Linguine with Spinach

(Photo from Baby Center by gbentolu)

This recipe was submitted by Whitney H. She found it at Baby Center.

Ingredients

• 1 pound regular or multigrain spaghetti
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• 1 pound fresh spinach, washed, with tough stems removed, and roughly chopped (or 1 8-ounce package frozen spinach, defrosted)
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (or 1 pint sweet, ripe cherry tomatoes, sliced)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
• Salt, pepper, and Parmesan to taste

Preparations

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta. Meanwhile, combine the garlic and red pepper flakes with the oil in a large bowl. When the pasta is nearly done, plunge the spinach into the water and cook until it wilts - less than a minute. Drain pasta and spinach together quickly, then toss into the olive oil mixture. Add the tomatoes and pine nuts. Toss well, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with an ample topping of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

(Makes 4 to 6 servings)

Notes about this recipe:

1. Use fresh parmesan if you can - it's expensive, but the taste difference is amazing.
2. Don't skimp on the spinach - that stuff really shrinks down when you cook it.
3. I use fresh cherry tomatoes.
4. I don't like pine nuts so I put slivered almonds in instead - very delicious.

Two-Bean Vegetable Soup

This recipe was submitted by Katie M. She found it at Tasty Kitchen. Katie is a PKU Mom and thought this recipe was great because she took out a portion for her son, then added the beans to the rest. She says, "It was nice to not make something separate for him." So for any other PKU parents out there, this would be a great recipe to try!

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces, weight cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 whole medium onions, diced
• 4 whole medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 whole large stalks celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon fresh minced rosemary leaves
• 1 Tablespoon fresh minced thyme leaves
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 16 ounces, weight can of diced tomatoes, with juices
• 5 cups hot water
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 2 whole soft vegetable-flavored bouillon cubes
• ½ teaspoons salt
• ⅛ teaspoons black pepper
• 16 ounces, weight can of dark red kidney beans (no salt added), rinsed and drained
• 16 ounces, weight can of cannellini beans (no salt added), rinsed and drained

Directions:

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a lidded 5-quart pot; add the mushrooms and cook until browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the onion, carrot, and celery; cover the pot and cook until the onion is softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon cubes, salt, and pepper; turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down slightly, cover the pot, and cook until the veggies are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the beans and cook 2 minutes more.

*To make this soup vegan, use tamari or soy sauce instead of Worcestershire; if you do so, you may want to reduce the salt a bit.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I made it according to the directions but used a vegetable base instead of the boullion cubes. I don't know if that makes much of a difference but I think I will use a bit more next time, or let it simmer longer as it tasted a bit weak the first day but was better the second day.

Lentil Stew

This recipe was sent by Whitney H. She made a post about it on her blog and found the recipe at All Recipes. She made her own adaptations based on the comments others made on the original recipe, and considers the following recipe a masterpiece in her personal culinary history. She says of the recipe, "Seriously, this is the best lentil soup recipe EVER! I would like to make a public service announcement that everyone in the world should eat more lentils. You really won't regret it."

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 C olive oil
• 4 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, choped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried basil
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 C dry brown lentils
• 1 C dry red lentils
• 1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
• 4 C broth (chicken, vegetable, whatever you want to use)
• 1/2 C spinach, thinly sliced (sometimes I add more - just depends on my mood)
• 2 Tbs basalmic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery. Cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic and all the spices. Cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in the lentils, add tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, stir in spinach and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add whatever else you think it needs to be delicious!

Vegetable Stew with Dumplings

This is a family favorite and sadly I have no picture for it. We are always too excited to eat it and then it's gone before we know it. In the past I've always made it using canned chicken but I turned it vegetarian by adding more vegetables and nixing the chicken. My husband said it was blog worthy. I adapted the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Chicken Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings recipe.

Ingredients:

Stew

• 18 oz of water
  
• 1 or 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped into small chunks
  
• 5 oz frozen peas
• 5 oz frozen corn
• 1 cup chopped onion (can use dried onion if you want, check the ratios)
  
• 1/2 tsp. dried dill
• 1/8 tsp. dried basil
  
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup flour

Dumplings

• 1/2 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tb. shortening or butter/margerine
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (if you don't have butter milk add 1/2 Tb. of lemon juice to your milk)
  

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine the dry dumpling ingredients. Cut in the shortening until you have course crumbs. Add the buttermilk, stirring until just moistened.

2. In a large saucepan combine the water, potatoes, frozen veggies, onions, herbs, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Bring to boiling. Boil for about 10 min.

3. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine the milk and flour. Mix into the saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Reduce the heat to a medium low and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the potato chunks are getting soft. Make sure to stir occasionally so the stew doesn't cook onto the bottom of the pan.

4. Add the dumpling dough from a tablespoon into 6-8 mounds onto the top of the stew. Simmer, covered (do not lift the cover), over low heat for about 10-12 minutes. Check dumplings using a wooden toothpick.

Notes about this recipe:

1. We have found that this recipe serves about 2 people, with a tiny bit of leftovers.
2. If you prefer more stew with your dumplings, then I would double the stew recipe but not the dumpling recipe.

Farfel

(Picture from Martha Stewart)

I found this recipe off of Martha Stewart. My husband and I thought it was yummy.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups Cooked Dried Chickpeas, or 1 15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/2 cup safflower or canola oil
• For serving: pita bread, sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, romaine lettuce leaves, and store-bought tahini sauce.

Directions:

1. Place half of chickpeas in food processor and pulse a few times until chopped, transfer to a large bowl.
2. Place remaining chickpeas in food processor with garlic, onion, herbs, spices, baking soda, salt, and lemon juice. Pulse to a thick, chunky paste, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with chopped chickpeas.
3. Add egg and sesame seeds to bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill batter in fridge 30 minutes.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil shimmers, drop heaping tablespoons of batter into skillet and gently press batter into 2-inch-round patties. Cook, turning once, until deep golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain.
5. Serve falafel with pita bread, sliced tomatoes and red onion, romaine leaves, and store-bought tahini dressing.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I had to add water to get the mixture into a paste, but that made it too liquidy so I ended up adding 2/3 cup of bread crumbs.
2. Instead of dropping the batter into the oil and gently pressing it, we found it easier to mold it into a flat patty by hand and then put it in the oil.
3. We also found that they cooked just as well if you only had a tiny bit of oil in the skillet, much less than 1/2 cup.
4. We didn't use tahini dressing.

Mock Chicken Soup

(Photo from Fabulous Foods)

This recipe was submitted by Tracy G. She found it at Fabulous Foods.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large celery stalks, finely diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 6 cups water with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning, such as Mrs. Dash brand
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 4 to 6 ounces short, fine noodles (see note below)
• 4 to 6 ounces baked tofu, finely diced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the celery, carrots, garlic, onion, and about 2 tablespoons water. Cover and sweat over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add the water with bouillon cubes, seasoning and dried dill. Bring to a rapid simmer. Lower the heat, cover, ad simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Raise the heat and bring to a more vigorous simmer. Add the noodles and simmer steadily for 5 to 8 minutes, or until al dente.
4. Stir in the diced tofu, then season with salt and pepper. Serve at once. As the soup stands, the noodles quickly absorb the liquid. If you plan on having leftovers of the soup, add a cup or so additional water before storing, and adjust the seasoning. This way the soup can develop more flavor as it stands.
5. Note: You can use vermicelli or angel hair, broken into 1 1/2 inch pieces; soba noodles are good too, if you want something a bit more nourishing or assertive. Fine, round noodles such as anellini are also good.

Notes about this recipe:

I omitted the Dash Seasoning and dill and used salt, pepper, thyme and oregano instead.

I replaced the spaghetti noodles with whole wheat egg noodles.

I sauteed the tofu cubes in olive oil and thyme instead of baking it.

Vegan Cheese Sauce

(Picture from The Peaceful Kitchen)

This recipe was submitted by Tracy G. She says, "I think I may have found a new staple in my diet!" She ate it on her green beans but thinks it could go on a lot of other items. She found it at The Peaceful Kitchen. The Peaceful Kitchen says "It is very versatile, healthy, unprocessed and tastes delicious!" The blog lists using it for quesadillas, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, etc.

Ingredients and Directions:

• 1 small yukon gold or russet potato
• 1/2 c. carrots
• 1/2 yellow onion

Fill a pan with about 1/2 inch of water, bring to a boil, put veggies in water, cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer until veggies are soft. 15 minutes.

When veggies are soft, drain the water but reserve it, pour them into a blender and add:

• 3 Tb. water
• 1/4 c. nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/3 c. cashews

Blend until creamy, You may need to use the reserved water to get the blender going, usually about 1/2 c. is enough.

Notes about this recipe:

I replaced the salt and galic powder with 1/2 tsp of galic salt.

Bean and Veggie Sliders

I found this recipe at Martha Stewart's website. Great alternative for a meat-free sandwich, and I loved that they were sized small enough to fit on rolls.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked kidney beans
• 1 cup steamed jasmine or basmati rice
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/3 cup shredded broccoli
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 recipe flavor base
  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 12 small whole-wheat rolls, split
• Garnishes: Chili Mayonnaise (see below), lettuce, mango, red onion, and cilantro
• For the Chili Mayonnaise: Stir together 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon Asian chili paste (such as sambal oelek), and a dash of toasted-sesame oil.

Directions:

1. Pulse beans in a food processor until mixture resembles ground meat. Pulse in rice. Stir bean mixture in a bowl with carrot, broccoli, ginger, cilantro, and flavor base. Form into twelve 2 1/2-inch round patties (1/4 cup each). Cook in hot oil over medium-high heat until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Sandwich in rolls, adding garnishes.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I used black beans instead (needed to use them up). Still turned out yummy, but I'm looking forward to trying it with the kidney beans next time.
2. I used brown rice.
3. The ginger was REALLY strong, so next time I would do maybe 3/4 Tb.
4. I used mini sandwich thins instead of rolls.
5. I did not try the Chili mayonnaise.
6. Yummy when made fresh but not good as left-overs. If you don't think you will finish off all 12 in one meal then I would 1/2 the recipe.

Zucchini Pie

This recipe was submitted by Stacie V. She was introduced to the pie recipe by Shandi W. and the pie crust recipe by Marge S.

Ingredients:

• 4 c. very thinly sliced zucchini
• 1/3 c. finely chopped onion
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 c. shredded Mozzarella
• 2 tsp. mustard
• 1 (9 inch) uncooked pie crust (SEE BELOW FOR RECIPE)
  

Directions:

In a large skillet, saute zucchini and onion in the butter until tender; drain. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, parsley, salt, garlic powder, basil, oregano, and pepper. Stir in the cheese and zucchini mixture. Spread mustard over the pie crust; pour in zucchini mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand at least 5 minutes before cutting.

I also used this "Press in Pan" Pie crust recipe. I mixed the pie crust and filled it with the zucchini mixture and baked it according to the zucchini recipe instructions.

Press in Pie Crust:

• 1 1/2 c. four
• 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 c. oil
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• (Mix oil and milk together to combine)
  

Lightly mix flour, sugar, and salt in pie pan. Add oil and milk mixture. Lightly mix with fork only until flour is damp. Press in pan like graham cracker crust till smooth and even. Prick with fork 7-8 places. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes or until light brown for baked shell or fill and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees till done.
*This is an excellent crust for pumpkin pie. Bake 45-50 min till done.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I found this recipe at a blog called Kathie Cooks. They were scrumptious.

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 c. Flour
• 1 c. Sugar
• 1 T. Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 t. Baking Soda
• 1 t. Baking Powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1 c. Pumpkin
• 1/2 c. Butter, softened
• 1 c. Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin cups.

Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl.

Break eggs into another bowl. Add pumpkin and butter; whisk until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour over dry ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Scoop batter evening into 12-15 muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I used whole wheat flour.
2. I made mini muffins, so the cook time was about 12-14 minutes instead and it yielded about 4 dozen.
3. The second time I made them I also replaced the butter with pureed garbanzo beans. I put the beans in a bowl and mashed them with my potato masher/bottom of a cup until they were basically pureed (you could do this with a food processor but I've only got my poor blender and it just doesn't do so hot). It's a one to one ratio, so 1/2 cup of butter can be replaced with 1/2 cup of beans.

Chickpea and Roasted Cauliflower Stew

I found this recipe at Rachael Ray's website. It serves 4-6 people. My husband thought it had great flavor, and I loved the cauliflower!

Ingredients:

• 2 heads cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed
• 3/4 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4-5 cups chicken stock or water
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (15 ounces)
• 2 cans chickpeas (15 ounces each), drained
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Toss together the cauliflower, 1/4 cup olive oil and a little salt and place on a baking sheet. Roast until fork tender, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat the remaining olive oil over a medium-high flame. Add in the shallots and garlic and cook for a minute or so, just to release the aroma and flavor the oil. Add in the cumin, cinnamon, fennel seed and cayenne pepper and stir to release the aroma of the spices, about 15 seconds.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and add in the chicken stock, chopped tomatoes, chickpeas and roasted cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the stew over medium heat until it thickens slightly, about 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley before serving. Serve alongside couscous or rice.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I used less than 2 heads of cauliflower.

2. The 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper (or ground red pepper, in my case) was just enough to spice up the back of my throat. My husband thought the soup was great, but I think next time I would reduce it to 1/4 tsp of cayenne/red pepper.

Herbed Batter Rolls

I found this recipe on Allrecipes a while ago. It is one of my favorite recipes for herb rolls! One of the BEST things about this recipe is that you don't have to knead it on your counter. You use one bowl the entire time.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sage, tarragon, nutmeg, sugar, salt, egg, butter or margarine and 1 cup of the flour. Using a wire whisk, beat until smooth. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups flour with a wooden spoon and beat until smooth. Scrape batter from sides of the bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until doubled in volume.
2. Deflate batter by Stirring with a wooden spoon. Lightly grease one 8 cup muffin pan. Scoop batter into the prepared muffin pan. Fill each cup slightly more than 1/2 full; set aside in a warm place and let rise for about 15 to 20 minutes or until doubled. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I only heat the oven to 375 degrees and they are usually done right at 15 minutes.
2. I like to add 1/2 tsp of rosemary as well.
3. I almost always do all wheat flour instead of white.

One Pot Pasta Primavera

I found this on The Vegetarian Tree blog, and she had linked it to the Vegetarian Times website. Pasta packed full of vegetables = yum. AND you only use one pot to do all the cooking! I served this with my favorite recipe of herb rolls, which I will post next!

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 8 oz. fusilli pasta
• 2 small yellow squash, halved and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 medium orange bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 oz. small broccoli florets (3 cups)
• 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 8 green onions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
• Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish, optional

Directions:

1. Start pasta water to boil. Combine oil, garlic, and lemon zest in small bowl. Set aside.

2. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water according to package directions. Add squash and bell pepper 4 minutes before end of cooking time. Add broccoli 3 minutes before end of cooking time. Drain pasta and vegetables, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.

3. Return pasta mixture to pot, and stir in tomatoes, green onions, basil, oil mixture, and reserved cooking water. Heat over medium-low heat until tomatoes are hot. Serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I just picked whatever kind of whole wheat noodles I wanted.

2. I only used 1 1/2 of the yellow squash, a red pepper instead of orange, and I used 1 head of broccoli (which I think ended up being more than 8 oz.)

3. I totally forgot to add my basil. It was still yummy, but I think adding the basil would make it even yummier.

4. Make sure to only cook until the tomatoes are just hot if you want them to maintain their shape and still have a bit of crunch. The longer you let them heat up the mushier they get. Still yummy, just a different texture.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

This recipe was submitted by Anne J. She found it years ago in high school. She serves it as a main dish with fruit or salad. She says, "It doesn't sound super special but man is it good. All the flavors just come together, and it's a great way to get a lot of vegetables in one delicious sandwich." I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to trying it out!

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 pound eggplant cut into 1/4" slices
• 1 medium zucchini, cut on diagonal into 1/4" slices
• 1 medium yellow squash, cut on diagonal into 1/4" slices
• 3/4 t. salt
• 3/4 t. pepper
• 1/4 c. mayonnaise
• 1 t fresh rosemary chopped
• 8 slices Italian bread (or any other bread you prefer)
• 1 cup arugula
• 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese shaved
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray the eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash lightly with nonstick spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil (4 inches from the heat, on a baking sheet) until tender and browned, about 8 minutes. Turn the veggies over at 4 minutes so they get browned all over. You can also use and indoor grill or panini press, just be sure to oil and season the veggies.

Meanwhile chop the rosemary and combine with the mayonnaise. Spread on 4 slices of the bread. Layer grilled vegetables over the bread. Top with arugula, tomatoes, and onion. Lay shaved Parmesan on top and cover with remaining bread.

Spiced Pumpkin Waffles

I know I should have posted this back on Halloween, but didn't get a chance to. This is what we have decided to make every year on Halloween. And we'll probably make them all through the winter as well. SO DELICIOUS! Sadly I don't have a picture to tempt you.

I found the recipe at Country Living. It was reposted with permission, which means I can't post it here. But seriously, go check it out. You won't be sorry, should you choose to make them.

Notes about the recipe:

1. We did half wheat/half white flour.
2. We didn't use fresh ground nutmeg, just the stuff in a little container.

Quinoa Cumcumber Mint Salad

This recipe was recommended to me by Leslie G. She found it at a blog called What The Vegt?! I made one or two changes. This is a great side salad. I served it up with baked yams, fruit, and wheat bread.

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 1 cup quinoa, cooked and cooled
• 1 cucumber, diced
  
• 1/4 of a red onion, chopped
  
• 1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh mint, chopped (fresh mint is strong, so if you want a milder flavor put less...if you are in love with mint, put a tad more)

Dressing:

• 1/8-1/4 c. olive oil (oil goes a long way, so you probably don't need a full 1/4 c.)
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 3 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• pepper to taste

Directions:

If possible cook your quinoa an hour or two before you need to do the rest of your preparations, so it has time to cool. If not, after it is cooked transfer it to a dish and put it in the fridge or freezer for a bit.

Place your quinoa, cucumber chunks, chopped onion, parsley, and mint in a medium sized bowl.

In a small bowl mix the dressing ingredients together. Pour on top of quinoa mixture and stir until coated well.

Sweet Potato Minestrone

This recipe was submitted by Katie M. She found it at Allrecipes.com. She says she and her husband have been "LOVING" it and that it makes plenty for leftovers.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 3 celery stalks
• 3 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon Thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cans (28 ounces total) diced tomatoes
• 5 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 large carrots, diced
• 8 ounces green beans, cut
• 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  

Directions:

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, celery, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, with the juice, broth, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans and garlic. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 30-40 minutes. Add pinto beans near the end.

Notes about this recipe:

I might try garbanzo beans, or some other white bean next time as I think the flavors might go well together.

Crispy Quinoa Cakes

I found this recipe at Vegetarian Times. Super super delish. My hubby gave it 2 big thumbs up. The website recommends serving them with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, although I didn't try it.
Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Tbs. tahini or nut butter
• 1 1/2 tsp. red or white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup finely grated sweet potato
• 1/2 10-oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts, optional
• 2 oz. crumbled feta cheese, optional
• 2 Tbs. finely diced onion
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine egg, flour, tahini, and vinegar in bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients, then mash together until mixture is firm enough to shape into cakes. Shape mixture into 1/4-cup patties with wet hands. Bake on prepared baking sheet 25 minutes, turning once, or until cakes are browned.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I used margarine instead of tahini or nut butter.
2. I used water instead of red or white wine vinegar.
3. I only used 1 cup of quinoa because I felt like 1 1/2 was a lot and I wanted the other flavors to stand out.
4. I did not use the cheese or nuts, but I imagine adding both is probably delish.
5. I tried to flip one of them 1/2 way through the cook time, but it just crumbled so I didn't flip the others.
6. I greased my pan before putting the quinoa cakes on it.
7. I believe that the best part of these cakes was the sun dried tomatoes (but that could be because I LOVE sun dried tomatoes). I used some homemade ones with rosemary and other herbs.

I served this up with a veggie and fruit side, along with some wheat bread.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

This recipe was sent to me by Leslie G. She found it at My Panera.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 3/4 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) 100 percent pumpkin puree
• 1 cup canned coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of sugar
• 8 thin slices from Panera Bread Three Seed Demi Bread, toasted
  

Directions:

1.Heat oil and butter in large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add onion, carrot, garlic, ginger, and curry powder. Cook until carrots are soft, 5 to 8 minutes.

2.Pour in 1 1/2 cups of broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, coconut milk, salt, and sugar, and cook 2 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until very smooth.

3.Return to pan and heat through. Served with the toasted slices of Panera Bread Three Seed Demi Bread.

Makes 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes

Nutrition (per serving): 439 calories, 11 g protein, 55 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat, 8 mg cholesterol, 851 mg sodium, 11 g dietary fiber

Notes about this recipe:

It's a good soup, we didn't puree it but I imagine it tastes good all the same. It isn't too spicy, so little kids may like it.

Simple Summer Stew with Herb Butter

This recipe was submitted by Ryann P. She found it in a cookbook called Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. We were given special permission from the author to have this recipe posted on the blog. Thanks Deborah!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 TBSP marjoram
• 1 1/2 TBSP basil
• 1 1/2 TBSP parsley
• 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
• salt and freshly milled pepper
• 4 TBSP butter, softened
• 8 oz. green beans , preferably skinny ones, tipped, cut into 3-inch lengths
• 1 TBSP olive or sunflower seed oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 8 oz. small summer squash, diced or sliced into rounds
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cut into squares
• 1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 4 ears corn, shucked, about 3 cups kernels
  

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the marjoram, basil, parsley, lemon zest, a pinch of salt, and the butter. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add salt. Cook the beans, uncovered for 2 minutes and then drain.

Heat the oil in a wide pan over high heat with the onion and garlic. Saute for 1 minute, then add 1/2 cup water, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the beans, squash, pepper, tomato, and corn. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover, and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in the herb butter, taste for salt, and season with pepper.

Notes about this recipe:

We've had this recipe a few times and discovered that it is tremendously delicious with fresh vegetables from the Farmer's Market. Four servings was barely enough to feed two. It is also tasty with grocery store vegetables, but difference is noticeable. This recipe is the perfect reason to support your local Farmer's Market before they close for the season and enjoy a little bit of vegetable heaven.

Roasted Vegetable Stacked Enchiladas Part 2

Remember the previous post? Here are the adaptations I made to the recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod. In the picture above the left side is the no-cheese side and the right side is the cheesy side.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 sweet potato, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped, seeds removed
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped, seeds removed
• 1/2 yellow squash, chopped
  
• 1/2 zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained (if from a can)
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• About 8-10 oz of red enchilada sauce
• About 8-10 corn tortillas
  
• About 1 1/4 c. chedder cheese (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large skillet, saute sweet potatoes and carrots until soft (about 7-10 minutes). Then add onions, peppers, yellow squash, zucchini and cook until getting blackened (kinda crispy).

2. Add the beans, cumin, chipotle chili powder, garlic, and salt & pepper to taste. Cook for about 2 more min.

3. Put about 1/4 c. enchilada sauce on bottom of an 8x8 square baking dish. Spread it around, then lay down corn tortillas to cover the bottom (about 2 or 3...I broke one in half for each of my layers). Then add about 1/2 of the veggie mixture from the pan. Add a layer of cheese. Then add another layer of tortillas, enchilada sauce, remaining veggie mixture, more cheese. End with a layer of tortiallas and more sauce on top. You can sprinkle cheese on the very top if you like.

4. Cover dish with foil and put in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Take the foil off and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese on top is totally melted.

Roasted Vegetable Stacked Enchiladas

This recipe was submitted by Katie M. She found it over at Two Peas and Their Pod. Her husband told her that this is his favorite veggie dish that she has made so far.

Funny story--Katie sent this recipe to me and as I was reading over it I realized I had found the EXACT same recipe and had tried it out a few weeks ago. I will post my version of this recipe next, cause I made a few different changes than Katie. Further funny, my husband also LOVED this dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 large red pepper, chopped, seeds removed
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium yellow squash, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups red enchilada sauce
• 9-10 small corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, and onion on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until vegetables are coated. Season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables for 30-40 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove vegetables from oven and let cool to room temperature. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

2. Grease an 8x8 square baking pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine roasted vegetables, black beans, cumin, chili powder, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro. Stir and season with salt and pepper.

3. Spread 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortillas, to completely cover the bottom of the pan. You might have to cut the tortillas to make them fit. Top with 1/3 of the vegetable/bean mixture and 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, enchilada sauce, vegetables/beans, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, enchilada sauce, vegetables/beans, and cheese. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the pan.

4. Bake enchiladas for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the enchiladas are bubbling. Remove enchiladas from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Notes about this recipe:
1. I didn't have a jalapeno and they were still great. Though I don't like things really hot.
2. I expected to want some sour cream on top to add some contrast but was pleasantly surprised that these stand alone quite well.
3. I think these would be easy to try again without having to stick to the vegetables used here. For example, I think in the winter you could used some butternut squash and less summer squash and it would still be good.

Quinoa Stew

I found this recipe at Whole Food Mommies.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. quinoa (can use 1 c. as well, for a chunkier stew)
• 1 c. water (2 c. if using 1 c. quinoa)
• 2 c. chopped onions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tb. olive oil or less
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 carrot, cut on the diagonal into 1/4 inch think slices
• 1 bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 c. cubed zucchini
• 2 c. undrained chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
• 1 c. water or vegetable stock
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• Pinch of cayenne (or more to taste)
• 2 tsp. fresh oregano (1 tsp. dried)
• Salt to taste
• Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Using a fine sieve, rinse the quinoa well. Place it in a pot with the water and cook, coverd, on medium low heat for about 15 minutes, until soft. Set aside.

While the quinoa cooks, saute the onions and garlic in a deep pot in oil for 5 minutes on medium heat.

Add celery and carrots. Cook another 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, and stock.

Stir in the cumin, chili powder, ground coriander, cayenne, oregano, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Stir cooked quinoa into the stew and add salt to taste.

Notes about this recipe:

1. The picture posted with this recipe shows that avocado was also added. I tried adding some to mine when I made it and I thought that was an excellent choice. Oh how I love avocados!

2. I served this with tortilla chips.

Potato Cheese Soup

This recipe comes from Vanessa H. She got it in her high school Home Economics class and still uses it. She says it's easy to make and delicious and her husband is always asking her to make it.

Ingredients and Directions:

Soup:

• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 Tbsp minced onion
• white sauce*
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  

Combine broth, potatoes, and onion. Bring to boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook about 15 minutes until potatoes are soft.

*While the potatoes are cooking, make the white sauce:

• 2 Tbsp butter/margarine
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
  

Melt butter and flour together in saucepan over medium heat. When mixed well and bubbling, pour in milk. Stir until thickened and liquid comes to a boil. (This takes a while, be patient!) Boil for about 10 seconds and remove from heat.

Combine the potato broth and white sauce. Mix well. Stir in the cheese (At this point, I don't measure. I always put more than 1 cup because we love cheese around here. I just do a couple of big handfuls.) Season with salt and pepper. (I add a LOT of salt. Potatoes soak up salt like crazy, so anytime you cook with potatoes you usually have to over-salt.) If it's too thick for your liking, add more milk to get it to the consistency you want.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I like to eat it with saltine crackers or bread. It's also really fun in bread bowls! I'm sure you can add anything you want into it, too. One of these days I want to experiment and make this a Broccoli-Potato Cheese Soup!

Spicy Bean Burritos

Photo from Pink Parsley.

I found this recipe on Annie's Eats. She adapted it from Pink Parsley, who adapted it from Cooking Light. So it's been through some changes since the original recipe was found! You basically make your own re-fried beans, but they are much more tasty!

Ingredients:

For the bean filling:

• 2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. minced chipotle in adobo sauce
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup water, vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 6 tbsp. fresh salsa

For serving:

• 6 (9- or 10-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
• Shredded cheese
• Diced tomatoes
• Shredded romaine lettuce
• Chopped green onions
• Low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt

Directions:

To make the bean filling, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, chili powder, chipotle, cumin, salt and cayenne; stir, cooking just until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Add the beans and the water or broth to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the salsa and mash the mixture with a spoon or fork.

Spoon about a third of a cup of the bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top each serving with a pinch of shredded cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, green onions and sour cream. Roll the tortilla up tightly, burrito style, and serve immediately.

Yields about 6 servings.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I didn't use the cayanne pepper and only used 3 Tb. of our medium salsa and it was still a tad bit spicy. If you aren't one for spice I would put less of the chipotle in adobo or chili powder.

2. I added olives to mine and it was delish.

Quinoa with Basalmic Roasted Mushrooms

This recipe was referred to me by Maghann B. She found it at Whole Foods Market, but hadn't had a chance to try it out. I finally got to make it and it was yummy! The almonds gave it a delicious crunch.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 pear, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 2 pounds portobello mushrooms, stemmed and gills scraped out
• 1 cup red or white quinoa
• 3 cups tightly packed fresh spinach, chopped
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475°F.

Put vinegar, mustard, pear and garlic in a blender with 1/3 cup water and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Cut mushrooms into chunks and combine in a large mixing bowl with 1/4 cup of the pear balsamic dressing. Spread mushrooms in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

While mushrooms roast, prepare quinoa. In a medium pot, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil. Stir in quinoa, cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and set aside, covered, 10 minutes more. Uncover and fluff quinoa with a fork.

Combine mushrooms, quinoa, spinach, green onions, almonds, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup more pear balsamic dressing in a large, wide serving bowl. Stir to mix well. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I used regular mushrooms instead of portobellos. I only had 8 oz, but wished I had used 16 oz because they were tasty!
2. My pear wasn't incredibly ripe so the pear flavor was really faint. For stronger flavor use a fairly ripe pear.
3. If you serve it as a main dish I would suggest something like yams and a yummy wheat bread to go with it, plus some fruit.

Peanut Butter Smoothie

My husband and I tested out using peanut butter in our smoothies a while back and found a pretty delicious combination. I decided to try it out with a green smoothie twist and it was fabulous!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz liquid, 1/2 orange juice 1/2 water
• 1 1/2 handfuls of spinach
• 2-4 Tb. milled flax seed
• 1/4 c.-1/2 c. oats
• 1 banana
• 8 strawberries
• about 1/8 c. peanut butter

Directions:

Blend the liquid and spinach for about 20-30 seconds. Add the flax seed, oats, and banana and blend for another 30 seconds. Add strawberries and peanut butter, blend till smooth and enjoy!

Veggie Fried Rice

This is a super recipe for using veggies that are about to go bad.

Ingredients:

• A little bit of olive oil
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1/2 cup cooked sweet potatoes, diced (as best you can....they are a bit mushy)
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
• 3 mushrooms, sliced
• 5 green onions, sliced
• About 3 cups cooked brown rice (or any rice)
• 1/2 c. frozen peas
• 1/2 c. frozen corn
  
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 Tb. soy sauce

Directions:

First put a tiny bit of olive oil in a large frying pan and scramble the egg. Once cooked, remove it and set aside in a small bowl.

Then saute the sweet potato and carrot in a little more olive oil, about 5-7 min. Then add mushrooms, green onions and cook till just soft. Add rice, ginger, soy sauce, a little more olive oil, frozen peas and corn. Add the egg back into the pan.

Fry until the rice starts to brown and get a bit crispy.

Notes about this recipe:

1. All of the ingredients are up to you. Use what you have, add more if you like it, don't add it if you don't like it.

2. If you prefer you can fry it until the rice is warm. That's if you don't like it a bit crispy.

Spinach-Artichoke Stuffed Shells

This recipe was submitted by Vanessa H. She found it over at Rachael Ray's website. She says "Spinach and artichoke. The. perfect. combination."

Ingredients:

• Salt
• 20 large pasta shells
• 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 7 to 8 leaves basil, torn
• Ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 1 10-ounce box chopped frozen spinach, defrosted or 3/4 pound fresh baby spinach, chopped
• A few grates fresh nutmeg
• 1 10-ounce box frozen baby or regular artichoke hearts, defrosted and chopped
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil the pasta. When the water reaches a bubble, salt it well, drop the shells in and cook them to al dente according to package directions. Drain the cooked shells and shock them under cold water to stop them from cooking. Reserve.

While the shells are cooking, mash up the tomatoes in the bottom of a casserole dish. Stir in the butter, basil, some salt and pepper into the dish, and set aside.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until aromatic and light golden brown, about 1 minute. Add the spinach, and nutmeg to the pan, and cook to heat through.

Transfer the spinach to a large bowl and stir in the artichokes, ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, lemon zest, thyme, egg yolk, parsley, some salt and pepper. Fill the reserved pasta shells with the mixture, arranging them on top of the sauce in the casserole dish as you complete them.

Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and turn the oven up to 425˚F. Continue cooking until the filling is golden brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes more.

Makes 4 servings with 4 shells to each person topped with some of the sauce.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I have tried it with fresh basil leaves and with dried basil leaves. I didn't really notice a difference. So if you don't want to buy the expensive fresh basil, just use the dried stuff you have in your pantry :) Same goes for the parsley...
2. I have tried using the frozen chopped spinach and the fresh baby spinach. I hated working with the frozen chopped stuff, so it's fresh from now on.
3. I have yet to find frozen artichokes at the store, so I just use artichoke hearts out of a can.

Sweet Potato Smoothie

Are you ready for this? I didn't have any spinach or kale (staples when I'm making green smoothies) but I did have some baked sweet potatoes that needed to be eaten. I made my husband try and guess my "secret ingredient" and he couldn't figure it out AND he liked it. The sweet potato flavor was masked by my fruit (not that you need to mask it's flavor...they are so tasty on their own).

Ingredients:

• About 16 oz of liquid--1/2 water, 1/2 apple juice
• 1 1/2 cooked sweet potatoes
• 2-4 Tb. milled flax seed
• 8-10 frozen strawberries
• 1/2 banana

Directions:

Put the liquid and sweet potato in the blender, blend for about 30 seconds. Then add milled flax seed, strawberries, and banana. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Notes about this recipe:

1. If you want less of a fruity flavor add less strawberries.
2. I only added 1/2 of my banana because it was really ripe. Ripe bananas can become flavor hogs, just FYI.
3. You don't have to add flax seed. I do because it is so good for you. I'll do an FYI post on it soon.

Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe was submitted by Vanessa H. She found it at The Pioneer Woman. (If you like step-by-step pictures head on over to her website.)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Dried Macaroni
• 1 whole Egg Beaten
• 1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
• 1 pound Cheese, Grated
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Directions:

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Notes about this recipe:

I think part of the reason I don't like a lot of the mac & cheese recipes out there is because you bake it. Ree's recipe can either be eaten right from the pan or transferred to a casserole dish and baked. I baked it this time, but next time I probably won't. I like it super creamy like Kraft-in-a-box.

Posted by Ree on August 4 2009

Greek Salad Pita Pockets

This recipe come from Deb. It was introduced to her by her mother.

Ingredients:

• 1c shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 tomato - chopped
• 1/2 c diced cucumber
• diced green onion
• 1 diced green pepper
• sliced black olives
• 1/2 T olive oil
• 1/2 T lemon juice
• pinch salt and pepper
  

Directions:

Mix together all ingredients and serve with pitas, hummus, and feta cheese.

Notes about this recipe:

The recipe is super easy and you can put more or less of whatever you like, the measurements are just a basic ratio.

Three Cheese Manicotti

This recipe comes from Vanessa B. She found it at Allrecipes.

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package manicotti shells
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 (26 oz) jars of pasta sauce
  

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add manicotti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a bowl, mix 3 cups mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic, egg, and basil. Stuff cooked manicotti with the mixture.
4. Spread about 2 cups pasta sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed manicotti in the dish, and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, and continue baking 10 minutes, until mozzarella is melted and bubbly.

Total preparation and cooking time is 1 hour.
Makes 6 servings

Notes about this recipe:

It is just a basic Manicotti recipe, but I think the kind of sauce you use makes a difference. You could always make your own sauce if you don't want it from a jar.

Mushroom Ragout

This recipe comes from Vanessa H. Of the recipe she says, "This one was surprisingly delicious. You see this beautiful dish and expect it to taste like a savory pasta. But oh no, my friend! When you take a bite you get a surprise! It has a really yummy sweet taste to it!" She found it at Rachael Ray's website. (Also, if you are interested in seeing it made, Rachael Ray's site has the clip from her show.)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 2 ribs celery from heart, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 to 5 garlic cloves, chopped or grated
• 1 cubanelle pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups red wine
• 2 cups mushroom stock (vegetable stock can be substituted)
• 2 15-ounce cans stewed tomatoes
• Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• 1 pound whole wheat penne
• 1 cup (about a handful) basil, torn
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:

In a large sauté pan over high heat, add EVOO. When the pan is hot, add the mushrooms, allspice, bay leaf, marjoram and freshly ground black pepper.

When the mushrooms are brown, add a pinch of salt, the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and peppers, and cook 4-5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until it smells sweet.

Add the red wine into the pan to deglaze, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the stock, stewed tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Bring up to a bubble and simmer about 10 minutes.

While the ragout is cooking, cook the whole wheat penne: Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add some salt and the penne, and cook to al dente according to the package directions.

When the pasta is done, toss it together with the mushroom ragout. Top with torn fresh basil and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I have used both cremini and regular mushrooms. Both are good, but creminis are more expensive...
2. I don't use marjoram that much in cooking, so I never buy it. I didn't use it in this recipe.
3. I just use two red bell peppers instead of a cubanelle.
4. I substitute apple juice for the red wine.
5. I just used chicken stock instead of mushroom or vegetable stock because that is what I had in the pantry.
6. Fresh basil is expensive, so I use the dried basil leaves as a garnish instead.
7. I let my sauce simmer longer than 10 minutes to get it a little thicker (and the pasta takes more than 10 minutes when you calculate in the time it takes to get the water to a boil).