A Delicious Vegetarian Whole Wheat Couscous

The trick to making good couscous is in flavors with which you hydrate the miniature grains. Many use broth, but vegetarian broths don't provide the umami (delicious savoriness) that is satisfying.  This recipe infuses the couscous with the flavors of late summer and serves as a wonderful base for a hearty light supper.

1 1/2 cups tomato juice (I use organic juice straight from my friends' farm)
1/2 cup water
1 heaping T sofrito (a cilantro pesto-type condiment)
2-3 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

1 cup whole wheat couscous

1-2 cups of veggies to taste


Pour the couscous grains in a large bowl.  Bring the tomato juice, water, sofrito and garlic to a simmer. Pour over your grains and let steep for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork.  Sofrito can be found pre-made in the Mexican part of your grocery.  You may also have friends who make a fabulous sofrito and are willing to share.  (I do make a wonderful sofrito, but the recipe was given to me as "top secret.")

As for veggies, I use what I have on hand.  It always includes sun dried tomato, red pepper, often green olives, lemon zest, mushrooms, onion, artichoke hearts, garbanzos, chopped parsely, frozen corn and/or edamame.  You certainly should heat the veggies if you like.  I'll often blanch them when I boil the corn and edamame, just to soften the taste. When in the mood, I top it off with a bit of grilled shrimp.

You will be amazed at how wonderful this is.

Summer Pasta Salad w/ Fresh Corn, Edamame and Heirloom Tomatoes

Here is a wonderful pasta salad fresh from a summer garden.  This recipe feeds four.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound whole wheat pasta
1 cup edamame, shelled (fresh or frozen)
1 cup sweet corn, (fresh or frozen)
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans (if using canned, rinse well)
2 medium or one large heirloom tomato, chopped
1/2 cup red wine or sherry vinaigrette
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional:
a handful of fresh chiffonade basil
a sprinkling of shaved asiago cheese

RECIPE
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.  Once boiling add a healthy pinch of sea salt to and allow to come to a rolling boil.  The salt is essential as it raises the temperature of the water and allows the whole wheat pasta to cook well.  Add about 1/2 package of your preferred cut pasta.  Follow directions on packaging for cooking.  As the pasta just becomes al dente, add the corn and edamame.  When the water returns to a boil, strain.

While waiting for the pasta to cook, chop your tomato and rinse and drain your garbanzo beans if you are using the canned variety.  I prefer to make my own dressings as I need them and vinaigrette is easy and delicious as they come.  My basic vinaigrette recipe is here.

Put the tomatoes and garbanzos in a large mixing bowl.  Add the cooked vegetables and enough of the dressing just to cover everything.  Gently mix together and add freshly ground black pepper to taste.  This dish is best served at room temperature as the tomato and dressing have time to nicely infuse the pasta with their fabulous flavor.

It may be served immediately while the dish is hot, allowed to cool to room temperature or refrigerated according to your preference.  It is also terrific the next day.  Enjoy!

Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp and Endive Salad

This salad makes a fabulous light dinner for two and can easily be modified for vegetarians.

16 31-40 count shrimp, cleaned and peeled

zest and juice from 1/2 lemon

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 anaheim or ancho chile, finely diced

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 endives, sliced in 1/4 inch rounds (reserve 4 whole leaves for garnish)
1/2 small fennel bulb, julienned
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into rounds
1/4 cup garbanzo beans, rinsed
1/4 cup sliced hearts of palm

1.5 oz of feta cheese (about 2T)

2-3T extra virgin olive oil

1T dijon mustard

2-3 T sherry vinegar

freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 whole endive leaves

4T red pepper hummus

Combine the lemon zest, minced garlic, diced pepper and black pepper in a small bowl.  This will be the marinade for your grilled shrimp and you will add a tablespoon full to your salad dressing.  Set aside the lemon juice for deglazing your grill or sautee pan after cooking the shrimp.

Regarding shrimp, I like to purchase frozen raw shrimp.  It can be defrosted in a bowl of cold water within 5-10 minutes (as can any other kind of fish) allowing you to have it on hand for convenient use.  Peel drain, and squeeze water out of the shrimp.  Place in a bowl and lightly cover with extra virgin olive oil.  Toss all but a tablespoon of the lemon-garlic-pepper mixture.  Mix well and set aside. 

Assemble the salad elements and combine well.  

Now make your dressing.  Break down the feta cheese with a fork until it is in fairly small pieces.  Add the olive oil and mash.  Add the dijon mustard, 2 T of the vinegar, and remainder of the lemon-garlic-pepper mixture and mix thoroughly.  Taste the dressing and add more vinegar and freshly ground black pepper if you like. 

Pour just less than what you think is enough dressing over your salad to lightly coat everything.  Use your hands and mix through.  Add small amounts of dressing until everything is just covered.  You do not want to overdress your salad.  Once dressed, plate the salad.

If you have a grill, place the shrimp on skewers and grill until just pink.  When finished cooking, squeeze lemon juice over the top.  Otherwise, bring a grill pan or sautee pan to heat over medium-high heat.  Add a splash of olive oil and your shrimp (using tongs is very helpful here).  Once the shrimp begin to turn pink and sear a bit on the bottom, reduce heat to medium, flip them over and finish cooking until they are just pink throughout.  Remove the shrimp from the pan with your tongs and plate them with the salad. Turn the heat off and while the pan is still very hot, squeeze your lemon over the bits of cooked garlic and pepper (this is called deglazing).  Quickly scrape the lemony bits out of the pan and spoon onto the shrimp.

I like to garnish each plate with two endive leaves containing a spoonful of hummus.  Enjoy!

It Ain't Your Father's Cincinnati Chili

Easy to make, you can create a delicious vegetarian version of Cincinnati chile while you boil water and cook your pasta.  This recipe will feed 4 very hungry people and may even yield left-overs.  It is delicious served with a dark green salad and basil vinaigrette dressing.

2T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium vidalia onion, diced
2 dried whole chili
6 gloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 8-oz can tomato paste
28 oz water
1T ground cumin
2 t chili powder
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 1/2 t teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t ground cinnamon
4 whole cloves
2 14-oz can black beans, well rinsed

1 box whole wheat spaghetti
pinch of sea salt

Optional Toppings:
sharp cheddar cheese
diced onion
sour cream
lime-coriander yogurt sauce

Bring a sauce pan or covered large sautee pan to medium heat.  Add the oil, onions and whole dried chili, and stir occasionally to keep the onions from browning.  When the onions are transparent, add the garlic, tomatoes and water.  Add the dried spices and then the chili paste, turn to a simmer.  Rinse and drain your beans and add them to the pot.

Bring a large pot of water to boil for your pasta.  Once at a rolling boil add a healthy pinch of sea salt and return to a full boil.  Add your pasta and cook just to al dente.

Allow the bean and sauce mixture to simmer gently until it reaches your desired thickness.

Put the drained pasta in the pot with the sauce, turn off the heat and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes so that the pasta absorbs the lovely flavor of the sauce.

Plate the pasta and enjoy with your favorite toppings.

Poor Man's "Granola" Bar

For this recipe, I pulled out everything that had been sitting in my cabinet too long. This concoction turned out to be delicious!

2 cups Kashi 7 whole grain puffs

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

pinch salt

Mix st 4 ingredients together in large bowl. In a saucepan, bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil. Immediately remove from heat, pour over dry mixture, and mix until all contents are wet. Place in square pan and bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove and place in refrigerator for 2 hours. Enjoy!

Garlic and Lemon Shrimp with Braised Brussels Sprouts and Angel Hair Pasta

This is one of my favorite light dishes -- anytime I can cook with garlic, parsley and lemon, I am a happy camper.  This dish is easy to make as a vegetarian dish or substitute other vegetables for the sprouts.  It's very simple to make as it is mostly chopping.

Ingredients:

20 -25 fresh Brussels Sprouts, cleaned and sliced lengthwise in half
1/2 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bunch of Italian parsley, approx. 1 cup cleaned and coursely chopped (curly parsley is fine)
10 cloves fresh garlic, minced (maybe 3T)
4T fresh lemon zest (1.5-2 lemons)
1/3 cup white wine or lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
heavy pinch (~ 1/8 c) sea salt for pasta water

angel hair pasta (I particularly like angel hair made from whole wheat or Jerusalem artichoke flour)

RECIPE
Thaw, peel and gently press water out of the shrimp and place them in a bowl.  Add about 1.5 T minced garlic and 1 T lemon zest,  a healthy grind of black pepper and cover lightly with extra virgin olive oil.  Mix thoroughly to evenly cover the shrimp and refrigerate to marinate.

Heat a large, heavy sautee pan to medium-high.  Once hot, add a tablespoon or so of extra virgin olive oil.  Add the brussels sprouts to the hot oil cut-side down, leaving about an inch between pieces to avoid over crowding. Allow them to cook without moving them until the edges look slightly browned and crisp.  Remove the braised sprouts from the heat and set aside on a large heat-proof dish.  You will probably need to do this in a couple of batches.  Don't worry about the browned bits on the pan -- you will deglaze after cooking the shrimp.  Once you have braised all of the sprouts and removed them from the pan, turn the heat off.  Sprinkle a tablespoon of lemon zest and quarter cup of chopped parsley over the top and mix gently.  You will finish cooking them as you finish the shrimp.

Now, you will make the gremolata, which is a traditional Italian topping.  It is minced garlic, parsley and lemon zest.  Finely chop the remainder of the parsley and place in a mixing bowl.  Add the remainder of your garlic and lemon zest.  Mix together until well-combined.  Some people will add a little extra virgin olive oil to this topping; I generally don't.

Bring a large stock pot of water to a rolling boil.  Once boiling hard add a nice handful of sea salt to the water (note, do not add the salt in when the water is cold or you will just get salty pasta).  Use sea salt if you have it and don't be afraid -- the salt raises the boiling temperature of the water to ensure cooking the pasta without making it become gummy.  It doesn't make it salty.

Once the water comes back to a rolling boil after adding the salt, you are ready to cook your pasta according to package directions.  I generally let it boil until I am cooking the shrimp and then add the pasta to cook in the boiling water.  If you don't like to multi task, cook and then strain the water from the pasta and sprinkle with olive oil to keep it from sticking together while you wait for the rest to finish.

Now that your pasta water is boiling, return to your sautee pan.  Add about 1T olive oil and turn the heat to medium high.  Once hot, add the shrimp and all of the marinade, spacing the shrimp evenly in the pan and leaving them alone until they begin to brown on one side. While you are waiting, add the pasta to the boiling water. Flip them over using tongs.  Add your wine or lemon juice -- use enough to coat the bottom of the pan.  Using a wooden spoon or your tongs, quickly scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan into the simmering liquid.  Add a bit of water if necessary to keep a little liquid in the pan.  Once scraped, add the sprouts back to the pan, turn the heat to medium low and cover, steaming everything for about 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta and coat lightly with olive oil.  Serve over angel hair pasta and top with gremolata.  You may also add a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese if you like.

Enjoy!

Chocolate-y Matzoh!

My cousin Melissa sent me this recipe for the upcoming Passover Seder. I thought it sounded weird, but oh-my-goodness, is it super-yummy! 1 baking sheet, covered in foil Matzoh, 5-7 sheets, cut to fit baking sheet 2 sticks of butter, cut into chunks 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla pinch of sea salt 8 oz chocolate chips, semi-sweet 6 oz. walnuts, optional Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter and sugar in heavy pot, heat on medium until boiling. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly (caramel will thicken). Meanwhile, place matzoh on baking sheets (on top of foil). Immediately after boiling for 3 minutes, quickly stir in salt and vanilla. Pour the mixture evenly over matzoh and place into oven for 15 minutes. Watch to make sure it doesn't burn. When cooked, pull out of oven and lay chocolate chips on top. Let them melt, and then spread evenly across matzoh with a spatula. Add walnuts, and let cool completely. Place in fridge to cool and serve when desired!

Jen's quinoa/black bean/corn/tomato/avocado/cilantro/lime salad

This recipe is from friend and yogi Jennifer Lenhart and is simply terrific.  Simple-y.  ; ) 


1 cup quinoa; 2 cups water; 1 can black beans drained & rinsed; 2 cups fresh or frozen corn; 1 pint grape tomatoes halved; 1/2 cup onion diced; 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro minced; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1 TBS red wine vinegar; 1 TBS lime juice and zest of 1 lime; 1 avocado cubed; salt & pepper


cook quinoa; meanwhile, combine beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, & cilantro; add salt & pepper; allow quinoa to cool a bit then add to the veggies; add oil, vinegar, zest and juice from the lime and mix. Fold in avocado. 


YUMMO!


(Next day left-overs are delicious and savory by adding ground cumin and a healthy portion of chopped garlic)!


[Namaste].

Spring Veggies... "Guest Post"

If you haven't checked out "The Daily Green" newsletter, it is a practical, no-nonsense guide to healthier living.  Today's e-blast focuses on great recipes for early spring veggies and I thought I'd take the opportunity to share!

Egg and Shrimp Scramble

When I share a leisurely brunch with friends, a savory scramble is an easy, healthy and tasty go to dish.  This recipe is perfect for two served with a wonderful bread and fruit salad.  It can also be made omitting the shrimp, adding mushrooms or any other thing you like.   I also frequently make something similar with smoked Alaskan salmon and capers rather than shrimp and garlic.

INGREDIENTS
Extra virgin olive oil
Soy butter
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup grated zucchini
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 - 1/3 lb (about 10 31-40 count) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 eggs
3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
zest of one lemon
freshly ground black pepper

PREPPING THE SHRIMP
Generally, I keep a bag of fresh-frozen raw shrimp in the freezer.  To thaw, pull out the number you need and put in a bowl of cold water, covering them well.  Exchange the water as needed as they thaw.  This usually takes 10-15 minutes.  Drain the water off the shrimp and peel the shells and, rather than discard, refreeze them in a baggie or container for use in broth-making.

When the shrimp are dry, chop them into small bite-sized pieces and place them in a bowl.  Pour over enough olive oil to nicely coat your shrimp.  Add the garlic, lemon zest, and ground black pepper to taste.  Mix thoroughly and set aside.

COOKING THE DISH
Bring a sautee pan for which you have a lid to temperature over medium-low heat.  Add olive oil and soy butter (about a T of each).  Add the vegetables and gently sautee until softened.

Mix eggs gently into the shrimp-garlic mixture.

When you are ready to add the shrimp and eggs to the vegetables, turn the heat toward low if your pan is not heavy bottomed.  This keeps the scramble from getting watery and allows the shrimp to cook gently with the eggs.  Cover, mixing with a spatula gently every minute or so until the eggs are cooked and the shrimp is a nice pink color.

Serve with salsa or mole sauce. 

...AND THE LEFT OVER LEMON JUICE
Mix it with a T of honey and into a plain organic regular or Greek-style yogurt.  Use as a wonderful topping for fresh fruit.  If you have berries in the mix, it is surprisingly delicious to grind a bit of black pepper over the fruit salad!

Curried Cauliflower with Chick Peas and Roasted Tomato

This is a modification of a wonderful recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking.  It is terrific as a side dish or over rice as a main dish.  For non-vegetarians, a terrific modification is to add consider adding peeled, deveined shrimp rather than the chick peas.

INGREDIENTS
1 medium or large head of cauliflower, stemmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 14-oz can garbanzo beans (chick peas), well-rinsed and well drained
4-5 T canola or regular olive oil (a splash of mustard oil is nice if you have it on hand)
1T black mustard seeds
1T fennel seeds
14-oz roasted diced tomatoes
approximately 14 ounces water
a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder

PREPARING YOUR INGREDIENTS

Rinse and drain the chick peas.  Allow them to sit until they are fairly dry, shaking off excess water.  Canned or softened from dry will work fine.  A 14-oz can or 1 1/2 cups is a perfect amount for this recipe.

One secret to cooking delicious cauliflower is to allow it to off-gas prior to cooking or serving.  Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces.  Place in a large bowl and cover with water.  Allow the cauliflower to sit like this for at least 1/2 hour.  Then drain well.

RECIPE
While the cauliflower is soaking, put oil in a large skillet on high heat (one which you have a cover), a stock pot or dutch oven.  The oil should be about 1/8" thick in the pan. Whatever will hold the ingredients so that the cauliflower is spread as thinly as possible is best.  Use a thick bottomed pan if you have one because you want to control the heat of the pot.  It is very easy to scorch the food in a thin pan. I used my enamel coated cast iron for this recipe.

Throw in the mustard and fennel seed.  When the seeds begin to pop, add the drained and dry as possible chick peas.  Note that the water on the surface will cause the very hot oil to splatter, so be very careful.  You may want to wear an oven mitt so that you aren't burned.

Allow any water to boil off and the peas to fry and brown lightly in the oil, stirring occasionally.  Once they have begun to brown, add the cauliflower and stir thoroughly.  Allow the cauliflower to slightly brown in the oil, stirring only occasionally (but keep your eye on it because you are on high heat).  Once it begins to brown, add enough water to coat the bottom of the pan.  Add your tomatoes and mix through.

Now, you are going to steam the cauliflower. Add enough water so that you can easily steam the cauliflower (should be about equal in total to the amount of tomato you added).  You might also choose to add some tomato sauce if you prefer this dish to be more tomato-y.  Add a pinch (1/8t) or more of cayenne pepper, depending on your taste.  A tiny bit of heat is nice.  If you are out of cayenne or it is too hot for you, chili powder will work fine.  You still only want a small amount or the dish will be bitter.

Leaving the heat on high, over the pan and allow the cauliflower to steam for 8-9 minutes.  Be mindful of the amount of liquid in the pot to avoid burning the cauliflower.

Serve over saffron-lemon rice or simply as as side dish. If you would like to add shrimp, they are best added during the steaming portion of cooking.

Enjoy!

Hot (habanero-coriander), Medium (jalapeno-basil) and Not-So Hot Sauce

 [pictured is the jalapeno-basil sauce.  Great sweetness; awesome sauce]

What you need is several ball jars and a good month's worth of patience.  Homemade hot sauce is well worth the work.  The trick is to tightly pack the jars with the ingredients for each type of pepper sauce.  Cover with distilled plain white vinegar and ensure that all ingredients are completely submersed in the vinegar. You may need to put the lid on and gently turn the jars over a few times to get all of the air pockets out and add more vinegar. Turn the jars over daily to move the spices through the veggies.  After a minimum of 4 weeks passes, you are ready to puree the hot sauce in a blender.  If you prefer thin, shakeable hot sauce, seperate solids from liquid using a strainer or cheese cloth.  solid paste mixed with a little olive oil in freezer.  Store liquid in an airtight container and refrigerate if you like.  It will discolor over time because I don't recommend using color maintaining additives.

You also may be aware that the heat of store-bought peppers fluctuates tremendously throughout the year.  Peppers grown at home or purchased in August-September will peak at the peak of their heat; those bought during the winter will be more mild.

HABANERO-CORIANDER Pepper Sauce (HOT)
Enough habanero's to appear to mostly fill the number of containers you choose.  I prefer to use 32 oz ball jars.

Prepare the ingredients by slicing long sections of white onion and carrot. I like to cut the onion in 8ths and the carrot in about 3" sections. Peel 5 or more garlic cloves for each 32-oz jar.  Slice the tops off of the hot peppers, wearing gloves if you are sensitive to the hot pepper oil and be certain to wash your hands immediately after handling the peppers.

Put 1T of black pepper corns and 1T coriander seed into the bottom of each jar.  Line the sides of the jar with the veggies, making sure to alternate for best results.  Pack full with peppers and a couple of the remaining vegetables.  Overall, my sauce is about 1/4-1/3 vegetables other than peppers by volume.  Cover with vinegar, place lid on jar and store in a cool place where you will remember to turn the jars over every day.

JALAPENO-BASIL Pepper Sauce (Medium Heat) (shown in pictures)
Following the same process as above, use the following ingredients: Jalapeno peppers (sliced lengthwise), garlic, fresh basil (about 3/4-cup for 2 ball jars); white onion; 1T black peppercorns; 1/2T coriander seed.

POMEGRANATE-LEMON Pepper Sauce (Mild)
Use a combination of orange bell pepper, ahaheim pepper (if you want any heat) and ajeio peppers.  Seeds from one pomegranite, thinly sliced lemon (about 1 lemon per 32-oz ball jar); garlic; 1T coriander seed, 1T black peppercorns.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped
1 medium spanish onion, chopped
1 1/2 inches ginger, minced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1T extra virgin olive oil
1T hot madras curry powder
1/2 T tumeric
1 bay leaf
6-8 cups filtered water
small pinch grey salt or sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

RECIPE
Peel and seed your butternut squash.  My preferred method is to use a chef's knife to remove about 1/4 inch off each end of the squash, set it on the now flat large end and slice it in half lengthwise.  Remove the seeds and stringy pith then slice each length in half cross-wise.  Use a peeler or paring knife to remove the skin, then chop into 1/2 inch pieces.  Peel and chop the potato into 1/2 inch cubes.

Place the chopped squash and potato into a dutch oven or heavy stock pot and cover with water to about 2 inches above the vegetables.  Bring to a rolling boil on high heat and immediately move to strain and set aside. (See roasted vegetable variation below.  The process fits into the recipe right here)

Bring the stock pot back to temperature over medium heat.  Add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and your onion to the pot, adjusting the heat to allow the onions to cook gently and slightly caramelize. Once the onions have caramelized, add the bay leaf and dried spices.  Stir through to coat the onion well with the spices adding a slight bit more oil if necessary. Add the ginger and garlic. Continue to allow the onions to cook in the curry spices for another couple of minutes.  Add the  squash and potato and combine thoroughly with spiced onions.  Season with a small pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cover with water, about 1 inch above the level of the vegetables and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, allowing the spices to meld.

Allow the soup to slightly cool.  For a wonderful consistency, puree 1/2 -3/4 of the soup in a blender being very cautious with the hot liquid.  Fill the blender only half way and hold the lid down with a dish towel during each blend.  Set aside in a heat proof bowl until you have pureed half or more of the soup.  Return the pureed soup to the pot and mix through.

OPTIONAL GARNISHES

Hot mustard and fresh tomato chutney (2T yellow or black mustard seeds heated in 3T canola oil until they begin to pop; 1/2 cup fresh tomato, chopped; 1/4 chives, chopped; 1/4 cilantro chopped.  Mix together)

Yogurt with coriander seeds and lemon  (1/2 cup plain yogurt, strained through cheesecloth to remove water;  1T whole coriander seed, freshly crushed; zest and juice from 1/2 lemon; 1/2 T honey)

VARIATIONS
Roasted vegetables.  Preheat your oven to 450.  Spread the briefly boiled squash and potato onto a cooking sheet and coat lightly with extra virgin olive oil.  Add a pinch of grey salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Combine to cover and roast for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are slightly caramelized.  Add to the onion/curry mixture and continue the recipe as described and omit adding additional salt and pepper.

Phyllo Phabulous

My friend Gail made something like this for NYE a couple of years ago. It is simple to make, but looks impressive.

NOT a low-fat recipe....

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup corn
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed
1 bar Neufchatel cheese, melted
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup cheddar, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
any nice bouquet garni or italian seasoning with extra herbs (basil, rosemary)
phyllo dough

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. Place a tbsp. of butter in the pan, and fry the onion and garlic. Add other vegetables and cook until fragrant and soft, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, defrost phyllo dough and place on flat workstation.

In a separate bowl, place melted neufchatel and other cheeses. Take cooked vegetables and add to melted cheeses and mix until fully blended. Add herbs. Test for needed salt.

Lay out the phyllo dough on wax paper. Brush the edges of the dough with melted butter and overlap. The edges will stick together. Scoop two tablespoons of mixture onto the phyllo dough and spread, leaving lots of room on the edges of the phyllo dough for folding. Fold one corner in, covering the vegetables, and the flip over the pastry repeatedly to cover the entire piece with dough. Liberally brush the dough with butter and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with as much dough and vegetables as you have, then bake for 25 minutes in the oven. You will know it is done when the tops are crispy and golden brown.

Let cool before serving. Enjoy!

Mom's Pasta

Our mother came to visit and made this pasta dish for me last year. She was all agog with excitement because she rarely cooks, yet she created this dish, and she was so happy to be able to share it.

1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
2 cans diced and seasoned organic tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced and smashed
1 can or jar artichoke hearts
2 Morningstar "sausage" patties, crumbled
1 lemon
hot peppers, to taste
parmesan, to taste
salt, pepper, to taste

In a large pot, cook the spaghetti.

In a large pan, heat the oil, saute onions and garlic until tender. Meanwhile, chop artichokes. Add tomatoes, paste and "sausage" patties and to the pan. Cook down. Add artichokes, stir. Add cooked pasta to the pan. Meld the flavors together, and squeeze the lemon onto the mix. Toss and liberally add parmesan, salt, pepper, and hot peppers if using.