Seared Halibut with Green Beans, Scallions, and White Wine Sauce

This recipe offers a prime example of cooking last minute because the entire dish can be prepared and executed very quickly.  After sauteing the halibut, the fish is removed from the pan, which is then deglazed with white wine and fresh lemon juice. Butter is swirled in gradually to yield a rich, flavorful sauce — punctuated by scallions, capers, and diced tomato — that is simply poured over the fish; its pleasing citric acidity and buttery richness make it a perfect foil for the halibut

 If you can find find Haricots Verts try them versus the good ‘old green beans. 

Ingredients:

1 pound young green beans or haricots verts

Four 7-ounce halibut fillets, each approximately 1 inch thick

Coarse salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste

1/2 cup unsalted butter

5 scallions, white part only, finely sliced on the bias

1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed

1 large, ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice

Directions:

In a pot of boiling salted water set over high heat, cook the haricots verts for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender. Drain and place them in the center of a large, warm serving platter. Cover and keep warm.

Season the halibut on both sides with salt and pepper. 

In a 12-inch saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the fish for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Turn, reduce the heat to medium, and cook about 4 minutes longer, until the fish is opaque in the center and browned on both sides. Put the fish on the platter with the beans and cover to keep warm.

Pour off any oil in the pan and add the wine and lemon juice. 

Raise the heat to high and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Cook until the sauce reduces by half, about 2 minutes. 

Reduce the heat and stir in the butter, a piece at a time, to enrich and flavor the sauce. Add the scallions, capers, and tomato. 

Season with salt and pepper, and pour over the fish on the platter. Serve immediately.

Pan Seared Halibut with a Saffron Broth

This couldn't be simpler and the fish melts in your mouth.  The color of the broth is beautiful and the flavor is heavenly.

For the heck of it, I threw a little fresh spinach in one of the bowls, if you want a little texture, a little green, give it a try. Serve with a good bread to sop up the broth. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 halibut filet

Salt

Pepper

1 teaspoon Saffron

1 cup chicken broth

Directions:

Season both sides of halibut with salt and black pepper.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

Add halibut and cook 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.

Remove fish from pan and set aside.

To the same pan, broth and saffron.  Bring to a simmer.  Return fish to pan and simmer 2 minutes, until fish is fork-tender.

Serves 1

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Valentine’s Day is upon us – the perfect occasion for decadent treats.  These Red Velvet Cupcakes definitely fit the bill – moist and full of flavor, it’s hard to eat just one.  Now, I realize that there are some red velvet cupcakes that aren’t red and many of those recipes are really good, but how fun can a brown red velvet cupcake really be?!

As a side note, I’m really pleased with how well the frosting looks on a few of the cupcakes  - for some reason I have the hardest time frosting baked goods, they rarely look good in photos!  I got lucky this time – good motivation to keep working on my frosting skills.

Makes 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

2  1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1  1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1  1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

2 extra-large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened

2 sticks butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Directions

Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.  In a large bowl of an electric mixer, gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.  Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins – fill each cup about 2/3 of the way.  Bake in the oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, halfway through the cooking.  Test the cupcakes with a toothpick to ensure they are done. Remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth.  Add the sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated.  Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.  To add a little color, I sprinkled some of the cupcake crumbs on top of the cream cheese frosting.

Fake Brulee - I mean Creme Brulee

Ok, here's the deal. Creme Brulee is a pain in the ass to make - no doubt about it. My version is well, not a pain at all. It doesn't exactly replace the real thing - but it's pretty darn close. ~~Sam the Cooking Guy

Ingredients:

1 box Jell-O Vanilla Pudding mix

1 cup milk

Sugar

Fresh berries

Directions:

Prepare pudding according to directions.  Spoon into 4 ramekins and refrigerate for 30 mins,

Remove from refrigerator and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sugar evenly over the top of each pudding.  Using a plumbers torch or small culinary torch, burn the top to a golden brown.  Garnish with berries and serve.

Calabaza, Corn, and Coconut Soup

This soup is a great combination of flavors. The squash can be found at your international markets or substitute with butternut squash.  Add a swirl of creme fraiche to the relish or a lump of crab meat for a change

For soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro stems

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 (2 1/4-pound) piece calabaza squash or 1 (2 1/2-pound) whole kabocha squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (6 cups)

4 cups water

1 1/4 cups well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk (12 ounces)

3 ears of corn (fresh or thawed frozen), kernels cut off and reserved for relish (below) and cobs halved crosswise

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

For corn relish:

4 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch of sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups corn kernels (see above)

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

Directions

Make soup:
Heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and edges are browned, about 4 minutes. Add cilantro stems and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add squash pieces and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes. Stir in water, coconut milk, corn cobs, salt, and cayenne and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes.

Prepare corn relish while soup simmers:
Whisk together lime juice, salt, and sugar in a bowl, then add oil and whisk until combined.

Cook corn kernels in a saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain in a sieve, then rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well, then transfer to dressing along with cilantro and shallot and toss well to coat.

Finish soup:
Discard corn cobs, then purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) until smooth, transferring to a 2-quart measure.

Divide soup among bowls and gently stir 1/4 cup corn relish into each.

Moroccan Spiced Chickpea and Lentil Soup

Ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and saffron infuse each spoonful of this savory soup — a hearty combination of lentils, chickpeas, fennel, onions and tomatoes. Pick up the spice profile with a dollop of Charmoula, a Moroccan condiment with garlic, cumin, cilantro and jalapeño. Great with a warm whole wheat pita and a simple salad on the side.

Ingredients

Charmoula
4 to 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and deveined
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 bunch cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste Soup
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 (14-ounces) cans chopped tomatoes, with their liquid
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Pinch of saffron threads (optional)
4 cups gluten-free, low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup dried lentils (green, brown, red or yellow), picked through and rinsed
4 sprigs cilantro
4 sprigs parsley
2 dried bay leaves
2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Directions

For the charmoula, mix 4 tablespoons of the oil, cumin, garlic, jalapeños, and lemon juice in a food processor to make a purée. Pick cilantro leaves from their stems and add to food processor along with zest and salt and pepper. Pulse mixture a couple of times, scraping it down from the side of the bowl in between pulses. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil if needed. The mixture should resemble a rustic pesto. Place in tightly closed container and refrigerate for up to two days.

For the soup, heat oil in a 4-quart pot with over medium heat. Add fennel and gently cooking for a couple of minutes while the fennel releases its natural juices. Add red and white onions and cook until soft and translucent, stirring mixture from time to time, about 12 minutes. Add tomatoes with their liquid and increase heat to high until the mixture comes to a simmer. Add the ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic and saffron, if using, and let them infuse the mixture with their flavors for a few more minutes.

Add broth, lentils, cilantro and parsley sprigs, and bay leaves and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add sugar and salt and pepper, stirring the mixture a couple of times. Cover pot and let simmer for about 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Add chickpeas and cook, uncovered, for another 5 to 7 minutes until heated through. Mix well and season again with salt and pepper. Remove and discard bay leaves, cilantro, and parsley.

Serve soup hot, with 1 tablespoon of the reserved charmoula on top, if desired. (For a thicker soup, remove about 1 cup of the cooked lentils and chickpeas from the soup and process them in blender, adding some extra liquid if needed. Add the blended mixture back to the soup. For a thinner soup, add extra vegetable broth.)

Rao’s Seafood Salad

Ah yes, the big downfall for my DH.  This recipe was featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay last night, when they were doing the typical Italian Christmas Eve "Feast of the 7 Fishes".  He's now ready to fly out to Vegas for dinner at Raos's.  I have to admit I won't have a problem sharing this with him. Vegas here we come!!

1 lb. Fresh small Squid (Calamari), with tentacles, cleaned
1 cup jumbo lump crab meat
8 large shrimp
1 lb. cooked fresh lobster meat
2 cups fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons of salt
1 cup Rao’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 teaspoon chopped Italian parsley
6 lemon wedges
Salt and Pepper to taste


Separate squid bodies and tentacles, as they must be cooked in different water to keep the tentacles from coloring the rings. Place 1 quart cold water in a saucepan. Add squid bodies, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons salt. Place 1 quart cold water in a saucepan. Add squid tentacles, 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring both pots to a boil. Lower heat and cook until squid are very tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and refresh in cold water.


Drain the bodies, pat dry and cut into rings.


Under running water, gently rub, pushing the black specks and colored skin from the tentacles. Drain well and pat dry. Combine the rings and tentacles in a colander and drain. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Peel, devein, and cover shrimp with water and bring to a boil in a small saucepan. Immediately remove from the heat, and refresh in cold, water. Cut into quarters.


Whisk together the oil, remaining lemon juice, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.


Add shrimp and squid to the oil mixture. Toss to coat. Add crabmeat and lobster and turn gently to coat. Remove and discard garlic cloves. Refrigerate until serving. Garnish with lemon wedges.

So What Now?

My DH (dear or damn?) who's idea it was in the first place (might I remind him) to become vegetarians is limiting my recipe options. He doesn't like mushrooms (pretty much a vegetarian staple), zucchini, squash of any kind, greens (Chard, Collard, etc), snow peas, sugar peas, cooked carrots, couscous (really? how can you not like couscous?), bulgar, and I can go on. And no it's not the recipes because they are quite good. I guess I should be happy that he likes eggplant and tomatoes.


And so, my DH has decided he wants to be a Pescatarian, but no shellfish (which is funny because we watched Throwdown with Bobby Flay last night and he was all about the Seafood Salad at Raos's Resturant which includes crab and lobster). We did agree that if fish was going to be added back to the menu then we would only do wild caught.


I do not miss any of it, fish poultry, pork, beef, buffalo. The only thing I've told my friends who have expressed an interest in becoming vegetarian, that I miss is the convenience. I have tons of recipes for chicken and right now it just takes more pre-planning. Oh well..

Tuscan Bread and Vegetable Soup

Ribollita ("re-boiled" in Italian) generally refers to leftover hearty vegetable soup with stale bread added during reheating. In our version of this classic Italian soup, we combine fennel, carrots, green beans and kale with hearty cannelini beans, chicken and sourdough bread for a robust and satisfying meal.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, with their liquid
8 boneless chicken thighs
1 dried bay leaf
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 sprig parsley
2 (15-ounce) cans cannelini beans, drained
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups chopped kale or baby spinach
2 cups roughly chopped green beans
1 cup 1/2-inch cubes day-old sourdough or country bread
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a 6-quart Dutch oven heat oil over medium high heat. Add onions and fennel and cook, stirring from time to time, until fragrant and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add carrots and cook for another 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute more, or until fragrant. Add tomatoes with their liquid and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add chicken, bay leaf, 4 cups of the broth and parsley and increase heat to high. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for another 20 minutes.

Put 1 can of beans and remaining 1 cup broth into a blender and purée. Uncover pot and season with salt and pepper, bearing in mind that there will be some Parmesan cheese added at the end, so salt should be used lightly. Add bean purée, remaining can of beans, and kale and stir. Cook for another 3 minutes, then add green beans. Cook for about 3 more minutes, then add bread and stir. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.

If the soup is deemed too thick, add a cup of water, bring back to a simmer, taste and reseason with salt and pepper. Serve soup ladled into bowls and topped with Parmesan cheese and an extra drizzling of olive oil, if you like.

Maple Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Well,  it's been a while since my last post but I haven't made anything new that was worth blogging about, until now.


We usually have those canned yams you get at the store because they're simple and don't take much effort, boring.  This recipe was an instant hit at my table and talk about easy.  It probably took about 20 minutes of  my time but this can be prepared a day or two in advance.  Try it, it's well worth your effort.

Ingredients
6 pounds sweet potatoes, washed
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons bourbon
8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
Pecan Crumb Topping


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place potatoes in foil lined baking sheet (otherwise the sugars from the potatoes will drip and make a mess of your oven). Roast for 1 hour 15 minutes, until they are very soft to the touch.  Remove from oven and let cool 20 minutes.
When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the potato into a large mixing bowl.  Mix in lemon zest and juice, maple syrup and brown sugar, you can use a mixer with a paddle attachment or just a potato masher.


Pour the bourbon in a small saute pan and place over high heat.  Let it come to a boil and then if you have a gas cook top, slightly tilt the pan away from you to set it aflame, otherwise use a long handle gas or barbeque lighter.  (it doesn't burn off the alcohol but does add to the flavor). Add to the potatoes along with the butter.  Mix well.  Add the salt and pepper and transfer to a 13x9 inch oven safe casserole dish.  Sprinkle topping over potatoes and bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.


Pecan Crumb Topping
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup packed light sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Pinch dried thyme
1/2 cup chopped pecans
5 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into bits (butter can be taken out of the fridge when after you take the potatoes out of the oven)


Mix all the ingredients together and work the butter with your fingers until you have the crumbly topping.

Dajat Tarat - The Chicken That Flew Away (Chickpea Stew)

This popular meatless tangine recipe can be found in many cultures adding different vegetables from tomatoes to spinach and with or without cayenne pepper. Rick doesn’t care for the cayenne pepper so I didn’t kick this one up.

This is a Moroccan recipe that is prepared on the more meager days.  Probably cooked on days when the family couldn’t afford chicken so maybe they told the children that “there was a chicken but it flew away”.  This is a hearty dish that is very fragrant with all the spices and coriander.

Dajat Tarat - The Chicken That Flew Away

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 extra large sweet potato or yam, peeled and cubed

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp allspice

Large pinch of saffron (about 20 threads)

1/2 cup fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped

sea salt and pepper to taste

rice or couscous

Directions:

Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat and add oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent, then add the sweet potato, chickpeas, spices coriander and salt and pepper to taste.  Pour in just enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender. There should be a small amount of the fragrant broth left, but it should be significantly reduced. Serve with rice or couscous.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

I was watching a cooking show this morning were the chef was making a grilled vegetable sandwich I knew I could improve on it.  I had most of the ingredients on hand so this was a snap.  Rick loved it so I'm adding the recipe. (Note: if you don't have a grill then you can roast the vegetables at 375 degrees following the same directions).

Ingredients:
1 eggplant, sliced1/4 inch thick
1 red pepper, cut lengthwise into 3 or 4 large pieces
1 zuchinni, split in half lengthwise, then into 4 long slices
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
4 slices tomato
1 tbsp pesto (store bought is fine)
2 tbsp soy mayonnaise (or regular)
2 slices rice cheese, Swiss flavor (or real Swiss cheese)
fresh arugula
Olive oil
Salt
Ciabatta bread

Directions:
Toss the vegetables with olive oil and salt in a large mixing bowl or roasting pan. Heat grill to med high. Place eggplant and red pepper on grill (these vegetables take longer) and let cook for 15 minutes.  Turn eggplant and pepper and add zucchini and onions. Cook 10 minutes. After 5 minutes add the tomato slices.

Meanwhile mix pesto and mayonnaise together, and slice the bread lengthwise.  drizzle olive oil on bread and place on grill, cut side down.

Remove the vegetables to plate and keep warm. Remove the bread from the grill and spread pesto mixture.  Add the arugula to the sandwich and layer the vegetables. Top each sandwich with a slice of cheese.

Fassoulia - Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce

Fassoulia is the Greek name for beans in general, and any bean at all pairs beautifully with tomatoes. Gigandes Plaki is another name for this dish, specifically referring to the gigandes beans or elephant beans from Macedonia, in plaki or sauce. Butter beans are their closest cousins.

This dish is a regular feature on a Greek dinning table, but traditionally, not as part of mezedes , “little dishes”, or appetizers. Fasssoulia would actually be categorized as a small course or fagakia, when part of a multi-course meal, but it is hearty enough to make a meal themselves. When served with pita bread and a salad this could make for a great lunch or dinner. Fassoulia can be served warm or cold, and when left overnight the flavor improves.

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil

2 medium onions

4 plump cloves garlic, chopped

2 14 oz cans elephant beans, butter beans, or other white beans, drained and rinsed

2 14 oz cans diced Italian plum tomatoes

1 tsp dried oregano or 2 tsp fresh, chopped

1 tsp dried dill or 2 tsp fresh, chopped

2 tsp dried thyme or a small bunch of fresh thyme sprigs

1 tbsp honey

2 tsp red wine vinegar

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Toasted pita bread, to serve

Directions

Heat a large saute pan on low heat and add olive oil. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent.

Add the garlic, beans, tomatoes, herbs, honey, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 1 hour. Some of the beans will break up and thicken the mixture towards the end of the cooking time. If the mixture seems to be sticking to the bottom of the pan you ca add a tiny bit of water, but this dish is not supposed to be soupy - it should be thick enough to stay on one side of the pan when pushed to the side.

Serve warm, with toasted pita bread. The flavor of this dish improves the next day.

Pappardelle alla Pangratto e Noci (Pasta with Crumbs and Walnuts)

This dish is from the less affluent region of Puglia in the south of Italy, and is also know as Alla Molica.  This peasant-style recipe evolved not doubt, when nothing else could be found in the kitchen cabinets, and is wonderful (Rick loved it so what else can I say?).  In the poorer regions of Italy breadcrumbs would often be used to substitute the more expensive grated cheese. Any type of pasta works well with this dish but I used fresh pappardelle.

Ingredients

5 oz fresh of slightly stale country bread, such as ciabatta

5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

3 large clove garlic

3/4 cups walnuts, chopped

Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Fresh ground black pepper

1 lb pasta

sea salt

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add salt (the water should taste salty)

Tear the bread into smallish pieces and place in food processor.  Process until you have light crumbs - you'll need about 2 cups - save to a small bowl. Add garlic and walnuts to food processor. Process for 30 seconds or until you have small pieces.

Heat a large saute pan over low heat and add 4 Tbsp olive oil. Add the breadcrumbs, increase the heat and stir frequently until the crumbs are crisp and golden brown.  Push the breadcrumbs to one side of the pan. Add the remaining oil and the garlic and walnut mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant, then stir through the breadcrumbs.

Cook the pasta in the salted boiling water until al dente. Drain the pasta very thoroughly and lace back in the hot pot that the pasta was cooked in - the heat will help dry the pasta and keep the breadcrumbs crisp. Add the breadcrumb mixture and parsley to the pasta, toss and serve immediately with a big drizzle of olive oil and plenty of grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper.

Serve with roasted asparagus.

Grilled Vegetable Burritos

Hooray! A recipe where my husband will eat tofu. This sounds time consuming but it’s actually very easy. Substitute the pico de gallo for ready made salsa to cut down on prep time.

I just received a couple of vegetarian cookbooks and have found many recipes to try. Maybe I can become a vegetarian foodie, what do you think? My sister-in-law Rhonda (hi Rhonda) didn't think we'd make it past 3 weeks as vegetarians. BTW, it's been 4 1/2 now and I really don't miss meat, poultry or fish at all.


Grilled Vegetable Burritos

Ingredients

For the filling:
2 medium zucchini, cut into small chunks
1 red, 1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 red onion, cut into wedges or chunks
7oz smoked, flavored, or plain tofu, cut into cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

For the pico de gallo (salsa):
3 vine-ripened tomatoes, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1-2 red chillies, or to taste, seeds removed, finely chopped
Handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

For the guacamole:
1 large or 2 medium ripe avocados
1 tsp lime juice
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1 tsp Mexican chili powder
Tabasco sauce, to taste

To serve:
4 large or 8 small flour tortillas or “wraps”
Shredded lettuce
Alfalfa sprouts
Sour cream (or plain greek style yogurt)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the vegetables and tofu in a roasting pan and add the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano. Toss well with your hands to coat everything evenly. Grill or roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and golden. Remove from oven and stir in the beans. Turn the oven to 225F and put the mixture back in the oven to keep warm. Separate the tortillas, then wrap in fiol and place in oven to warm.

Meanwhile, make the pico de gallo. In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, onion, chilies, cilantro, lime juice and salt together. Set aside until ready to use.

To make the guacamole, cut the avocado(s) in half and remove the stone (pit). Scoop out the flesh with a spoon into a bowl. Add the lime juice. Using a fork or potato masher, mash until fairly smooth. Put garlic through a garlic press. Add garlic, chili powder, Tabasco, and taste for seasoning. Set aside until ready to use.

To assemble each burrito, lay out a warm tortilla and place a spoonful of vegetables and tofu towards the bottom. Top with a handful of lettuce and alfalfa sprouts. Fold sides over and roll up. If tortillas are small it may be easier to roll up without tucking ends in.

Place on serving dish and top with pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream.

RAVE - Schmave

Ok, so the Rave diet is a bit too extereme. Although we are continuing with the vegetarian lifestyle we have decided to add a few things back in to the pantry.

Oil - omg how are you supposed to cook without something to prevent your food from sticking to the pan? We have agreeded to add a bit of olive oil back into the diet.
Yogurt - plain yogurt only, the flavored yogurt has high fructose corn syrup and sugar or sugar substitute. Oh, the Greek yogurt you can get at the store is totally AWESOME!
Pamsean Cheese - Yes I understand, but it's the only cheese we're adding. (and it makes the polenta so much better)

I must say that I was pleseantly surpised today when Rick called me from work and said that

1. He was offered half a chocolate donut today and will power gave in and he accepted, to to have taken 2 bites and toss it out because he thought it was so sweet that it made him sick (wow, 2 weeks without refinded sugars and now it's just too sweet).

2. He told me they were having a fundraiser cookout at his work offering, burgers, hot dogs, brats with chips and a soda for $5 and corn on the cob for $1. He told them he was a vegetarian and asked to replace the burger for a corn, and had baked Lays and a water.

Way to go sweetie!

Grilled Garden Vegetables with Polenta

This was the first time Rick has ever had Polenta and the first time I have ever made it. I used instant Polenta (which I now know is a no-no). Yes I know, some of you are thinking, What? The first time? Well, like some may understand I had said something about making it in the past and Rick said eew. So that's where it ended.

I made the Polenta with vegetable stock and added a few cloves of crushed garlic, salt, pepper,and bay leaves. Then added fresh basil and parmesan after adding the polenta.


Ingredients
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 eggplant, sliced 1/3-inch thick
1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/3-inch thick
1 medium summer squash, sliced 1/3-inch thick
1 large red onion, peeled and sliced 1/3-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, quartered, stemmed and seeded
4 large whole mushrooms, optional
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
basil leaves, for garnish

Directions
1. Preheat the grill.
2. In a food processor, combine the garlic, mustard and vinegar and puree. With the motor running, add the olive oil and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Brush the vegetables with the garlic vinaigrette.
3. Grill the vegetables on a hot grill for 2 minutes on each side. (To keep the onions together, slide a spatula completely underneath each slice to pick up all the rings and turn carefully to grill the other side.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon the warm polenta onto serving plates and arrange the slices of grilled vegetables and mushrooms on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garnish with basil leaves and serve.

Garnish this bright coleslaw with toasted sesame seeds or chopped roasted peanuts. Or, for you meat eaters, toss it with shredded roasted chicken and serve it as the main course.

Ingredients

1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
4 cups finely shredded green and red cabbage
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, garlic, cumin, oregano and mustard just until sugar is dissolved. Add cabbage, carrots, green onions, salt and pepper and toss gently to combine. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

The RAVE Diet -On the Road to Becoming Vegetarian

Rick and I have decided to eat very healthy and will try to go vegetarian. The dietary guide that Rick wants to try and follow is the RAVE diet. This means no animal products, which will be difficult because we do like dairy products such as cheese and yogurt. But after seeing a PBS special called "Eating" and seeing them take a section of an artery and pull out a long strand of the build up that comes from the typical American diet, we were both so horrified that we have decide to try our best to cut our consumption of all animal products. This RAVE diet also directs you to cut oils, processed foods and sugar from your diet. This will be difficult and I think it will be easier to start by cutting down at first.

So, my future posts until further notice should be titled, “On the Road to Becoming Vegetarian”. Wish me luck, especially since Rick doesn’t like mushrooms and they seem to be a major meat replacement.

Fusilli Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and “Hidden” Zucchini

As you eat this unique recipe the juicy, roasted tomatoes break apart into the pasta to make the sauce right on your plate. People at the table might not even notice the extra serving of vegetables you “hid” by grating squash into the pasta, but the flavor will make it a winner

Ingredients
6 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup 365 Everyday Value Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/2 pound 365 Everyday Value Organic Whole Wheat Fusilli
2 zucchini or yellow squash, grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange tomatoes on a large parchment-lined sheet tray, cut-sides up. Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Scatter 2 tablespoons Parmesan and 2 tablespoons basil evenly over top. Roast until juicy and bubbling, about 20 minutes; set aside. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add fusilli and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add zucchini, lemon juice, remaining 6 tablespoons Parmesan and 2 tablespoons basil. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide pasta onto four plates, top with tomatoes and serve.