Category Archives: vegetarian

Yellow Tomato Gazpacho

Posted on August 3, 2014 | 1 comment

photo 4 (3)photo 4 (2)I had purchased the most beautiful yellow  tomatoes and figured I would make gazpacho. Gazpacho is by far one of my most favorite summer time soups.  This one is fairly smooth.  Before serving I added  avocado and served with tortilla chips for a wonderful most satisfying meal. This is also super easy and you’ll look like a pro if you just follow these easy directions. You’ll need a decent blender and a few easy to obtain ingredients and you have a wonderful additional to any meal or a nice light lunch. This time I used beautiful yellow tomatoes, you can use any color you’d like and you can use any kind of tomato from the small grape or cherry tomatoes to the larger ones.  The yellow tomatoes with the flecks of jalapeno made a strikingly beautiful soup.photo 2 (3) photo 2I have another recipe titled “Farm to Table Gazpacho” it’s more of a traditional gazpacho! I am going to re-post it as well.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. yellow tomatoes, I used regular sized tomatoes. You can use yellow or orange cherry tomatoes and get the same effect. I washed and dried tomatoes and cut into quarters or halves for easier blending. Heirlooms are amazingly delicious when in season which they are right now! My sister makes this recipe by parboiling the tomatoes, removing the skin and cutting core out of tomatoes. This is an other option. I opted for the easier method but both are delicious and work well.

1 garlic clove (average sized)–you can use 2 cloves if you like a bit more bite of garlic

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced ( be careful handling jalapenos always, I use rubber gloves and be very careful not to get seeds on my hands) wash carefully after cutting up jalapenos, seriously. If you like more kick keep a few seeds from jalapenos. You can use Serrano Chiles also but I still think Jalapenos have the most bang for the buck.

app. 1 tsp. kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste , you may need to add salt and pepper at the end

Diced avocado and tortilla chips for serving.

Directions:

In a blender, puree the halved tomatoes and garlic with 1/4 cup of water. While the machine is on I gradually add the olive oil until fully incorporated. Transfer to a bowl then stir in the jalapeno and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until chilled, at least an hour or so, better overnight.

When you’re ready to serve ladle the gazpacho into bowls and top with diced avocado. Serve with tortilla chips. If you leftover shrimp it is also delicious to add and makes it more of a meal!

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Posted in Raw, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

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Summer Salad–Farm Fresh Farro

Posted on July 23, 2014 | 1 comment

photo 5 (4)photo 4 (65)photo 2 (69)photo 3 (4)During the summer months in Colorado I am usually outdoors on a hike or my bike and while out there I can’t help but be inspired by all the beauty surrounding me here in the mountains. One of the things I often think about while out there is what I am going to make for dinner. Our daughter Kerri was out here visiting and while she is out here I am always on the search for some new vegetarian recipes to try out.  The inspiration for this salad came from some beautiful radishes from the farmers market and some fresh sugar snap peas. During the summer months with all the beautiful fresh vegetables available it’s super easy to throw together these salads. The fresh parmesan pieces give it the extra kick and salt it needs, use as much or as little as you like. I prefer pearled farro for this recipe.

*original recipe from Jessica Seinfeld website Do it Delicious

Ingredients:

1 cup pearled farro

1 cup sugar snap peas

4 large radishes

2 scallions

1/4 cup mint leaves loosely packed

1/4 cup parmesan pieces

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Follow directions on the box of farro or fill a saucepan to about an inch from the top. Bring to a boil, and add the farro and cook until tender but still chewy, about 10 minutes. Drain in a strainer and run under cold water to cool down. Drain out excess water and let sit while you prep the rest of the salad.

Wash the snap peas and radishes. Remove the stems from the snap peas, cut them crosswise into 1/2″ pieces and add to a medium bowl. Trim the stems off the radishes and remove the root ends. Slice the radishes in half , then slice crosswise into thin half moons. Add the radishes to the bowl. Trim the ends of the scallions, wash and then slice the white and light green parts of the scallions into small rounds. Add to the bowl. Tear the mint leaves and add to the bowl. Take the parmesan and crumble into the bowl, you can use your hands or a knife to crumble parmesan. Add the cooled farro to the bowl.

Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to the bowl. Taste for seasonings. Mix and allow to sit for a bit before serving. I made ahead and stored in fridge. I removed before serving for a while to bring to room temperature.

 

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Posted in Raw, Salad, salad dressing, vegetables, vegetarian

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Soy Roasted Cauliflower

Posted on July 9, 2014 | Leave a comment

photo 1 (2) photo 1 photo 3 photo 4I had bought cauliflower and wanted to do something new to it other than just plain roasted .  I love it just roasted but I had soy sauce, had sesame oil, had olive oil, and well you get the picture. I wish I had some sesame seeds to sprinkle over it and I would have sprinkled some scallions as well but since I had neither seeds or scallions I forged ahead. It was so delicious. I mean how could this be bad? Joel wouldn’t touch it and again he doesn’t know what he’s missing. It just means that there’s more for me and I save the leftovers for the next day to put in a salad. This is a very tasty side dish and can be made just as well with broccoli. Easy and Enjoyable! Perfect.

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

Sprinkle of Kosher Salt or Truffle Salt

*1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds – didn’t have but will def remember for next time

*1 scallion, sliced up for garnish at the end

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the core from the cauliflower and cut into small florets. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with the oils, soy sauce, salt and sesame seeds.

Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet ( I spray with Pam first) and roast until tender and browned, stirring once halfway through about 25 minutes in. Take a taste and adjust salt if need be. I just sprinkled salt lightly over the cauliflower because of the soy sauce it’s plenty salty but taste for yourself. I cooked for a total of 55 minutes. You will have to adjust cooking time for your oven. Safe to say about an hour or so depending also on how large you leave the florets.

Transfer to a serving bowl and if you’d like garnish with sliced scallions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds

Posted on May 14, 2014 | Leave a comment

photo 2photo 3 (59)photo 2 (55) photo 2 (54)I love sweet potatoes and they are certainly not just for Thanksgiving.  I prefer them over white potatoes and they are delicious and very healthy. This recipe is a touch sweet and spicy and we love them. Again thanks to Jessica Seinfeld for this delicious and simple recipe. You’ll want to buy the dark-skinned sweet potatoes if available, the ones labeled garnet or jewel yams. Leave the skins on for extra nutrients. Try to cut the rounds to even thickness for even roasting and for best results. Sweet Potatoes work well for a casual barbecue or an elegant sit down dinner. Enjoy them!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper–about 12 turns on a pepper mill about 3 medium sweet potatoes 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, cumin and black pepper. Scrub the potatoes first, then cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch thick rounds . Place on a rimmed baking sheet ( spray first with cooking spray) Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture and using clean hands toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer without any overlapping and roast until the potatoes are tender , about 1/2 hour. I checked after 20 minutes and turned them over for the last 10 minutes or so.

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Kale Quinoa Bake

Posted on March 14, 2014 | 2 comments

photo 1 (56)photo 1 (58) photo 4 (43) photo 2 (45) photo 1 (59)What a great time to play around with vegetarian recipes while our daughter Kerri is out here visiting in Colorado. This is a new recipe that I got from Jessica Seinfeld’s “Do it Delicious” Blog. My friend Cathy told me about it and she was right and once again Jessica Seinfeld hit it out of the ball park. I love this recipe and anyone looking for a new vegetarian side or main dish this one is just perfect. We ate it cold out of the fridge the next day after skiing and it was still delish! Big thumbs up here . Thanks Cathy and Jessica.

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, washed and rinsed

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups torn kale leaves, I bought the bag of chopped and cleaned at Whole Foods and it is perfect

1 3/4 cups water divided (1/4 cup + 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups Quinoa

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Chop the garlic , clean and rinse the tomatoes.

Place a large oven proof pot on the stove ( if you want to go from stove top to oven you’ll need an oven-proof pot) I cooked it in oven in a separate Pyrex dish.

Heat the olive oil until it shimmers ( app. 2 mins.) add the garlic and cook without burning, stirring with a wooden spoon, until lightly golden ( about a minute) Add the tomatoes and 1/4 cup of the water and cover the pot. You will now cook the tomatoes till they start to break down , it took me about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, if you haven’t bought cleaned and chopped Kale, tear the kale leaves from the tough stems into bite size pieces. ( app. 4 cups) discard the stems. Clean and dry the kale, a salad spinner works very well here.

Once the tomatoes are ready, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water, salt, black pepper and red pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in the kale and the quinoa. I transferred to an 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the parmesan and cover tightly with foil. As I said before you can leave it in the pot from stove and cover with a lid. Transfer to the oven and bake until the quinoa is tender , about 25 minutes,  I added a drop more water after 25 minutes and cooked in total about 35 minutes. You’ll have to play with it depending on your oven. Out here in Colorado with altitude it can be a little funky.

If you’d like sprinkle with extra Parmesan before serving.

Makes a wonderful healthy vegetarian dish and should serve 4 – 6 .

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Posted in Uncategorized, vegetables, vegetarian

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Eggplant and Tomato with or without Pasta

Posted on January 8, 2014 | 2 comments

photo 5 (11) photo 5 (12) photo 4 (12) photo 3 (16) photo 5 (13)Another wonderful inspiration from Jessica Seinfeld’s new cookbook “The Can’t Cookbook”,  even though I can cook there are so many great and easy recipes in this book. This was certainly one of them. I served over pasta (see photos) and it is so easy! Everyone gets nervous about cooking eggplant and I really am not sure why that is, well this will cure you of that fear if you have it. You can just make this as a side dish without the pasta but any reason to eat pasta in this house is a good one.

Eggplants should be smooth-skinned, evenly firm and without soft spots. I bought organic ,  when  I’m eating the peel or the skin I  try to buy organic, same goes for tomatoes.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant or 2 small ones

4 cloves garlic

1 pint cherry or grape type tomatoes

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1/3 cup olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

*1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper ( optional )

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the eggplant and the tomatoes. Cut off and discard the stem. Cut the eggplant into 1 inch thick round pieces. Stack 2 rounds, then slice  rounds 2 x and 2x across to make 1″ cubes. ( see photos). Smash the 4 garlic cloves with the back of large knife. Prepare baking dish by spraying lightly with Pam spray.

Place the eggplant , garlic, tomatoes, and thyme in baking dish.  Sprinkle salt , pepper and crushed red pepper if you’re using it. With clean hands toss together until the eggplant is coated with olive oil and don’t worry if it’s over-crowded. It will break down and there will be plenty of room.

Roast until the eggplant is really soft and tender. I roasted for an hour and gave it a stir and was good to go.

I served over pasta but you certainly don’t have to have pasta,  you can eat this just as is. If you’re serving over pasta you may want to drizzle a little more olive oil into the eggplant and tomato mixture–just for a little more saucier consistency.

Thanks again Jessica .

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Crispy Brussels

Posted on December 4, 2013 | Leave a comment

photo 5 (7) photo 4 (5) photo 1 (9) photo (60)I just love these tiny little cabbage cousins and they really are one of the most nutritious vegetables you can serve your family. Nothing tastes better than fresh seasonal vegetables and it doesn’t get much better than Brussels Sprouts.  Of course Joel won’t touch them but I love them so much I’ll make them for myself  by just roasting them whole. This is  just a little different from roasting them whole, a little more effort but totally worth it. I cut off the very hard bottoms and peel off as many leaves as possible,  when I can’t peel off anymore leaves I will slice the rest into thin slices (nothing too thick here) I end up with some leaves and some slices which kind of fall apart as well. You’ll need a sharp little knife here.  I wouldn’t mind if you just want to slice them all up because you’ll end up with some leaves anyway. I didn’t put grated cheese on this time but feel free to add at the end . This recipe is for 1 lb. but adjust for 1/2 lb. or however much you’re making. I roasted for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. You’ll have to watch them so they don’t burn . They were just delicious and so nutritious. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 lb. Brussels Sprouts, trimmed, leaves separated or sliced thinly

1 -2  tbsp. olive oil ( I tried to use just 1 tbsp. you may want to add a little more)

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

*1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano (totally optional) sometimes I use and sometimes I don’t

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss brussels sprout leaves with olive oil, zest, and walnuts. Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper. Roast until leaves are crisp and golden around edges. I left them in for 20 minutes, but you should start checking after 12 minutes. Sprinkle with Pecorino Cheese and serve!

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Sweet Potato Crunch

Posted on November 24, 2013 | Leave a comment

photo (52)I just came across this recipe in my archives of recipes.  Just another sweet potato recipe in a long line of sweet potato recipes.  I haven’t made it in a few years, but it is just delicious. We just can’t make it all, as much as we would like to sometimes. I think I will make it for another dinner…why not? Who says sweet potato casseroles are just for Thanksgiving? In my house, we eat sweet potatoes all the time, so why not this yummy casserole? The next time I have a dinner party with poultry, I am going to put this on the table. And who knows, it may just win out for Thanksgiving, as well.

Ingredients:

6 cups sweet potatoes , drained (fresh or canned) instructions for cooking fresh below

pre marshmallow topping

Rome and Thanksgiving 077

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup evaporated milk (not condensed)

1/2 cup of sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

For Topping:

1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup (unsalted) butter, cut into pieces

1 cup pecans, chopped

1/3 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup flour

Directions:

*to cook fresh sweet potatoes. I peel and quarter up potatoes into chunks . Place in large enough saucepan and cover with water by about 2″. Add a little salt to the water and bring to a boil. I cook at a low boil for about 12 minutes till the sweet potatoes are tender. If you can pierce a chunk with a fork they are good to go. I then drain them and place back in pan till the excess moisture steams out. You want your sweet potatoes dry.

Beat all the filling ingredients together until smooth (add more milk if needed.) Add butter and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla and beat until well combined. Pour into deep casserole dish using a wooden spoon.

Combine all topping ingredients except for the flour. Sprinkle flour last, and incorporate in to the rest of topping. Pour over potato mixture and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for approx. 45 minutes

And if you don’t feel like making this lovely topping get out the mini marshmallows and just cover the whole thing in those soft little sweet pillows. Either way this promises to be a great dish.

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Posted in Holiday/ Thanksgiving Recipes, sides, vegetables, vegetarian

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Spinach Casserole–perfect for Holidays

Posted on November 20, 2013 | Leave a comment

cooking with candi 233I came across this recipe in my recipe file. I made it once a while ago and am re-visiting it because I had made notes on this lovely gratin. It’s super-rich and belongs on a holiday table. It goes well with meat and poultry. Made with frozen spinach, I bought the frozen organic spinach at Whole Foods frozen works better than the fresh stuff here. I am all for some plain roasted veggies but who can resist this beautiful gratin? If someone asks you to bring a side dish this could be the one. Go for it! and use a beautiful casserole dish , a 9 x 11 should work perfectly. I am making this one day ahead and will bring it to room temperature on Thanksgiving and re-heat it. Enjoy!

Shopping List:

onions, Gruyere Cheese (grated), 3 16 oz. bags of frozen chopped spinach, Panko Breadcrumbs

Pantry Items:

unsalted butter, onions, grated nutmeg, flour, cayenne powder, kosher salt and pepper, whole milk and flour.

Ingredients:

*should serve 10 people as a side

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium-sized yellow onions , chopped

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

3 cups whole milk

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg ( or ground nutmeg)

pinch of cayenne powder ( gives it a little kick)

1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere Cheese

3 16 oz. bags of frozen chopped spinach- thawed ( organic spinach is nice but not necessary)

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp. Freshly ground black or white pepper

Topping:

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups Panko seasoned breadcrumbs

Sea Salt to taste ( if no sea salt use kosher salt)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Squeeze all of the liquid out of the thawed spinach, by the handfuls, (very important ) get all of the water out. Set spinach aside. You’ll want it as dry as possible.

Heat milk to a simmer in saucepan, not to a boil but a simmer.

Melt the butter in another pot, add onions and cook until translucent but not browned, app. 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the hot milk and whisk until it thickens up, this is the roux. Add the nutmeg and cayenne. Turn off the heat.

Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning. Add the spinach and mix well.

Pour into a well sprayed 9×11 glass or ceramic baking dish. Prepare crumb topping.

Melt butter in a medium skillet, add panko, sprinkle with a little sea salt and stir until lightly browned.

Gently smooth the topping on top of the gratin. Cook for about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes until bubbling.

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Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup–Spicy and Sweet (no dairy)

Posted on November 2, 2013 | 1 comment

photo (26) photo (24) photo (23) photo (22) photo (21)Here it is November already! and we all know what is looming around the corner. I have begun to consider my Thanksgiving menu and hope to tweak it in another week or so. I am playing around with some new soup recipes and I found this one in Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cookbook “It’s All Good” . I followed most of the directions but did it my way. We also like it spicy, and the spice can be regulated to your particular taste . I also try to find vegetarian soups because our daughter Kerri is a vegetarian and I try as much as I can to find things that I know she can eat, since she won’t eat any of the meat on the table . So this is completely vegan. If you don’t like cilantro you can omit it. I love it but I know a lot of people have issues with it. This soup has no cream but comes out very creamy tasting and there is only 2 tbsp. of olive oil in here , super healthy food here. Very Southwestern flavor here with the smoky taste of chipotle.

This will serve 4 people as is , so adjust as you need to.

Shopping List:

fresh cilantro, chipotle in adobo ( sold in a can most everywhere),  Sweet Potatoes

Pantry Items:

Vegetable Stock, Cumin, Kosher Salt or Sea Salt, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Red Onion and Fresh Garlic Cloves.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large red onion, finely diced ( app. 1 1/2 cups)

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 sprigs of fresh cilantro, ( unless you hate it), you’ll need a piece of kitchen string to tie together.

3/4 tsp. cumin

Kosher Salt or Sea Salt

1 1/2 tsp. chipotle in adobo ( adjust for your own taste) go gently with this stuff, it’s pretty potent.

4 – 6  sweet potatoes, peeled and diced ( app. 6 cups) depending on the size of sweet potatoes you may need 4 or 6, I used 4 fairly large, I could have used more. You want at least 6 cups of diced sweet potatoes.

6 cups Vegetable Stock

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot ( think Le Creuset) over medium-high heat.

Add the onion, garlic , cilantro sprigs, cumin and a generous pinch of salt and cook. Stir it around until softened not browned, app. 10 minutes.

Add the chipotle and the sweet potatoes and stir to combine. If you are not a big fan of spicy you should go lightly with the chipotle. Taste soup after flavors start to break down and before you put in the blender and you can add a bit more.

Add the vegetable stock to the pot and turn up the heat. Bring soup to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are very soft., app. 1/2 hour. Taste for salt, I added at least another teaspoon of sea salt.

Remove and discard the cilantro sprigs.

I allow soup to cool down, and I pureed it in my blender. I did it in 3 batches and you’ll need a fairly powerful blender, or use the food processor. If soup is too thick add a little vegetable stock to thin it out as you blend. I had 2 boxes to start so 2 cups were left in the second box which I will use when I re-heat the soup the next day.

Garnish each bowl with a few cilantro leaves, if you like cilantro.

If you have any extra sweet potatoes you can pan-fry a few pieces in a bit of olive oil sprinkled with cumin or coriander and slide them into the finished soup.

Enjoy!

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