavor. Eventually it can burn so keep stirring but don’t let it darken too much.

• And once you add milk you now have a béchamel. Brenda’s mom always called it a white sauce.

• Brenda makes this creamy garlic sauce for pretty much any savory dish that needs a boost: pasta, veggies, chicken, pizza, beef, rice .... thin it out with a little more milk, cook the roux longer for deeper flavor, or even make a small batch to thicken soup.

Lo Mein Veggie Style

Brenda LOVED running the bridges in NYC. When we were training to run The Great Saunter we mapped out an early morning run that included routes over the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges. To get to the Manhattan bridge we opted to run through the heart of Chinatown. One thing we did NOT plan for were the delicious smells of an NYC summer morning.

We began our run around 5:15 am, putting us in the heart of Chinatown at 5:30 am. At this hour, the fish markets were laying out the morning’s catch. The potent fish smell only enhanced the aroma of fermenting trash piled in bags on the street corners. When Brenda started to comment on how horrible the smells were, a city worker, leaf-blower in hand, began cleaning the sidewalk, creating a huge, grimy dust cloud that immediately engulfed us.

I’ve never seen Brenda run so quickly. I’m pretty sure we PR’d that morning.

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Lo Mein Veggie Style

Lo Mein means “stirred veggies” [according to google] and is essentially Julienned veggies + noodles + sauce.

Start a large pot of water, when boiling add:

Salt

8 oz noodles 

Cook according to noodle package directions. 

In a small bowl, put together sauce and set aside:

3 Tbsp soy sauce 

1 tsp oil 

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp chili garlic sauce

Julienne any combination of the following veggies:

1 medium onion

2 medium carrots

1/4 head cabbage

1 bell pepper 

1 cup mushrooms

2 cups baby spinach leaves

3-4 stalks celery

 

In a large skillet or wok, sauté:

Julienned vegetables

Cook until crisp-tender, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in:

Noodles, drained

Sauce

Cook 2 minutes. Serve hot. 

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Brenda’s Tips:

• Serving Size: 4 servings

• “Julienne” means to slice into thin short strips.... think 1/8”-3/16” x 2” 

• Noodles - Brenda uses spaghetti because it’s something she always has on hand. (Spaghetti is Brenda’s favorite meal, yes even above T-bone steak and hash browns!) This recipe works great with spaghetti or fettuccini pasta, or you can use real Lo Mein noodles .... they’re all made using wheat flour.