Vegetarianized.com

French Onion Soup

2012-01-29T15:19:00.000-08:00

I've been seeing this warming, winter soup in lots of food magazines and blogs lately and realized I've never made it at home. Knowing that the broth is the chief ingredient that would make the vegetarianizing of this soup, I bought a few and did a very unscientific taste test with Pacific, Trader Joe's and Imagine vegetable broths. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised that they all tasted pretty weak, with the Trader Joe's fairing the worst (it tasted literally like water). I ended up using Pacific - had the most deep flavors. If you are concerned about sodium, opt for the low sodium broths (I used full test). The cheese also makes this - spend a bit and go for an aged gruyere - it's worth every extra penny.

French Onion Soup
Servings: 6
Time: About 20 minutes active; 90 minutes total
Price: About $16.40 total; $2.80 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 306
Protein: 10g
Fat: 6.7g
Saturated fat: 4.1g
Carbohydrates: 42.1g
Fiber: 5.3g
Sodium: 1408.1mg
Cholesterol: 15.6mg

1 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp butter (I used plant-based)
3 lb onions, sliced thinly
1 tsp sugar and salt, each
3 Tbsp flour
8 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup sherry or red wine
1 tsp black pepper and dried thyme, each
1 bay leaf
Six (6) 1" pieces of French bread
3 garlic cloves, peeled
3 oz Gruyere cheese, grated

1. In a large soup pot, heat EVOO and butter over medium low heat. Add sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 40 minutes. Add sugar and salt and cook 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

2. Then add flour and stir well to make sure all is incorporated, about 1 minute. Add broth, Worcestershire sauce, sherry, pepper, thyme and bay leaf, turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce back down to medium low, cover partially and cook 30 more minutes.

3. Meanwhile, toast bread in a toasted oven or broiler. While bread is warm, rub it with the garlic on both sides. Set aside.

4. When soup is ready, taste and adjust for seasonings. Turn oven broiler to high. Then ladle out the soup into six broiler-proof bowls or crocks. Top with garlic toast and divide up grated cheese. Place carefully on a cookie sheet and broil 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling, browning as much as you like. Serve hot with extra bread.

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

2012-01-22T14:37:00.000-08:00

Even though it was a sad time in New Orleans last week, I did enjoy some wonderful foods. We wandered into a bar on Monday night that offered free Red Beans and Rice to locals. At less than $2.00 per serving, it truly is a poor man's complete meal - packed with fiber and protein - but also has some modern health benefits - low saturated fat and no cholesterol. I decided to recreate it at home with faux sausage and boosted the flavor with lots of herbs and spices. To help the mock meat, I used smoked paprika instead of mild.

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
Servings: 6
Time: 15 minutes active; about 75 minutes total
Price: About $11.80 total; less than $2.00 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 403.4
Protein: 18.1g
Fat: 7.4g
Saturated fat: 1.2g
Carbohydrates: 69.1g
Fiber: 14.1g
Sodium: 688.5mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

1 1/3 cups long grain brown rice
2 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
1 Tbsp EVOO
2 (3oz each) faux sausage, I used Lightlife Chorizo
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme, garlic powder and smoked paprika, each
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, chili powder and dried oregano, each
1/4 tsp black pepper, marjoram and salt, each
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15oz) cans of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
28oz can diced tomatoes

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, add rice and toast 5 minutes. Add water and bring to boil, then cover, reduce heat and cook for 30-45 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Meanwhile in a large pot, heat EVOO over medium heat. Add sausage, onion, pepper, and celery. Sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add bay leaves, all the herbs and spices and garlic cloves. Cook 1 minute, then add beans and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and cook 60 minutes. In the last 15 minutes, remove lid slightly to boil off some of the liquid.

3. Divide rice among 6 bowls and spoon hot red beans over top.

Empty Plate: Sunday, January 15

2012-01-12T17:43:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to be back up and running with a new recipe this Sunday, but unfortunately my uncle passed away this week and we are headed to the funeral in New Orleans. If I get a chance, I'll tweet some yummy Big Easy eats - check me out on @Vegetarianized. I hope to have a new recipe Sunday, January 22.

Empty Plate: Next three Sundays

2011-12-18T14:57:00.001-08:00

Vegetarianized.com is off until Sunday, January 15th. Merry, merry holidays and happy 2012! I will continue Tweeting from NYC and Philly - check out all the great food photos to come @Vegetarianized.

Chocolate-Pink Salt Dipped Lemon Pistachio Biscotti

2011-12-18T14:34:00.000-08:00

I had some store-bought biscotti this week and knew I could rock it better with local, in-season lemons and pistachios. A salty chocolate dip was 'just because' and I thought it would make a pretty finish. This would be great for any holiday table (Santa comes to mind...) or as homemade gifts (biscotti is very easy to make - promise!).

Chocolate-Pink Salt Dipped Lemon Pistachio Biscotti
Servings: About 20
Time: About 30 minutes active; an hour total
Price: About $7.50 total; $0.38 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 138.1
Protein: 4g
Fat: 6.4g
Saturated fat: 1.9g
Carbohydrates: 18.4g
Fiber: 1.4g
Sodium: 163mg
Cholesterol: 31.9mg

3 eggs
2 lemons, zested then juiced
1 tsp real vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shelled pistachios
6 oz chocolate chips, melted
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt, or regular/kosher/sea salt with food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixer, blend together eggs, lemon zest and juice and vanilla.

2. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend well. Fold in pistachios.

3. On a foil-cooking spray lined baking sheet, turn out biscotti dough. It'll be sticky so coating your hands with cooking spray will help immensely. Shape dough into a rough loaf and square off.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until dough is cooked, but not browned. Gently move to a cooling rack and cool completely.

5. Turn oven down to 300 degrees. Cut dough on a diagonal into about 1" slices. Put slices cut-side down back onto foil-cooking spray lined baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Move to cooling rack and cool completely.

6. Dip biscotti into chocolate and sprinkle with a hint of pink salt. Let cool and enjoy!

Fennel, Persimmon and Goat Cheese Salad

2011-12-11T16:50:00.000-08:00

If you've been following me on Twitter (@Vegetarianized) this week, you know I've been obsessed with this salad that's quick and showcases some of the best of in-season produce. The licorice of the raw fennel is a perfect foil for the sweet persimmons and creamy goat cheese. It's a wonderful starter or side dish that's great for a weeknight meal and dressy enough for a holiday dish.

Fennel, Persimmon and Goat Cheese Salad
Adapted from Cooking Light
Servings: 4
Time: About 20 minutes active and total
Price: About $13.00 total; $3.25 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 141.7
Protein: 4.4g
Fat: 6.2g
Saturated fat: 3.2g
Carbohydrates: 19.1g
Fiber: 0.15g
Sodium: 502.1mg
Cholesterol: 11.2mg

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/2 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 tsp SnP
1 large shallot, chopped finely
1 large fennel, sliced thinly
1/4 cup chives or scallion, chopped
4 very ripe persimmons, green stem removed, peeled and sliced
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled

1. In a large bowl, combine vinegar, honey, EVOO, SnP and shallot. Stir until honey is dissolved.

2. Add fennel, chives and persimmons. Toss to combine.

3. Divide salad among four bowls or plates. Add crumbled goat cheese and serve.

Spanikopita (Vegan Creamed Spinach) Pizza

2011-12-04T15:17:00.000-08:00

My vegan creamed spinach recipe always seems to be the most popular post from Vegetarianized.com. It pains me slightly because in June, 2008 when I did it I was taking photos with an iPhone 3. A request from Suzanna in New York has allowed me to retake those photos with my Nikon D90 because that recipe is the base for my Spanikopita Pizza. Transforming the creamed spinach into a pizza makes it not vegan with the addition of mozzarella and feta, but you could keep it vegan by omitting the cheese. My crust recipe comes directly from Cooks Illustrated - it's the best crust I've ever made at home.

Spanikopita Pizza

Servings: 8

Time: About 30 minutes active; 75 minutes total (plus overnight for the best dough)

Price: About $12.00 total; $1.50 per slice

Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 212.7
Protein: 8.9g
Fat: 9.9g
Saturated fat: 8.7g
Carbohydrates: 22.5g
Fiber: 1.5g
Sodium: 560.6mg
Cholesterol: 24.1mg

3 cups flour
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp yeast
About 1 cup ice water
2 Tbsp EVOO, divided
1/2 Tbsp salt
1 recipe for Vegan Creamed Spinach
4 oz feta, crumbled
4 oz fresh mozzarella, shredded/pulled apart by hand

1. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar and yeast for a few seconds. With processor running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream until combined and no dry flour remains. Let stand 10 minutes.

2. Add 1 Tbsp EVOO and salt and process until dough is sticky and satiny, about 30-60 seconds. Turn out into a cooking sprayed container with a tight fitting lid. Cover and refrigerate overnight. NOTE: this makes enough dough for two pizzas.

3. Make creamed spinach according to recipe. You can make this the same day as the dough and refrigerate overnight as well.

4. Heat oven to 450 degrees, and lightly coat a metal pizza tray or baking sheet with cooking spray. If using a pizza stone, dust it with cornmeal and place in the cold oven to let heat up.
5. Divide the dough in half and turn out on to a lightly floured surface. Knead gently and roll out by hand or with rolling pin to fit your pan.

6. Lay out on pan and spread remaining Tbsp EVOO evenly over crust. Bake 5-7 minutes until brown spots emerge. Remove, spread creamed spinach and cheeses over crust. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until desired doneness. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and cut into eight wedges - enjoy!

Roasted Carrot Hummus

2011-11-27T19:55:00.000-08:00

I had a beautiful idea for this 'mash up' of previously posted Vegetarianized.com recipes (Roasted Carrot Soup and Hummus) after tasting a bland version at a restaurant this weekend. Feeling pretty done with Thanksgiving fare, this is a nice, light snack that’s big on flavor - not calories.

Roasted Carrot Hummus

Servings: 20 (makes 4 cups)

Time: About 15 minutes active; 45 minutes total

Price: About $8.00 total; 40 cents per serving

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories: 124.5

Protein: 3.9g

Fat: 5.9g

Saturated fat: 1.1g

Carbohydrates: 15.4g

Fiber: 3.4g

Sodium: 260.6mg

Cholesterol: 1.6mg

1 lb carrots, cut into 2” pieces

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp honey

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

2 cans chickpeas, with liquid

1 tsp salt

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup tahini

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a baking pan, toss together carrots, butter, honey, black pepper, cumin, and oregano. Roast for 30-35 minutes, until carrots are soft, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

2. In a food processor, blend together chickpeas with the liquid from the can, salt, garlic, lemon juice and tahini until smooth. Add carrots, including the honey-butter mixture at the bottom of the pan. Mix well. Serve with pita, and a drizzle of EVOO and a few oregano leaves on top.

Spicy Red Wine Cranberry Chutney

2011-11-20T13:27:00.000-08:00

SAY NO TO THE CAN! This Thanksgiving treat your (faux) meat right. Sweet golden raisins and brown sugar marry with tart apples and cranberries then go on honeymoon with buttery shallots and fruity red wine. Spicy cinnamon, cloves and a sneaky hot pepper make it. This cranberry chutney comes together very quickly - you'll just need to find an empty burner on the stove. Spoiler alert - I tripled this recipe for gifts for my work colleagues. To make it vegan, just use a plant-oil based butter.

Spicy Red Wine Cranberry Chutney
Servings: Makes about 4 cups; 1 serving=1/4 cup
Time: About 10 minutes active; 40 minutes total
Price: About $13.60 total; $0.85 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 76.5
Protein: 0.48g
Fat: 1.6g
Saturated fat: 0.92g
Carbohydrates: 15.4g
Fiber: 1.9g
Sodium: 12.8mg
Cholesterol: 3.9mg

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into 1/2" dice
1 cup golden raisins
12 oz fresh cranberries
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 strips (2" each) orange zest, plus juice of the orange
1/2 cup red wine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 small hot pepper, like serrano, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves

1. In a large pot, heat butter over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook 4-5 minutes until translucent.

2. Add remaining ingredients plus 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and cook until cranberries have burst and chutney has thickened, about 15-20 minutes.

3. Remove thyme sprigs and zest. Let cool and serve at room temperature. Refrigerated, this keeps for about a week.

Empty Plate: Sunday, November 13th

2011-11-13T22:02:00.000-08:00

I was a little over ambitious to think I could do the Sunday Serving on Michael's birthday weekend to SF. I'll be back next Sunday with a new dish.

Italian Smothered Greens

2011-11-06T11:57:00.001-08:00

These greens, that I adapted from a recipe in an old Food & Wine magazine, are my second all-time favorite way to have greens. The first is my recipe for a Two-Cheese Collard Green Gratin. In this recipe I used red chard, but you could also use broccoli rabe, collards or kale. The balance of salty olives with sweet raisins and dried tomatoes is gorgeous. Serve as an interesting Thanksgiving side or first course pasta dish over penne.

Italian Smothered Greens

Servings: 2

Time: About 15 minutes active; 45 minutes total

Price: About $4.40 per serving; $8.80 total
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 264.2
Protein: 12.1g
Fat: 10.6g
Saturated fat: 3.5g
Carbohydrates: 35.2g
Fiber: 5.7g
Cholesterol: 11.2mg
Sodium: 1520.2mg

1/4 cup oil-cured olives
1/4 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
3/4 lb greens, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp red wine
1/2 tsp SnP
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved

1. In a small bowl, pour about a cup of warm water over olives, raisins and dried tomatoes. Let sit 10 minutes. Then chop coarsely.

2. In a large skillet over low heat, lay half the greens in a single layer. On top sprinkle olive/raisin/tomatoes mixture, parsley, onion and garlic. Put the remaining greens on top. Then lay a piece of parchment paper over the whole thing, and tuck the sides in tightly. Cover and cook 25 minutes until greens are tender. You may need to cook the greens up to 40 minutes for thicker leaves like collards and kale.

3. Remove from heat and serve with grated Parmesan on top - either as a side or over pasta.

Caramelized Delicata Squash Soup

2011-10-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

I received delicata squash from my CSA a few weeks ago and immediately envisioned serving soup in them. It would be a great first course for Thanksgiving. The maple syrup, apple and rosemary play so magnificently off one another. For a vegan soup, use soy-based butter or all olive oil.

Caramelized Delicata Squash Soup
Servings: 4
Time: About 20 minutes active; 90 minutes total
Price: About $9.75 total; $2.45 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 205.7
Protein: 2.8g
Fat: 8.3g
Saturated fat: 3.3g
Carbohydrates: 34.7g
Fiber: 1.5g
Sodium: 630.4mg
Cholesterol: 10.4mg

2 delicata squash, about 1.5 lbs total, halved with seeds removed
1 tart apple, like Granny Smith, quartered
4 tsp butter
4 tsp maple syrup
2 8" rosemary sprigs
1 Tbsp EVOO
2 small leeks, about 3/4-1 cup, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp SnP
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups stock

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a baking dish, lay squash halves cut side up and apple quarters. In each squash boat, put 1 tsp butter, 1 tsp maple syrup and half a rosemary sprig. Roast for 30 minutes, remove apple to cool, and then chop coarsely. Raise heat to 375 degree and roast squash 30 minutes more. Remove from oven and let squash cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile in a medium pot, heat EVOO over medium heat. Add leeks and cook 5 minutes until softened. Reduce heat to low and add chopped, cooked apple, garlic, SnP, bay leaf, and cinnamon.
3. When squash is cool enough to handle, pour butter-syrup mixture into soup along with rosemary sprigs. Then carefully scoop out the squash flesh leaving the rind in tact. Add flesh to soup pot with stock and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, remove bay leaf and rosemary sprigs. Puree with hand blender or in a food processor or blender. Ladle soup into squash boats, and serve hot.

Roasted Poblano Aioli

2011-10-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

My beau's younger brother, Patrick - the newlywed, and I ad libbed this lovely condiment for a casual family dinner at the beach after the wedding. It's great on veggie dogs, with roasted veggies and probably even fish and chicken. To tone down the heat, sub a roasted red pepper for the poblano. For vegan, use only canola oil-based mayo.

Roasted Poblano Aioli
Servings: Makes 2 cups; 1 Tbsp per serving
Time: About 10 minutes active and total
Price: About $7.00 total; $0.22 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 56.8
Protein: 0.1g
Fat: 6g
Saturated Fat: 0.83g
Carbohydrates: 1.1g
Fiber: 0.45g
Sodium: 88.5mg
Cholesterol: 4.9mg

1 poblano (also called pasilla) pepper or sweet red pepper
1 1/2 cup mayo (I used half light/low-fat)
2 Tbsp mustard
3 Tbsp Old Bay or Creole Seasoning
3 Tbsp prepared horseradish
3 Tbsp pickle juice or lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced

1. On a grill, grill pan, under a broiler or simply on a stovetop burner, char pepper on all sides. Remove with tongs and let cool. To decrease cooling time, carefully cut the pepper lengthwise - there will be hot steaming escaping. When cooled, mince and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Add minced pepper and taste - adjust seasonings. If you have time, cover and refrigerate for an hour or two to allow the flavors to marry.

Spicy Pumpkin Bread

2011-10-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

Even though it's still 80 degrees in NorCal, I wanted Fall so I pulled out some pumpkin puree I froze last year to make this spicy pumpkin bread. It comes together quickly so get the oven going immediately. You could use canned pumpkin puree, but it's thicker than roasted, pureed, fresh pumpkin so you may need to back off on the dry ingredients here. It's great toasted with jam or butter for breakfast.

Spicy Pumpkin Bread
Servings: 8
Price: About $7.50 total; $0.95 per serving
Time: About 15 minutes active; Less than 90 minutes total
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 244.3
Protein: 5.3g
Fat: 5.2g
Saturated fat: 0.72g
Carbohydrates: 44.4g
Fiber: 0.71g
Sodium: 249.1mg
Cholesterol: 53.1mg

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk (I used soy for the nuttier flavor)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (no Auntie here)

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp canola oil

2 tsp real vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup fresh pumpkin puree
2- 2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a stand mixer or with hand mixer, beat on medium-high speed eggs, milk, maple syrup, sugar, oil and vanilla extract until well-combined. Scrap down the sides and then add pumpkin puree and mix until well-combined.

3. Then add dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and salt. Scrap down the sides and mix until everything is well-incorporated.
4. Spray a 9" loaf pan with cooking spray and then pour the batter in. Bake for 55-65 minutes in the oven until inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes before turning out. Cut into 8 slices and eat warm or freeze individually for future use.

Empty Plate: Sunday, October 9

2011-10-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

I'm in the South for a family wedding, but I'll be back next week with a new recipe.

Virginia Peanut Brittle

2011-10-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the South - Richmond, Virginia - where I went to school, met my beau and started a career. There is hardly anything more Virginia than the peanut. This isn't healthy, but a treat. Substituting coarse salt gives it a great salty bite.

The mighty James River winding up to the city.

Virginia Peanut Brittle
Servings: 10
Price: About $6.85 total; $0.70 per serving
Time: About 10 minutes active; less than an hour total (not including cooling time)
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 349.3
Protein: 7.4g
Fat: 16.6g
Saturated fat: 3.3g
Carbohydrates: 48.5g
Fiber: 0g
Sodium: 400.6mg
Cholesterol: 6.2mg

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
2 cups raw, shelled peanuts (Virginia, if you can get 'em)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp real vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp coarse salt

1. In a medium pot, heat 1 cup water and sugar over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add corn syrup and cook until mixture begins to boil, stirring occasionally.

2. Add peanuts, and cook over medium low heat until sugar mixture turns golden brown, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove from heat and add butter, vanilla and baking soda. Stir until well-combined.
4. Quickly pour into a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and spread evenly. Sprinkle coarse salt over top and let cool, about 45 minutes. Break up with a knife or wooden spoon and enjoy.

Timballo

2011-09-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

I saw a picture of this Italian masterpiece in an old Gourmet magazine and had to conquer it. It's a great weekend project actually - when it's raining out or you just want to stay in. You will be rewarded! Every recipe I found used meat sauce so I vegetarianized it by skipping the meat in favor of a robust veggie-cheese mixture of eggplant, mushrooms, beet greens and smoked mozzarella.

Timballo
Inspired by Gourmet, September 2004
Servings: 8
Time: About 45 minute active; 3 hours total
Price: About $22.00; $2.75 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 380.5
Protein: 16.9g
Fat: 14.2g
Saturated fat: 4.7g
Carbohydrates: 49.7g
Fiber: 5.5g
Cholesterol: 69.8mg
Sodium: 1006.9mg

It took me a long time to convert, but fresh nutmeg is the only way to go in my book.

3/4 lb long rigatoni
4 tsp salt, divided
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 lb mushrooms, quartered
1 lb eggplant, diced
1 tsp black pepper
3 rosemary sprigs, stripped and chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb beet greens or other green, chopped
2 eggs
4 oz smoked mozzarella, grated
2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups tomato sauce (here's a great recipe!)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds, slightly crushed

One pound of beet greens squeezed into a tight, little ball.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Boil a large pot of water over medium heat and add 3 tsp salt. Add rigatoni and undercook - about 7 minutes total. Drain, but do not rinse, and set aside. Periodically loosen pasta with your fingers so it doesn't stick together while you are preparing the rest of the timballo.
3. In a large skillet, heat EVOO over medium heat. Add mushrooms, eggplant, pepper, rosemary, and remaining 1 tsp salt. Sauté 10-15 minutes until mushrooms give off their liquid and eggplant is soft. Add garlic and greens and cook 5-10 minutes longer, ensuring very little liquid is left. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, grated cheeses and nutmeg. When vegetable mixture has cooled a bit, add egg-cheese mixture and stir to combine.

5. To assemble the timballo, cut out a circular piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of a 2-3 QT soufflé dish. Spray the parchment and dish with cooking spray.
6. Lay rigatoni in a neat pattern in the bottom, then top with tomato sauce, oregano, chili flakes and fennel seeds. Add another layer of pasta, then the vegetable-cheese mixture. Lastly, top with rigatoni (you may have some left over).

7. Cover the top with another circular piece of parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray (cooking spray side down) and then foil. Place the timballo in a pan filled with nearly boiling water about half up the soufflé dish.

8. Bake in the oven for one hour. Gently remove from the oven, and then remove the dish from the water bath. Let cool, covered, 15 minutes. Remove foil and parchment and run a long, sharp knife around the edges to loosen the timballo. Put a flat serving dish on top, and invert the soufflé dish onto the serving dish. Remove soufflé dish and remaining parchment paper from the bottom of the timballo. Cut into eight wedges and enjoy hot. (Note: If you have time, I let the timballo cool overnight on the counter before I inverted in out of the dish. I think it may hold together better at room temperature so that it comes out in one piece.)

Cob Toppers

2011-09-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some flavorful toppings for that end of the summer sweet corn. I wouldn't say they were particularly healthy, but you can splurge - bathing suit season is over! From left to right, Spanish style with smoky, salty flavor; American style aka buffalo wings; and Mexican style of traditional elote grilled corn with mayo, cotija, cilantro and chili powder.

Cob Toppers
Servings: Each recipe does 4 ears
Time: About 15 minutes active and total
Price: Spanish: $0.70 per ear; American: $1.00 per ear; Mexican: $1.64 per ear
Nutrition (per ear):
Spanish:
Calories: 137.7
Protein: 5.2g
Fat: 2g
Saturated fat: 0.3g
Carbohydrates: 30.3g
Fiber: 4.4g
Sodium: 1186.8mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

American:
Calories: 286.5g
Protein: 8.2g
Fat: 17.4g
Saturated fat: 10g
Carbohydrates: 30.4g
Fiber: 4.3g
Sodium: 954.2mg
Cholesterol: 41.3mg

Mexican:
Calories: 365.2
Protein: 17.1g
Fat: 21.5g
Saturated fat: 6.9g
Carbohydrates: 31.6g
Fiber: 4.6g
Sodium: 642.3mg
Cholesterol: 30.5mg

Spanish Corn (spicy and salty, vegan):
4 ears of corn, husked and washed
2 tsp smoked salt (here is my recipe)
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 cloves of garlic, minced

1. Heat grill or grill pan to medium high. Grill corn on all sides - about 3-5 minutes per side - so it's charred.
2. Meanwhile, mix together salt and paprika. When corn is done, sprinkle mixture on top and add garlic. Serve hot.

American Corn (buffalo wings style):
4 ears of corn, husked and washed
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 Tbsp hot sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 oz blue cheese, crumbled
1 Tbsp fresh or 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano

1. Heat grill or grill pan to medium high. Grill corn on all sides - about 3-5 minutes per side - so it's charred.
2. Meanwhile in a small pot, heat butter, hot sauce, garlic, salt and cayenne until melted and combined. Keep warm.
3. When corn is ready, pour wing sauce over top each ear. Sprinkle blue cheese and oregano on top. Serve hot.

Mexican Corn (Elote):
4 ears of corn, husked and washed
4 Tbsp mayo
4 oz cotija cheese, crumbled
2 tsp chili powder
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped finely
1 lime, cut into quarters

1. Heat grill or grill pan to medium high. Grill corn on all sides - about 3-5 minutes per side - so it's charred.
2. When corn is ready, dredge in mayo so it covers all sides. Then roll in cotija cheese. Sprinkle chili powder and cilantro on top. Serve with a lime wedge to squeeze on top.

Fig Pear Compote

2011-09-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

The figs keep coming! I discovered a fig tree behind my office building and easily snatched four pounds worth. I added them to some pears I had to make a compote that could be used for sweet or savory dishes thanks to black peppercorns, rosemary, cinnamon and Madeira wine. If you'd like to can this, go to my recipe for Honey-Ginger Grapefruit Marmalade and follow from instructions 6-9.

Fig Pear Compote
Servings: 8+
Time: About 15 minutes active; 75 minutes total
Price: About $18.00 total; $2.25 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 87.6
Protein: 0.58g
Fat: 0.25g
Saturated fat: .04g
Carbohydrates: 18.6g
Fiber: 2.3g
Sodium: 3.4mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

1 lb fresh figs, halved
1 pear, chopped coarsely
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup sweet wine, like Madeira
1/2 lemon, zest removed, then juiced
2 sprigs rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp black peppercorns

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally so sugar melts and all the fruit gets cooked. Reduce heat to low and simmer one hour.

2. Remove from heat and puree with hand blender or in a food processor - be careful of hot liquids! Consistency should be like ketchup. If too thin, cook further, or if too thick, add a bit of water.
3. Put in an air-tight container or can according to instructions above.

Empty Plate: Sun, Sept 4

2011-09-04T08:08:00.001-07:00

Enjoy your Labor Day! I'm off to SF to enjoy a little R&R...

Grilled Fig Strudel

2011-08-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

I got a pound of figs from my CSA this week and one evening Michael and I brainstormed this savory phyllo strudel. Honey and rosemary-marinated figs are grilled and paired with red onion and olives, then spread on top of asiago-layered phyllo dough. Roll it up, bake and enjoy as a light lunch or appetizer.

Grilled Fig Strudel
Servings: 10
Time: About 20 minutes active; Less than one hour total
Price: About $16.00 total; $1.60 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 187
Protein: 6.3g
Fat: 8.3g
Saturated fat: 3.2g
Carbohydrates: 23.4g
Fiber: 1.8g
Sodium: 434.9mg
Cholesterol: 14.4mg

1 lb figs, stems trimmed and cut in half
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp EVOO, divided
4-5 12" stems of rosemary, stripped and coarsely chopped, divided
1/2 tsp SnP
1 medium red onion, sliced
1/2 cup olives, chopped
2 oz asiago, pecorino or other hard, salty cheese, grated
3 oz fontina, grated
7 sheets of phyllo, thawed to room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat grill or grill pan over medium heat. Meanwhile gently toss together figs, honey, 1 Tbsp EVOO, 1 stem rosemary and SnP in a medium bowl. Place figs, cut side down, on hot grill and grill 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and place back in bowl with marinade. Toss and let cool.

3. Put onion slices on grill where the figs were to soak up extra marinade. Grill 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and let cool. When cooled, chop coarsely and add onions and olives to figs. Toss gently.

4. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray, and lay two sheets of phyllo dough on top. Spray the phyllo with cooking spray and then sprinkle 1/3 of the asiago and equivalent of one stem of rosemary on top.

5. Repeat twice more, then add a fourth set of two phyllo sheets on top. Spray with cooking spray, and at one end spread fig mixture into a 4" rectangle. Sprinkle with fontina. Carefully roll up the strudel tucking it into itself and keeping the mixture inside. Lay seem side down, drizzle with remaining EVOO and rosemary. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and then slice.

Baleadas

2011-08-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

This is another recipe I've developed specifically for Java City, a great, little Sacramento coffee company. Baleadas (pronounced bal-e-a-das) are the quintessential cheap, street food in Honduras and a perfect match for Java City’s Mundo Verde. This recipe is very traditional, simple and crazy delicious. You can dress it up with scrambled eggs, avocado and/or chiles. The salty, warm bites of the baleadas marry beautifully with the light, sharp coffee. Cut out the crema for a healthier, lower fat version.

Servings: 8 (2 tortillas)
Time: About 45 minutes active; 90 minutes total (plus overnight refrigerating)

Price: About $13.50 total; $1.70 per serving

Nutrition (per serving with beans, crema and cheese):

Calories: 571.9
Protein: 17.3g
Fat: 27.8g
Saturated fat: 10.2g
Carbohydrates: 63.3g
Fiber: 6.2g
Sodium: 1175.3mg
Cholesterol: 70.3mg

For the beans, check out my Refried Beans recipe. and double the recipe using dark red kidney beans. Omit the jalapeño and oregano altogether and at the end puree the beans in a blender or food processor.

If you can’t find crema, mix together 1/2 pint heavy cream with an 8 oz carton of sour cream. For the tortilla, you can use store-bought, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

3 cups white flour

1 cup warm water

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegetable/canola oil

1 cup crema

4 oz cotija cheese

Thin red hot sauce (Like Tapatio)

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until it’s completely mixed and not sticky.

2. Form into 16 balls, cover and let rest 20 minutes. With each ball, stretch or roll into 6-8" tortilla.

3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook each tortilla until browned on both sides, about one minute total. Stack the tortillas on a plate to keep them warm and soft.

4. To assemble, smear 2 Tbsp beans over the tortilla. Add 1 Tbsp crema, 1/2 oz cheese and a dash or two of Tapatio.

Old Fashioned

2011-08-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

August 15-21 is Midtown Cocktail Week in Sacramento with boozy parties and cocktail-making classes all week long. In its honor, I requested this amazing homemade maraschino cherry Old Fashioned recipe from a new friend, the newly minted Jersey Girl, Zoe H. (check out her new blog, Lamb's Quarterly). The cherries are spicy, fresh and retain their snap - a million miles away from those nuclear red, squishy sweet ones from the bar.

Old Fashioned
Servings: About 10 drinks
Time: About 20 minutes active; Less than one hour total
Price: About $3.40 per drink
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 159.2
Protein: 0g
Fat: 0g
Saturated fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 3.6g
Fiber: 0g
Sodium: 2mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

For the Maraschino Cherries (makes about 10 drinks):
1/4 cup raw, turbinado sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthways
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
2 lemon rind slices, about 1/2" thick
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted

Per Drink:
2 lemon rind slices, about 1/2" thick
1/4 tsp raw, turbinado sugar
5 drops of Bitters
2 tsp Maraschino Cherry juice
Ice
2 oz Good quality Rye Whiskey (I used Bulleit 95 Rye)
2 Maraschino Cherries

1. In small pot over medium heat, stir together 1 1/2 cup water, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves and lemon rind. Bring to a boil and reduce to 1 1/4 cup liquid, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the cherries and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a glass jar. Let cool or refrigerate overnight.

3. To make a drink, muddle lemon rind, sugar, bitters and cherry juice until the sugar is mostly broken down. Add one large or three regular ice cubes to the glass. Pour in whiskey and stir and then add cherries.

Fresh Mozzarella

2011-08-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

This recipe is heavily based on Gourmet magazine's take, and well worth the hours it takes. Dedicate a lazy summer afternoon and you will be rewarded. You must use the best milk you can find - here a local dairy that sits right on the Pacific Coast less than 100 miles away called Straus Creamery. Paired with tomatoes and basil from the garden - just perfection.

Fresh Mozzarella
Servings: One Ball (1/4 lb); Makes Four Balls or about one pound
Time: Less than 30 minutes active; About 5-6 hours total
Price: About $10.00 total; $2.50 per ball/serving
Nutrition (per ball):
Calories: 318.6
Protein: 22g
Fat: 24.5g
Saturated fat: 14.9g
Carbohydrates: 2.5g
Fiber: 0mg
Sodium: 423.1mg
Cholesterol: 88.5mg

1 gallon whole milk, best quality
1 1/8 tsp citric acid
20 drops vegetarian liquid rennet
1/2 cup salt
thermometer, string, cheesecloth and plastic gloves

1. In a large pot, heat milk and citric acid over low heat until it reaches 88 degrees F, stirring occasionally. Maintain temperature between 88 and 91 for one hour, removing from heat as needed. Milk with curdle.

2. Dissolve rennet in warm water and stir into the milk mixture. Let stand until the consistency of soft pudding but firm enough to cut, maintaining 88-91 degrees, about 20-30 minutes.
3. Using a long knife, cut across the stiffened mixture at 1/2" intervals in both directions reaching down to the bottom of the pot. Let stand 5 minutes keeping temperature between 88-91. Then gently stir curds every 10 minutes for 30 minutes. Finally, let curds stand another 30 minutes undisturbed maintaining the temperature.

4. Put a colander over a large bowl lined with cheesecloth. Pour the curds into the colander and gather up the cheesecloth, tie with a string (being careful not to squeeze the curds), and hang over the bowl to drain for three hours at room temperature. Cheesecloth should not touch the liquid.

5. Heat a large pot of water with salt (1/2 cup for every five quarts) to 170 degrees F. When the three hours are done, remove the cheesecloth and cut the curd into quarters - discard the liquid. Pour some of the hot water in a large bowl and return to heat to keep hot.

6. With gloves on (they will help guard against the heat of the water), place one of the quarters into the bowl of hot water. Let the curd ball melt slightly for a few minutes. Begin to work the curds in the hot water, pulling and stretching as you fold until it becomes smooth and elastic without tearing, about 5 minutes. Form a ball by tucking the outside into the center and pinching edges together.

7. Place the cheese in a container of cool water and form remaining balls in the same manner reusing and reheating hot salted water. Allow balls to cool completely before eating - refrigerating in the cool water to speed up the process. Eat as soon as you can after, but cheese is best within 5 days.

Greek Tacos

2011-07-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

Greek souvlaki meets Mexican tacos. Lemon-marinated veggies and haloumi (Greek 'grilling' cheese, omit for vegan) sears on the grill via rosemary skewers, gets dressed with yogurt tzatziki, and piled high on a warm flour tortilla. This is food fusion that uses the best of the summer season.

Greek Tacos
Servings: 6 (2 tacos each)
Time: About 30 minutes active; Less than one hour total
Price: About $21.50 total; $3.50 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 444.2
Protein: 17g
Fat: 19.5g
Saturated fat: 7.4g
Carbohydrates: 52.5g
Fiber: 6.9g
Cholesterol: 35.9mg
Sodium: 993.6mg

Fun lemon cucumbers from my local CSA. Apropos for this Greek dish.

Tzatziki Yogurt Sauce:

8oz plain yogurt

1/2 lb cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1-2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped

1 Tbsp EVOO

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Marinade:
2 Tbsp EVOO
Juice of 1 lemon, about 3-4 Tbsp
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

1 lb eggplant, cut into 1-2" cubes

3/4 lb zucchini, cut into 1" rounds

1/2 lb onion, cut into quarters and then halved again

1/2 lb red pepper, cut into 1" pieces

1/2 lb haloumi (or paneer), cut into 1" cubes
10-12 rosemary, metal or wooden skewers

12 6" tortillas

1. For the tzatziki, line a colander with two layers of paper towels. Spoon yogurt onto paper towels and let sit in the sink or over a bowl for 20-30 minutes. (This is the cheap way to make Greek yogurt.)

2. Meanwhile in a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients from the marinade. Add chopped vegetables and cheese and coat well. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. Finish tzatziki by turning drained yogurt into a small bowl. Add remaining tzatziki ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate.

4. Warm oven to 300 degrees. Stack tortillas and lay them on a damp paper towel and then onto a sheet of foil. Wrap the foil around the tortillas and keep them warm in the oven.

5. Heat grill or gill pan over high heat. Skewer vegetables and cheese on rosemary spears and grill until charred, about 3-5 minutes on each side.

6. To assemble, lay two warmed tortillas on a plate. Top with one skewer of vegetables and cheese on each tortilla and then a spoon about a tablespoon of tzatziki over it. Serve warm.

Bourbon Peach Iced Tea Popsicles

2011-07-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

Needing something to cool and quench without forgoing drink, I jumped on the food fad bandwagon for a 'cocktail popsicle.' With a demure nod to the South, Kentucky bourbon marries fresh peach iced tea scented with mint sprigs.

Bourbon Peach Iced Tea Popsicles
Servings: Makes 28 one-third cup popsicles
Time: About 15 minutes active; About 2-3 hours total (letting the popsicles harden overnight is best)
Price: About $5.50 total; $0.20 per popsicle
Nutrition (per popsicle):
Calories: 23
Protein: 0g
Fat: 0g
Saturated fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 3.2g
Fiber: 0.25g
Sodium: 1.1mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

4 black tea bags
8 sprigs of mint (about 3" each)
1/4 cup sugar
4 peaches, 3 coarsely cut and the 4th cut into 1/2" dice
4 oz Kentucky Bourbon

1. In a medium pot or kettle over medium heat, pour in one quart of water, cover and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the tea bags and mint. Cover and let steep 10 minutes. Remove tea bags and stir in sugar, leaving mint in. Set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, puree the 3 coarsely cut peaches in a blender or food processor with just enough water to break down (1/2 cup or less) until finely pureed.

3. Remove the mint from the tea and pour it, the peach puree, and the bourbon into a pitcher or other bowl with a spout. Stir to mix.
4. Put 1-2 pieces of diced peach into each popsicle mold and then pour the mixture in leaving just a little room at the top. Insert popsicle sticks and move to the freezer. It's best to freeze overnight, but depending on how big your popsicles are they may be hardened in 2-3 hours.

Smoky Polenta Fries

2011-07-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

The polenta fries I've tried in restaurants are soggy and uninspiring. I thought I'd boost the flavor with fresh rosemary and smoked mozzarella and work on the crisp-factor. The key to crispness is cutting the delicate polenta into 1/2" matchsticks followed by a flour dredge and then always into hot oil (you'll need to reheat the oil between batches). Make sure you have a wide-mouthed pot, thermometer, good tongs, and your paper toweled-lined plate all ready. Frying isn't dangerous business if you have the right tools ready to use. Above I served my fries with warm tomato sauce, but ketchup works well too. These are vegan if you omit the cheese.

Smoky Polenta Fries
Servings: 4 (makes about 50 fries total)
Time: About 30 minutes active; 3 hours total (or chill polenta overnight)
Price: About $7.50 total; $1.90 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 336.3
Protein: 7g
Fat: 18.9g
Saturated fat: 4g
Carbohydrates: 35.9g
Fiber: 2.2g
Sodium: 371.1mg
Cholesterol: 11.1mg

3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
1/2 tsp salt
2 oz smoked mozzarella, grated
vegetable or canola oil (I used about 35 oz, but depends on the pot you use, you want 1" of oil, fries soak up about 2 oz oil per batch)
1/2 cup flour

1. In a medium pot heat stock until boiling. Slowly pour polenta in and whisk constantly until incorporated. Turn heat to low and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Remove polenta from the heat and stir in salt and smoked mozzarella. Spread in a 13" x 9" pan coated with cooking spray. Chill in the fridge at least 2 hours or overnight, uncovered.

3. Heat 1" oil in a large pot until it reaches 375 degrees.
4. Carefully cut the polenta into 4" x 1/2" pieces. Dredge each fry through flour, coating all sides.

5. Carefully drop fries into the hot oil - about 10 per batch. Fry for 2-3 minutes then remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Let cool slightly. Serve warm.

Sangria

2011-07-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

When I'm thinking of recipe ideas for an upcoming blog post, I am sometimes stunned by an obvious one I've missed. This is one of those cases! I've been making this Sangria for years. It's a recipe I perfected over many summers that let's you taste the brightness of the fruit without too much sugar. It's best to let the fruit juice, sugar and brandy sit overnight, but if you are in a rush an hour or two will do. Choose a fruity Spanish, Chilean or Argentinean wine.

Sangria
Servings: 12
Time: About 10 minutes active; best overnight to marry
Price: About $28.00 total (depending on the wine cost); $2.35 per glass
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 186.3
Protein: 0.77g
Fat: 0.13g
Saturated Fat: 0.01g
Carbohydrates: 15.7g
Fiber: 0.21g
Sodium: 7.3mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

3 each lemons, limes and oranges, halved and juiced keeping two halves of each fruit
2 cups orange juice, or 6 more fresh oranges, juiced
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup good-quality brandy, aged at least 3 years
2 750 ml bottles of red wine, chilled

1. In a large bowl with a spout or pitcher, mix together the fruit juices, sugar and brandy. Make sure all the sugar is dissolved. Add two halves of each pressed fruit rind. You should have about six cups with the rinds in. Let sit overnight or at least 1-2 hours.

2. Add the red wine and stir to incorporate. Serve over ice garnished with extra citrus wedges.

Empty Plate: Sunday, July 3

2011-07-04T14:33:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th! I'll be back next Sunday.

Curry Deviled Eggs

2011-06-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

It's been pretty hot here in inland NorCal and you may have noticed I haven't been spending a lot of time in the kitchen lately. I made a great curry egg salad sandwich this week from Gourmet magazine, and got inspired to freshen up a summer favorite - deviled eggs. Here the devil is in the curry powder, cayenne and homemade mustard. Drained plain yogurt, or Greek yogurt, granny smith apples and onions brighten the flavor and reduce the fat. I don't know about you, but about the last thing I want to do when it's hot out (beside cook!) is eat heavy mayo - ehh! Yogurt will bring the creaminess and the tang. Go ahead and scale up for a party, but be careful with the liquids to ensure a thick mixture.

Curried Deviled Eggs
Servings: 2
Time: About 45 minutes total; 15 minutes active
Price: About $1.75 total; $0.90 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 140.7
Protein: 11.2g
Fat: 8.1g
Saturated fat: 2.5g
Carbohydrates: 5.1g
Fiber: 0.48g
Cholesterol: 318.6mg
Sodium: 275.4mg

3 large eggs
2 Tbsp plain, fat free yogurt, drained in paper towels while you boil the eggs or Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp mustard
1/8 tsp salt and cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp granny smith apple, finely chopped
1 Tbsp onion, finely chopped
cilantro and chives, for garnish

1. In a medium pot, gently place the eggs and fill with cold water until eggs are covered. Cover and heat over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 20 minutes.

2. Drain and plunge into an ice-water bath until eggs come to room temperature. If you have time, you can skip this step and put the drained, slightly cooled eggs into the fridge overnight.
3. When eggs are cooled, gently crack the bottoms on a hard surface. Peel carefully to keep the whites in tact. Half the eggs lengthwise and scoop out the yolks into a small bowl.

4. Mash the yolks until they are in small pieces. Add the yogurt, curry powder, mustard, salt and cayenne and mix well. Add apple and onion and mix again. Adjust seasonings.

5. Carefully scoop the mixture back into the whites. Serve. If you don't have a deviled egg platter and the eggs are sliding around, cut just a bit of the bottom off so they sit flat.

Grilled Guacamole

2011-06-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

Get grilling! Everywhere I turn - magazine covers, the hardware store, commercials - everything is about grilling. I saw a beautiful shot of a grilled avocado in an old Gourmet magazine and I got inspiration to grill guacamole. And not just the avocado - but the whole enchilada! If you have the grill on, why not? Just throw all your guacamole ingredients on there and try a new twist this summer.

Grilled Guacamole
Servings: 6
Time: Less than 20 minutes active and total
Price: About $7.35 total; $1.25 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 165.3
Protein: 2.2g
Fat: 15.4g
Saturated fat: 2.3g
Carbohydrates: 8.1g
Fiber: 0.38g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 205.3mg

1/2 tsp EVOO
1 lime, halved
1/2 onion, paper on
1 serrano chile, halved, stemmed and seeded
3 Haas avocados (the best for guacamole), skin on
2-3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp smoked salt (why not go the whole nine!, click link for recipe)

1. Heat grill or grill pan at least 7-10 minutes until extremely hot. Quickly brush with EVOO and place lime, onion and chile, cut sides down, on the surface. Do not disturb. Grill lime 2 minutes; onion 10 minutes; and chile 5 minutes. Remove and let cool.

2. Grill avocados, cut side down, last to retain their bright green color, about 5 minutes total. Remove and let cool.

3. When all ingredients have come to room temperature, squeeze lime juice into a medium bowl. Quickly scoop out avocado and mash gently with a potato masher, but leave chunky (another technique to deter the avocados from browning). Chop chile, onion and cilantro and add with smoked salt. Mix until incorporate and serve with chips.

Tofu Cacciatore

2011-06-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

I love reading about food history and this is a cool story. Cacciatore is Italian for 'hunter' but typically made with chicken - so what's the connection there? Well, if the hunting party was unsuccessful they would kill a chicken and make a stew with tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, peppers and red wine. This dish was inspired by an old Vegetarian Times recipe, but I tried to make it more authentic by researching variations on more traditional recipes. I'm not a huge fan of tofu, but it really works well here absorbing all the tomatoes, red wine and sage. Serve over any pasta you like - I used vermicelli.

Tofu Cacciatore
Servings: 6
Time: About 15 minutes active; 75 minutes total
Price: About $9.85 total; $1.65 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 352
Protein: 11.1g
Fat: 5.1g
Saturated fat: 0.74g
Carbohydrates: 61.2g
Fiber: 5.8g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 505.1mg

1 Tbsp EVOO
2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium pepper, cut into strips and halved
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb carrots, cut into 2-3" pieces and halved diagonally
1/2 mushrooms, quartered
6 oz baked tofu, preferably Italian flavored
28 oz canned tomatoes, if whole break up with your hands
1/2 cup red wine, like Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel
1 Tbsp sage, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 salt
1 tsp black pepper
12 oz pasta, I used vermicelli

1. In a large skillet or pot, heat EVOO over medium heat. Add onions and pepper and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer. Add carrots, mushrooms and tofu and cook 5 minutes more.

2. Add tomatoes, red wine, sage, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook one hour until all the vegetables are tender and the sauce is fragrant. Depending on how you like your sauce, you may want to turn the heat back up to medium and boil some of the liquid off before serving - about 5-10 minutes to thicken.

3. When about 20 minutes are left, heat a second pot of water with 1/2 Tbsp salt. When it comes to a boil, drop in pasta and cook until al dente, about 6-8 minutes depending on the thickness of the pasta. Drain.
4. To serve, put equal amounts of pasta in each bowl and top with cacciatore. Garnish with chopped sage and red pepper flakes.

Garlic Parmesan Broccoli

2011-06-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, I discovered the best roasted broccoli recipe I have ever had from an old Cooks Illustrated magazine. I tweaked it slightly to boost the garlicy and spicy flavors. It's very easy to prepare and takes no time at all. It'll become your go-to side dish for any weeknight meal - and will maybe also make a few broccoli converts in the process. Omit the Parmesan for a vegan side.

Garlic Parmesan Broccoli

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated Jan/Feb 2008

Servings: 4

Time: About 10 minutes active; 20 minutes total

Price: $6.75 total; About $1.70 per serving

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories: 223.2

Protein: 9.2g

Fat: 17.2g

Saturated fat: 3.4g

Carbohydrates: 12.9g

Fiber: 6.2g

Cholesterol: 5.6mg

Sodium: 477.2mg

1 3/4 lb broccoli, cut at the junctures into 2-3" lengths

2 Tbsp hot oil, or 2 Tbsp EVOO with 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp smoked salt (click for recipe), or table salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place oven rack to lowest position. Cover a baking sheet with foil and place on rack in oven.
2. Toss broccoli with oil, salt, sugar, and black pepper in a large bowl. When oven is heated, remove backing sheet and quickly lay out broccoli spears in a single layer. Roast for 10 minutes then remove and cool 1 minute.

3. While broccoli is roasting, in the large bowl toss together garlic and Parmesan cheese. When broccoli is slightly cooled, toss in garlic and cheese and serve.

Roasted Eggplant Tortellini Salad

2011-05-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

This is absolutely, positively, hands down the best pasta salad I have ever had. Don't let your Memorial Day guests eat bland, mayo-laden macaroni salad! Try this incredibly fresh recipe that has all the flavors of summer, including roasted eggplant, grape tomatoes, and parsley dressed with balsamic vinegar and honey. The combination of sweet, tangy, roasted and cheesy is amazing.

Roasted Eggplant Tortellini Salad
Adapted from Light & Natural Cookbook
Servings: 8
Time: About 20 minutes active; One hour total
Price: About $18.60 total; $2.35 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 287.3
Protein: 10g
Fat: 10g
Saturated fat: 3.2g
Carbohydrates: 43.5g
Fiber: 4.1g
Sodium: 367.8mg
Cholesterol: 24.4mg

1 lb eggplant, cut into a 1/2" dice
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp rosemary, chopped finely
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Two 8-9oz packages of tortellini, in any flavor you like
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 Tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 bunch scallions, sliced

1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp honey

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and put a pot of salted water on the stove. Toss eggplant, garlic, rosemary, EVOO, SnP in a casserole dish until well coated. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove and let cool.

2. Meanwhile, cook tortellini in salted water until al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain, spray with cooking spray to keep loose and refrigerate.
3. In a large bowl, toss together raisins, pine nuts, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, vinegar and honey. When eggplant and pasta are cooled, mix together. Best if chilled overnight to let flavors develop.

Arroz con Leche

2011-05-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

This is my next recipe pairing creation for Java City Coffee. This month they are featuring El Salvador Portezuelo, a lightly roasted bean with notes of citrus and spice. I thought a great accompaniment would be arroz con leche, literally ‘rice with milk.’ It is a staple treat in many Latin and Spanish cultures, but I found Salvadorians prefer a milkier texture with the light spice of orange zest, cinnamon and cloves. Sweeteners can include condensed milk or, as in the recipe below, white sugar and a couple of pats of butter.

Servings: 6
Time: About one hour total; 10 minutes active
Price: About $4.60 total; $0.80 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 329.7
Protein: 7.9g
Fat: 7g
Saturated fat: 4.3g
Carbohydrates: 60.2g
Fiber: 1.1g
Sodium: 181.2mg
Cholesterol: 26.4mg

1 cup short grain white rice
4 cups whole milk
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
4 large strips of orange peel
¼ tsp salt
½ cup raisins
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon and extra orange zest, to garnish

1. In a medium pot, heat rice, milk, cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange peel and salt over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25-30 minutes just before all the milk is incorporated, checking and stirring periodically so rice and milk don’t burn.

2. Remove from heat and add raisins, sugar, butter and vanilla and mix well. Let cool 30 minutes and serve slightly warm or refrigerate and serve cold. Garnish with ground cinnamon and orange zest.

Hot Artichoke and Beet Green Dip

2011-05-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

With artichoke season in full swing in my garden, I went looking around for a few new creative recipes. The typical heavy, over cheesed spinach and artichoke dip came up a lot so I challenged myself to make a flavorful and healthier version (without using fat free everything). With all the beet greens in my freezer, I sub'ed them for the spinach and used sour cream, Parmesan and Neufchatel cheese instead of gobs of mayo and mild mozz. I boosted it with lemon zest, red pepper flakes, thyme and lots of garlic. Serve with the artichoke leaves (a bonus of using fresh over frozen or canned artichokes) and homemade pita chips (click for that recipe).

Hot Artichoke and Beet Green Dip
Servings: 8
Time: About 30 minutes active; one hour total
Price: About $19.00 total; $2.40 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 186.9
Protein: 8g
Fat: 11.8g
Saturated fat: 6.7g
Carbohydrates: 14.5g
Fiber: 5.3g
Sodium: 379.4mg
Cholesterol: 33.3mg

5 medium artichokes, cooked (see my Grilled Artichoke recipe: do steps #1 and 2), hearts removed and chopped
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced
1 lemon, chop 2 tsp lemon zest and juice half
1 bunch beet greens, chopped, about 8-9 oz
1 tsp black pepper, divided
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz Neufchatel cheese, or cream cheese, but the former has better flavor and less calories, fat and carbs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, heat EVOO over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, thyme and lemon zest. Saute about 5 minutes until onion gets soft.

2. Add beet greens, 1/2 tsp black pepper, red pepper flakes and salt. Mix well and heat until there is no more liquid in the pan from greens, about 5 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and cook 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. In a large bowl, mix together Neufchatel, sour cream, lemon juice and remaining 1/2 tsp black pepper. Add artichoke-greens mixture and incorporate thoroughly.

4. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and spread the mixture out evenly. Top with Parmesan and bake for 10 minutes. Heat broiler and broil 2-4 minutes until Parmesan melts and begins to brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Hawaiian Mai Tai

2011-05-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

We had many different versions of Mai Tais over the past week so that peaked my curiosity about the origin of the drink. There is much mystery about how this famous tropical drink came about, but many stories start actually at a bar in Oakland, CA called Trader Vic's in 1944. Much lore surrounds how the drink actually got to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Honolulu nine years later, but today this is the most famous tropical drink on Maui by far. This is my version of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel recipe, which has more fresh juice than the Trader Vic's drink - fruity, not too sweet and with a bit of a punch.

Hawaiian Mai Tai
Servings: 2
Time: 5 minutes active and total
Price: About $7.35 total; $3.70 per drink
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 169.5
Protein: 0.45g
Fat: 0.14g
Saturated fat: .01g
Carbohydrates: 10.2g
Fiber: 0.15g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 1.5mg

2 oz light rum (1/4 cup)
1 oz dark rum (2 Tbsp)
1 oz orange curacao (2 Tbsp), (do not substitute triple sec, it is 30 proof and orange curacao is 80 proof)
1 orange, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
1 lime, juiced (about 2 Tbsp)
1 oz pineapple juice
dash orgeat (an almond syrup, you might be able to substitute amaretto)
dash simple syrup (heat 1 part sugar to 2 parts water until sugar is dissolved)
Wedges of fresh pineapple, to garnish

1. Pour all the ingredients in a tall glass, cover and shake to combine. Fill two glasses with ice and divide the liquid among them. Garnish with a wedge of pineapple. Enjoy!

Empty Plate: Sun, May 1

2011-05-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

I’m on Maui this week celebrating my birthday so there is no new recipe today, but here are a few pictures of the beautiful environs and food I’ve enjoyed so far. I’ll be back next Sunday, May 8.

Until then follow me from Hawaii this week – I’ll be Tweeting everyday with pictures and descriptions of great meals, drinks and sites @Vegetarianized.

Modern fusion samosa in filo with peas and potatoes - cilantro oil aioli.

Happy hour view from the hotel - sun setting over the Pacific.

Or you can check out a recipe from my archives at Sacmag.com tomorrow: Baked Fennel and Leeks. Or browse around on the site with the categories on the right column, including a ‘Vegan’ link with more than 45 recipes and the NEW ‘30 min or less’ link with dozens of delicious meals to try.

Grilled Cheese Elvis

2011-04-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

No, I didn't see Elvis' face in my grilled cheese - April is National Grilled Cheese Month! You probably know Elvis' favorite sandwich - peanut butter, banana, honey and bacon. I turned this outrageous sandwich into ridiculous (and vegetarian) by replacing the bacon with extra sharp cheddar cheese and then grilling the mother lover. I was inspired by the peanut butter and cheese sandwiches I loved as a kid. It is just truly silly, but one bite and you'll think it's like steroids on crack. Just skip the nutritional information because you don't want to know - and go grab a skillet.

Grilled Cheese Elvis
Servings: 2
Time: 15 minutes active and total
Price: About $2.65 total; $1.33 per sandwich
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 603.2
Protein: 20.2g
Fat: 40.6g
Saturated fat: 19.1g
Carbohydrates: 42.8g
Fiber: 4.2g
Cholesterol: 67.4mg
Sodium: 593.9mg

I taste-tested British, Irish and American cheddars. Not sure why - how could you ever use anything but the orange American stuff in an Elvis sandwich?

4 slices bread, about 2oz total
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
3oz extra sharp cheddar, preferably orange and American (CA, NY or VT), sliced
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, with salt
1 medium banana, sliced
1 Tbsp honey

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, butter one side of each slice of bread. Flip the slices over and on one side lay cheese, then banana slices and drizzle honey over top. On the other slice, spread peanut butter.

2. Carefully put the sandwich together and put on the hot skillet. Place a weight on top like a plate or foiled-wrapped brick. Grill 2-3 minutes on each side. Eat it up!

Springy Salad with Lemon Rosemary Vinaigrette

2011-04-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

I realized this week I've never done a salad on Vegetarianized.com, and I'm even growing lettuce this spring. I thought this would be a great salad for Easter dinner next Sunday. Citrusy lemons contrast the sweet cranberries and peas, then there is crunchy almond slivers and creamy goat cheese - to me a perfect salad. And this will be so easy to make for a crowd - no cooking involved. Just whisking, tossing and serving.

Springy Salad with Lemon Rosemary Vinaigrette
Servings: 4
Time: 15 minutes active and total
Price: About $10.00 total; $2.50 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 229.6
Protein: 7.5g
Fat: 16.4g
Saturated fat: 4.4g
Carbohydrates: 17g
Fiber: 3.9g
Cholesterol: 11.2mg
Sodium: 409.4mg

For the dressing:
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp rosemary, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 lemon, juiced, about 3-4 Tbsp
1/2 Tbsp mustard
2 Tbsp EVOO

For the salad:
8 cups lettuce, cut into 1-2" pieces
4 Tbsp dried cranberries
4 Tbsp slivered or sliced almonds
4 Tbsp frozen peas, thawed
2 oz goat cheese

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, lemon juice and mustard. In a slow, steading stream add oil and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds. Set aside.

2. Plate salad by dividing lettuce among the plates. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp cranberries, almonds, and peas and 1/2 oz goat cheese over top. Drizzle a generously Tbsp of dressing over each salad and serve. Or put all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Add dressing and toss to coat well, then divide among serving plates.

Asparagus "Muffin" Pudding

2011-04-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

I'm somewhat obsessed with savory bread puddings. Those anything-is-possible eggy-bready-cheesey casseroles. I went a bit mad for them in 2008 - hence Tomato Bread Pudding, Summer Squash Bread Pudding and Pumpkin Apple Bread Pudding. I had a fun idea to make them bite-sized for snacks, breakfast on-the-go or as a side dish to a weekend brunch. The asparagus was looking divine at the farmers market so I couldn't pass it up. Paired with Italian fontina and rosemary, these little guys are in the oven in less than 20 and in your mouth in less than 60!

Asparagus "Muffin" Pudding
Servings: 24
Time: About 20 minutes active; 50 minutes total
Price: About $9.50 total; $0.40 per muffin
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 69
Protein: 4.3g
Fat: 3.7g
Saturated fat: 1.4g
Carbohydrates: 5.3g
Fiber: 0.68g
Cholesterol: 49.8mg
Sodium: 127.7mg

1 lb asparagus, trimmed (hold spear at both ends and bend, it will snap at the right place)
1 tsp EVOO
2 3/4 cup milk (I used soy)
5 eggs
1/2 tsp SnP, each
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (this still makes a mild muffin)
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced (or fresh thyme or oregano)
4 oz Italian Fontina, cut into 1/4" cubes (or other flavorful, melting cheese)
6 oz bread, cut into 1" cubes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, heat grill or grill pan (or you can roast in the oven at 450 degrees). Brush asparagus with EVOO and grill 5-7 minutes, turning mid-way through. Remove from heat, let cool, and then cut into 1" pieces.

3. In a large bowl, whisk milk, eggs, SnP, cayenne and rosemary. Set aside.

4. Set up a station of asparagus, cheese, egg custard and bread. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Ladle egg custard into each cup, filling 3/4. Add 2 bread cubes, 2-3 cheese cubes, and 5-8 pieces of asparagus into each cup.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until egg custard is set. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before removing. Run a knife around the cup and remove gently (you could also use cupcake papers to make this a breeze!) and serve immediately. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Pickled Roast Beets and Onions

2011-04-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

It's spring and the beets are in bloom. I harvested most of the beets from the garden this weekend and decided to pickle and can them. You can freeze the beet greens for soup or saute them as a side dish with olive oil, garlic, raisins and pine nuts. Pickled beets and onions are wonderful with goat cheese on a crostini, as a topping for hamburgers or hot dogs, or simply as a snack right out of the jar.

Pickled Roast Beets and Onions
Servings: 6
Time: 20 minutes active; About 70 minutes total
Price: About $4.80 total; $0.80 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 106
Protein: 2.2g
Fat: 1.2g
Saturated fat: 0.15g
Carbohydrates: 24.2g
Fiber: 3.4g
Sodium: 643.4mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

2 clean pint jars with tight-fitting lids
1 lb beets, 3-4 with 1" stem left, unpeeled
2 1/2 onions, divided
2 garlic cloves, whole, unpeeled
1 bunch rosemary, divded
1 tsp EVOO
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 Tbsp kosher or sea salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp whole peppercorns
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 bay leaves

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a casserole dish, toss whole beets with 1/2 onion (halved/peel on), 2 garlic cloves, 8" rosemary sprig, and EVOO. Cover tightly with foil and roast 40 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and let cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a small pot add vinegar, 1 cup water, salt, sugar, peppercorns, mustard seeds and bay leaves and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat.

3. Peel beets by gently sliding peel off, and cut into 1/4" slices. Slice onions into 1/4" rings. Layer beets and onions in one pint jar. When 3/4 filled stuff 3-4 rosemary sprigs into sides of the jar, top with more beets and onions leaving 1" space at the top. Pour in half the pickling juice leaving 1/2" at the top. Repeat with other pint jar.

4. Seal with tight-fitting lid and refrigerate 3-7 days before eating. Or continue processing to seal by submerging jars in just under boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove and cool until lids pop and seal. Then you can store on a shelf for up to one year. Once opened, refrigerate and eat within a month.

Pretzel Cheese Soup

2011-03-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

I've been in Chicago for the last week and Michael and I splurged on an amazingly fun restaurant called Moto in the West Loop (the bill for two was close to $400!). The head chef is this crazy guy who basically scientifically deconstructs (there was a tour at the end that involved a demo of centrifuges, for example) food flavors and reassembles them in fun and quirky ways. One of our ten courses was a clear pretzel broth studded with freeze-dried scallions and cubed 4-year old Wisconsin cheddar. Holding on to the flavors tight in my memory I sought to recreate the soup to have at home. Check my Twitter feed @Vegetarianized for pictures and descriptions of all the courses, including a cigar and ash tray dish made of mushroom puree stuffed into a braised collard green, and Cracker Jacks of apple gnocchi, popcorn powder and caramel puree - plus a weeks' worth of meals in Chicago with my Top 4 deep dish pie spots.

Pretzel Cheese Soup
Servings: 6
Time: About 20 minutes active; less than two hours total
Price: About $11.30 total; $1.90 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 302.1
Protein: 10.1g
Fat: 12.4g
Saturated fat: 5g
Carbohydrates: 39.9g
Fiber: 4.1g
Sodium: 801.9mg
Cholesterol: 20mg

8 oz salted pretzels, snapped in half (I used rods)
1 red onion, quartered
1/4 lb mushrooms, halved
1/4 lb carrots, cut into 2" pieces and then halved
1/4 lb celery including leaves, cut into 2" piece and then halved
1 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp EVOO
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf
12 whole peppercorns
1 large sprig thyme
Salt to taste (I used 2 Tbsp)
3 scallions, sliced
4 oz extra sharp cheddar (preferably 2-4 year aged), cubed (omit for a vegan soup)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large roasting/casserole pan, toss pretzels, onion, mushrooms, carrots, celery, pepper and EVOO. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring half way.

2. When done roasting, put the pretzel-vegetable mixture in a large soup pot. Add 12 cups of water, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, thyme and heat over medium to medium-hight heat, boil/simmer and reduce about one hour - pretzels should be completely dissolved. Adjust salt and other seasonings.

3. Remove thyme sprig and puree soup with a hand blender or in a food processor. Divide soup among bowls and top with scallions and cubed cheese.

Dark Chocolate Beet Brownies

2011-03-17T19:42:00.000-07:00

I've started a new partnership with Java City Coffee, a Sacramento-based roaster with cafes sprinkled around the city. They've asked me to create new recipes to match their monthly featured coffee every other month starting in March. This recipe is the result of weekend of work perfecting the balance between rich, dark chocolate flavor, sweetness and a slight dark red hue from the addition of the beets. It's a prefect pairing to their March Featured Coffee - a Red Velvet Latte. Take a peek at the entry for the recipe on the Java City Blog to get the scoop on my inspiration for beets in brownies. It's an amazing flavor combination!

Dark Chocolate Beet Brownies
Servings: 24
Time: About one hour total; 30 minutes active
Price: About $13.00 total; $0.55 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 180
Protein: 3g
Fat: 11g
Saturated fat: 6.4g
Carbohydrates: 21.4g
Fiber: 2.2g
Sodium: 138.9mg
Cholesterol: 56.1mg

8 oz raw beets, peeled and halved
8 oz unsalted butter (2 sticks)
¾ cup dark brown sugar
¾ cup white sugar
4 eggs
1 ¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp vanilla extract, not imitation
¾ cup white flour
1 cup chocolate chips, preferably 60% cacao or more

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small pot, add beets and cover with water. Heat over medium heat and cook 20-25 minutes until very soft. Drain, puree and set aside to cool.

Using raw beets is messy, but critical to this recipe. Most canned beets have corn syrup which will upset the sweet balance.

3. In a medium pot over low heat, melt butter. Turn heat to medium-low and add both sugars. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, about 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.

4. Beat the eggs on medium with a mixer for about 2 minutes. Add cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and vanilla extract and incorporate well.

5. Add pureed beets and butter-sugar mixture and mix well. On low speed, add flour and then chocolate chips, scraping the sides as needed.
6. Spray a 9 x 13 pan generously with cooking spray, add batter and bake 30 minutes until knife comes out clean or with just a few crumbles. Cool in the pan before turning out on to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm!

What a great red color!

Smoky Black Bean Quesadilla

2011-03-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Chipotle chiles and dark brown sugar add a smoky-sweet note to black beans that are spread over a tortilla and topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions. Top with sharp cheddar cheese and grill for a quick main dish on any weeknight. Simply omit the cheese to make a vegan quesadilla.

Smoky Black Bean Quesadilla
Adapted from Vegetarian Times February 2006
Servings: 6
Time: About 20 minutes active; 30 minutes total
Price: About $10.60 total; $1.80 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 288.7
Protein: 12.4g
Fat: 7.8g
Saturated fat: 3.9g
Carbohydrates: 44.9g
Fiber: 8.1g
Sodium: 579.6mg
Cholesterol: 15.2mg

1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 canned chipotle chiles
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp fresh oregano or 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp EVOO
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp sherry
12 6" corn or flour tortillas
3 oz cheddar, grated
6 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1. In a food processor, mix beans, chiles, brown sugar, oregano, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp salt. Add up to 2 Tbsp water to make a smooth bean spread. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat EVOO over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, onions and garlic and stir to break up. Add cumin, chili powder, black pepper, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and sherry. Cook until mushrooms and onions are soft and sherry has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

3. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat (or simply use the mushroom-onion skillet) and spray with cooking spray.
4. To assemble quesadillas, spread about 1/4 cup bean mixture on one side and sprinkle with 1/2 oz grated cheddar. Add about 1/3 cup mushroom-onion mixture and top with other tortilla. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side until browned and cheddar is melted. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and fresh cilantro.

Beet Green and Lemon Chevre Bruschetta

2011-03-06T11:22:00.000-08:00

It struck me recently that I didn't know the difference between those lovely Italian appetizers crostini and bruschetta. Crostini are smaller bits of toast, literally "little toasts" in Italian, with any topping you can imagine. Bruschetta (pronounced bru-sketta, for the record) means "to roast over coals" so these are toasted/grilled slices from larger bread that are drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with raw garlic. The raw garlic literally grates as you rub and you are left with a toasty, garlicy base for, again, any topping you can imagine. Here, I mixed chevre with lemon juice and thyme, and topped it with dressed beet greens for a light bruschetta snack.

Beet Green and Lemon Chevre Bruschetta
Servings: 22
Time: About 45 minutes total and active
Price: About $14.25 total; $0.65 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 97.5
Protein: 3.5g
Fat: 5.1g
Saturated fat: 2.4g
Carbohydrates: 9.2g
Fiber: 0.48g
Sodium: 220.3mg
Cholesterol: 8.1mg

1 12 oz baguette, sliced on a diagonal (I got 22 pieces from mine)
3 Tbsp EVOO, divided
3 garlic cloves, divided
8 oz chevre or other soft goat cheese, at room temperature, if possible (makes it easier to mix)
Juice of 1/2-1 lemon (depending on taste)
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced, plus extra for garnish
1 tsp black pepper
2 cups beet greens, chopped (from about one bunch)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt (smoked salt would work well here)

1. Heat a grill or grill pan (or toaster oven) over medium high heat until just smoking. Brush sliced baguette with EVOO using about 2 Tbsp total. Grill bread on one side about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and rub, while toast is still warm, with garlic using about 2 whole cloves total. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, spoon chevre and add lemon juice, thyme, and black pepper and mix thoroughly. Set aside.

3. In another medium bowl, whisk together remaining Tbsp EVOO and garlic clove, minced, balsamic vinegar, and salt. Add beet greens and mix well to coat all the leaves.

4. To dress each bruschetta toast, place or spread scant 1 Tbsp chevre mixture and top with a small handful of greens. Top with a thyme sprig, if desired.

Meyer Lemon & Rosemary Granita

2011-02-27T16:27:00.000-08:00

I've had a few citrus donors in the past few weeks, and the latest was a student from my cooking class who brought me bunches of beautiful Meyer lemons. These lemons are a bit sweeter than regular lemons so I had a brainstorm to turn the very popular Rosemary Lemonade into a dessert. A granita is sort of like a sorbet, but instead of using an ice cream maker you place the liquid in a shallow pan and as it freezes, you scrape it. The result is light and fluffy, and resembles a snow cone with a bit more creamy texture.

Meyer Lemon & Rosemary Granita
Servings: 6
Time: 15 minutes active; about 2-3 hours total
Price: About $4.50 total; $0.75 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 139
Protein: 0.25g
Fat: 0g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 37.3g
Fiber: 0.31g
Sodium: 0.97mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 8" rosemary sprig
1 1/2 cups lemon juice, from 4-6 lemons, preferably Meyer Lemons
2-3 tsp lemon zest, from 1 lemon, be sure to zest before juicing

1. Put water and sugar in a small pot and heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and liquid comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute and remove from heat. Add rosemary sprig and let cool 10 minutes.

2. Add juice and zest and chill at least 30 minutes. Put cooled liquid in a 2 quart baking pan and place in the freezer. Every 30 minutes, take the granita out and scrape it with a fork. Do this 2-3 times until desired consistency. Freeze overnight to harden all the way through. Serve with a sprig of mint and/or rosemary.

Cauliflower with Gruyere Sauce

2011-02-20T13:33:00.000-08:00

It's a pretty well-known fact that cheese sauce improves any vegetable side dish. Here I've done a quick steamed cauliflower, drizzled over a pungent Gruyere cheese sauce, sprinkled with a bread crumb, cayenne, Parmesan topping and broiled it for a crispy crust. In about 25 minutes you'll have a nice wintery side dish to accompany any hearty main. To boost the cauliflower flavor, roast or broil it in the oven instead of steaming - but here I wanted a quick, weeknight side.

Cauliflower with Gruyere Sauce
Servings: 4
Time: About 15 minutes active; 25 minutes total
Price: About $4.00 total; $1.00 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 122.4
Protein: 8.2g
Fat: 4.7g
Saturated fat: 2.2g
Carbohydrates: 13.6g
Fiber: 3.8g
Sodium: 455.4mg
Cholesterol: 10.7mg

3/4 cup soy milk, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1 head cauliflower (about 1 lb), chopped into bit-sized pieces
2 Tbsp flour
1 oz Gruyere cheese, grated (or a good quality Swiss)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 oz Parmesan, grated
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp chives or parsley, chopped

1. Preheat broiler on high heat. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, add 1/4 cup soy milk, cauliflower and salt. Put a plate on as a lid and microwave 2 minutes until crisp-tender (nuke up to 4 minutes for a softer veg).

2. Drain milk from cauliflower into a medium pot. Whisk together remaining 1/2 cup soy milk and flour. Add to pot and cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes until thickened and slightly golden (this is a béchamel sauce). Remove from heat and add Gruyere, garlic, mustard and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted.

3. Spray a 2 QT baking dish with cooking spray. Put cauliflower in the dish and cover with cheese sauce. Mix until all the cauliflower is well coated.
4. In a small bowl, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan and cayenne. Sprinkle evenly over cauliflower. Broil 2-3 minutes until bread crumbs are nicely browned. Top with chopped chives or parsley and serve hot.

Empty Plate: Sun, Feb 13

2011-02-05T14:17:00.001-08:00

I'll be off at Tahoe for a bit on skiing so there will be no Sunday Serving on February 13th.

Smoky BBQ Sliders

2011-02-05T13:06:00.000-08:00

A Vegetarianized.com Super Bowl Exclusive - hold the menu! For tomorrow, add these spicy, smoky, little veggie burgers to your Super Bowl party. Just throw everything in the food processor, chill, grill and put on your favorite slider bun or roll. Top with grilled onions, cheese and condiments and you'll have a hit for all your football fans - veg or not. In the photo above I embellished mine with homemade zucchini relish.

Smoky BBQ Sliders
Servings: 16 (including bun)
Time: 20 minutes active; About 1 hour total
Price: About $8.00 total; $0.50 per slider
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 259.9
Protein: 9.1g
Fat: 6.1g
Saturated fat: 0.8g
Carbohydrates: 42.4g
Fiber: 2.1g
Cholesterol: 13.3mg
Sodium: 615.8mg

1 cup cooked brown rice
1 15 oz can chickpeas, pinto, black or kidney beans
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, chopped
1/3 cup almonds, chopped if whole
1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried parsley
2 Tbsp light sodium soy sauce
1 egg
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp brown sugar

1. Put everything in a food processor and blend well. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.

2. Meanwhile, heat a grill pan or skillet. Spray the pan with cooking spray and then split and grill the insides of the buns. Set aside.

To ensure good grill marks, top buns with a foil-wrapped brick or skillet.

3. When burger mixture is firm enough to handle, spray your hands with cooking spray and then shape into 16 equal-sized burgers. Respray the pan with cooking spray and then grill each burger 2-4 minutes on each side. Slide into buns and top with your favorite condiments.

Homemade Pita Chips with Smoked Salt

2011-01-30T12:42:00.000-08:00

Save yourself a couple of bucks and make perfectly spiced chips to accompany any dip you're making or cheese you're serving with homemade pita chips. They take no time, and are a lot less fattening as well. These chips have a sprinkle of smoked salt, but you can use any dried herb or spice that will match your dip or cheese - chili powder for guacamole, cumin for hummus, oregano for onion dip, or rosemary for blue cheese. Let the flavor combinations go wild!

Homemade Pita Chips with Smoked Salt
Servings: 4
Time: Less than 10 minutes total for pita chips; Less than 5 minutes active for smoked salt plus time for drying
Price: ~$3.50 total; $0.88 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 50
Protein: 3.5g
Fat: 0.3g
Saturated fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 10.5g
Fiber: 2g
Sodium: 350.7mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

2 whole pitas
Cooking Spray
1/2 tsp Smoked Salt, recipe follows

For Pita Chips:

1. Turn oven setting to broiler (on low, if possible). Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Cut the pitas in half, pile on top of each other and cut in half again. Cut each quarter in half to make triangles. Carefully pull each triangle apart at the 'seam.' Lay on the baking sheet and spray with pita with cooking spray. Sprinkle with smoked salt.

2. Broil pita for 2-3 minutes, checking often so they don't burn. Serve with your favorite dip or cheese.

For Smoked Salt:

1. In a small bowl, mix 3/4 cup coarse sea salt and 1 Tbsp liquid smoke. Lay on a baking sheet to dry for 24-48 hours.

Spiced Dark Chocolate Pots de Creme

2011-01-23T12:29:00.000-08:00

This is actually a light dessert - no kidding! Dark chocolate and spicy nutmeg give it a flavor boost that make you forget you're using fat free milks and less eggs then the typical recipe. Instead of nutmeg, use your creativity for other versions, including adding instant coffee or espresso, Bailey's Irish Cream, dried chili and cinnamon (for a Mexican flare) or even smoked salt.

Spiced Dark Chocolate Pots de Creme
Adapted from a recipe in Vegetarian Times February 2010
Servings: 4
Time: About 20 minutes active; 60 minutes total plus time to cool
Price: About $3.80 total; $0.95 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 166.5
Protein: 6.6g
Fat: 7.7g
Saturated fat: 1.1g
Carbohydrates: 20.1g
Fiber: 1.1g
Cholesterol: 109mg
Sodium: 214.6mg

1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp sugar
5 oz fat free evaporated milk
1/3 cup soy milk (or fat free)
2 oz dark chocolate, broken up (I used 70%)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
8 Tbsp whipped cream (2 Tbsp dollop for each)
Orange zest, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Whisk together egg, egg yolk and sugar in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Bring evaporated milk and soy milk to a boil over medium heat in a small pot. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate. Return to heat and simmer until chocolate is just melted, stirring constantly.

3. Whisk 1/2 cup of the chocolate mixture into the eggs/sugar until just incorporated (adding just a bit at a time will insure you don't cook your eggs). Add remaining chocolate mixture, whisking constantly. Add vanilla, nutmeg and salt.
4. Fill four ramekins or other oven-proof dishes equally with the custard. Place in a roasting pan and fill half way with boiling water. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until custard is set. Remove from pan to cool and then chill in the refrigerator. Top with whipped cream and orange zest.

Patsy's Two-Step Chili

2011-01-16T14:38:00.000-08:00

Michael's mom, Patsy, makes some kick-ass vegetarian chili. Two-step here refers to the ease of putting this protein-fiber-packed main together or just it's Southwestern Country style. The best part is you can really take it in any direction you want. In this version, I opted for Texas-style veggie burgers and added two fiery chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, dried oregano and ground cumin. Patsy called for three cans of beans so I went for the trifecta - black, pinto and red kidney. Add grated cheese, more hot peppers, chopped cilantro, diced green onions, crumbled tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream - garnish possibilities are endless.

Patsy's Two-Step Chili
Servings: 8 as a hearty main
Time: 15 minutes active; 1:15 total
Price: ~$22.40 total; $2.80 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 383.9
Protein: 23.8g
Fat: 5.8g
Saturated fat: 0.39g
Carbohydrates: 63.4g
Fiber: 9.8g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 1,224.4mg

1 Tbsp EVOO
1 large onion, chopped
2 large sweet peppers, chopped (I chose red, but any combo will do)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup corn
2 chipotle peppers, minced with 2 tsp adobo sauce
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dry mustard
8 veggie burgers, chopped (I chose Amy's Texas Veggie Burgers)
3 cans of beans, drained and rinsed
2 28oz cans of diced or whole (broken up or chopped) tomatoes with juice
1/3 cup ketchup
1 lemon, juiced

1. In a large pot, heat EVOO over medium heat. Add all the veggies and dry ingredients (onion through veggie burgers). Saute 15 minutes until onions are softened.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, ketchup and lemon juice. At this point you may need to add some water to get a more juicy consistency - I added half a tomato can of water. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partly covered, for one hour (or more if you have the time). Serve hot. This chili will improve with age.

Samosa Pie

2011-01-09T13:47:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I thought I'd go in a different direction than starting out the year with a diet meal. I'm still working on my Indian cooking and came across this recipe in a Vegetarian Times magazine for a samosa-type casserole. Instead of fried pockets of dough filled with potatoes, veggies and spices, you baked it in a whole wheat crust. You can make this vegan by replacing the honey with sugar. Flavorful, a bit spicy and low in calories and fat - well I guess I did a diet food after all!

Samosa Pie
Adapted from a recipe in Vegetarian Times January 2010
Servings: 6
Time: About 30 minutes active; 1.5 hours total
Price: About $5.00 total; $0.85 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 253.1
Protein: 7.9g
Fat: 5.8g
Saturated fat: 1.3g
Carbohydrates: 44.6g
Fiber: 5.7g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 498.6mg

For the crust:
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cold butter, preferably plant-based

For the filling:
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
3-5 medium potatoes (1 1/4lb), quartered

1/2 Tbsp canola oil

1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, halved and chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp mustard seeds, yellow or black

2 tsp ginger, preferably freshly grated

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/8 tsp if you prefer less spicy
1 1/2 cup peas
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp honey or sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp soy milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To make the crust, pulse flours, salt and butter in a food processor. Add 6-10 Tbsp cold water slowly and pulse until dough comes together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead to form a ball. Cover with a damp towel and set aside.

2. To make the filling, bring pot of water to boil. Add 1 tsp salt and quartered potatoes. Cook 15 minutes, drain and mash leaving some chunks. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes until carrots begin to soften. Meanwhile, mix mustard seeds, ginger, curry, coriander, cumin and pepper flakes in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the skillet and add spices. Toast for 30 second and then mix into the vegetables. Stir in peas and vegetable broth. Remove from heat and mix in mashed potatoes, honey and black pepper.

4. On a floured surface roll dough into a 11" circle. Pour vegetable mixture into a cooking spray sprayed 9" pie pan. Cover with dough and make a 'X' in the center for a vent. Brush with soy milk. Slide onto a baking sheet and cook for 40-50 minutes until crust is golden. Remove from oven and set sit 5 minutes before serving.

Empty Plate

2010-12-27T06:24:00.001-08:00

There will be no Sunday Serving on Sunday, December 26th or Sunday, January 2nd. Happy Holidays!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

2010-12-19T16:27:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite cookies from my childhood. I remember my mom making these and sneaking into the freezer all Christmas long to snag these crunchy, chocolatey treats. Mind you these are not healthy by any stretch, but they are surely comforting during a cold and, in Davis' case, ridiculously wet winter...and it doesn't involve any baking what-so-ever!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Servings: 1 ball (Makes about 50)
Time: About 30 minutes active; 2 hours 30 minutes total
Price: About $13.45 total; $0.27 per ball
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 147.1 (yes, just don't look...skip right to the ingredients!)
Protein: 3g
Fat: 8.3g
Saturated fat: 2.6g
Carbohydrates: 18.4g
Fiber: 1.3g
Sodium: 106.1mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

1/2 cup butter (I used Earth Balance)
1 16oz jar of chunky peanut butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp real vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar
3 cups rice krispies
12-18oz chocolate chips

1. Put the butter, peanut butter and salt in a big microwave bowl. Melt for one minute, stopping to stir every 20 seconds, until melted. Mix together and then add the vanilla extract and mix again.

2. Add 3 cups powdered sugar and rice krispies and mix thoroughly. The dough may get tough to stir, but in the end you want a consistency that will hold together firmly. If it's too soft, add more powdered sugar. If it's too hard, add small bits of milk.

3. Roll into 1" balls and place on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Put in the freezer for one hour until hard.

4. Meanwhile, create a double boiler by putting a few inches of water in a pot set over medium heat. Place a second pot that fits into the first, but not so it touches the water. When the water boils, turn to low and keep it simmering. Add the chocolate chips to the top pot and stir occasionally until fully melted and shiny.

5. When balls are hard, dip each of them into the melted chocolate and coat all sides. Place back on the baking sheet and repeat with all the balls. Put back in the freezer at least one hour, again, until hard. Enjoy!

Squash, Leek and Sage Gratins

2010-12-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

A different take on butternut squash that combines some the best flavors of fall and winter: sage, nutmeg, earthy leeks, and nutty Gruyere cheese. Baking these in individual ramekins or oven-proof bowls makes a beautiful table presentation for a holiday meal or just because.

Squash, Leek and Sage Gratins
Servings: 6
Time: About 30 minutes active; 2 hours total
Price: About $11.45 total; $1.90 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 203.4
Protein: 8.8g
Fat: 6.6g
Saturated fat: 2.8g
Carbohydrates: 30.4g
Fiber: 1.5g
Sodium: 283.4mg
Cholesterol: 116.5mg

The best way to get dirt from between the folds of leeks is to put them in a colander set over a bowl of water. Dirt sinks to the bottom.

2 lb butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2-4 leeks, chopped, 4 cups total
1 tsp butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped finely
1/2 tsp SnP
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs
2 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Roast for 45 minutes, then remove from heat, turn skin side up and let cool 30 minutes. Then remove squash fresh and mash with a potato masher. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and add butter. When melted, add leeks, cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Some leeks should be browned, but if not continue to cook, uncovered, up to 10 minutes more. Remove from heat and cook slightly.

3. Whisk sugar, sage, SnP, nutmeg and egg in a bowl. Add squash, leeks and half the cheese and stir until combined.

4. Spoon mixture into 6 ramekins or oven-proof bowls. Place bowls in a large casserole dish filled with hot water up to 1" after the bowls are in place. Cover and cook for 25 minutes. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes more until gratins are set.

5. Carefully remove bowls from water and place on a baking sheet. Preheat broiler. Divide the remaining cheese and sprinkle on top of each bowl. Broil 2-3 minutes until cheese is bubbling and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Honey Thyme Crusted Tofu With Couscous

2010-12-05T15:42:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd take a break from the usual holiday fare and lighten up with this sweet and herby tofu coated with a thyme-pepper mixture and then pan-fried in EVOO and honey. The accompaniment is a protein-packed couscous studded with carrots, shelled edamame and crunchy pepitas (roasted pumpkin/squash seeds). If you can't find roasted pumpkin seeds in the grocery store, buy a pumpkin, remove the seeds and roast them (you can find lots of instructions online). Then you can roast the pumpkin as well to make puree for a pumpkin pie or chopped for a smoked mozzarella, sage and pumpkin pizza (one of my favorite flavors this time of year).

Honey Thyme Crusted Tofu with Couscous
Adapted from a recipe in Vegetarian Times November/December 2007
Servings: 4
Time: ~20 minutes active; 30 minutes total
Price: ~$11.20 total; $2.80 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 591.85
Protein: 26.8g
Fat: 19.5g
Saturated Fat: 2.9g
Carbohydrates: 77.3g
Fiber: 7.7g
Sodium: 1,261mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

14-16 oz extra firm tofu
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried thyme (4 tsp fresh, minced)
2 tsp salt, divided
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp EVOO, divided
1/4 cup honey
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup carrots, chopped (about 2 medium)
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous
1/2 cup toasted unsalted pumpkin seeds

1. Cut tofu block in half lengthwise and place side by side on a paper towel-lined plate. Place another layer of paper towels on top, then another plate and then a heavy pot and/or foil-wrapped brick (I did both). Let drain for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a shallow dish mix together pepper, thyme and 1 tsp salt. After draining the tofu, cut each piece into four so you have eight total. Coat tofu with pepper-thyme-salt mixture on both sides and set aside.

3. Put broth, carrots, edamame, 2 tsp EVOO and remaining salt in a medium pot and heat, covered, over medium heat. When it comes to a boil, remove from heat and stir in couscous. Replace cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 Tbsp EVOO and honey in a large skillet over medium heat until bubbling. Put tofu in the pan and cook on each side about 3 minutes, until lightly browned. You may need to do this in two rounds if all the tofu steaks don't fit in the skillet.

5. To assemble, place 1/4 of the couscous mixture on a plate and top with two tofu steaks. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and any remaining thyme leaves as a garnish. Repeat with other three dishes and serve hot.

Emply Plate: Sun, Nov 28

2010-11-22T17:56:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I'll be off Sunday, November 28, but will be back the following Sunday with a new recipe!

Roasted Garlic Rosemary Rolls

2010-11-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

I have been making these dreamy rolls for the past three or four Thanksgivings now. They are most easily done with a bread machine, but a stand mixer with both paddle and dough hook attachments will get the job done. Serve these hot with lots of butter. They will perfectly compliment all your holiday dishes.

Roasted Garlic Rosemary Rolls
Servings: 1 roll; recipe makes 12
Time: About 20 minutes active; 3 hours 15 minutes total
Price: About $5.00 total; $0.45 per roll
Nutrition (per roll):
Calories: 168.9
Protein: 5.1g
Fat: 3.1g
Saturated Fat: 0.7g
Carbohydrates: 29.9g
Fiber: 0.52g
Sodium: 171.2mg
Cholesterol: 17.7mg

1 whole garlic head
1 tsp EVOO
1 cup milk (I used soy milk)
3 Tbsp butter, divided
1 egg, at room temperature
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 1/3 cup white flour
1 package (2 1/4 tsp) yeast, at room temperature
2 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt

Bread Machine Method:

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees. Cut about 1/2" off the top of the head of garlic. Place it on a sheet of foil and pull up the sides around the garlic. Drizzle with EVOO and close up the foil tight around the garlic. Bake for one hour. Let cool slightly.

2. Microwave milk and 2 Tbsp butter for 1-1 1/2 minutes until warm. Pour into the bread machine bowl, then add rosemary, egg and squeeze out the cooled garlic cloves/pulp from the head. On top, put flour, then in opposite corners put sugar and salt. Add yeast to the center and cover over each pile slightly. Put in machine and set to dough setting with lowest loaf weight (mine was 1 lb and ran for 1 hour 24 minutes).

3. When the dough is done, turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. With one dough ball, divide it into three, roll each third into a ball and place the balls in one muffin cup. Repeat with remaining dough balls.

4. Cover muffin pan with a kitchen towel and place in a draft-free, warm place (I used the oven) for 30 minutes until rolls have doubled in size.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Uncover dough and brush with remaining Tbsp butter that has been melted. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from pans and serve warm with extra butter.

Stand Mixer Method:

1. Do step #1 as above. Heat just milk in a microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes and pour into mixing bowl. Add yeast and stir to dissolve. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add garlic pulp. Add one cup flour, sugar, salt, 2 Tbsp softened butter, egg and rosemary. Beat with paddle attachment on medium speed until combined. Add remaining flour and beat until smooth.
2. Replace paddle with dough hook and knead dough for 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Put dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray and turn to coat on all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise 1 hour until doubled in size.
3. Follow steps #3-#5 above.

German Purple Cabbage

2010-11-14T15:24:00.000-08:00

I'm half German and Michael is first generation so at Thanksgiving we like to pull out some old school German favorites, including this one for purple cabbage. This is a slightly modified recipe from the version Michael's mother makes. Her shortcut is to start with jarred red cabbage and then she adds the wine, apples and spices. The pickling spice I found in my grocery store was a mix of cloves, mustard seed, bay leaf, coriander seed, cinnamon pieces and red pepper flake among other spices. If you can't find pickling spice, I found this good recipe you can use to recreate it at home. The longer it simmers, the more tender and lovely it gets - so you can start this early on Thanksgiving day and just let it bubble away on a back burner until dinner time.

German Purple Cabbage
Time: 15 minutes active; about 2 1/2 hours total
Servings: 6
Price: About $6.05 total; $1.00 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 163.3
Protein: 2.3g
Fat: 2.7g
Saturated Fat: 0.17g
Carbohydrates: 33.7g
Fiber: 4.8g
Sodium: 434.3mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 granny smith apples, chopped
2 lb head of red cabbage, shredded
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup pickling spice, wrapped and tied up tightly in cheesecloth (you've now made a 'spice bag')
5 cups water
3 Tbsp dry red wine
3 Tbsp red/black currant jelly

1. In a soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add apples and onions and saute about 5 minutes, until softened.

2. Meanwhile in a large bowl, toss cabbage with vinegar, sugar and salt. Add to the pot with bay leaf, spice bag and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 90 minutes to 2 hours until most of the liquid has evaporated.

3. Remove bay leaf and spice bag, and add wine and jelly. Mix well and serve hot.

Sage Gorgonzola Polenta with Fall Squash and Walnuts

2010-11-07T13:57:00.000-08:00

I am into the fall - especially during a rainy, cold Sunday afternoon. Warming flavors of sage, squash and walnuts come together in this satisfying main dish. I haven't mentioned my current obsession with polenta, but it's hard core. I always thought polenta was this boring, bland, dry thing, but it turns out it's pretty magical. Even if you just add water to it - it's creamy like it's fattened and naughty. Here, I do make it moderately naughty with some strong gorgonzola and fresh sage. The baked tofu is a take-it-or-leave-it item - I just thought it needed a protein boost.

Sage Gorgonzola Polenta with Fall Squash and Walnuts
Servings: 6
Time: About 1 hour total; 20 minutes active
Price: About $10.75 total; $1.80 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 375.6
Protein: 13.6g
Fat: 22.3g
Saturated fat: 5.2g
Carbohydrates: 34.6g
Fiber: 4g
Sodium: 527.9mg
Cholesterol: 10.6mg

4 cups water
1 cup cornmeal
2 Tbsp fresh sage, minced
1/2 tsp salt and cayenne pepper, each
3 oz gorgonzola cheese, divided
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups winter squash, cubed
6 oz baked tofu, cubed
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

1. Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add cornmeal slowly, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Once cornmeal in incorporated, add sage, salt and cayenne. Mix well. Add 2 oz gorgonzola, crumbling it over the pot. Whisk to incorporate. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

2. Spray an 8" square pan with cooking spray. Pour polenta in and smooth out. Put it the fridge to cool for 30-45 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and squash. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes. Cover and cook 10 minutes until squash has started to soften. Add tofu and heat for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

4. Heat grill, grill pan or large skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Cut polenta into 6 equal squares. Grill polenta 3-4 minutes on each side until browned/blackened.

5. To serve, place grilled polenta on a dish and top with squash, tofu mixture. Crumble some remaining gorgonzola cheese and toasted walnuts on top and enjoy!

Smoked Mozzarella & Sage Pumpkin Muffins

2010-10-31T14:15:00.001-07:00

Michael gave me a great idea to turn pumpkin muffins upside down by making them savory. Paired with fresh sage and smoked mozzarella, this is a trick for a yummy Halloween treat. Serve with a warming, fall soup or just pop a few for an afternoon snack. And they can even show your San Francisco Giants pride!

Smoked Mozzarella & Sage Pumpkin Muffins
Servings: 24
Time: About 15 minutes active; 40 minutes total
Price: About $7.25 total; $0.30 per muffin

2 Tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
1/4 tsp nutmeg and black pepper, each
3 oz smoked mozzarella, grated
1 oz parmesan, grated
1 egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup milk (I used soy milk)
1/4 cup butter (I used Earth Balance)
1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, preferably from a fresh pumpkin
2 cups white flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12 muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the wet ingredients, spices and cheese: sage, nutmeg, black pepper, smoked mozzarella, parmesan, egg, garlic, milk, butter and pumpkin. Mix well.

3. Add the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix well.

4. Fill the muffin cups about half way. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until puffed up and lightly browned. Serve warm.

Empty Plate: Sun, Oct 24

2010-10-17T15:44:00.001-07:00

I’ll be on the east coast so there will be no Sunday Serving on Sunday, October 24. I’ll be back on Sunday, October 31.

Caramel Popcorn

2010-10-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

I seem to be making caramel popcorn weekly, and it struck me when Michael commented that he didn't know why people don't make popcorn from scratch because it's so darn easy - and cheap. This recipe will give you sweet corn for a crowd, so make some before the Giants game today or later this week. Following the steps just to make the popcorn gives you a base to be as creative as you want. Make savory popcorn by adding melted butter, SnP and grated Parmesan. Make a quick sweet corn by shaking on cinnamon sugar while it's hot. The possibilities are limitless!

Caramel Popcorn
Servings: 10
Time: 20 minutes active; About 40 minutes total
Price: About $3.00 total; $0.30 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 209.4
Protein: 1.7g
Fat: 9.2g
Saturated Fat: 2.2g
Carbohydrates: 31.3g
Fiber: 2g
Sodium: 275.6mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

1 Tbsp canola oil, divided
2/3 cup popcorn kernels, divided
1/2 cup butter (I used Earth Balance, that makes it vegan)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp real vanilla extract

1. In a 3 quart pot, heat 1/2 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup popcorn kernels and swirl so the oil coats the corn. Cover with a lid. (Note: these measurements of oil and popcorn are for exactly a 3 quart pot. If you don't have that size pot, you may need to trial-and-error the correct mix to get fluffy popcorn (which is what I did-needless to say there were many burnt batches in the process). Also make sure you use a heavy bottom pot or the heat will be too hot and burn the kernels before they can pop.)

2. Shake the pot every minute or so. After about 5 minutes, you'll hear the corn start to pop. Shake the pan frequently to keep things moving. After about 2 minutes, the popping should slow. When there is 5 seconds in between pops, it's done. Pour into a big bowl and repeat with the remaining oil and corn. Since the pot is already hot, popping should start within 2 minutes and again be done about 2 minutes after that. Set popcorn aside.

3. In a small pot, heat butter over medium heat. When fully melted, add brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Whisk together until brown sugar is melted. Let stand for a few minutes and when it begins to boil, set a timer for 4 minutes and don't mix it. When the timer beeps, remove it from the heat and whisk in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will lighten and puff up.

4. Pour hot caramel over the popcorn in a slow, steady stream while constantly mixing to coat popcorn. You can cool in the bowl or spread on a baking sheet - you just need to decide before the caramel cools.

Refried Beans

2010-10-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

I was contacted by Johnny W. from San Antonio after he saw my Hot Sauce video on Chow.com. After emailing a few times, he asked me for a refried bean recipe made without lard, which I am happy to share today. You can easily make it spicier by adding more jalapenos. Top with cheese, cilantro, black olives, sour cream and/or any other favorite topping and serve with warm chips.

Refried Beans
Servings: 4
Time: 15 minutes active; About one hour (plus refrigerating the beans overnight)
Price: About $2.80 total; $0.70 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 198.1
Protein: 7.7g
Fat: 7.4g
Saturated fat: 1.1g
Carbohydrates: 26.8g
Fiber: 6.2g
Sodium: 916.8mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

25 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium onion, chopped and divided
2 Tbsp EVOO, divided
1 jalapeno, chopped finely
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped finely

1. Put beans in a medium pot and cover with water. Add 1/2 chopped onion, 1 Tbsp EVOO, jalapeno, salt and oregano. Heat over medium heat and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Remove from heat and drain over a bowl to also save the liquid. Put both liquid and drained beans in separate air-tight containers and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to marry.

3. The next day, in the same medium pot, heat remaining Tbsp EVOO. Add remaining 1/2 of chopped onion and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add half the beans and half the liquid and mash with a potato masher. Add remaining beans and liquid and mash again, until desired consistency is reached (I like to leave some chunks of beans). Cook for another 20-25 minutes, until most of the liquid is evaporated - again, until desired consistency (I like mine a little creamy and soupy). Serve warm with chips.

Beans, Greens and Tomato Soup

2010-10-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

All this canning, jarring and freezing has filled up all my pantry space, but also my freezer. Trying to make some room I pulled out some beet greens I had frozen last winter. Combined with some creamy white beans, I also added a late summer splash with garden-fresh tomatoes and thyme. Red pepper flakes add some spice, if you like.

Beans, Greens and Tomato Soup
Serving: 6 as a main dish
Time: 20 minutes active; About 2 1/2 hours total
Price: About $9.40 total; $1.60 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 245.4
Protein: 15.7g
Fat: 3.2g
Saturated Fat: 0.5g
Carbohydrates: 42.9g
Fiber: 13.9g
Sodium: 707.6mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

1 quart water
1 quart stock
1/2 tsp salt
2 sprigs thyme and parsley, each
1 1/2 cups dried white beans (cannellini or Great Northern)

1 Tbsp EVOO

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, halved and sliced thin

1/2 tsp SnP

2 lbs frozen greens or spinach, coarsely chopped

2 lbs tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1. In a stock pot, bring to a boil water, stock, salt, thyme, parsley and white beans over medium heat. Cover and cook for 90 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and SnP and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

3. Add greens and saute about 15 minutes until cooked threw and much of the water has evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. When beans have cooked and are soft and creamy, add tomatoes and greens mixture to the pot. Add red pepper flakes and adjust seasonings to taste (my needed another 1 tsp salt). Serve with salad and bread.

Empty Plate: Sun, Sept 26th

2010-09-20T17:05:00.001-07:00

I'll be traveling this weekend so there will not be a Sunday Serving on Sunday, September 26th. I'll be back with a new recipe Sunday, October 3rd.

Indian Roasted Eggplant

2010-09-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

In November I'm teaching an Indian cooking class so I thought I'd better bone up. With lots of eggplant in the garden and a cool, rainy day outside, this stewy, roasted eggplant dish is just the trick. Serve with nan or pita as an appetizer or over rice for a main dish. Eggplant is high in fiber and the breadth of herbs and spices offer flavor without a lot of fat.

Indian Roasted Eggplant
Adapted from a recipe in "Best-ever Curry Cookbook"
Servings: 2 as a main; 4 as an appetizer
Time: 15 minutes active; About 35 minutes total
Price: About $7.20 total; $3.60 per main serving
Nutrition (per main serving):
Calories: 240.8
Protein: 8.9g
Fat: 9.5g
Saturated Fat: 1.2g
Carbohydrates: 38.6g
Fiber: 10.3g
Sodium: 1212.6mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

1 1/4 lb eggplant
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp brown or black mustard seeds
1 bunch scallion, thinly sliced
1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered
1 lb tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small, hot chili, minced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

1. Preheat broil or grill. Prick eggplants with a fork all over and roast 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and fry for about 2 minutes, until seeds begin to sputter. Add the scallions, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic and chili. Cook about 5 minutes more, until vegetables soften. Stir in spices (chili powder through salt) and fry 3-4 minutes more.

3. Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out the flesh. Chop roughly and add to the skillet mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes, until heated thoroughly. Serve with bread or over rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Berenjenas con Queso

2010-09-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

Berenjenas with queso, or eggplant with cheese, is a Spanish tapa I made in my cooking class this past week. It went over quite well - everyone raved about the tenderness and lack of bitterness in the eggplant as well as the fresh, mild Spanish cheese. Here I used three month aged Iberico to compliment the fresh herbs and lightly cooked tomato sauce, but you could also use a longer aged Manchego to contrast the flavors.

Berenjenas con Queso

Servings: 6

Time: 45 minutes active; 90 minutes total

Price: About $9.80 total; $1.65 per serving

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories: 155.3

Protein: 5.8g

Fat: 7g

Saturated fat: 3.3g

Carbohydrates: 19.8g

Fiber: 2.6g

Sodium: 422.1mg

Cholesterol: 16.8mg

1 lb eggplant, cut into 1/2” slices

1 Tbsp EVOO, plus extra for frying

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 lb tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp SnP and sugar, each

1/4 cup flour

4 oz Spanish cheese, such as Manchego, Idiazabal, Roncal, Mahon or Iberico, cut into small wedges

Fresh, earthy herbs, such as oregano, thyme or rosemary

1. Salt eggplant and leave to drain 30 minutes in a strainer. Pat dry to remove excess liquid. This will remove bitterness and help tenderize the eggplant. (Note: Try finding slender eggplant like a Japanese variety or the one from my garden, Rosita.)

2. Meanwhile, lightly fry the onion in the olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. When slightly softened, add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaf and seasonings. Simmer for up to 1 hour (basically while you finish the eggplant). Puree in food processor or with a hand blender, if you want a smooth sauce. Keep warm.

3. When eggplant is ready, dip in flour and fry in 1/2 Tbsp EVOO per batch over medium high heat. Remove to plate.

4. To serve, place a piece of eggplant on plate, top with a spoonful of tomato sauce, a wedge of cheese and sprinkle with herbs. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Easiest Tomato Sauce Ever

2010-09-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

This is my go-to tomato sauce recipe, especially in the summer. Minimal processing means bright, fresh, juicy flavors. Just throw everything in the pot, puree and pretty quickly you have some top quality sauce to use on pasta, pizza, dipping bread and veggies - just about any place. Since I had nearly 30 lb of tomatoes to do something with, I tripled the recipe and canned it. Hopefully it'll last until next summer!

This is literally 28 lb of tomatoes - 10 I used to make tomato sauce, 8 for chipolte tomato salsa, and 10 for spicy tomato jam.

Easiest Tomato Sauce Ever
Servings: 5 servings (Makes 2 1/2 cups)
Time: 5 minutes active; as much as 2 1/2 hours total (depending on how thick you like your sauce)
Price: ~$5.75 total; $1.15 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 110.7
Protein: 2.6g
Fat: 6.4g
Saturated Fat: 0.92g
Carbohydrates: 13.9g
Fiber: 0.39g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 490.7mg

3 lb tomatoes, quartered
3 Tbsp herbs, roughly chopped, I used a mix of basil, sage, thyme and oregano
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 tsp salt

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add tomatoes, herbs and EVOO. Cook until liquids overtake the solids and come to a boil, about 10-15 minutes.

2. Take off heat and let cool slightly. Add salt and puree with a hand blender or in a food processor or blender. Be careful with hot liquids! Can, freeze or use immediately.

I'm not sure how I survived so long without a hand blender. It's so handy for recipes like this plus soups.

Grilled Zucchini Torta

2010-08-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

A torta is a Mexican grilled sandwich that you can fill with just about anything. It starts with a baguette spread with mashed, seasoned black beans then layered with fillings like grilled steak, chicken or vegetables. The toppings are only limited by your imagination. You can use Mexican cheeses, grilled or raw onions, steak sauce, fresh avocados, cilantro, fresh or pickled jalapenos, fresh lettuce and tomatoes and on and on. This recipe for a grilled zucchini torta is with hopes of catching up on the upwards of 10-12 pounds of zucchini in my fridge and taken from Rick Bayless' version. His grilled skirt steak torta is complimented with homemade chipolte steak sauce, which I sometime use on this sandwich. The sauce has quickly become a new staple in my house (added to the homemade ketchup, mustard and hot sauce I'm already making!). One of my favorite toppings is also pickled jalapenos - it is ridiculously easy to make so give it a shot.

Grilled Zucchini Torta
Adapted from Rick Bayless
Servings: 6
Time: About 20 minutes active; 30 minutes total
Price: About $8.00 total; $1.34 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 310.2
Protein: 10.4g
Fat: 8g
Saturated Fat: 1.1g
Carbohydrates: 49.2g
Fiber: 6.4g
Sodium: 460.2mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

1 1/4 lb zucchini, cut into 1/2" slices
1/2 lb red onion, cut into 1/4" slices
1 Tbsp EVOO
SnP and red pepper flakes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup water
1 12 oz baguette, cut into 6 sections and halved
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, halved and cut into slices

1. Heat grill or grill pan. Brush zucchini and onion on one side with EVOO and sprinkle with SnP and red pepper flakes. Grill over medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes. Before turning, brush the other side with remaining EVOO. Grill 3-4 more minutes. Remove from heat, but leave grill on medium.

2. Meanwhile in a shallow pan, put black beans, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt, garlic and water. Over medium low heat, mash the mixture together. Mix with a spoon and keep bean mixture warm.

3. To assemble, divide bean mixture among baguettes and spread evenly on one side. Top with zucchini, onions, avocado and any other favorite topping like pickled jalapenos, cheese, lettuce, etc.

4. Spray the grill or one side of the bread and put the torta on the grill. Top with a foil-covered brick or other similar weight. Grill 2-3 minutes on each side, then serve.

Empty Plate: Sun, Aug 22nd

2010-08-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

My sister and her family will be visiting from Jersey so I’ll be off this Sunday eating and drinking up a storm in San Fran. New recipe coming Sunday, August 29. Email me your thoughts and ideas about what I should cook - adrienne@vegetarianized.com.

Herb Phyllo Tomato Tart

2010-08-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

A colleague at work passed along an intriguing tomato tart recipe originally published in Sunset magazine. Staring at a bowlful of tomatoes, I decided to give it a try. I altered it slightly to pump up the flavor and deflate some of the fat. I replaced 5 Tbsp of butter with 2 Tbsp of olive oil and swapped smoked mozzarella for plain as well as put herbs in every layer of the phyllo. This is a lovely summer-time appetizer or light supper.

I used a beautiful mix of tomatoes from my garden, including Black Krim and Valencia Orange.

Herb Phyllo Tomato Tart
Adopted from a recipe in Sunset magazine
Servings: 16 squares
Time: 15 minutes active; about 45 minutes total
Price: ~$10.50 total; $0.65 per square
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 103.2
Protein: 4g
Fat: 4.2g
Saturated Fat: 1.5g
Carbohydrates: 12.9g
Fiber: 0.95g
Sodium: 131.4mg
Cholesterol: 6.2mg

7 sheets (about 7 oz) phyllo dough, preferably whole wheat
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 1/2 oz parmesan, grated
2 Tbsp mixed fresh herbs, chopped (I used thyme, basil and oregano)
1/2 lb onions, sliced very thinly
2 lb tomatoes, sliced very thinly
3 oz smoked mozzarella, grated
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile line a large cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Set up all your ingredients around the cookie sheet.

2. First, lay one sheet of phyllo on the sheet. Brush lightly with EVOO and sprinkle about 1 Tbsp parmesan and a small amount of herbs evenly over top. Repeat until you have all seven phyllo sheets dressed.

3. Top with onion slices and mozzarella. Then lay tomato slices, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and black pepper.

4. Bake 30 minutes. Cool slightly, cut and serve.

Bruschetta with Honey, Herb-Roasted Tomatoes and Chevre

2010-08-08T14:38:00.000-07:00

So, I've achieved food porn! Check out the northeast corner of the focused bruschetta above and you'll notice one gooey, golden drip of honey running down the bread. Not that I was going for it, but there it is. I made this appetizer for a working dinner last week and modified it slightly from its original Food & Wine version - adding the more flavorful spreadable (and local) chevre, and some fresh rosemary. I know you won't be able to eat just one so make sure to put at least two or three on your plate before others have a chance to gobble them up. Oh and in case you were wondering, final verdict, it's bru-sket-a, not bru-shet-a.

Bruschetta with Honey, Herb-Roasted Tomatoes and Chevre

Adapted from Food & Wine August 2008

Servings: 6 (two bruschetta slices)

Time: About 20 minutes active; Less than two hours total

Price: About $13.25 total; $2.20 per serving

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories: 205.1

Protein: 7.8g

Fat: 7.6g

Saturated Fat: 3.4g

Carbohydrates: 27.4g

Fiber: 0.15g

Sodium: 490.3mg

Cholesterol: 8.7mg

1 pint (12 oz) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1 Tbsp EVOO

1 Tbsp clover honey

2 tsp thyme, chopped

1 tsp rosemary, chopped

1/2 tsp SnP

12 1/2" baguette slices

4 oz fresh chevre (ricotta also works, but it has less flavor)

1 Tbsp buckwheat, chestnut or thistle honey (any flavorful honey will work)

basil leaves (if large, cut into a chiffonade)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix tomatoes, EVOO, honey, thyme, rosemary and SnP in a small glass dish. Slowly roast for 1 hour, 25 minutes until a lot of the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes are significantly shriveled; turning occasionally. Let cool.

2. Meanwhile, toast the baguettes. When they are cool, spread the slices with the chevre.

3. When tomatoes are ready, distribute them evenly over the baguettes. Drizzle with fancy honey and garnish with basil leaves.