Avocado-Tomato Rotelle

I love it when avocados are cheap ;)

This has a great, almost no-cook sauce. In fact, I bet this would make a fantastic pasta salad.

Works well as a quick lunch or dinner.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 oz. rotelle (wheel-shaped pasta)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 large avocado, diced
1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Parmesan cheese

Method:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain.

2. While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and then cook the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and cook 5 minutes or until warmed through.

3. Toss the tomato mixture with the pasta and then add the avocado and basil. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving.

Reference:
Avocado-Tomato Rotelle from the July 2006 issue of Cooking Pleasures.

Zucchini-Tomato Gratin (South-of-the-Border Style)

This is actually based on a recipe with an Italian flair.
I had planned to make this last night but didn't squeeze it in so tonight I had part of a zucchini that needed to be used up as well as an avocado that needed to be used. I decided the Italian flavours of the original recipe wouldn't work very well with my tomato-cilantro-avocado soup but I could manage switching this up a bit to make it work. Hey, I may be English but I've lived in San Diego for the best part of 20 years. I know Mexican food flavours. :)

Here's the result of my recipe tweaking. It worked out really well and made a nice accompaniment to the soup. The only disappointment was that the big flavours of the cilantro and jalapeno overpowered the mild tomato and zucchini. But, I suppose if you have someone who turns their nose up at tomato and/or zucchini, this may just work out OK for you. ;)

**If you leave off the panko, this is gluten-free.**

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced into rounds
1/2 tsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp. black olives
1/8 cup chopped cilantro
Small amount of jalapeno pepper, chopped (about 1/2 tsp.)
1/8 cup panko
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
1/8 cup mozzarella, shredded

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the zucchini until golden.
Mix the panko and oregano in a small bowl then mix in the cheeses.

2. Layer half of the tomato and zucchini slices in a baking pan. Top with half of the garlic, olives, cilantro, jalapeno, and panko mixture. Season with black pepper. Repeat with the remaining tomato and zucchini slices and then the remaining garlic, olives, cilantro, jalapeno, and panko-cheese mix. Add more black pepper if desired. Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Reference:
Based on Zucchini-Tomato Gratin from the July /August 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times.

My Changes:
*Used cilantro in place of basil.
*Added jalapeno, panko, oregano.
*Used cheddar and mozzarella mixture in place of Parmesan.
*Used black olives in place of kalamata olives.
*Skipped the step involving salting the tomatoes and zucchini (worked out fine without doing this).

Chickpea Burgers with Two Relishes

Is "relishes" really even a word..? lol :)

I actually made this a couple weeks ago and then my schedule went nuts and I've had no time for blogging!
It's a good thing; I've been going to lots of tai chi classes and I also found a netball club here to play with. Nice to be back on the court even though I am really rusty. That's what I'd be doing right now if my bio bomb students at work hadn't given me this cold... boo :(

These little chickpea numbers were so tasty! I can't wait to make them again. I think next time, I'd like to try them with black beans. Yum!
I served these with lavender-rosemary roasted potatoes in place of fries.



This would be enough for 2 (1 patty each)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup dry chickpeas (use canned it you prefer)
1 egg white
1 tbsp. sour cream
1/8 cup onion, diced
1 small garlic clove, minced
Small amount of lemon juice (about 1/4 lemon worth)
1/8 cup panko
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. Mexican oregano (dried)
1/4 cup freshly-shredded pepper-jack cheese, divided (1/8 per patty)
1/2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Relishes:
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped (divided so you have 1/2 tomato in each of two bowls)
2-3 Kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 tsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 avocado, diced
Juice of 1/4 lime (or use some of that lemon from above)
Chopped fresh cilantro (1-2 tbsp.)
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Method:
1. If you use dried beans, you'll need to start by soaking these. I prefer to quick-soak mine. Bring them to a boil in enough water to cover them by 3-4 inches. Once they are boiling, immediately remove them from the heat and let them sit, covered, for 1 hour. Drain, rinse, and cook as usual.

2. I decided to make the relishes first to allow the flavours time to meld together. I made two different ones - an olive-tomato relish as well as an avocado pico relish. Both were fantastic!
To make the avocado pico:
*Mix the tomato (1/2 tomato), lime (or lemon) juice, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Allow this to sit in the fridge for 1 hour.
To make the olive-tomato relish:
*Mix the other 1/2 tomato, olives, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt/pepper to taste in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Make the patties! Put the chickpeas, egg white, sour cream, onion, garlic, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well-combined (it should be chunky). Add the salt, pepper, cilantro, and cumin and pulse until combined. Transfer this mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the panko and cheese.

4. Form portions of the mixture into two 1-inch thick patties. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook for 6-8 minutes per side or until golden. Flip once during cooking.
Serve with the relishes and, if desired, avocado slices (I just can't get enough avocado!)

Reference:
I found this recipe on the Savory Safari blog; the author of that blog was inspired by a recipe for veggie burgers at 101 Cookbooks.

My changes:
*I used pepper-jack in place of cotija cheese. I also grated my cheese as opposed to slicing it and then mixed it in with the bean mixture rather than placing the slices in between two halves of each patty.
*I added the cilantro, cumin, and oregano.
*I used sour cream in place of mayonnaise.
*I added a relish :) The avocado-pico was my idea. I thought it would work well with the flavours in the patties.

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells with Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions

Phew, quite a name! :)

DH loves stuffed shells but he has been deprived of them for almost a year now since I just haven't had time to fuss around making a decent vegetarian version. I tried it once a couple months ago after he commented on how much he missed them. I figured I could just leave out the sausage and they'd be OK. Wrong.. they were so blah. I may be English, but I do not do bland! ;) Anyway, now that I'm finished with my Masters and have a bit more time to play around in the kitchen, I came up with the following for dinner on Saturday. These are really tasty and have some great nutrition boosts thanks to the mushrooms and spinach.

Makes 4 large shells (I eat two with a big salad and save the remaining two for lunch the next day)

Ingredients:
4 large pasta shells
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 egg (you could either whisk the whole egg and then measure approx. half of that or separate the egg and use just the white or, if you're feeling indulgent, just the yolk ;)
3 oz. low-fat ricotta (or cottage cheese)
1/8 cup freshly-grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/8 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped spinach
Olive oil
1/8 cup chopped onion
3 or 4 mushrooms (button, cremini, baby portobellas), chopped
1 tbsp. fresh parsley (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. dried fennel, crushed
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. panko (or other dry breadcrumbs)
1/2-1 cup marinara sauce
A little extra freshly-grated Parm or mozzarella to sprinkle on top

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Cook the pasta shells according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. While the pasta cooks, sautee the mushrooms and onion in a little olive oil over medium heat. Remove from heat and scrape into a large bowl.

3. Add the ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan to the onion-mushroom mixture. Mix together. Add the egg, panko, and spinach and mix to combine. Stir in the fennel, garlic, parsley, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

4. Spread some marinara sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Spoon filling into each of the shells and then place them in the marinara-covered dish. Top the shells with the remaining marinara sauce and cover the dish with foil.

5. Bake the shells for 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with additional mozzarella or Parmesan as desired during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Reference:
I started out with this recipe as the base and then added other items based on the manicotti recipe. The mushrooms and fennel were last-minute "ooh, I have mushrooms and fennel" additions. The idea to saute the mushrooms and onion also came to me as I was getting ingredients out.

Orzo Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes (and other yummies!)

My goodness, I love this stuff! I've made it a couple times for parties and it always gets rave reviews. Finally getting around to blogging it - figured I'd share the wealth a little :)

The first time I made this, I did it just as a "dinner" for myself and added some kalamata olives. Now, I usually love olives but I thought they made this too salty. I suppose I should have just rinsed the little buggers but I've left the out every other time I've made it and I do not miss them. If you'd like to add them in, use 1/2 cup pitted and roughly chopped olives per batch (6 servings).

Feel free to experiment with the fresh herbs. I've tried this with just parsley (as the original recipe calls for); with a mixture of 1/2 mint and 1/2 basil; and with a mixture of 1/2 parsley and 1/2 cilantro. Either way, it's fabulous!

I highly recommend making this ahead of time and letting it sit in the fridge for as long as you can. This will give it time for the flavours to really all mix together and seep into the orzo. Yum! *Just leave the cheese off until you are ready to serve.*

Serves 6

Ingredients:
Good pinch of saffron
1 pound orzo
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (see note about herbs above)
1/8 cup lemon juice (I usually use more - I love lemon!)
1 tbsp. capers, drained (I also give mine a quick rinse)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes
1/4-1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 cup crumbled feta (chopped goat cheese is also wonderful with this salad)

Method:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the saffron and then the orzo. Cook for 10-15 minutes (or as the package directs), until the orzo is al dente. Drain the orzo and rinse in cold water. Set aside.

2. While the orzo cooks, grab a large glass bowl and toss together the olive oil, pepper, sea salt, herbs, lemon juice, capers, and sugar. Once the orzo is cooled, give it a good toss in the dressing mixture. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and red onions as well as the olives (if desired). Stick this in the fridge for at least one hour. Once it is ready to serve, carefully toss in the feta or goat cheese. Enjoy :)

Reference:
Based on the "Orzo and Feta with Lemon-Caper Dressing and Kalamata Olives" recipe from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.

Pita + Pesto + Portobello = Perfection

No more wondering what the hell you're going to make for vegetarian friends next time you have a cookout! :) These were fantastic!
I think next time, though, I'll add some more veggies - maybe some grilled eggplant and tomato... Yum.
Just be sure to make extra - the meat-eaters may get jealous ;)

I found these recipes in the most recent (August 2008) issue of Cooking Light magazine and just made a few changes. The original recipe for the pita things called for "commercial pesto." First of all, it's one of the easiest things to make so I'd never go buy it. Second, I had two different types of pesto in the freezer. :) One was a vegan version - parsley and lemon pesto which I decided to use since I figured it would work well with the lemon rice. It did. :)
For the rice, I didn't have mustard seeds and thought that may be a bit weird anyway... I did, however, have saffron which worked wonderfully! Saffron may be the world's most expensive spice but it's worth every penny. I highly recommend keeping a jar in the pantry!
Saffron also imparts this great yellow colour which I think makes it look like totally fake FD&C coloured lemon yellow rice... lol :) It's absolutely not fake but it makes for a good conversation starter ;)

Speaking of vegan... this isn't a hard meal to convert to vegan. The only non-vegan components as it is right now are the sour cream or mayonnaise and the feta. Easy fix! You can get "Vegannaise" (seriously, that's the brand name.. I may be spelling it incorrectly but you get the idea) which you can use in place of the regular mayo or sour cream. Or, you can just spread hummus on the pitas and then throw the veggies in.
I'm also wondering what a hummus and lemon-parsley pesto combination would be like.. that could work, too! :)
Obviously, you would just leave the cheese off. While the cheese was a nice addition, I didn't think it was 100% necessary (yes, I had one sans cheese just to see). This would also make the dish lower in fat which is nice for everyone.

Here are the recipes!
Lemon-Parsley Pesto (Vegan)
This will make a bloody boat-load of pesto but it freezes rather well so make the whole thing! :)
It thaws in no time and is great on pasta, white beans, sandwiches, as a dip...

Ingredients:
4 cups loosely packed parsley leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
2 small garlic cloves
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
Pinch of sea salt

Method:
1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The volume will reduce to about 1/2 cup.
You can change the amounts to taste (salt, vinegar, lemon juice) but the predominant tastes should be the lemon and parsley.

Grilled Vegetable Pitas with Feta Cheese and Creamy Pesto
4 servings

Another photo, this time with the cheese.

Ingredients
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise, Vegannaise, or sour cream (I always use sour cream in place of mayo)
1 tbsp. lemon-parsley pesto
4 whole-wheat pitas, halved
Lettuce leaves
4 portobello mushroom caps, sliced
2 medium bell peppers, thickly sliced
1 medium red onion, thickly sliced
Cooking spray
Pinch of sea salt
Good sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Method:
1. Combine the mayo/vegannnaise or sour cream with the pesto. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Arrange the mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions on a baking sheet. Coat the veggies with cooking spray and then sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle the vinegar over the vegetables and place the baking sheet on the grill rack. Grill 5 minutes on each side or until tender.

3. Spread the pesto mixture onto each pita half and then stuff with lettuce and grilled veggies. Sprinkle crumbled feta into each pita half.

Lemon-Saffron Rice (Vegan)
4 servings

Ingredients:
Rice (long-grain or basmati)
Sea salt
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 1/2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Couple pinches of saffron

1. Cook the rice according to package directions, adding saffron when you add the rice (crumble it a bit between your fingers as you add it).

2. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the lemon juice, lemon rind, and cilantro.

References:
The lemon-parsley pesto recipe is from JoyGotDots on the Nest. The grilled veggie pitas and the lemon rice are based on the "Grilled Vegetable Pitas with Goat Cheese and Pesto Mayo" and "Fresh Lemon Rice" recipes from the August 2008 issue of Cooking Light magazine.

Walnut and Pepper Pasta

This could be served hot or as a pasta salad (the original recipe says "at room temperature" but I think chilled would be better).

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/8 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 pound bowtie pasta or other short pasta
3/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup canned chopped tomatoes, drained
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tbsp. sliced garlic
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. capers, drained
1 tbsp. fresh oregano
1/8 up chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup bell peppers
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
Sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Before draining, reserve 1/8 cup of the water used for cooking.

2. Saute the onions in a medium skillet over medium heat in olive oil until they begin to brown (8-10 minutes).

3. Add the garlic and saute an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the reserved pasta water and simmer for 1 minute. Add salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, parsley, bell peppers, capers, and tomatoes and cook 1 minute or until heated through. Remove from the heat.

4. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Toss. Add the walnuts and Parmesan cheese and mix again.

Reference:
Based on the Bowties with Walnuts and Red Peppers recipe from The Occasional Vegetarian.

A Spring in its Step

I'll start this post with a mini-lesson for you :) I took years of Spanish and live in San Diego so, even though it's been a while since I took a class, I seem to find a reason to utter some Spanish on an almost daily basis.
Primavera is the Spanish word for Spring. Spring to me does not mean "smothered in icky, fattening cream sauce." heh... I prefer to think of Spring in terms of fresh veggies. So, this dinner is in honour of my impression of Spring. I present:
Pasta Primavera sans Cream Sauce ;)

Serves 2 (yeay for leftovers!)

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup or so carrots, chopped
1/3 pound asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/3 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1/3 pound butterfly/bowtie pasta
Small amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method:
1. Bring a covered pot of water (large enough to accommodate a steamer basket) to a boil.

2. While the water boils, saute the garlic, onion, and oil in a saucepan for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and wine and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the red onions, cover, and remove from the heat.

3. When the water is boiling, place the carrots in the steamer basket and add them to the water. Cook for 3 minutes and then add the asparagus and bell peppers. Cook another 3 minutes then add the zucchini and peas. After the zucchini and peas have had 3 minutes, lift out the steamer basket. Reserve the water for cooking the pasta. Stir the veggies into the tomato-wine sauce. Add salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

4. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain. Toss the pasta with a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Top with the tomato-vegetable sauce and sprinkle with additional Parmesan and the fresh basil.

Reference:
Based on the Pasta Primavera recipe from the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favourites cookbook.

Lemon and Veggie Pasta

There has been a lemon pasta recipe floating around on The Nest for the last couple weeks. It sounded really yummy so I knew I would have to check it out! The original was used as a side dish but I wanted mine as a main course with lots of vegetables. Here is the result! I'll mark my changes in purple.

The lemon flavour was really intense - it was great! This will definitely be repeated often around here :)

This makes a quick and easy dinner. The only "time-consuming" part is giving the eggplant an hour to "rest" while you salt it. Use that time to prep the rest of your veggies and herbs. After that hour, it will take 10-15 minutes max. :)

If you leave off the cheese, this recipe is vegan. I'm not convinced you need the cheese - the lemon and veggies work really well together!

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 serving whole wheat spaghetti (or any other pasta you like)
Olive oil
A couple slices of eggplant, diced (probably about 1/2-1 cup)
1 tomato, seeded and diced (superfood!)
4 button mushrooms, sliced (I'd love to try this with a portobello cap!) - superfood!
1/4 cup broccoli florets (superfood!)
1/2 zucchini squash, sliced and then quartered
1/8 cup onion, finely chopped (superfood!)
1 clove garlic, minced (original called for garlic powder) - superfood!
3 tbsp. fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried basil
A little crushed red pepper
1/3 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice (superfood!)
1/2 tbsp. grated lemon zest
1 tsp. capers
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese (original called for Pecorino Romano)
1 tbsp. fresh parsley

Method:
1. Slice eggplant. Rinse off slices and pat dry. Sprinkle each with a little salt and let them "drain" on a paper towel for 1 hour. Re-rinse and pat dry. Dice.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant, tomato, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, onion, garlic, and red pepper. Also add dried basil if you are using it. Saute the veggies for about 10 minutes or until tender.

3. While the vegetables saute, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

4. Drain the pasta and then mix the lemon juice and lemon zest in. Add capers, fresh parsley, and fresh basil to the veggies. Toss the veggies with the pasta. Serve and sprinkle with freshly-grated Parmesan and a little extra fresh parsley.
Enjoy immediately.


Reference:
I used the Lemon Pasta recipe from Erin's blog as the base for this. Thanks, Erin! :)

Rosemary-Cheese Focaccia

I have to start by saying I have no idea how I've been keeping this blog for the best part of a year and have managed to miss having an "Italian" tag.. heh :) One of my favourite types of food...

This was actually my first attempt at making bread (other than a quick bread) without the bread machine! It turned out beautifully (it looks a little "well done" in the photos but it was actually perfectly baked!) Yum...
This made a great *sponge* for the manicotti/marinara sauce we had for dinner tonight!

I am 99% sure that if you leave out the cheese, this recipe will be suitable for vegans (and it will be dairy-free!)

This recipe makes a lot of bread but make the whole thing - you can freeze it for up to a month! To freeze, just wrap the cooled bread in plastic wrap and then foil.

Makes 12 squares/servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (superfood!) plus more for greasing the bowl
1 clove garlic, minced
4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1 1/4-ounce package rapid-rise yeast
1 tsp. dried rosemary (crush it a little with a mortar and pestle) - I was seriously tempted to use lavender! Next time ;) I am so in love with the rosemary-lavender combination!
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/6 cup mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
1 2/3 cup warm water (it should be about 110 degrees F)

Method:
1. Rub a large bowl with olive oil. Mix 1 1/2 tbsp. of olive oil with the clove of garlic. Cover and let sit. Combine the flour, chopped fresh rosemary, sugar, salt, yeast, and dried rosemary in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, stir in 1 2/3 cup warm water and mix until kneeded (about 2 minutes). The dough will seem wet and sticky.

2. Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk.

3. Line a baking sheet or baking dish (I used a glass lasagna dish) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray. Stir the cheeses into the dough and transfer the dough onto the baking sheet. Spread to the sides of the sheet/dish with wet fingers. Brush the top of the dough with the olive oil-garlic mixture. If desired, sprinkle with additional (whole) fresh rosemary. Let the dough rise 1 hour more or until it is level with the sides of the pan.

4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top and bottom. Allow the bread to cool for 20 minutes on a wire rack before unmolding and serving.

Stats from the original recipe (I used less salt and part-skim mozzarella so mine may be a bit different...)
Per serving: 216 calories; 6 g protein; 4 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 39 g carbs; 4 mg cholesterol; 929 mg sodium (eek!); 1 g fibre; 3 g sugars.

Reference:
This is based on the Oregano and Asiago Focaccia recipe from the April 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. I used Baking Illustrated to figure out the ideal water temperature.

Now This is What I Call a Grilled Cheese!

In honour of it being "Grilled Cheese Month" (hee hee), I have had 3 grilled cheese sandwiches this week... gross, I know! I'll be eating vegan the rest of the week to cleanse my arteries! ;) This one was by far the best (sorry In-N-Out, your grilled cheese has been knocked down a bit...)

Grilled Margherita Sandwiches
AKA: Caprese Panini

Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:
4 slices of crusty Italian bread
1 large garlic clove, minced (superfood!)
4-6 slices of low-fat mozzarella
1 large tomato, thinly sliced (superfood!)
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Extra-virgin olive oil (superfood!)

Method:
1. Preheat panini press. (*See note below).
Brush one side of each piece of bread with olive oil - this will give the bread a nice browned finish. Flip the slices so they are oiled side down and top each slice with mozzarella.

2. Mix the basil and garlic together. Top the mozzarella slices with tomato slices and then the basil-garlic mixture. Top with more mozzarella and then a top slice of bread (oiled side up).

3. Place the sandwiches in the panini maker and cook for 4-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the bread is lightly toasted. Yum!

*Note:
If you don't have a panini press, you can make these on a grill pan under the broiler or on the stove-top in a skillet.
For the broiler, spray the broiler pan with a little fat-free cooking spray. Place sandwiches on the pan and place under the broiler until the cheese is melted and the sandwiches are lightly toasted. You'll probably need to flip them so both sides get nice and toasty.

For the stove-top, heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Place sandwiches in the skillet. Cover and cook 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese on the bottom of the sandwich is melting.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, flip the sandwiches and cook an additional 2-4 minutes or until all the cheese is melted and both sides are toasted.

Reference:
Based on the Grilled Margherita Sandwich recipe from the April/May 2008 issue of Cooking Pleasures Magazine.
My changes:
*Rather than quarter a garlic clove and rub it on the bread, I minced the clove and mixed it in with the basil. This gave a great garlicy flavour.
*I used low-fat mozzarella in place of the whole-milk stuff. I'm sure they are 10 times better with the whole-milk cheese but I have a history of high cholesterol in my family so I'd better watch it! :)
*I skipped the garlic-pepper seasoning.

Peruvian Baked Quinoa and Cheese

It's like a great familiar outfit with a fabulous new pair of shoes. :) Mmmm... this was a nice change from regular mac and cheese and it's gluten-free for those who are on GF diets. And if that's not enough to win your heart, check out all the superfoods!

I just read a little blurb in Vegetarian Times that gave me another reason to love quinoa! It has 8 essential amino acids and is a complete protein all by itself! I did also just read that vegetarians really don't have to worry about "complete proteins" but whatever.. This same blurb also stated that quinoa is high in antioxidant activity. Yeay for super foods! :)

I changed a few things from the original recipe so I'll mark those in purple.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil (superfood!)
1/2 cup sliced green onions (original recipe called for 1/2 a medium leek, white and green parts, halved and sliced)
1/8 cup red onion (superfood!)
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced (I used a mix of red, green, and yellow peppers)
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained (I think of quinoa as a superfood!)
1 garlic clove, minced (superfood!)
1 1/2 cups water
1 large egg (some, myself included, would say eggs are a superfood!)
1/2 cup nonfat milk
3/4 cup grated cheese (I used sharp 1/2 C Cheddar, 1/8 C Parmesan, and 1/8 C mozzarella; original only called for Cheddar)
1 tomato, seeded and chopped (superfood!)

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the green onion, red onion, and bell peppers. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the quinoa and garlic. Cook, uncovered 3-4 minutes or until the quinoa grains turn opaque (pretty sure mine took a bit longer than that but I wasn't paying attention - trying to get DH's food done at the same time!)

2. Add 1 1/2 cups water, season with salt if desired. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 3-4 minutes more or until most of the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray (the one I used is about 9-inch x 6.5-inch - it's a ceramic Le Creuset thing/not marked!)
Whisk the egg and milk together in a large bowl. Fold in the quinoa mixture, tomatoes, and cheese. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, and bake 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges and on top.

Reference: From the April 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine.

Pesto and Veggie Pasta

The original recipe for this called for purchased pesto - like it's hard to make! lol :) I've included the pesto recipe I used. I also just found out you can freeze pesto for up to 3 months - little added incentive to just make it!

This dish is far from low-fat but the good thing is the majority of the fat is unsaturated... hey, have to make myself feel better for it somehow! Plus, it's a good source of protein since I used whole-wheat pasta and it has all that cheese! Eh, once in a while it's OK - not like I eat like this every day! :)

The zucchini was so yummy with the pesto and the grape tomatoes I used complemented the sweetness of the basil nicely (they also provided a nice contrast to the cheese). My only gripe about this dish was that the photo from the magazine was so pretty and mine just looked really messy! Needless to say, I did not take a photo of it. Maybe I should have taken a photo before adding the goat cheese or just sprinkled the goat cheese on top. Next time... ;) I can tell you, it tasted far better than it looked!

2 Servings

Pesto Recipe (this made enough for 3 [1/8 cup] servings of pesto)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp. dried parsley or 1/4 cup firm packed fresh parsley
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup pine nuts
1 garlic clove, quartered (superfood!)
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1/8 cup olive oil (superfood!)

Pesto
Method:
1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Cover and process with several on-off pulses until a paste forms, stopping the machine several times and scraping down the sides.

Pesto and Veggie Pasta
Ingredients:
4 ounces penne, ziti, or fusili pasta
1/2 tbsp. olive oil (superfood!)
1/2-1 medium zucchini, sliced (you could also add some yellow squash to this if you have it on-hand)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced (superfood!)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 large tomato diced or 7-8 grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced (superfood!)
1/4 cup pesto (recipe above)
1/4 cup soft goat cheese, cut into small cubes

Pesto and Veggie Pasta
Method:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and then return it to the pot.

2. While the past cooks, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the squash and garlic to the hot oil. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the broth and simmer until the broth is almost completely evaporated and the squash is tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the tomatoes.

3. Add the squash mixture, pesto, and goat cheese to the pasta. Toss to combine.

Reference:
I used the Summer Pesto Pasta recipe from the August/September 2005 issue of Cooking Pleasures magazine for this. I found the pesto recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (1996 edition).

Risi e Bisi

That's really just a fancy name for Rice and Peas :) I like the Italian name - fun to say! This was my first risotto-style dish and it turned out really well - I had it with a salad for dinner last night. It was really quick and easy to make which is always appreciated! This is also a decent source of protein (almost 11g per serving) and is low-fat! Yeay :) The only bummer is the sodium content but if you use low-sodium broth and omit the salt/use unsalted butter, you can control that.

Serves 2 (as usual, the amounts are a bit funny since the original recipe was for 6!)

Ingredients:
2/3 tbsp. butter (I actually used the Earth Balance spread)
1/6 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup short- or medium-grain rice
5/6 cup (just measure a little less than a cup...) reduced-sodium vegetable broth
2/3 cup water
Pinch of salt
Pinch of freshly-ground black pepper
Sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. dried basil
2/3 cup frozen green peas, thawed

Method:
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the pan and saute until golden.

2. Add the rice to the onion and saute 1 minute. Add the broth, water, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. Bring the mixture to a boil.

3. Cover the pan and reduce the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid. Stir in the peas, cheese, and parsley and let cook 2-3 minutes more.

Reference:
This recipe is from the January/February 2008 issue of Cooking Light magazine. The only changes I made were to add the oregano and basil. I also used the non-dairy spread in place of butter.

Fusili with Pizziola Sauce

This was very similar to the Pasta alla Puttanesca but it also included goat cheese which added a whole other layer of yumminess to it! The sauce is spicy but the cheese really helps mellow it out (but not too much that it's boring...)
This was a quick and easy dinner - great for busy weeknights!

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion (superfood!)
1 tbsp. olive oil (superfood!)
1 tbsp. minced garlic (I just minced three cloves) - superfood!
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (superfood!)
1 tbsp. fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried
Pinch of salt (1/4-1/2 tsp. is sufficient)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 pound fusili, radiatore, or other short pasta
1/4 cup pitted and chopped black olives (I used kalamata)
1 tbsp. capers, drained
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Method:
1. In a medium skillet, saute the onion in the olive oil until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until golden, 1-2 minutes.

2. Empty the can of tomatoes, including the juice, into a bowl. Crush them using your hands or the back of a spoon. Add the crushed tomatoes to the onion mixture. If you are using dried oregano, add it now. Add the salt, pepper, and sugar and simmer until the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes.

3. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta.

4. Stir the olives, capers, red pepper flakes, parsley, and fresh oregano (if you're using fresh) into the sauce. Simmer another minute or so.

5. Drain the pasta and mix the sauce and pasta together. Add the goat cheese and serve.

Reference:
Surprise! ;) This was from The Occasional Vegetarian from Karen Lee. I bought the April issue of "Vegetarian Times" yesterday so I'll be able to branch out a bit on my recipe sources! I also found an old computer CD (I've been spring cleaning this week!) that is full of vegetarian recipes... I'll have to dust that off and try some of those out, too!

Practically Painless (and 100% meatless!) Manicotti

I've wanted to make manicotti for a long time! To be honest, I've had it at restaurants and always thought it was a bit boring/I could make it a whole lot better at home! Guess what?! You can, and it really doesn't have to be a huge PITA! ;) This is based on a recipe from Cooking Light which uses uncooked manicotti.

I made two versions of it for dinner on Friday night - one meatless for myself and one with a filling similar to the sausage stuffed shells that DH likes. This one is the vegetarian version; meaty version coming soon! Believe it or not, this is fairly low-fat (original recipe had 9 grams - mine was probably right around there).

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1/8 part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1/4 cup spinach (I used frozen spinach that I thawed - I originally put 1/2 cup in my manicotti but I have decided that I was a bit too much so I've cut it back to 1/4 cup)
1/16 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/8 tsp. dried oregano
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
1 tsp. dried parsley
A little salt and black pepper
1 small clove of garlic, minced
2 manicotti shells
Marinara sauce (I used home-made red wine marinara)
1/4 cup water

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the mozzarella, cottage cheese, spinach, Parmesan, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Spoon the cheese mixture into the uncooked manicotti shells.

3. Pour some marinara sauce into a baking dish. Arrange the stuffed pasta shells in a single layer over the sauce. Top the shells with the remaining sauce. Pour 1/4 cup water into the dish. Sprinkle a little additional mozzarella over the sauce. Cover the dish tightly with foil.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until the manicotti shells are tender. Let the pasta dish sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Reference:
Based on the Easy Meatless Manicotti recipe from Cooking Light magazine (May 2005 issue).
I really didn't make many changes - I just added the parsley and red pepper flakes. Everything else remained unchanged.

Sundried Tomato and Olive Ravioli

This is the vegetarian version of the ravioli I made. I really made this up as I went..! It was very tasty, I'll definitely make it again! One thing I'll do next time is roll the pasta even thinner. It was a little thick when it all came together.

The pasta recipe uses the KA mixer and pasta roller attachments. I'm sure this pasta recipe could be used with any pasta roller that you have (you could probably even roll it out the old-fashioned way with a rolling pin - I'm just lazy!) ;)
Pasta Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. water
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour, sifted
1/4 tsp. salt

Pasta Method:
1. Place the eggs, water, whole wheat flour, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Attach the bowl and flat beater to the mixer. Turn to speed 2 and mix for 30 seconds.

2. Exchange the flat beater for the dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and knead 2 minutes. Remove dough from the bowl and hand-knead for 2 minutes. Divide the dough into 6-8 pieces before processing with the pasta roller attachment.

Filling Ingredients:
1/4 pound fat-free cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/8 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1 egg white to seal

Filling Method:
1. Mix the cheeses, egg yolk, and seasonings in a bowl. Add the tomatoes and olives. Cover the bowl and refrigerate.

3. Process the pasta with a flat pasta sheet roller until it is as thin as possible. Keep pasta strips covered with a damp cloth to keep them from drying out prematurely.

4. Spoon teaspoons of filling onto one strip of pasta. Dip a pastry brush in the egg white and brush it around each spoonful of filling. Place a second sheet of pasta over the filled sheet and press down firmly to seal. Use a fluted pastry wheel or knife to cut the ravioli. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

5. Place the ravioli on trays lined with clean dish towels and let them dry for no longer than 3-4 hours. Turn occasionally.

6. To cook - bring a pan of water to a rolling boil. Slide the ravioli into the water. Cover the pan and cook 3-5 minutes once the water has returned to a boil, stirring gently. Taste for doneness.

Serve with marinara (I used the red wine marinara from this blog) and some grated Parmesan cheese.

References:
I used several different recipes as a base for this one. I started with the recipe for Whole Wheat pasta from the little recipe book that came with the KitchenAid Pasta Sheet Roller and Cutter set. I also used a ravioli recipe from Pasta Recipes and Techniques which was published by the Cooking Club of America.

"A Few of my Favourite Things" Pasta

Holy hell, this is good :) And the best part - it was super quick to make! Not sure how healthy it is with all that goat cheese but we'll just say the broccoli, beans, and whole-wheat pasta balance that out :) It's definitely full of protein so great for vegetarians!
This has so many of my favourite things in it - pasta, Kalamata olives, goat cheese, walnuts... mmm :)

Can I just say how much I do not miss meat... not at all! I might just stay vegetarian after Lent. :) Well, it is a bit of a PITA to have to cook two things every night so maybe I'll just be a once-in-a-while meat eater ;) Hee hee, I have a vegetarian cookbook - The Occasional Vegetarian, I could be "the occasional carnivore."

This made 2 very generous servings (guess what I'm having for lunch tomorrow?)

Ingredients:
4 oz. whole-wheat rotini pasta (or another pasta with ridges - penne would also work)
2 cups small broccoli florets (you could sub fresh spinach if you like)
1/2 (14.5 oz) can no salt added diced tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (you could sub black or kidney beans)
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped soft goat cheese, divided (feta would also work)
A small sprinkle of chopped walnuts

Method:
You just have to love 2-step meals! :) So quick and easy!
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding the broccoli during the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain and return to the pot. **If you choose to use spinach, do not add it until the last minute! Just toss it in with the rest of the ingredients right at the end.

2. Meanwhile, cook all the remaining ingredients except the cheese in a large skillet over medium heat. It only needs about 3 minutes for the ingredients to warm through. Stir occasionally while they cook. Toss the pasta with the olive and tomato mixture as well as 3/8 cup cheese; sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 cup cheese and the walnuts. Enjoy :)

Great with a big glass of red wine; but isn't everything? :)

Reference:
Based on the Italian Pasta with Beans recipe from the Feb/March 2008 issue of Cooking Pleasures magazine.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice, Spinach, and Cheese

I've made stuffed tomatoes before and LOVED them but wanted a vegetarian version I can eat now... the others had turkey. These were so tasty. I started with a recipe from a vegetarian cookbook and tweaked a couple things.
Here's what I changed:
*Brown rice in place of white rice
*Spinach in place of Swiss chard
*Goat cheese in place of cheddar (if you use cheddar, sprinkle it on the tomatoes after they cook instead of mixing it in. Raise the temperature to broil and give them a couple minutes under the broiler. Watch them! The cheese will burn quickly).
*Walnuts in place of pine nuts
*Onion in place of shallots
*I also added some sun-dried tomatoes

*Argh! These were so pretty! I didn't get any decent photos... :( Oh well, you sort of get the idea!

Makes 6 stuffed tomatoes (I only made two but the measurements would be all wonky if I started dividing everything by 3 and posting it here!)

Ingredients:
6 medium-large sized tomatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 cup washed, chopped spinach
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. chopped walnuts
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped soft goat cheese
1/8 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cut a 1/2-inch slice from the top of each tomato. Scoop out the seeds and pulp carefully (I ran a knife around the inside like you would a grapefruit). Leave the shell intact. If you'd like, you can sprinkle the inside of the tomatoes with a little salt (I totally missed this - shows how much I pay attention to recipes! - and didn't miss the salt... I really don't think you need it). Turn the tomatoes upside down on some paper towels or a plate to drain while you prepare the stuffing.

3. Heat a wok or skillet over high heat for one minute. Add the oil and onions, reduce the heat to low. Saute until the onion is soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach and saute until wilted, 2-3 minutes more. Remove from the heat and mix the rice, spinach mixture, soy sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, goat cheese, and oregano together.

4. Stuff the tomatoes with the spinach and rice mixture and place them in a shallow greased baking dish. Leave a little space in between them.

5. Bake, uncovered, until the tomatoes are cooked through, 10-12 minutes (I think mine had more like 15). Serve immediately.

**I really wanted mine with some sauteed zucchini but my zucchini wasn't any good anymore :( I did made some roasted red potatoes which were equally yummy! Hello starch overload, though! lol :)

Reference:
Based on the Tomatoes Stuffed with Swiss Chard, Rice, and Cheese recipe from The Occasional Vegetarian by Karen Lee.

Grilled Eggplant Rolls

So I didn't actually go outside and grill the eggplant - I just did it under the broiler! I do love grilled veggies, though, so this one will be made again once it's a bit warmer in the evenings! :) Mmmm, I can't wait for grilling season to begin! One of the benefits of living in San Diego - it starts earlier than lots of other places!

I had decided to make DH these yummy chicken breasts that are stuffed with cheeses for dinner tonight so I was glad to see this eggplant dish almost matched! The combination of tangy sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and olives was wonderful with the mild eggplant!

The recipe stated that you can use the stuffing as an appetizer on those little crispy toast things. I bet it would also be awesome on some crusty French or Italian bread or even some toasted rye! Yum! Have to remember that if I ever have the wine-cheese-chocolate party I keep saying I'm going to host. :)

For a non-vegetarian meal, you could use the stuffing on chicken breasts. Pound thin, grill, spread with cheese stuffing, enjoy! Gotta love versatile recipes!

This is enough for 5 - I divided the recipe by 3 since it was just me eating it. I had mine with broccoli and rice.

Ingredients:
Rosemary-Goat Cheese Stuffing
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed or 2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1/2 cup soft fresh goat cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1 tbsp. minced black olives (I actually used kalmata olives)
1 1/2 tbsp. diced sun-dried tomatoes

1-2 medium eggplants sliced lengthwise into 1/4-1/3-inch pieces
Sea salt
Olive oil for brushing eggplant
**I apparently suck at slicing eggplant so I used 1/2 eggplant (it was probably a 1/2 pound eggplant). The recipe says someone with some knife skills could get 15 center slices from 2 eggplants.**

Method:
1. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with sea salt and allow them to drain on paper towels for 1 hour. Rinse the eggplant and pat dry. Brush lightly with olive oil on both sides.

2. To make the stuffing, combine the 1 tsp. olive oil, rosemary, goat cheese, cottage cheese, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. This can be done up to one day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.

3. Preheat either the grill or broiler. Grill the eggplant until you get some nice grill marks and the vegetable is cooked through (2-4 minutes per side depending how thick you cut it).

4. Spread 1 tbsp. of the stuffing on each slice of eggplant. Roll the eggplant slices starting from the smaller end. Serve warm.

Reference:
I really didn't change much from the original recipe. I just used dried rosemary instead of fresh (just gave it a good crush with the mortar and pestle!) and did not use oil-packed tomatoes which were called for in the original recipe. Mine were just dried and packaged.
The original recipe came from Karen Lee's book The Occasional Vegetarian - Warner Books, 1995.

My grad school teachers would have a heart attack if they saw me doing a reference that looked like that! lol ;)