The Holidays are officially here and that means lot’s of party food. When I was home last week I made these for a cocktail party and they were a big hit. I like serving items that you can pick up and move around with and these fit the bill. I used chard and collards in these but feel free to fill with whatever vegetables you have on hand.

Stuffed Stromboli

Makes 2 Stromboli, about 12 slices per Stromboli.

Ingredients:

2 packages of Pizza Dough (I used ready made but feel free to make your own. I like this recipe: Pizza Dough)
2 cups Tofu Riccota, posted below, or Riccota Cheese
1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, non-dairy if preferred
1 bunch collard greens, center rib removed, washed
1 bunch swiss chard, center rib removed, washed
1 onion
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tsp. thyme
salt/pepper to taste.

Tofu Ricotta:

Prepare the filling: Stack collard and swiss chard leaves, roll up starting with one side like a cigar. Starting with one end, finely chop the leaves so they end up looking like thin ribbons. Chop the onion in half and then lay on a cutting board, chopped side down. Slice into very thin 1/2 moons.

Heat the oil in a skillet pan, add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes or so until the onions are translucent. Add the chard and collard leaves and cook until completely wilted. Add the lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and thyme to the skillet.

In a large mixing bowl combine the greens, the ricotta mixture and the mozzerella cheese. Taste and season with salt/pepper if needed.

Roll out the pizza doughs to an oblong rectangle shape. Place 1/2 the mixture on each of the doughs. Starting on one end, gently roll up the dough around the mixture, folding and tucking the ends as you go. Cut off any excess dough at the end of the roll and seal with your fingers. Place finished rolls onto a lightly greased baking sheet or pizza stone.

I can’t stop eating these little gems, they are really good. Steamed chard leaves are filled with black “forbidden” rice, mashed butternut squash, kumquat-bbq tofu and topped with a creamy garlic tahini sauce.  The combination of colors and flavors make these rolls really special. Great as an appetizer, light lunch or paired with a salad for larger meal. I had a similar item last weekend and was so excited to come home and create rolls with my own DK twist.

Ingredients:

1 cup Cooked leftover black rice, (or brown/wild rice)
1 cup butternut squash
8 oz. extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
10 large chard leaves (could also use collard/cabbage leaves)

½ cup favorite BBQ sauce
½ cup Kumquat marmalade (Recipe post coming soon! Or substitute orange or apricot jam)

Garlic Tahini Sauce:
1/2 cup tahini
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. smoked paprika
2 large lemons, juiced
3 cloves garlic
Salt/pepper

In a blender/food processor combine all ingredients for the garlic tahini sauce and puree until smooth.

Halve the tofu widthwise and then cut into thin slices. Place in a glass pan sprayed very lightly with cooking spray. Combine the BBQ sauce and marmalade. Brush the sauce over the tofu and let sit for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Flip to the other side and brush on the remaining sauce. Place in preheated oven and cook for 15-20 minutes.

While the tofu is cooking, set up a steamer. Finely dice the butternut squash and steam for 10-15 minutes until soft. Place the cooked squash in a bowl and mash.

Wash the leaves and trim to the base of the stem. Place in the steamer and steam for 1-2 minutes until soft and pliable. Remove and place on a clean working space. Now you are ready to roll! Place the leaf down, widest side facing you. If the stem is still hard, gently press on the stem to flatten. While the leaves are sturdy for filling they are very fragile. Take care not to rip them.

Place a small amount of rice (about 2 tbsp) on the base of the leaf, about ¾ of an inch from the end. Place a similar amount of squash on top. Lay a piece of tofu ontop of the squash, Depending on how big your leaves are will determine how much filling to place. Wrap the end over the tofu and gently push the side leaves over to cover. It will now roll like a burrito. Take care to keep pressing the leaves in towards the filling. Place the finished roll seam side down into the steamer basket. Continue to fill the rest of the rolls and place in the steamer basket. Steam for an additional 3-5 minutes. Remove and top with tahini sauce.

Share with someone you love!

If you’ve been following my recipes, you know that I love a little heat in my dishes. Lately, I had been craving a hearty vegetable dish and came up with this. If you don’t have one or more of these spices, improvise! That’s how the best dishes are made. Feel free to adjust spice amounts to your taste.

Spicy Potatoes and Rainbow Chard

Ingredients

1/4 onion, sliced thinly into half moons
1 large bunch chard or other greens, thinly sliced
1 lb. potatoes, diced
1 serrano chili pepper, minced
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cardamon (I used powdered, but you could use pods)
1 tsp. vindaloo spice
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. oil, water, or broth
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium heat in a skillet, add garlic and onion and cook for a few minutes until onion begins to soften. Add potatoes and spices. You might need to add a little more broth, oil, or water if potatoes start to stick to bottom of pan. Cook until potatoes are done, about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add greens and cook and additional 5 minutes.