Légumes Amis

Shirred Eggs

2012-02-11T14:16:00.003-05:00

Ever since our stay at a Newport B&B, I've been trying to replicate the delicious baked eggs that we had and finally found a recipe that fits the bill. The recipe is from thekitchn and I like eggs because they are so versatile. I've made this on week nights when time is limited and add a salad with a slice of bread and it's a great quick meal.

Shirred Eggs with Soldiers
serves 2

2 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons shredded Gruyere cheese
2 teaspoons minced shallot
a few sprigs of thyme
2 pieces of toast, cut into thin slices

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease two 4-inch ramekins (you can use a smaller size, or tea cups work as well; you may have to adjust your cooking time for desired setting of the eggs).

Crack each egg into a ramekin, and pour 1 tablespoon of cream onto each egg. Sprinkle the cheese, shallots and a few thyme leaves onto each egg.

Bake for 7 to 10 minutes (7 for a very runny yolk, 10 for a firmer yolk), until the egg is 'set' to your preference. Serve immediately with toast soldiers. Eggs will continue to set up as you eat, so get them to the table as soon as possible.

Tuscan Lentil Soup

2012-01-30T13:19:00.002-05:00

I found this recipe via Pinterest, and it is from here. It's very thick so it's more like a stew, but a filling and good meal. I cut the recipe in half and that served 4 people with some leftover, so I can only imagine the full recipe would serve 6-8 adults. I used a fair amount of salt and pepper to season and lots of Parmesan cheese on top. Also, I found that after cooking the red lentils for 25 minutes they were already tender. I served this with a nice green salad and broiled Parmesan bread.

Tuscan Lentil Soup

1 pound small French green lentils, rinsed (I used red lentils)

7 cups vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 small cup pasta

8 oz spinach, chopped

1 14oz can diced tomatoes

1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

salt

freshly ground black pepper

fresh Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, combine the lentils, broth and bay leaf. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for approximately 45 minutes, or until lentils are just tender.

In a small skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, but not browned. Set aside.

Bring a med saucepan of water to boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 5 minutes, or until just al dente. Drain and set aside.

Add the sauteed vegetables, spinach, tomatoes (with juice), and parsley to the lentils. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in the pasta and season with the salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf. Ladle in bowls, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Linguine with Tomato-almond Pesto

2012-01-23T20:19:00.004-05:00

Picture from Smitten Kitchen

I've been wanting to make this recipe for a while now from Smitten Kitchen and it was everything that I hoped it would be. I like it with lots of grated parmesan cheese on top. This would be a great dish to bring to a potluck or gathering since it makes a good amount.

Linguine with tomato-almond pesto

serves 6-8

3/4 cup slivered almonds

1 large handful fresh basil leaves

1 to 2 large garlic cloves

Several sprinkles of sea salt

6 ripe plum tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan

1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil

1 pound linguine

In a large skillet, sauté the almonds in a little olive oil until toasted. Let cool, then blend them in a food processor or blender until they are in coarse pieces. (“The size of orzo,” the original recipe suggests.) Scoop them out of the processor and set them aside.

Put the basil, garlic and a few pinches of sea salt into the food processor and chop. Add the almonds back to the food processor (keeping them separate will keep them from getting too finely chopped as you get the basil and garlic to the right texture) with the tomatoes, cheese and olive oil and whirl briefly. Season it with freshly ground black pepper.

Cook your linguine until it is al dente and could use another minute of cooking time. Reserve one cup of pasta cooking water and drain the rest. Immediately toss the hot linguine with the pesto and mix quickly so that it drinks the sauce up a bit. Add more pasta water if needed. Serve this lukewarm, or at room temperature, with a glass of wine, after you get the baby to bed.

Pumpkin Soup

2011-12-12T14:56:00.002-05:00

I meant to post this a while ago when pumpkins were in season. This is one of my favorite fall/winter soups, which I got from my cousin and it's delicious. It's an easy soup that serves 6 or more, but I usually cut the recipe in half.

Pumpkin Soup

2 carrots - chopped

1 large onion - chopped

1/4 cup butter

1 golden delicious apple - peeled and chopped (I've used other kinds of apples as well)

1 large can packed pumpkin (29 oz)

2 cans vegetable broth

1 cup water

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup light cream

salt and pepper

Saute carrots and onion in butter for 10 minutes or until soft. Then add apple, pumpkin, broth, water, spices and cook all for 30 minutes until cooked through. Blend soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. Then add cream and serve warm. Enjoy!

Tomato Sauce

2011-12-05T20:20:00.003-05:00

I've never loved spaghetti and refused to make it for years because I didn't love any of the sauces, except from authentic Italian restaurants. However, this tomato sauce from Smitten Kitchen has got me boiling pasta and making this tomato sauce on a regular basis. I do add 2 cloves of chopped garlic to the sauce and I also chop the tomatoes before I place them into the pot to speed up the process. Enjoy!

Tomato Sauce with onion and butter

(Serves 4 as a main course; makes enough sauce to lightly coat most of a pound of spaghetti)

28 ounces (800 grams) whole peeled tomatoes from a can (San Marzano, if you can find them)

5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter

1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved

Salt to taste

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan (it fit just right in a 3-quart) over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste (you might find, as I did, that your tomatoes came salted and that you didn’t need to add more) and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Winter Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons

2011-10-26T14:05:00.004-04:00

(Photo and recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen)

I made this soup last night and absolutely loved the simple mix of savory flavors. This soup is not sweet and is even better with the croutons. I substituted gruyere with jarlsburg cheese and I also only used butternut squash since that's what I had on hand. This is perfect for chilly fall days.

Winter Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons
Adapted from Bon Appétit, December 1996

Serves 8

Soup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt vegetable broth
4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 cup whipping cream

Croutons
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
24 1/4-inch-thick baguette bread slices
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh sage

For soup: Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)

For croutons: Preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then thyme and sage over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.

Lemon Blueberry Scones

2011-10-21T14:21:00.004-04:00

I tried this new recipe which I got from Vegetarian Times and was surprised by how much I liked it. I did add a little glaze to these scones for a little extra sweetness, but they were also good without it. I'm sure I'll be making these again.

· 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

· 1/4 cup granulated sugar

· 2 tsp. baking powder

· 1/2 tsp. salt

· 3 Tbs. unsalted butter

· 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. low-fat buttermilk

· 1 tsp. grated lemon zest

· 1 tsp. vanilla extract

· 1 large egg

· 1 cup dried blueberries

· Milk for brushing tops

· Granulated sugar for tops

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease baking sheet. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

2. Mix buttermilk, zest, vanilla and egg in medium bowl. Stir in dried blueberries. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky).

3. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Pat into 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Use 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut out dough. Form scraps into more scones. Place 1/2 inch apart on baking sheet. (If making ahead, stop here, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate.) Brush tops with milk, and sprinkle with sugar.

4. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until tops are lightly browned.

Glaze:

Mix a cup of powdered sugar with the juice of 1 lemon and stir until desired consistency. Then drizzle over scones.

Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches

2011-10-05T15:41:00.003-04:00

I got the idea to make these red velvet sandwiches from my sister Trisha. The recipe can be found here. I would recommend cutting the cream cheese frosting in half, unless you want a lot leftover. They were delicious - enjoy!

Easy Fruit Tart

2011-08-22T20:46:00.003-04:00

I saw this peach tart from Veggie Belly and decided to make something similar with berries (raspberries, blueberries and blackberries) and pears. I honestly didn't like the pear tart all that much, but the berries were delicious. This is such an easy dessert and looks beautiful too.

Easy Fruit Tart
about 6 servings
1 sheet puff pastry
4 fresh peaches (or whatever fruit you are using)
1 cup sugar (I used less)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400f

Thaw the puff pastry sheet for about 30 minutes. Peal and cut fruit and then toss fruit with sugar, cinnamon, allspice and salt.

Cut the puff pastry sheet into thirds and lay it out on a baking sheet. If your the baking sheet is not non-stick, spray it with non-stick spray or oil. Arrange fruit slices or berries on the puff pastry. Bake for 20 minutes or till the puff pastry is golden. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

2011-08-22T20:36:00.004-04:00

Image from here

These tomatoes were the highlight tonight because dinner was a total bust. Luckily I made these for the side dish. The recipe is from Eating Well and it's a great way to use up summer tomatoes.

Ingredients:
4 tomatoes, halved horizontally
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450° F.
Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Top with Parmesan, oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and bake until the tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Fresh Tortellini with Asparagus

2011-08-05T15:42:00.003-04:00

This is a meal that I've been making a lot lately. It's quick and a nice light meal for summer. I usually serve this with corn on the cobb, watermelon, and salad. I prefer Buitoni's three cheese tortellini in the refrigerated section, but you could substitute your favorite.

Ingredients:

1 package three cheese tortellini

1 bunch fresh asparagus (cut into 1 inch segments)

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add tortellini and follow cooking instructions (I believe it's only 7 minutes). A few minutes before the pasta is done, add diced asparagus to the boiling water and cook for the remaining time. Drain water when done. Add a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Then add as much Parmesan cheese and serve. Enjoy!

Caprese Skewers

2011-08-04T13:46:00.003-04:00

We've had a drought in regards to posting, but I thought I would share these little appetizers, which are super easy and adorable to the eye. Add a drop of balsamic to them and then they are ready. Recipe can be found here.

Arugula Salad

2011-05-26T15:38:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year again when I give my oven a break and make simple salads for dinner. I had a similar salad at CPK and surprisingly loved it. This is a light meal, which I usually serve with bread, cheese and fruit.

Arugula Salad

-Fresh arugula greens

-Asparagus, steamed and diced

-Sun-dried tomatoes (from a jar), juillianed

-Shaved Parmesan cheese

-Almonds, toasted and sliced

Toss all ingredients in lemon vinaigrette.

Lemon Vinaigrette

-Juice of 1 lemon

-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

-Salt & Pepper

-Dash of herbs (basil, parsley, oregano, thyme)

-1/2 cup olive oil

Mix all ingredients except for oil. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking the vinaigrette.

Cobb Salad

2011-05-26T15:30:00.002-04:00

Here's another classic salad that I've been liking lately. I like it with creamy poppyseed dressing, but you could use your favorite dressing.

Cobb Salad

-Spring Mix greens

-2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

-Asparagus, steamed and diced

-1 red pepper, diced

-1 yellow pepper, diced

-Cheddar cheese, grated (or your favorite cheese)

-Poppyseed dressing (or your favorite dressing)

Combine all ingredients and coat with dressing. Serve with fresh bread.

Vegetable Crepes

2011-03-16T13:24:00.005-04:00

I love crepes, especially sweet ones, but I've been wanting to make some savory crepes ever since we ate at the Skinny Pancake in Vermont (I would highly recommend it if you're in Burlington). The crepe batter recipe is from Susan Branch (from the Vineyard) and is the recipe I use the most. However, I do want to try this vegan crepe recipe from Vegan Yum Yum. The nice thing about crepes is that they are so versatile. With the batter made you can have dinner and dessert easily ready.

Crepe Batter

2 eggs beaten

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1.5 Tbs melted butter

.5 tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a wire whisk. Pour a few tablespoons of batter in a greased saute pan and then spread the batter all over by turning the pan. Cook over medium-low heat. With a spatula, flip the crepe once the edges start to curl away from the pan and cook an additional minute or two. Crepes do not take long to cook, so stay close to the stove. Below is a picture before the crepe is flipped.

Filling

1 small onion - sliced

1 red pepper - sliced

3/4 cup mushrooms - sliced

1/3 cup pesto

1/2 cup fresh baby spinach

In a saute pan with some olive oil, saute sliced onions and red pepper until the onions are almost caramelized (or you could roast the red pepper instead). Add mushrooms and cook until all vegetables are tender. Set aside.

Spread a Tbs of pesto over a crepe and add a desired amount of vegetables. Then add some fresh baby spinach and either fold or roll crepe. Could also add your favorite cheese.

Suggested dessert crepes:

-Nutella

-Sugar and lemon juice

-Raspberry jam with whip cream

-Fresh fruit with some sugar

Bon appetit!

Zucchini Nut Bread Sandwich Cookies

2011-03-07T13:27:00.004-05:00

Do you notice a theme here? We're trying to clear out the freezer of last year's produce before the garden is going again this year.

These cookies are great by themselves or with the cream cheese frosting filling.

*photo and recipe courtesy of Everyday Food

Ingredients

Serves 14

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Coarse salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup finely grated zucchini
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Beat 1 stick butter and the sugars until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
Beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Mix in zucchini, oats, and walnuts. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop (about 2 tablespoons), drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden, about 17 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
Beat together remaining 1/2 stick butter, the cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon filling onto the flat side of 1 cookie, and sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining filling and cookies.

Curried Zucchini Soup

2011-03-07T13:21:00.004-05:00

We love this curried zucchini soup recipe. It definitely also works with frozen shredded zucchini for when you start getting sick of zucchini bread.
*photo and recipe courtesy of Everyday Food

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
Coarse salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium), sliced 1 inch thick
1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

Directions

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and 1 tablespoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and curry powder; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add zucchini, potato, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
In batches, puree soup in a blender (do not fill more than halfway) until smooth; serve immediately, or let cool, and refrigerate in an airtight container until chilled. Garnish with toasted almonds.

peanut butter thumbprint cookies

2011-03-06T21:25:00.003-05:00

I can't think of anything that makes more sense than peanut butter and jelly except maybe peanut butter and jelly in a cookie so I made this up based on another thumbprint cookie recipe:

1/3 c canola oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I used light but dark would probably be good too)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup nondairy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
2 T cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt (generous)
1/4 tsp baking powder
raspberry jam (unless you are weird and prefer some other flavor)

Preheat oven to 350

In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to mix the oil, sugar, and peanut butter. Mix in the "milk" and vanilla. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder. Mix well until a stiff dough forms.
Roll the dough into a walnut size ball. Make a deep thumbprint, fill it with about a teaspoon of jam.

These don't spread much so you can squeeze all twenty on one sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for five minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cauliflower Soup

2011-02-24T20:08:00.003-05:00

This recipe is from Real Simple, which I got from my good friend Lisa. Just ignore the sandwich in the picture, but the soup is excellent. It has an interesting flavor and texture, but I started to like it more and more with each bite. This recipe serves 4-6.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 head cauliflower, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups whole milk
2 cups (8 ounces) grated white cheddar cheese
kosher salt and pepper

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the cauliflower, broth, and milk and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
Puree the soup in the pan using a handheld immersion blender or, working in batches, a standard blender.
Stir in 1 ⅔ cups of the Cheddar, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Divide the soup into bowls. Add the remaining oil and Cheddar and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Serve with rolls or bread.

Veggie Capellini

2011-02-12T14:13:00.003-05:00

This is my own creation, inspired from different pasta dishes and changes depending on what vegetables I have or want to use. Capellini is angel hair pasta, which cooks so quickly and I think is great in this dish. This is also great as leftovers (which is saying something because I don't usually like leftovers). You can also omit the sauce and just have it with the vegetables and pesto, but I think I prefer it with the sauce.

Veggie Capellini

Serves 4

1/2 lb capellini pasta - cooked and drained

1 jar roasted red peppers - chopped

1 jar marinated artichoke heats - chopped

1/2 lb asparagus - steamed and chopped

1/2 cup pesto (more or less)

2-3 shallots - chopped

1 cup mushrooms - sliced

1-2 garlic cloves - chopped

olive oil

1/2 cup vegetable broth (more or less)

1/4 cup cooking white wine (optional)

salt and pepper

1. Heat about a Tbs of olive oil in a saute pan. Add chopped shallots, mushrooms, and garlic and saute until slightly brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add vegetable broth and cooking wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced.

2. Have vegetables (artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, asparagus) all ready and chopped. Including steamed asparagus.

3. Boil water and cook pasta until done. This is fast since the pasta is so thin.

4. Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Add pesto and coat the pasta evenly. Then add chopped vegetables and the sauce with the mushrooms and shallots. Combine all, serve, and enjoy!

Brown Sugar and Peach Muffins

2011-02-10T15:10:00.003-05:00

Another baked goods recipe from Vegan Yum Yum. These muffins are not overly sweet, but are still delicious.

Brown Sugar and Peach Muffins
Makes 12 Muffins

2 Cups Flour (spelt or all-purpose wheat)
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Cup Soymilk (+ 2 Tbs more for all-purpose flour)
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
1/3 Cup Oil (like canola)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 – 2/3 Cup Peaches, chopped (fresh or canned)
Extra Brown Sugar, for sanding

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Line your muffin tins with muffin cups. Mix the dry ingredients together.

Whisk the wet ingredients together until incorporated and thickened. Add wet to dry and gently fold the until the flour is moistened and there are no dry spots. Add the chopped peaches and fold in gently.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way. Sprinkle with extra brown sugar, and add extra peach pieces on top if desired. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean. The centers should also bounce back when pressed lightly.

Lemon Maple Scones

2011-02-03T15:01:00.005-05:00

Just think afternoon tea. These delicious scones are more like biscuits, but can be sweeten with yummy jams. The recipe is from Vegan Yum Yum and the pictures are far superior to mine. The link includes a clotted cream recipe, but I think I prefer them with apricot or strawberry jam. Also, I would recommend not broiling them to get the tops brown. They end up too hard and dry. My second batch of (pale) scones were much better.

Lemon Maple Scones
Makes 12-15 2″ Scones

2 Cups All- Purpose Flour
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
Zest of 1 Lemon
1/3 Cup Earth Balance Margarine
3 Tbs Maple Syrup (or regular sugar)
1/2 Cup Soymilk
2 Tbs Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl (flour through zest). Mix the wet ingredients together (syrup, soymilk and lemon juice). Using a pastry cutter or a fork, blend the Earth Balance into the dry ingredients until there are no chunks of margarine left and the mixture looks like damp sand.

Pour in the wet ingredients and mix with your hands to form a soft dough. Only mix until just combined, adding more flour if the mixture is too wet. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to a slab 3/4″ thick. Using a biscuit cutter or a glass with about a 2″ diameter, cut out your scones. Press the scraps of dough together, roll out again, and continue cutting scones until you’ve used up your dough.

Transfer scones to a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, or a non-stick mat. Brush the tops with a mixture of soymilk, powdered sugar and lemon juice.

Bake at 400º F for 12-15 minutes. If the scones aren’t lightly brown after 15 minutes, transfer to the broiler for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully, to brown the tops if desired. Remove to a cooling rack.

Simple Red Curry

2011-02-02T17:24:00.004-05:00

This simple red curry dish was inspired by Trader Joe's Thai Red Curry Sauce. Chop your favorite vegetables to the desired amount in a saute pan and then pour some of the red curry sauce over and simmer until vegetables are tender. I don't have a picture of the final result, but below is what I usually make. This is a delicious and filling meal. It's even better served with baked garlic naan (which you can also find frozen at TJ's).

Simple Red Curry

1-2 Tbs oil

Chopped onion or 2 shallots

Chopped cauliflower

Chopped zucchini

Frozen peas

TJ's Thai Red Curry sauce

Garbanzo beans (canned)

Diced small potatoes (sometimes I include this)

Coconut milk (light is fine)

Heat oil in a saute pan. Add desired amount of chopped vegetables (and potatoes, if using) to the oil and saute for a few minutes. Add TJ's red curry sauce over the vegetables, as well as some coconut milk and simmer until vegetables are tender. Then add drained garbanzo beans to the mix. Sometimes I add a little extra seasonings like salt, pepper, ground ginger and curry powder. Once the curry is all heated through, serve over rice and enjoy with garlic naan.

Gado Gado

2011-01-23T15:59:00.002-05:00

An Indonesian extravaganza: Yellow rice on a bed of spinach, covered with vegetables, tofu, and hard boiled eggs. A gingery peanut sauce gets drizzled over the top, and crunchy, flavorful "final toppings" add a delightful finishing touch.

Note: all the ingredients can be prepared in advance and served warm or at room temperature.

Gado-Gado:
Note: You can vary the vegetables and their amounts. Also, they can be cooked or raw, or some of each. Arrange everything on a platter or on individual plates.

1- A bed of fresh spinach goes on the bottom.

2- Yellow Rice goes on the spinach. (To make yellow rice, cook 2 cups rice in 3 cups simmering water with 1/2 tsp. tumeric. Add a little extra water toward the end of cooking, if needed until tender.)

3-An assortment of vegetables goes on rice. Such as broccoli, green beans, red and green cabbage (very finely shredded), thin slices of carrot, mung bean sprouts.

4- Tofu and hard boiled eggs (sliced or chopped) go on the vegetables
Peanut Sauces:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 heaping Tbs grated ginger
1 heaping Tbs minced garlic
1 1/2 cups hot water
4 Tbs cider vinegar
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp salt
crushed red pepper to taste

1- Put everything into a blender and puree until smooth. If it is too thick add a little extra water.
2- Transfer to a serving bowl and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve at any temperature, drizzled over Gado Gado. (This makes about 2 cups sauces)

Final Toppings:
3 Tbs peanut or canola oil
2 Tbs sliced fresh ginger (VERY thin slices, done with your sharpest paring knife)
1 cup finely chopped onion
12 medium cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

Optional toppings:
shredded, unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted
crushed red pepper
slices of fruit: lemons, limes, oranges, apples, pineapple

1-Heat 1 Tbs oil in small skillet. Add ginger, and saute over medium heat for a minute or so, then transfer to small bowl.
2- Repeat with the onion and garlic, sauteing each separately in 1 Tbs oil for 8 to 10 minutes (onion) and about 20 seconds (garlic). Place each in a small bowl.
3- Place some or all of these toppings on the table with the Gado Gado, so each person can liberally garnish their own portion.

I was a bit hesitant to try this when Christian suggested it as it seemed like a weird combination. It turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. The peanut sauce is very tasty and the recipe allows for a nice combination of veggies, protein and carbohydrates. If you want a vegan option you can leave out the egg. One night we did it with the egg, the other night we did it with tofu and both were delish!

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

2011-01-11T14:17:00.003-05:00

Recipe is from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and makes 12 regular sized cupcakes. These are delicious!

Basic Chocolate Cupcake:

1 cup soy milk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat till foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat till no large lumps remain. Pour into cupcake liners and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Peanut Buttercream

1/4 cup margarine, softened

2 Tbs shortening (Earth Balance sticks are the best for this)

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1.5 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 to 2 Tbs rice milk, soy milk or soy creamer

With electric handheld mixer, cream together margarine and shortening till smooth. Add peanut butter and vanilla and beat until very smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in sugar; mixture will be stiff. Slowly add rice milk, beating continuously till frosting is pale tan and very fluffy.

Mexican Pepper Casserole

2011-01-04T20:56:00.002-05:00

Sorry there isn't a picture, but it is so great, I had to share!

Mexican Pepper Casserole
45 minutes to prepare, 40 minutes to bake

1 Tbs olive oil
2 cups sliced onion
6-8 medium sized bell peppers (a mix of colors, if available) thinly sliced
4-5 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cumin
black pepper, to taste
cayenne, to taste
2 Tbs. flour
2-3 eggs
2 cups yogurt and/or sour cream

Optional Items:
1 tsp dried coriander, 1 tsp dry mustard, a handful of freshly minced cilantro, 2 cups sliced jack or cheddar cheese, paprika for the top

1) Lightly grease a 10 inch square pan or its equivalent. Preheat oven to 375

2) Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or dutch oven. Add onion and saute about 5-8 min over medium heat, until the onions begin to soften.

3) Add peppers, salt, cumin, dried coriander, mustard, black pepper, and cayenne. Saute another 8-10 minutes, then sprinkle in the flour. Cook and stir another 5 minutes, or until the peppers are very tender. Transfer to the baking pan.

4) Beat together the eggs and yogurt or sour cream. Stir in the minced fresh cilantro. Pour this custard over the peppers. Top with slices of cheese, if desired, and dust with paprika.

5) Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes until firm in the center and bubbly around the edges. Serve hot with rice and beans and or warmed tortillas.

We served ours over rice and beans and it was really enjoyable to our taste buds. We added the cilantro and cheese to our casserole and found it to be wonderful.

Sherry Tomato Cream Sauce

2010-11-28T14:37:00.004-05:00

I have finally created a tomato sauce that I like and it is delicious over pasta, grilled polenta, as well as bruchetta. This recipe is a combination of a few recipes, so I don't have exact measurements (just estimates). I use cooking sherry and that's what really makes this sauce, but it could probably be substituted.

Sherry Tomato Cream Sauce

Serves 4

Olive oil

2 shallots - chopped

4 small mushrooms - chopped

1-2 cloves garlic - minced

Splash of cooking sherry

1 cup vegetable broth

1 can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

Pinch of salt and pepper

Splash of heavy cream (optional)

Chop shallots, mushrooms and garlic. Heat olive oil in a medium to large skillet and then add shallots, mushrooms and garlic. Saute until cooked and lightly brown. Add sherry and scrape all the brown bits. Add vegetable broth and tomato sauce and stir together. Then add a pinch of salt and pepper and stir until sauce thickens or desired consistency (make sure the sauce is simmering). Then lower the heat and add a splash of heavy cream before serving. Incorporate the cream completely and then pour sauce over warm pasta. Enjoy!

Zucchini Vichyssoise

2010-11-08T13:20:00.003-05:00

Recipe is from Ina Garten's Barefoot In Paris cookbook and serves 5 to 6 people. It can also be served either hot or cold and is delicious with homemade croutons.

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs olive oil

5 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (4 to 8 leeks)

4 cups chopped unpeeled white boiling potatoes (8 small)

3 cups chopped zucchini (2 zucchinis)

1 1/2 quarts vegetable broth

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tbs heavy cream

Fresh chives for garnish

Heat butter and oil in a large stockpot, add leeks, and saute over medium for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, zucchini, broth, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and then process in a food mill or blender till mostly pureed (or desired consistency). Add the cream and season to taste. Serve either hot or cold, garnished with chopped chives and/or zucchini.

Black and "White" Cookies

2010-10-31T15:04:00.002-04:00

This vegan recipe is for traditional NYC black and white cookies; however, I substituted white for orange due to the holiday. These cookies are delicious - even on their own without the frosting. Recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. Makes 16 large cookies.

1 cup soy milk

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup canola or safflower oil

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp lemon extract or 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

1/4 tsp orange extract or 1/2 tsp grated orange zest

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

For the Icing:

3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup boiling water

1 to 2 drops vanilla or almond extract (optional)

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the soy milk and lemon juice; allow mixture to sit 1 minute to curdle. Add the oil, sugar, vanilla, and lemon and orange extracts and whisk till blended.

3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Form a well in the center of flour mixture and pour in the soy milk mixture. Stir to combine. Stir until almost all the lumps have dissolved and a very thick batter forms.

4. Scoop batter onto baking sheets, leaving 3 inches of space between cookies. These cookies will spread. Bake 18-20 minutes, till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove cookies and allow to cool for 2 minutes - then transfer to wire racks.

5. For the icing, place powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup boiling water and stir vigorously with a wire whisk. Add a drop of vanilla or almond extract if desired. If necessary, dribble in additional hot water by the tablespoon till a glossy, thin-but-spreadable icing forms. If it's too runny, add a little bit of powdered sugar.

6. Dust crumbs off the flat bottoms of cookies. Scoop some frosting onto the flat side (the former bottom) of each cookie and spread an even layer of opaque frosting. Return cookies to cooling racks to dry. Use the remaining icing (about 1/2 cup) for the chocolate icing.

7. In a double boiler or microwave, melt the chocolate chips until smooth. Add the melted chocolate to the leftover icing and blend until thick and smooth. It should be slightly thicker than the white icing. Ice one-half of each cookie over the vanilla icing. Best eaten the day they are made - so enjoy!

Quinoa Chili Buns

2010-10-22T14:09:00.002-04:00

This chili recipe is from Kate, which is excellent in a bowl or served as a sandwich. The chili thickens over time, so it makes a great consistency for a "sloppy joe" kind of sandwich (which is how I prefer to have it). It's even better when served with sliced avocado.

Quinoa Chili

2 cans kidney beans, rinsed & drained (or whatever beans you like)

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 teaspoon salt

1 green pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed in warm water

1 cup frozen corn

1 can tomato sauce (about 2 cups)

1 cup water

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions, and sauté until tender. Add salt, garlic, pepper and spices; sauté for 5-10 minutes. Add rinsed quinoa and stir in. Add corn, tomato sauce, and water to onion/quinoa mixture. Simmer together 20 minutes. Add beans to the pot and simmer another 15 minutes. Serve with sliced avocados, cheese, and sandwich buns.

Coconut, Corn, and Black Bean Soup

2010-10-20T20:09:00.002-04:00

Another soup recipe from Vegan Yum Yum, which I just love. I made this with pasta, which was good, but I think I'll try it with potato next. This is a simple and hearty soup, which thickens over time.

Coconut, Corn, and Black Bean Soup
Makes 4 lunch sized portions

2 Cans Black Beans
1 Cup Pureed Stewed Tomatoes (canned)
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
1 Vegetable Bullion Cube
1 Cup Frozen Corn
1 tsp Smoked Paprika (please actually use the smoked kind!)
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp of your favorite herb(s) (pictured with fresh thyme)

Add both cans of beans with their liquid to a heavy soup pot. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, bullion cube, paprika, corn and herbs. Simmer for at least 20 minutes, but it can cook on low, covered, for much longer if needed. A few minutes before serving, add the corn. Garnish with some fresh herbs, if available, and/or a splash of coconut milk.

You may consider adding shredded carrot, fresh baby spinach, pasta, rice, lentils, or even a diced potato if you feel like jazzing it up a bit. It’s a very versatile soup, and I find it refreshing change from the vegetable broth and tomato based soups I usually make.

Sweet Potato Soup

2010-10-20T20:04:00.003-04:00

I got this recipe from Vegan YumYum, which can be found here (including picture). It is delicious and sweet.

Sweet Potato Soup

3+ Cups (575 g) Sweet Potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Can Coconut Milk (not the low fat stuff!)
1 Cup Vegetable Stock or Water
1 Vegetable Bullion Cube
1 tsp Celery Salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Cardamom (optional)
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs Maple Syrup
1 Tbs Olive Oil

In a large heavy bottomed stock pot or cast-iron dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add sweet potatoes and caramelize the chunks on all sides over medium-high heat. Deglaze the pan with the vegetable stock or water, scraping the bits from the bottom, then add the coconut milk and bullion cube. Simmer covered until potatoes are soft and can be mushed with a spoon, about 20 minutes.

Transfer soup to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Please be careful during this step! If you’re not positive your machine can fit all the soup in one go, blend it in batches. No one wants boiling soup exploding all over them! Unfortunately I speak from experience here.

When the soup is blended, transfer back into your pot and add the spices, vinegar and syrup. Simmer for 5 minutes more and serve.

Garnish with maple syrup and fresh cracked pepper. It would also be great with a little cranberry sauce!

Serves 2-3 main courses, 3-4 sides

Simple Rice Pudding

2010-09-27T11:13:00.005-04:00

This is a simple stovetop recipe for rice pudding, which I received from a friend. It was nice to have warm this morning on a chilly day. I omitted the raisins and added pistachios instead. It's not overly sweet, so add more sugar if you need a boost.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk or non-dairy milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1/2 cup pistachios (optional)

Directions
1) In a medium saucepan stir in rice, salt, milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.
2) Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, over medium heat for 25-35 minutes or until thickened. Add raisins in the last 10 minutes of cooking. Or add nuts at the end of cooking.
3) Remove from heat. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon, if desired. Serve warm or chilled. Enjoy!

Roasted Pear Salad with Chevre

2010-09-15T13:39:00.003-04:00

From Vegetarian Times

Serves 8

4 - Pears, halved and cored

8 tsp. plus 2 Tbs. fig jam (I used strawberry)

5 oz. soft goat cheese, cut into 8 slices

1 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

4 cups watercress or baby arugula (I used baby spinach)

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)

1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pear halves cup-side up in 2 large baking dishes.

2. Spoon 1 tsp. jam in center of each pear half. Top with goat cheese rounds, and lightly drizzle with oil. Bake pears 30 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown.

3. Whist together remaining 2 Tbs. fig jam, lemon juice, and mustard in bowl. Whist in 1 Tbs. olive oil.

4. Divide watercress among 8 serving plates. Sprinkle with onion and walnuts. Top each with pear half, and drizzle with dressing.

Matar Paneer

2010-09-12T21:06:00.005-04:00

Paneer is a cheese curd used in Indian, Iranian and Afghan cooking - and obviously not vegan. Some years ago a friend of mine made me this delicious curry subbing pressed tofu for paneer. Pressing tofu wrapped in a towel for 15-30 minutes changes it's texture dramatically, you definitely won't miss the cheese.

1 lb tofu

2 Tbs canola oil

2 1/2 tsp chopped garlic

1 Tbs ginger root

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

3/4 c water

3 1/2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp paprika

5 tsp coriander

5 tsp cumin

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 c frozen peas

2 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 Tbs lemon juice

2 1/2 tsp sucanat (I usually just sub whatever sugar I have because I seldom have sucanat)

Wrap tofu in a clean towel and press for at least 15 minutes

Saute garlic and ginger for 2-3 minutes

Whisk in tomato and water

add curry, paprika, cumin, coriander, garam masala, and turmeric

cook on medium heat until spices absorb

add peas and tofu, cook for 5 minutes

add salt, black pepper, lemon juice and sucanat

We ate this tonight served over barley but it's also great with rice or quinoa.

Fresh Tomato Basil Pizza with Strawberry Salad

2010-09-11T21:19:00.004-04:00

This is a very basic meal, but one that I love and have a few times a month. I'm even lazy and buy my pizza dough. It's even better if you have a hot pizza stone - just to make it more crispy. I usually turn my oven to 450 degrees for 40 minutes with the stone inside and then assemble my pizza (although you have to act quickly to keep the stone hot and avoid burning yourself). Then bake approximately 10 minutes.

Salad:
-fresh spinach
-fresh strawberries
-toasted almonds
-dried cranberries
-crumbled goat cheese
-berry vinaigrette (I like Brianna's Blush Wine vinaigrette)

Pizza:
-pizza dough (can buy from your favorite pizza place, at the grocery store, or homemade)
-shredded mozzarella cheese
-fresh sliced tomatoes (I usually use grape or cherry tomatoes)
-fresh basil - chopped

-fresh parmesan cheese

Crouton Salad

2010-08-25T20:32:00.003-04:00

I created this salad because I love homemade croutons and realized how easy they are to make. This salad is simple and one of those 'use what you have' salads. You can use different kinds of veggies, lettuce or dressing - whatever you prefer. It's also a great way to use leftover bread.

Some people prefer to bake their croutons, but I prefer to use the stove like this:

Ingredients:

Loaf/baguette of fresh bread (better if it's a day old) - diced into cubes

Olive oil

Salt and pepper
Fresh baby spinach or romaine
Roma or cherry tomatoes - diced
Parmesan cheese - shredded

Caesar dressing

Directions:

Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Place about 1 Tbs of olive oil into a sauté pan and heat on medium-high. When oil is hot, place cubes of bread into the pan and begin to toss bread so oil coats evenly. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste over the bread. Continue to toss until toasted and golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Place spinach, diced tomatoes and Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Add croutons. Toss all together with Caesar dressing. Enjoy!

Breakfast for Dinner

2010-08-24T15:12:00.003-04:00

Sometimes breakfast can be the best dinner. This is more like a frittata than omelet, but I was surprised by how much I liked it. Thanks to Ina Garten for this recipe.

Omelet for Two

Note: I sautéed red and yellow peppers with the onions, which added some nice flavor. I also don’t have a pan that is both stove and oven friendly. Instead I used one pan for sautéing and another baking dish for the oven.

Ingredients
· 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
· 1 cup medium-diced Yukon gold potato (I did less)
· 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
· 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper (optional)
· 5 extra-large eggs
· 2 tablespoons milk or cream
· 1 teaspoon kosher salt
· 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
· 1/4 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (I used chives)
· 4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, shredded, plus extra grated cheese, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the butter to the pan, and then add the potato and yellow onion. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the onion starts to brown and the potato is tender but firm. Add the jalapeno pepper and cook for 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together with a fork. Stir in the scallions and grated Cheddar. When the potato is cooked, pour over the egg mixture. Place the pan in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the omelet puffs and the eggs are almost cooked in the center. Sprinkle with a handful of grated Cheddar and bake for another minute. Serve hot directly from the pan.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-07-16T14:12:00.003-04:00

This recipe is from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I really like this recipe and have already made these 4 times in two weeks.

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

2/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or your favorite nondairy milk)

1 Tbs tapioca flour (I use regular flour)

2 tsp vanilla

1.5 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. In my oven - it takes about 12 minutes or more.

Strawberry-Peach Crisp

2010-07-16T13:57:00.003-04:00

I made this the other night and was surprised how much I liked it. As you can tell, I didn't take a before picture - this was all that was left. It's better if served warm with vanilla ice cream. The original recipe is from Veganomicon, but they suggest using strawberries and plums. I only had strawberries and peaches, but you could use a variety of fruits.

Filling:

2 pounds black plums (about 10)

1 cup strawberries, hulled, sliced in half

1 Tbs tapioca flour or arrowroot powder (I used regular flour)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

Topping:

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1.5 tsp aniseeds (I omitted this)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

3-4 Tbs canola oil

Chop plums and strawberries and combine with filling. Place in an 8-inch square baking pan and stir to dissolve the starch. Set aside.

Toss all topping ingredients except the oil into a mixing bowl and mix together with a fork. Drizzle in the oil by the tablespoon while tossing with a fork until the topping becomes crumbly and doesn't look too dry. Sprinkle evenly over the filling and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Corn and Edamame-Sesame Salad

2010-07-16T13:42:00.003-04:00

This recipe is from Veganomicon and a great side dish or appetizer. I've had friends place a spoonful of salad into lettuce cups and they are excellent hors d'oeuvre.

Salad:

2 cups frozen, shelled edamame

1 cup fresh corn or frozen corn

2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds

pinch of salt

Dressing:

2 Tbs toasted sesame oil

1 Tbs rice vinegar (regular vinegar works too)

2 tsp tamari or soy sauce

Bring a pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, whist all the dressing ingredients together in a medium size mixing bowl.

Boil edamame for 3 minutes. Add the corn and boil for another 2 minutes. Drain into a colander and run cold water until cool enough to touch. Add corn and edamame to the dressing and toss to combine. Add sesame seeds and salt to taste. Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes.

Corn and Quinoa Salad

2010-07-15T15:03:00.004-04:00

I got this recipe from Vegetarian Times and it's a nice side dish that's fresh and cool for the summer. I would recommend adding some chives or green onion for some extra flavor.

Corn-Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

½ tsp salt

1 ½ cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (apx 2 ears of corn)

1 ½ cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes

1 cup finely chopped red cabbage

1 cup diced cucumber

Dressing

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

3 T maple syrup

1 T Dijon mustard

1 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Salad: Bring quinoa, salt, and 1 ½ cups water to a boil in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 15-20 min or until water is absorbed. Set aside, covered, 10 minutes.
2. Mix together corn, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumber, and quinoa in bowl.
3. Dressing: Mix all ingredients in blender or with whisk until smooth. Stir into salad.

Hershey Bar Pie

2010-07-15T14:47:00.002-04:00

This is one of my favorite pies from my mother and it's so easy too. My mother used to use Hershey bars, but we have since moved on to Symphony bars.

1- Oreo pie crust

2 - 15 oz Symphony bars (melted)

1 - large tub of Cool Whip

Melt the chocolate bars in the microwave and then add defrosted Cool Whip. Mix well until blended. Place in oreo pie crust and refrigerate for a few hours (or less, depending on how hungry you are).

Herbed Couscous with Green Garlic and Hakurei Turnips

2010-06-24T15:27:00.000-04:00

I got this recipe from my Vegetable CSA the week we got both turnips and green garlic. You can substitute for other mild flavored vegetables of your choice.

1 1/2 cup couscous
2 3/4 cups boiling water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tbs. olive oil
½ cup chopped shallots or onion
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1 bunch turnips, chopped (chop greens too, but keep separate)
1 bunch green garlic, finely sliced *can use regular garlic or garlic scapes for more flavor
1 Tbs fresh-ground black pepper

Pour boiling water over the couscous and sprinkle on the salt and cover for five minutes, fluff with a fork and cover again. In a medium sized skillet, sauté shallots in 1 Tbs. olive oil with the chopped oregano and thyme. When they start to become translucent, add in the turnips and cover, stirring every minute or so. If they start to stick, add a little water. After 5 minutes, add the green garlic and the turnip greens, cover again and cook for a few more minutes. Add to the couscous with the other Tbs. of olive oil and any more salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or chilled.

Burger Salads

2010-06-19T13:47:00.002-04:00

A favorite summer lunch/dinner of mine is the burger salad. I'm sure it isn't an original concept but it came about at our house when I was DYING for a veggie burger and we were out of buns...necessity is the mother of invention after all!

This isn't much of a recipe but so so delicious. On a bed of greens (I like a spring mix or spinach blend) drop some mushrooms and onions (excellent sauteed), tomato, pepper, cucumber avocado and sprouts (radish sprouts are my favorite). Lay your patty of choice on top, at Seaburger Manor that would be Amy's Texas or All-American burgers. Instead of dressing top your salad with your best loved condiments: mustard, ketchup, vegenaise, relish...you get the idea.

I'm eating one right now. It is SO good. I'd take a picture, but I'm really hungry.

Yummy Bowls

2010-06-11T22:39:00.002-04:00

To start you layer brown rice, black beans, salsa, Cheddar cheese, diced tomato, fresh avocado slices, sour cream, back olives and cilantro. Then top with Yummy Sauce.

YUMMY SAUCE
Serves 8, 4 cups
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup almonds
1/3 cup nutritional yeast (available at Whole Foods)
1/2 cup chickpeas or garbanzo beans cooked
1/4 cup soy beans (cooked) (we have used silken tofu before)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lemon juice
1-2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cilantro

1. In blender or food processor bean almonds, beans and oil
2. Add other ingredients and puree until creamy and smooth
3. Cover and let stand in refrigerator for one hour
4. Don't cover to tight, remember the yeast

It is quite tasty and usually a lot of sauce left over to put in other recipes as well, like burritos, stuffed peppers, etc.

Chilled Strawberry Soup with Mint

2010-05-21T10:05:00.002-04:00

This is not a healthy soup, but more like a dessert; although it is so good on a hot day. I found this recipe on Food Network by Robert Irvine. It is so delicious!

Chilled Strawberry Soup

Ingredients

4 cups fresh strawberries

1 pint vanilla ice-cream (frozen yogurt can be substituted)

4 teaspoons honey

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup heavy cream (vanilla yogurt can be substituted)

4 teaspoons freshly chopped mint leaves

Directions

Combine all the ingredients, except the mint, in a blender and mix well.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend. Before serving, stir in the chopped mint. Pour into soup bowls and serve. This is a great chilled soup or summer drink. Enjoy.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

2010-05-20T20:47:00.007-04:00

My mother made this Ina Garten recipe and it was delicious. She added roasted cherry tomatoes and roasted zucchini, as well as some kalamata olives. This is great meal for warm summer days and picnics.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced

1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced

1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced

1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta

For the dressing:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:

4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)

1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted

3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)

15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

Back Bean & Toasted Corn Tacos

2010-05-13T10:08:00.002-04:00

This recipe is from Vegetarian Times and is another way to have tacos/tostadas. It's suppose to be tacos, but mine came out more like tostadas.

1 cup cooked black beans (or 1 can)

1/2 cup prepared salsa

2 cloves garlic, minced

21/2 tsp ground cumin, divided

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

1/4 tsp pepper

4 6-inch corn tortillas

12 baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup jarred roasted red pepper strips

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 small green onion, chopped

1/4 cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese (or sour cream)

1. Bring beans, salsa, garlic, and 1 tsp cumin to a simmer in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft. Remove from heat, and mash with fork for a creamier filling, if desired.

2. Heat skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with olive oil cooking spray. Wrap corn in paper towels and squeeze out water excess. Add corn to skillet in single layer and sprinkle with remaining 11/2 tsp cumin, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Cook 5 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

3. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees. Bake tortillas on cookie sheet for 7 to 10 minutes, or until crisp (can use chips instead).

4. Fill each tortilla with beans, corn, spinach leaves, red pepper strips, cilantro, and green onions. Top each taco with desired cheese.

Guacamole Salad

2010-05-10T09:41:00.004-04:00

This is a great Ina Garten recipe that works well as a side dish. I'm a wimp when it comes to heat, so I omitted the jalapeño and substituted red onion for green onion.

Ingredients

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Directions

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

This post never happened

2010-05-04T13:56:00.002-04:00

Ugh. Sorry about that!

I will make it up to you with a recipe. I just bought Viva Vegan by Terry Romero (of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and Vegan With a Vengeance Fame). I am pretty much in love with it.

Coconut Tres Leches Cake

cake:

1 cup soymilk

1 T lemon juice

1/3 canola oil

3/4 cup sugar

2 t vanilla extract

1/2 tsp coconut, lemon or orange extract

1 1/4 c flour

3 T cornstarch

1 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

soaking syrup:

1 c coconut milk

2/3 cup almond milk

1/3 granulated sugar

1/3 c light brown sugar

big pinch of cinnamon

2 T light or spiced rum

topping:

6 ounces soft silken tofu

3 T coconut cream

1/3 c water

1/2 t agar flakes or 1/4 t agar powder

1/2 c granulated sugar

1/4 c rice milk or additional almond milk

2 T tapioca flour or arrowroot

1/2 tsp vanilla or orange extract

for assembly:

1/3 ground coconut

fresh strawberries or blackberries or chunks of mango or pineapple (for garnish)

1. Make the cake first. Preheat the oven to 350 and oil an 8-inch square baking pan. In a mixing bowl, stir together the soy milk and lemon juice; the mixture will appear to curdle. Stir in the oil, sugar, vanilla and coconut extract and whisk until smooth. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently fold in the dry ingredients just enough to moisten; do not overmix (a few small lumps are okay). Pour batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly and using a rubber spatula to completely scrape all the batter out of the bowl. Bake for 30-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, let it cool for a minute or two, then use a toothpick to poke holes into the cake at about 1/2 inch intervals.

2. while the cake is baking, make the soaking syrup. Mix all the syrup ingredients except the rum in small saucepan and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat, stirring the mixture constantly with a wire whisk. After the mixture has boiled for about 1 minute, lower the heat to low. Simmer the syrup for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has a syrupy consistency and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Stir in the rum and drizzle over the warm cake (it absorbs better that way). Cover the cake with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Some syrup may not be completely be absorbed. Don't worry about it.

3. To prepare the topping: Blend the silken tofu with the coconut cream in a food processor until smooth. In a small saucepan, combine the water and agar flakes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes to melt the agar flakes. A few tiny specks of agar remaining is fine, but most of it should be dissolved. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. In a mixing cup, use a fork or wire whisk to whisk together the rice milk and tapioca flour. Pour this mixture into the agar mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. The mixture should taste smooth and not chalky. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture into the food processor with the tofu/coconut mixture. Blend until very smooth. Add the vanilla and pulse one more time to incorporate it.

4. Remove the plastic from the top of the cake and spread the tofu mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the grated coconut, cover the cake, and chill for about 1 1/2 hours or until the topping is completely cooled and has firmed up slightly. Cut into nine squares and serve chilled top with sliced fresh fruit.

Pea Greens "Pesto" with Asparagus

2010-05-04T10:31:00.003-04:00

In trying to keep with eating what the season and local foods have to offer, we had this lovely meal last night for dinner. The asparagus was straight from our garden, and the pea greens came from a local farm.

Ingredients:
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
Pasta for 3-4 adults, cooked and drained
about 2-3 cups fresh pea greens
Olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves (more or less to taste)
1 small onion
salt and pepper
Parmesan Cheese (1/4-1/2 cup, again depending on taste preference)

Directions:
In a blender or food processor, combine the pea greens, 2-3 garlic cloves, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and olive oil until you get the desired consistency of your "pesto." As you can tell this wasn't a true pesto because we didn't have any nuts on hand. But the flavor was still great.

Once the pesto is prepared, chop up the asparagus, onion, last garlic clove, and get the pasta in boiling water. While the pasta is cooking, saute the veggies in a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Don't over cook the asparagus so that it keeps a firm, "meaty" consistency. Salt and pepper the veggies to taste.

When the pesto, pasta, and veggies are all done, just toss them together in a bowl and sprinkle with a little more cheese.

Enjoy!

Summer Salad

2010-05-03T19:07:00.002-04:00

When the weather is hot, this is my go-to meal. It is simple, light and refreshing. Add the desired amount of ingredients and serve with fresh bread.

Salad

Mixed greens, such as spring mix

Green grapes

Sliced strawberries

Blueberries

Mandarin oranges

Chopped scallions

Chopped pecans or walnuts

Dressing

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 Tbs vinegar

3 Tbs sugar

1 tsp salt

1-2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds

Butternut Squash Gratin

2010-04-28T13:19:00.000-04:00

I'm going to have to admit to stealing this recipe and the picture from epicurious.com. It's delicious.

3 1/2 pounds butternut squash (about 1 large), peeled, seeded, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes (8 cups)*

2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
3 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 5.5-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place butternut squash cubes and olive oil in large bowl; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and ground pepper and toss to coat. Spread out squash cubes on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until just tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced leeks and chopped sage; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until tender but not brown, about 15 minutes. Coat 11x7-inch baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Spread half of leek mixture over bottom of prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of squash and half of cheese. Repeat layering with leeks, squash, and cheese. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour cream evenly over gratin. Sprinkle with toasted chopped hazelnuts. Bake uncovered until gratin is heated through and cream is bubbling, about 30 minutes (40 minutes if previously chilled).

*A note about squash: Microwave the squash for three minutes before peeling. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. The more orange the peel, the sweeter the squash.

Black Bean Burgers and Sweet Potatoe Fries

2010-04-23T12:54:00.001-04:00

This has quickly become one of Dane and my favorite dinners. It is so easy! (Especially because the burger patties freeze really well. All you have to do is prepare them as usual, freeze and then pop them in the toaster until they are reheated to perfection.)

Black Bean Burgers: (from Veganomicon)

2 cups or 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten (*or flour works too)
1/2 cup plain whole wheat bread crumbs
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (optional but highly recommended)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 small onion
About 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus olive oil spray
Whole wheat buns

Mash the beans with a fork in a mixing bowl. You don't want to puree them; just get them mashed so that no whole beans are left, but leave some half-beans.

Add the wheat gluten, bread crumbs, chile powder, cumin, water and tomato paste (and cilantro) but don't mix yet. Use a microplane grater to grate the garlic in. Use the large holes on a box grater to grate the onion.

Mix everything together with a fork and then proceed to mix with your hands until the mixture is firm and uniformly mixed (about a minute).

Preheat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat.

Divide the burger mixture into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into a firm ball. Use your palm to press the ball down on a clean surface to form a patty that is about 1-1/2 inch thick. Press so that the patty is flat on both sides. Make six patties.

Pour a thin layer of olive oil into the pan. Cook the patties three at a time for 5 minutes on each side, gently but firmly pressing down on them with a spatula. Spray with olive oil before turning them over, for uniform browning. Once cooked, the patties should be very firm when you press down on them.

Serve warm on burger buns.

Sweet Potato Fries: (I made this one up! yay me!)

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fry-size wedges
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 C four
1/3 C bread crumbs
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. In a large bowl coat sweet potato wedges with olive oil. Mix dry ingredients and sprinkle over sweet potatos. Mix until fully coated.
Spread eavenly on a large cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 min. Just until it is easy to poke them with a fork. Don't over cook them, they will be too soggy. Enjoy!

p.s. My favorite way to eat the fies is with home made fry sauce: Mix equal parts of tomato ketchup, your favoite BBQ sauce, and mayo. (our fave is Sweet Baby Ray's)

Asparagus and Fingerling Potato Quiche

2010-04-23T09:02:00.004-04:00

I had a similar quiche at the restaurant Bouchee and absolutely loved it. I really like the combination of the asparagus with the potatoes.

Asparagus and Fingerling Potato Quiche
Serves 4-6

1 frozen or homemade pie shell
3 whole eggs - beaten
Pinch of nutmeg, salt, pepper
1 cup light cream (or half and half)
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
10-12 spears of cooked asparagus (more or less and then cut into smaller pieces)
8-10 fingerling potatoes (boiled until cooked through and cut in half)

3 scallions - chopped

1. Bake the frozen pie shell half way on it's own (approximately 6-7 minutes at 400 degrees).
2. Boil fingerling potatoes until cooked through. Cut in half and let cool for a few minutes

3. Steam asparagus until cooked through. Cut into smaller pieces and let cool as well.
4. Combine beaten eggs, nutmeg, salt, pepper, cream, gruyere and goat cheese in a mixing bowl. Add cooked asparagus and fingerling potatoes. Then add chopped scallions.
5. Place all ingredients in half baked pie shell.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Penne with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese

2010-04-14T15:28:00.002-04:00

This is a Giada recipe which can be found here. I made half the recipe the other night and it was good, but rich. This might be better in smaller portions, such as a side dish or for a potluck.

Broccoli, Lemon Pasta

2010-03-25T21:16:00.003-04:00

This Ina Garten recipe is a yummy and kid friendly meal that is made with bow-tie pasta (but obviously I used rigatoni instead). It's quick and easy too.

Ingredients

Kosher salt
8 cups broccoli florets (4 heads)
1/2 pound farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 lemon, zested
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup toasted pignoli (pine) nuts
Freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Directions

Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

In the same water, cook the bow-tie pasta according to the package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli.

Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with the pignolis and cheese, if using, and serve.

To toast pignolis, place them in a dry saute pan over medium-low heat and cook, tossing often, for about 5 minutes, until light brown.

Pear and Zucchini Soup

2010-03-24T10:22:00.005-04:00

I got this recipe from Food Network and enjoyed the subtle flavors. I made half the recipe and we still had plenty - probably 4 servings. The recipe below serves 6.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
6 medium zucchini, diced
2 small pears, peeled, seeded and diced (preferably Anjou or Forelle)
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, cut into ribbons
5 cups water
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream (I used light cream)
Freshly ground black pepper
Bread or croutons, for serving
Directions
In a medium stock pot over medium heat, add butter and olive oil. When the butter melts, add the onions, celery and carrots and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the zucchini, pear and sage. Cook another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water, potatoes, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Place a lid on the pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the vegetables are fork-tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat. With an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream. More water can be added as desired if the soup is too thick. Bring to a simmer and season with salt and pepper. Serve with bread or croutons.

Stewed Lentils & Tomatoes

2010-03-17T20:15:00.003-04:00

This is another Ina Garten recipe and it was good on it's own, but might be better over rice or with some bread. It's a hearty meal and has a nice sweetness. Below is the full recipe, but I only made half.

2 tsp olive oil
2 cups large-diced yellow onions (2 onions)
2 cups large-diced carrots (3-4 carrots)
1 Tbs minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 (28 ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
1 cup French green lentils
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tsp mild curry powder
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbs red wine vinegar

Heat oil in saucepan. Add onions and carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes, until onions start to brown. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Meanwhile, place canned plum tomatoes, including juice, in either food processor or blender and pulse several times until tomatoes are coarsely chopped.

Add tomatoes, lentils, broth, curry, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pan. Raise the heat to bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer covered for about 40 minutes, until lentils are tender. Check occasionally to be sure the liquid is still simmering. Remove from the heat and allow the lentils to sit covered for another 10 minutes. Add vinegar, season to taste, and serve hot.

Summer Garden Pasta

2010-03-17T20:02:00.002-04:00

Simple and fresh - this is a nice way to have spaghetti (although Stuart still loves sauce out of a jar). This recipe is from Ina Garten and I only did half the recipe. I also used a mixture of grape and roma tomatoes.

4 pints cherry tomatoes - halved
Olive oil
2 Tbs minced garlic (6 cloves)
18 fresh basil leaves - julienned
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 pound dried angel hair pasta
1.5 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Combine the cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt, and pepper in large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set at room temperature for about 4 hours.

Just before you are ready to serve - boil pasta, drain, and add to bowl of tomatoes. Add cheese and some extra fresh basil leaves and toss well.

Citrus Salad

2010-03-14T20:33:00.005-04:00

Here's a simple (if you have a sharp knife, which I don't, as evidenced by the hack-job in the picture) salad that appeals to me this time of year -- fresh and beautiful but still comprised of in-season produce. It was really fun to pick out one of each kind of orange in the produce department of Market Basket.

Citrus Salad
Recipe inspired by Deb at Smitten Kitchen
serves 4-6

5-8 citrus fruits of different colors (grapefruits, blood oranges, tangelos, valencias, cara cara pinks, etc.) I do not recommend honey tangerines -- the fell apart miserably.
3 tablespoons mint torn in small pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Slice peels and pith off of each fruit in vertical strips, and then cut off the ends. Slice in 1/4" pieces and pick out any seeds. Arrange on a platter. Sprinkle on mint, sugar, and salt. Serve promptly.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

2010-03-13T13:05:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:

1 C Couscous, uncooked

1 ½ C chicken broth (or vegetable broth) –or you can use 1 ½ c water with a cube chicken bouillon

5 bell peppers (red, yellow and orange)

½-1 large onion

2 cloves garlic

Olive oil

Grated parmesan to sprinkle on top

4-6 oz feta cheese (more or less depending on how much you like) I use the fresh feta and crumble it myself, or you can buy pre-crumbled feta

5 fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 med size zucchini, diced

1 med size yellow squash, diced

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1-2 tomatoes, diced with seeds drained

juice of 1/2 lemon, or 1 Tbsp

½ a med red pepper (med heat) use less or none if you don’t want a little bit of spice. Dice up very small.

What to Do
1. Slice tops off peppers to make lids. (I don’t use the lids—they look nice, but seem a bit pointless. I prefer to chop off less from the top so it can hold more) Scoop out membranes and seeds and discard. In large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water, simmer peppers and lids covered, 5 minutes. Drain upside down.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray.

3. Bring the broth to a boil (1 ½ c) in a saucepan, add the couscous (1 c), cover the pan and remove it from the heat.

4. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic (minced) and onion. Saute 2 minutes. Add chopped zucchini, chopped yellow squash, oregano and salt. Cook 5 minutes until soft. Add mushrooms and red pepper (just a little). Cook through for a few more minutes. Stir in lemon juice of half a lemon. Cook 1 minute and remove from heat. Using a fork, scrape the couscous into the skillet and toss with the vegetables. Stir in tomato (halved and de seeded). Stir in feta cheese. Fill each pepper with couscous mixture. Place upright in shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

5. Bake just until filling is heated through, about 15-20 minutes.

**My notes: I got this recipe from my sister, and will be eternally indebted to her. This really is amazing. We made them with both red and green bell peppers, and found the red to be more sweet and the green a little bitter in comparison. (We liked the red ones more.) Also, don't be intimidated by the recipe. It seems complex and over-involved, but I didn't find it too bad. Another suggestion is that if you don't want to go to all of the extra work, leave out the bell peppers--a little ironic, I know. But the stuffing is divine and can easily stand alone.

Enjoy!

Greek Panzanella

2010-03-07T12:52:00.003-05:00

This is an Ina Garten recipe which we've enjoyed on numerous occasions. It's a great summer salad with lots of flavor. My picture is lacking some green since there is suppose to be cucumber, but I didn't have any - so I just added some chives. The homemade croutons really make this dish and I used some leftover rosemary and olive oil bread.

Ingredients

Good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
Kosher salt
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, large diced
1 yellow bell pepper, large diced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, sliced in half rounds (I don't really like onions, so I omitted this)
1/2 pound feta cheese, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

For the vinaigrette:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil

Directions

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil as needed.

Place the cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.

For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, add the olive oil and make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta, olives and bread cubes and mix together lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

Zucchini and Tomato Quiche

2010-03-04T08:46:00.004-05:00

This is a modified version of my mother's recipe. She usually makes this with swiss cheese and ham, but I omitted the ham and experimented with zucchini and grape tomatoes. I was not disappointed. The tomatoes add a nice sweetness.

Zucchini and Tomato Quiche
Serves 4-6

1 frozen or homemade pie shell
3 whole eggs - beaten
Pinch of nutmeg, salt, pepper
1 cup light cream
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
1-2 zucchini - sliced and cooked
5 scallions - chopped and cooked with zucchini
1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes - sliced in half and squeeze out seeds

1. Bake the frozen pie shell half way on it's own (approximately 6-7 minutes at 400 degrees).
2. Saute sliced zucchini and scallions in a little bit of olive oil with salt and pepper. Cook till done, but don't over cook (Could steam zucchini instead).
3. Combine beaten eggs, nutmeg, salt, pepper, cream, swiss and goat cheese in a mixing bowl. Add cooked zucchini and scallions. Then add tomatoes.
4. Place in half baked pie shell.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes (when I made this last night it took about 60 minutes).

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Tomato Pesto

2010-03-03T15:50:00.004-05:00

This is slightly modified recipe from Cooks Illustrated. The only difference is the added goat cheese and extra almonds. The original recipe suggests using linguini or spaghetti, but I used bow-ties because I was making it for an event and wanted it to be easier to eat and a little more kid friendly. They also say that half a teaspoon of red wine vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes can be substituted for the pepperoncini. Also, you can use a blender if you do not have a food processor.

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Tomato Pesto

Serves 4 to 6

1 cup slivered almonds

12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1 small pepperoncini, stemmed, seeded, and minced (about 1/2 teaspoon) (see note above)

Table salt

Pinch red pepper flakes

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces goat cheese

1 pound pasta

1 ounce Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Cool almonds to room temperature.

Process 1/4 cup cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepperoncini, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Crumble goat cheese into food processor and process until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl again. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil, about 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.

Add pesto and 1/2 cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coats pasta. Sprinkle remaining almonds and extra Parmesan cheese on top and serve immediately.

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup

2010-02-22T12:49:00.004-05:00

I made this very tasty soup from Cooks Illustrated last week. I love creamy soups, but hate the fat and calories that come with adding a quart of heavy cream to a pot of soup. However, this soup gets its creaminess from one potato and a slice of bread. It is surprisingly rich and creamy for being cream-less. You could very easily substitute the butter with olive oil or soy margarine and make it vegan and a little bit healthier, but I love the smell of onions cooking in butter so couldn't resist. I also like that this recipe doesn't make a huge pot of soup since I often get a little carried away when making soup and we end up having it for lunch for an entire week and then still throwing some away once we are so sick of eating it. This really does only make four servings, so double it if you need to serve more or want more leftovers. The recipe says that garnishes are essential for this soup to get the desired texture and flavor. I used fried leeks and chopped fresh chives. I've included the recipe for the fried leeks below, and they are well worth it. They also suggested garlic croutons as another crunchy option. This is delicious, but be warned that you and your home may smell like onions for the rest of your life.

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup

Serves 4

4 medium leeks, white and light-green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and sliced thin (about 4 cups), dark green parts halved, washed, and cut into 2 inch pieces

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

4 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, chopped medium (about 1 cup)

Table salt

1 small russet potato (about 6 ounces), peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 bay leaf

1 (4-inch) sprig fresh thyme or tarragon

1 large slice high-quality sandwich bread, lightly toasted and torn into 1/2 inch pieces

Fresh ground black pepper

Bring dark-green leek pieces, broth, and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; set aside. Discard solids in strainer and rinse out saucepan.

Melt butter in now-empty saucepan over medium-low heat. When butter foams, stir in sliced leeks, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.

Increase heat to high, stir in reserved broth, potato, bay leaf, and herb sprig and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add toasted bread and simmer until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes.

Remove and discard bay leaf and herb sprig. Transfer half of soup to blender and process until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup. Return soup to saucepan and bring to simmer; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with garnish.

Fried Leeks (for garnish)

1 medium leek, white and light-green parts halved lengthwise, washed, dried, and sliced into very thin 2-inch strips

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Toss leeks, four and pinch each salt and pepper in medium bowl. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet until shimmering. Add half of leeks and fry, stirring often, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer leeks to paper towel-lined plate; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Repeat with remaining leeks.

Eggplant and Shallot Calzone

2010-02-21T20:35:00.002-05:00

Serves 2 (but they are huge servings)
4 baby eggplants
3 tbps olive oil
1-2 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
6 pieces sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
1/4 tsp dried red chili flakes
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 Basic Pizza Dough (we used the whole wheat dough from Trader Joes)
1/2 cup diced Mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trim the eggplant and cut into small dice.

2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in frying pan. Add hte shallots and fry over low heat, stirring occasionaly, for 5 minutes until softened but not browned.

3. Add the eggplants, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, red chilli flakes and thyme to the shallots and season with salt and peper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the eggplant is beginning to soften.

4. Divide the dough in half and roll out each piece on a lightly flowered surface to a 7 inch circle. Spread the eggplant mixture over half of each circle, leaving 1 inch boarder, then arrange the mozzarella on top.

5. Dampen the edges with water; then fold the dough over to enclose the filling. Press the edges firmly together to seal. Place on a greased baking sheet.

6. Brush with half the remaining oil to make the small hole in the top of each to all steam to escape. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and brush the remaining oil. Sprinkle over the Parmesan and serve the calzone immediately.

We had these tonight and they are delicious. We dipped them in some tomato sauce to enhance the calzone experience.

Arugula Pesto

2010-02-21T18:12:00.002-05:00

* We are getting a new camera this week, so I will finally be able to post pictures along with my recipes...

I decided to make this tonight because we had a bag of arugula in the fridge that was just starting to wilt and I wanted to use it up. It's a little milder than basil pesto, but still really good. It came out a beautiful, bright green color. I tossed it with some angel hair pasta, sauteed asparagus and mushrooms, and pine nuts.

Arugula Pesto

4 cups packed fresh arugula
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup olive oil (i use the california estate olive oil from trader joe's because it's very green and a little peppery)
2 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted, plus 1 tablespoon
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl, and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the arugula in a large sieve and plunge it into the boiling water. Immediately immerse all the arugula and stir so that it blanches evenly. Blanch for about 15 seconds. Remove, shake off the excess water, then plunge the arugula into the ice water bath and stir again so it cools as fast as possible. Drain well.

Squeeze the water out of the arugula with your hands until very dry. Roughly chop the arugula and put in a blender (I use a food processor). Add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste, olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of the pine nuts. Blend for at least 30 seconds. In this way the green of the arugula will thoroughly color the oil. Add the cheese and pulse to combine. The pesto will keep several days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

Pull out before dinner to get to room temperature. Before serving, add the remaining 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts.

Curry Lentils with Cilantro, Caramelized Onions and Cinnamon Rice

2010-02-20T19:31:00.005-05:00

While any one of these three components is good on its own, bringing them all together is electric! -Amelia

Lentils

2 T canola oil

4 cloves garlic, minced or paste

1 T fresh ginger, finely grated

1T curry powder, generous

3.5 cups water

1 cup coconut milk

1.5 cups dried red lentils, rinsed

0.5 t salt or more

1 bunched fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Add other ingredients, except cilantro, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring a couple times. Uncover and cook on medium heat until the lentils thicken, about 5 minutes. Salt to taste.

Camelized Onions

2 T butter

1 lb. onions, halved and sliced

0.5 t salt

0.5 t sugar

Melt butter over medium heat to foaming. Add remaining ingredients and stir occasionally. Reduce heat and continue to slowly caramelize for as long as you have time, at least 15 minutes.

Higher heat accomplishes this more quickly but the caramelization is more likely to be uneven or to burn.

Cinnamon Rice

2 cups long-grain rice

3 T butter or canola oil

1/4 t cinnamon

3 cups water

1 t salt

Rinse the rice in a bowl filled with cold water multiple times until drained water runs off clear. Set aside.

In a saucepan, melt butter and allow to foam. Add cinnamon and cook for short while. Add the rice, stirring to coat with butter and toast lightly. About 3 minutes. Add water and salt. Bring to boil, cover and then simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes or until rice is cooked.

This recipe is from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop of Cook's Illustrated

Savory Palmiers

2010-02-12T15:07:00.002-05:00

This recipe is from Ina Garten and it's great as an appetizer or served at a party (I believe the whole recipe, which uses both pastry packages, makes about 50). It's wicked easy and delicious. Usually palmiers or aka "elephant ears" are made with sugar, but this is a nice twist. I used roasted red and yellow peppers instead of sundried tomatoes because I had some leftover.

Ingredients:

1 package frozen Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, defrosted
1/4 cup pesto
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Salt

Directions:

Lightly flour a board and carefully unfold one sheet of puff pastry. Roll the pastry lightly with a rolling pin until it's 9 1/2 by 11 1/2-inches. Spread the sheet of puff pastry with half the pesto, then sprinkle with half the goat cheese, half the sundried tomatoes, and half the pine nuts. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Working from the short ends, fold each end halfway to the center. Then fold each side again towards the center until the folded edges almost touch. Fold one side over the other and press lightly. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat the entire instructions for the second sheet of puff pastry using the remaining ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes (I skipped this part, but made sure the dough was still cold).

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the prepared rolls of puff pastry in 1/4 inch thick slices and place them face up 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 14 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.

Guatemalan Salsa

2010-02-09T09:36:00.003-05:00

Why Guatemalan? Because my Guatemalan neighbors from when I was a wee lass taught my mom how to throw this together. SO let's get started.

This is a great fresh salsa that is easy to make. It has a nice clean flavor, and you can really play with the ingredients to suit your taste. Use it to top whatever you are making for dinner, or (as is sometimes the case with me) eat half the bowl with tortilla chips before anyone else gets any.

Ingredients:
1 large (undrained) can of diced tomatoes or a pile of fresh tomatoes from the garden, chopped
1/2 a red onion, chopped
1/2-1 tsp. salt (to taste)
juice from 1/2 to 1 whole lime (to taste)
a bunch of cilantro, chopped

That's it! The flavors tend to showcase themselves well after sitting in the fridge together for a few hours, so I try and make it in the afternoon if I need it for dinner that night. Enjoy!

Spring Risotto with Peas and Zucchini

2010-02-09T09:20:00.003-05:00

Oh, how I love risotto. And this recipe from Everyday Food is easy and oh-so-delicious. It is also great because you can really adapt it to work with whatever veggies you need to use up; I've substituted mushrooms, swiss chard, or carrots at different times.

Ingredients:
2 cans (14.5 oz each) broth
3 Tablespoons butter
1-2 large zucchini, cut into cubes
salt and pepper
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice (can also substitute with long-grain white rice)
1/2 cup white wine (can also substitute with more broth)
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Directions:
1) Heat the broth and 2 1/2 cups water in a saucepan over low heat; keep warm. Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the zucchini; season with salt and pepper. Cook until zucchini is golden, and then transfer zucchini to a plate.

2) Add the onion to the same saucepan. Cook until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rice to the onions, and cook until it looks translucent around the edges. Add the wine; cook until it absorbs (about 2 minutes).

3) Cook the rice, adding 1 cup of the warm broth/water mixture at a time--stir until almost all the liquid is absorbed before adding more--until the rice is tender (about 25-30 minutes).

4) Add the zucchini and peas, and cook until peas are bright green. Remove from heat and add in last Tbsp. butter and cheese. Serve!

Roasted Carrots and Zucchini

2010-02-09T09:13:00.003-05:00

I found this recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine. The recipe was for roasted carrots, but I added zucchini as well. This is a great side dish.

Ingredients:

-5-6 sliced carrots
-1-2 sliced zucchini
-Olive oil
-Salt and pepper
-Feta cheese
-Fresh chopped parsley

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice carrots and zucchini and place on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and lightly coat vegetables with olive oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes until tender. Add feta cheese and fresh chopped parsley and serve warm.

Orzo Salad

2010-02-09T09:05:00.003-05:00

I got this recipe from my friend Melissa and really enjoyed it. It's one of those salads that would be fine either cold or at room temperature and you can add things that you like. This would be great for a party or a summer picnic.

Ingredients:

-Orzo pasta
-Dried cranberries
-Chopped walnuts
-Feta or goat cheese
-Fresh parsley

Directions:

Cook the orzo according to the directions (remember a little goes a long way - I always make too much). Once cooled, add desired toppings such as dried cranberries, walnuts, feta, and chopped parsley. Excellent with a balsamic dressing.

Roasted Eggplant Spread

2010-02-08T16:23:00.003-05:00

This is a really easy, delicious dip from the Barefoot Contessa. I think it's best served with sliced, toasted baguette, but it's also good with pita chips, crostini or melba toasts.

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant
2 red bell peppers, seeded
1 red onion, peeled
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion into 1-inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking.

Cool slightly.

Place the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste, and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Taste for salt and pepper.

Black Beans and Quinoa

2010-02-08T11:28:00.004-05:00

I just posted this on my own blog, so sorry for the repeat for those that read both. I got this recipe from my friend Jhordan who got it from allrecipies.com where it has almost 1,000 reviews and 4 1/2 stars. So even if you don't trust my food judgement, 931 other people all can't be wrong. It is super easy, delicious, and loaded with protein and fiber. After Jhordan made it for us, it became part of our regular rotation. We usually have it in burritos (with avocado/guac, lettuce and tomatoes) or as a salad (with the same toppings as burritos) with tortillas on the side. But it is also great just as is. This time I used white corn instead of yellow so you can't really see it in the photo, but it is in there, I swear.

Quinoa and Black Beans
Serves 6
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Pickled Onions

2010-02-04T15:52:00.004-05:00

This is a quick Mexican condiment that lends flair to tacos, tostadas, sandwiches or what have you. I add black beans, a little feta cheese, and lettuce and serve on small corn tortillas. The recipe is adapted from Rick Bayless' classic Authentic Mexican, page 50. I've also added carrots on occasion.

Pickled Onions (Escabeche de Cebolla)

1 small onion, sliced 1/8 inch thick (I usually use yellow; red is also good)
1 jalapeno (optional)
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns or cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (ground, if you don't have a spice mill or mortar and pestle)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar (or use red wine vinegar if you are using a red onion - very pretty)

Parboil the onion: Place the onion slices in a saucepan with salted water to cover, bring to the boil, time for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and drain.

The pickling: Grind the cumin and peppercorns, then add to the saucepan, along with the remaining ingredients. Pour in just enough wather to barely cover the onions, bring to the boil over medium heat and pour in a small, noncorrosive bowl. Let stand at least 45 minutes before serving (a few hours is preferable). Keeps well for 2 weeks in the refrigerator, possibly longer (I always eat them before then).

Baked Rigatoni

2010-02-03T12:03:00.005-05:00

Lately I've had a falling out with spaghetti (I don't know why) but I still wanted pasta - so I decided to try baked ziti or rigatoni in this case.

Ingredients:

Rigatoni or Ziti
Homemade or favorite marinara sauce
Fresh Mozzarella
Parmesan Cheese
Fresh basil (optional)

Instructions:

Boil pasta until al dente (approximately 8-10 minutes). Drain water and add desired amount of marinara sauce, Parmesan cheese, cubed or shredded mozzarella and chopped basil. Place in an 9x9 baking dish and cook in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until lightly brown.

Excellent with a fresh salad and homemade bruschetta.

Korean Sushi

2010-02-03T11:51:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Eunice and Reliable Market, I was able to put this meal together the other night. The potstickers are vegan and were frozen, so it was wicked easy to pan fry them for a few minutes; as well as sugar snap peas with silvered almonds.

Eunice taught me how to assemble and make a sushi roll (something I've always wanted to do). Besides the seaweed and rice, the sushi contains cooked carrots, eggs, pickled radishes, and some kind of brown root (which came with the pickled radishes).

Thanks again Eunice.

Green Power Smoothie

2010-01-28T13:41:00.002-05:00

I have one of these for breakfast almost everyday. It fills me way up and gives me a ton of energy AND I figure it is a great way to get 2-3 servings of veggies and 2-3 servings of fruit all at once. How great is that?

Blend on fastest setting you've got until smooth:

Spinach, one large handful
Kale, one handful
Green cabbage, thin slice
Baby carrots, 5
Pineapple, 1/2 C
Orange, one half
Apple, one half
Banana, one whole
Grapes, 1/2 C
Ice 1-2 C
yeilds: 4-5 Cups (but I like to drink it all....yummmm)

Chickpea Tacos

2010-01-28T13:26:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! I am Bridget, Aubrey's sister-in-law. She invited me to be a contributor to this blog when it was started but I never have taken the chance to do so. Sorry! I have been a faithful reader and have loved many of the recipes that have been shared, with many that I still want to make. I have a ton of good recipes that I have found on other blogs or books that I love and some that I have made up that I want to share, but have not remembered to take pictures. Sorry. SO I am pleadging to be better. This recipe is one of my favorite meals and it is sooo easy. The pictures are from here, but I have changed the recipe a little bit.

2 cans chickpeas, drained
1/3 C soy sauce
1 package taco seasoning
1-2 Tbsp lime juice

Mix all ingredients together and let marinate in fridge for at least 30 min. (This is totally optional.) Line cookie sheet or baking sheet with tin foil and bake for 25 min at 375 degrees.

These little guys have a TON of flavor. To make the tacos, layer chickpeas, lettus, diced tomatos and salsa in a vegan taco shell. Enjoy!
(This is a vegan recipe, but if you want a something more I like to eat them with a little sour cream. I feel like the toppings stick together a little better.)

Tostadas

2010-01-27T20:17:00.001-05:00

This is an easy and yummy meal that my mother would make with lots of different toppings. The nice thing about Mexican food is that you can substitute with things that you like.

I just buy corn tortillas and fry them individually in vegetable oil until lightly brown. Then immediately place on paper towels to cool and absorb excess oil. Then add desired toppings:

-Re-fried Beans
-Cheese
-Salsa
-Guacamole
-Sour Cream
-Chopped lettuce

With tostadas I always make this homemade salsa; except it's not your traditional salsa, but more like pico de gallo.

Salsa

-Diced tomatoes (I usually just do 1 whole tomato)
-Diced pepper (I usually use 1 whole green pepper, but had orange instead)
-Chopped onion (I don't like a lot of onion, so I use 1/4 - 1/3 of 1 onion)
-Chopped cilantro (optional)

Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic salt.

Add:

-2 Tbs vegetable oil
-2 Tbs water
-4 Tbs vinegar

Mix together and enjoy the messy meal.

Chickpea Sandwich

2010-01-26T10:31:00.002-05:00

This is a continuation of the chickpea cutlets. I baked the leftover chickpea dough into small patties and made sandwiches of them, which I believe is how I prefer them. I just toasted some rosemary and olive oil bread, added lettuce and spread a lemon aoili sauce.

For the Lemon Aioli:

2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 lemon, zested
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

I found this sauce from Giada which can be found here. It's all about the garlic.

Recipe Feedback

2010-01-22T17:15:00.003-05:00

I've added a voting feature to the bottom of each post. The three options are Great, Alright, and Tempting.

Its a great and easy way for us to know what others are thinking about the recipes. If you've tried a recipe let us know what you think by choosing great or alright. If something you haven't tried looks good let us know its tempting you.

Kate's Vegan Carrot Cookies

2010-01-19T14:10:00.005-05:00

I just made these delicious vegan carrot cookies from Kate's blog (click here for the recipe).

Vegan Meat & Potatoes (Chickpea cutlets)

2010-01-18T19:43:00.004-05:00

I made Chickpea cutlets from Veganomicon and Stuart and I both liked it. It was a little dry, so I would recommend putting this in a sandwich or adding some kind of sauce. I pan fried the cutlets, but they can be baked too.

Ingredients

1 cup cooked chickpeas
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten (found at Whole Foods)
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated with a microplane grater
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dried rubbed sage
olive oil for panfrying

In a mixing bowl, mash chickpeas together with oil until no whole chickpeas are left. Add remaining ingredients and knead about 3 minutes, until strings of gluten have formed.

Preheat skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, divide the cutlet dough into four equal pieces. To form the cutlets, knead each piece in your hand for a few moments and then flatten and stretch each one into a roughly 6 x 4 inch rectangular cutlet shape.

Add a moderately thin layer of olive oil to the bottom of the pan. Place the cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for 6 to 7 minutes. Add more oil, if needed, when you flip cutlets. They're ready when lightly brown and firm to the touch.

If you'd like to bake them: 375 degrees, lightly oil baking sheet. Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil, place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip patties and bake another 8-10 minutes till firm and golden-brown.

Moroccan Couscous

2010-01-13T19:07:00.004-05:00

This is a recipe from Ina Garten (Barefoot in Paris) which I veganized by using margarine instead of butter and vegetable broth instead of chicken stock. It was delicious and I love all the roasted veggies.

2 cups diced butternut squash
2 cups chopped yellow onion (I only did 1 onion because 2 cups seems like a lot)
1.5 cups diced carrots
1.5 cups diced zucchini
2 Tbs olive oil
salt
pepper
1.5 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbs butter or margarine
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp saffron threads
1.5 cups couscous
2 scallions, chopped (I think next time I will omit this step and add fresh parsley instead. The onion flavor was too strong for me).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place butternut sqush, onions, carrots, and zucchini on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until all vegetables are tender (I would check the carrots first because mine were a little undercooked. I think next time I will boil the carrots for a few minutes first).

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring vegetable broth to a boil and turn off heat. Add butter or margarine, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, cumin, and saffron threads and allow to steep for at least 15 minutes.

Bring the vegetable broth just back to a boil. Place the couscous and cooked vegetables in a large bowl and pour the hot broth over them. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Add the scallions, toss the couscous and vegetables with a fork, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Corn and Quinoa Chowder

2010-01-04T10:24:00.004-05:00

I made this recipe from Vegetarian Times and was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, but I thought the flavors complimented each other well and I was glad I found another use for quinoa.

3/4 cup red or white quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 large red potato, diced (about 1 cup)
4 small shallots, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups plain soymilk
1 large red bell pepper, diced
3 Tbs. chopped cilantro, plus a few sprigs for garnish
Lime wedges, optional

Toast quinoa and cumin seeds in pot over medium-high heat, 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden and fragrant, stirring constantly. Transfer to bowl.
Heat oil in pot; add corn, potato and shallots. Sauté 5 minutes, or until shallots are translucent. Add broth and soymilk, and bring to a boil. Stir in quinoa mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in bell pepper, cover and simmer 5 minutes, or until quinoa and vegetables are tender.
Remove from heat; stir in chopped cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls, and garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges, if desired.

Vegetable Lasagna

2009-12-21T12:26:00.002-05:00

I know this is a classic for beginner vegetarians, but I had never made this until last night. I'm kind of boycotting casseroles, however, I decided to make an exception with lasagna. Honestly, I never liked meat in lasagna and I would pick it out...but I really like it with a variety of vegetables.

1. I sauteed zucchini, mushrooms, red, yellow, and green peppers, green onion and garlic in olive oil until soft (added salt and pepper).
2. Added Trader Joe's tomato and basil marinara sauce to the veggies (I'm sure homemade is better).
3. Used mozzarella, ricotta and goat cheese
4. Layered sauce, lasagna noodles and cheese mixture
5. Baked at 350 for 30 minutes covered with foil; then another 15 uncovered.

It was delicious if I may say so myself.

Red and Green

2009-12-17T19:01:00.004-05:00

I was by myself for dinner and was too lazy to make spaghetti - so I just made bruchetta and sauteed asparagus and grape tomatoes in olive oil. Once I took the picture I realized the red and green theme. It beats cereal.

Vegetable Pot Pie

2009-12-15T19:07:00.002-05:00

I combined this easy recipe from a couple of different sources. Basically use whatever you have, but here's what I used. Recipe makes 4 personal sized pot pies.

1 package frozaen Puff Pastry

Frozen Vegetables (I used frozen stir fry veggies, butternut squash and corn)

1 Can Potato Soup

2-4 Tbsp milk (or soymilk)

Spices to taste

Defrost one sheet of the puff pastry (makes four pies) according to directions on the package. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Filling: In bowl, mix frozen veggies, potato soup and soymilk. Add more milk for thinner consistency. Mix in spices to taste- I added thyme and pepper.

Cut the thawed puff pastry into equal square quarters. Take each piece and place in greased large-muffin tin. The corners of the dough will hang over the edges. Fill each pot pie very full with vegetable mix and pull corners of dough over the center to create the top of the pie crust. (Alternatively you could use the second puff pastry sheet to create individual tops, but I liked the ratio of crust to filling with just the corners)

Cook for 30-45 minutes until pastry is puffed and dark golden brown.

celery

2009-11-18T14:39:00.002-05:00

My first post, and it's not even a recipe, sorry about that. So here's the deal, as of late I've been really trying not to let anything go to waste, but I have this here celery bunch in my fridge. I have a love hate relationship with celery. Okay, it's mostly a hate relationship, but I can appreciate it for what it is. So now that I've made the 3 celery dishes that are good, the remainder is sitting on my produce shelf haunting me. If anyone knows where it could find a good home JOnas and I would gladly deliver it to your front door.

Tostada Salad

2009-11-17T15:24:00.004-05:00

I woke up one morning and randomly thought about making this...I've never made it before, but have had meals like this at other places. This is really easy and one of those meals that you can substitute with whatever you like. You can't really tell, but there is a fried corn tortilla underneath.

Ingredients:
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes (diced)
- Black beans
- Corn
- Cheese (shredded)
- Corn tortillas
- Cilantro
- 2 limes

Cilantro-Lime Dressing:
I found a recipe for this dressing here, but I would recommend adding some ranch if you like it creamy.

Corn Tortillas:
Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and place one corn tortilla at a time. Fry for a few minutes and then flip until brown. Place on paper towels to absorb oil.

Mix ingredients with dressing and place on top of corn tortilla. Excellent with multigrain chips and pineapple salsa.