Nando's Butternut Squash Side, by Diane

There is a chain around the DC area called Nando's Peri Peri. It's a Peruvian chicken place, but I have discoved a side dish there that is insanely good and healthy. This is my attempt to recreate it! It is perfect as a side dish on its own or with protein added to make it a meal, and it would be a great addition to the usual sides for the holidays. The original version has chile peppers in it, which I changed to cayenne pepper because it is extremely spicy. This dish is super easy to make and keeps well!

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, cubed
1 small red onion, chopped into small strips
2 ears of corn (substitute thawed frozen corn if it's not in season)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 large bunch cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt
Pepper
Cayenne pepper (the amount depends on your heat tolerance)
EVOO

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Place squash on a baking dish, drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with salt. Roast until golden (approx. 15-20 minutes), turning once during cooking to brown on all sides.

2. Heat a large saucepan to medium high, coat with 1 tbsp. EVOO. Cook onions until browned, then add in remaining ingredients and 1 tbsp. EVOO. Cook until the corn gets browned.

3. Remove the squash from the oven and combine in a baking dish with the corn mixture, mixing well to ensure the squash gets coated with the seasonings. Roast at 400 for another 5-10 minutes.

Moler Bowl, by Diane

There is an organic vegetarian lunch cafe by my house that makes awesome bowls- just combinations of veggies and grains that I wouldn't think of. A few months back they debuted the moler bowl and I was hooked. It is the healthiest meal you can imagine and it fills you up and keeps you going! There are a few steps to prep all the ingredients but once you have them you throw them all in and mix them up. This was my first attempt and I made plenty so I would have awesome leftovers for the next few meals.

Ingredients:

Short grain brown rice (I couldn't find this at the store so I used long grain, but it really does make a huge difference!), cooked
Quinoa, cooked
Barley, cooked
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large sweet potato, cooked and cubed
1 large red bell pepper, cubed
5-10 mini portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 large bunch collard greens, chopped in large pieces
1-2 avocados, cubed
2 ears corn (you can cheat and use canned), grilled
2-3 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Herb Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp honey
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup cilantro

Directions:

1. Blanch collard greens in boiling water for a few minutes to reduce bitterness. Remove and drop in cold water to stop the cooking process.

2. Steam the pepper, mushrooms, and greens until soft but still a bit crispy.

3. Combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette in a food processor and blend until the cilantro is finely chopped.

4. Combine everything in a large bowl and toss with the herb vinaigrette.

Italian Wedding Soup, by Diane

It's getting chilly here, which means experimentation with soups for dinners! This week I tried Italian Wedding Soup, despite my blogger counterpart Cheryl's current connection with Italy! As it turns out, it's origins are from Spain and the wedding part refers to a marriage of meat and vegetables. I liked the soup but I wasn't fond of the parmesan in the meatballs, otherwise it was a good meal. I had to use mini farfalle instead of orzo like it should be, next time I would try it with orzo because the pasta took over a bit!

The recipe is adapted from: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/01/escarole-soup-with-turkey-meatballs-52.html

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

20 oz (1.3 lb) ground turkey breast 99% lean
1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 large egg
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
 

For the soup: 

1 tbsp EVOO
1 small onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 cups fat-free low sodium chicken broth
1 (16 oz) head escarole, chopped
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
3 oz (1/2 cup) uncooked orzo


Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat EVOO and onion, carrot, and garlic until softened. Pour in chicken broth and cover.

2. While the broth is heating up, in a large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, onion, garlic, salt and cheese. Using your hands, gently mix all the ingredients well until everything is combined. Form small meatballs, about 1 tbsp each, you'll get about 40.  

3. When the broth comes to a boil, drop the meatballs in, add the orzo and spinach. Add fresh pepper, adjust salt as needed and cook about 10 minutes or until orzo is done.

Shrimp Curry, by Cheryl

Shrimp Curry

Complete meal with the shrimp and eggplant curry

I just realized that I forgot to post the rest of the Sri Lanken dishes that I made from the recipes of my friends Ashley and Kam. This recipe goes really well with the eggplant curry and pairs well with rice to offset the spice. It's a delicious and different way to make shrimp. Yum!


Ingredients:

Shrimp, peeled and tail off
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
1 cinnamon stick
2 pieces of anese
5-10 curry leaves
1 tablespoon cumin
2-3 tablespoons curry
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
2 teaspoons crushed fenugreek (I didn't use this)
salt and black pepper
canola or vegetable oil

Directions:

1) Saute the onion and garlic in oil until soft.

2) Add all of the spices and mix until fully coated. Add more oil.

3) Add the shrimp and cook until no longer transparent.

Risotto alla verza (Cabbage Risotto), by Cheryl

All of my posts seem to be taking an Italian turn! No bother... they are really good recipes that I'm trying to perfect before we leave Italy in 8 months. About three times a week my Italian neighbor has something for us to taste. Usually she'll give us enough for a meal for two and then give us the recipe the next day if we like it (which of course we always do). When I first told Jon that she had cabbage risotto for us, we thought, "Meh, I'm sure it's tasty, but I don't know about the cabbage". We've made it four times in the last six weeks since she gave us the recipe. It's really good! We've also experimented with different add ins like porcini mushrooms and shrimp, but honestly it's good on it's own and it's a hearty vegetarian meal. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

200 grams of cabbage (we have been using half of cabbage head)

1 liter of vegetable broth (or chicken)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped 

160 grams of risotto rice (we used about 250 grams because the portion was small and we weren't having another course)

20 grams grated Parmesan cheese (We now estimate this depending on how cheesy we want it)

salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Coarsely chop the washed cabbage. 

2) Heat the broth in a soup pan.

3) Put the oil in a pan with the chopped onions and heat until soft and almost brown.

4) Turn up the heat and add the cabbage to the onions. Cook for a few minutes on high heat. 

5) Add a ladle of broth and a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat, covered, for 10 minutes. Keep checking on it and add more broth in small amounts if it starts to dry out or stick to the pan. 

6) After 10 minutes take off the lid and let it dry out the sauce. Add the rice and toast for a minute. 

7) Combine 4-5 ladles of hot broth and set the timer according to the type of risotto you have (usually 15-18 minutes). Continue combining the broth as it absorbs, stirring from time to time, without letting the mixture get too dry, otherwise it will cook unevenly. 

8) Towards the end of the cooking time stir in the grated cheese, pepper, and a ladle of broth. Season with salt. 

9) Turn off the heat and let sit, covered, for a minute of two before serving. 

Pizzette alla Melanzane (Fried eggplant balls), by Cheryl

This is a Neapolitan specialty that our neighbor gave us to eat. They are an appetizer to any meal and are really easy to make! I thought that we would need a sauce to go with it, but the balls are delicious on their own. I probably have made these once a week since she gave me the recipe! This recipe makes about 8 balls.

Ingredients (sorry it's in grams!):

- 800 grams of eggplant

- 120 grams of bread crumbs (I didn't measure this out at all- I eyeballed the amount I needed in order to make good balls, like when making falafels or meatballs).

- 120 grams of grated Parmesan cheese

- one tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

- 1 egg (original recipe calls for 2, but one did just fine)

- salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Slice the eggplant into strips and boil until soft (maybe 5-10 minutes)

2) Drain the water, let cool, then squeeze the water out of the eggplant. I used some paper towels to help me.

3) In a bowl combine all of the ingredients, adding small amounts of breadcrumbs as needed and mix. You want the balls to keep its shape without being sticky. I also made the balls into flatter, more oval shaped, in order to fry them more easily.

4) Heat canola oil in a pan on the stove. When it becomes hot, fry the balls until they are golden brown. Turn over and repeat. Eat hot!

Unbelievably Soft Gingerbread Cookies, by Diane

The weekend before Halloween my friend Tara and I always get together and eat her infamous whipped pumpkin dip. We are always experimenting with new types of fun cookies to dip in it, and this year I thought of gingerbread cookies. My problem with classic gingerbread cookies are that they are hard and dry and sometimes very spicy. I came across this recipe online and it had such amazing reviews that I decided to try it out- I am SO glad I did!! These cookies came out so amazingly soft, even the next day.

I brought them to a halloween party and they were SUCH a hit- I came with 27 cookies for 5 people and left with an empty box! I'll make these over and over again with this pumpkin dip. 

The cookie recipe is from here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/big-soft-ginger-cookies/ The only adaptation is that you need to leave the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes before you roll them because the dough is really gooey!

Ingredients:


2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tbsp white sugar





Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. 
3. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Brisket Shepherd's Pie, by Diane

This week I had lots of leftover brisket to use- a common Jewish dilemma! Over the years I've had lots of creative ideas, such as southern-style bbq sandwiches and brisket burgers and kreplach. But this is without a doubt the best use of leftover brisket ever!! I made it into a shepherd's pie, inspired by a cooking light recipe with lots of tweaks. I used the carrots, onions and potatoes from the brisket as well as the sauce instead of beef broth to add lots more flavor. The whole dish was incredibly simple and took no more than 25 minutes start to finish! The result: it only lasted the one night, it was that good. :)


Ingredients:

Brisket, cooked and shredded in a processor
Baby carrots, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cup frozen peas
1 clove minced garlic
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
Sea salt
Black pepper
Brisket gravy/drippings
1/2 cup red wine
1 tbsp tomato paste
1-2 tbsp flour
2 % milk
Butter


Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat first 4 ingredients through. Add the next 5 ingredients, using salt and pepper to taste. Add in red wine and enough gravy to moisten and create a sauce. Add in tomato paste and stir until blended.

2. Add in flour and stir, cooking until the sauce thickens to a thick gravy-like consistency. You can add more of the liquids if needed.

3. Meanwhile, reheat and mash the potatoes along with milk, butter, salt, and pepper to taste. Remember to keep the consistency thick.

4. Preheat the oven to broil on high. Place the meat mixture in a baking dish and top with potatoes, spreading so they are evenly covered. Broil until the potatoes turn golden brown.

Tomato and Asparagus "Carbonara", by Diane

I got this recipe from Cooking Light, it seemed like a good alternative to regular pasta. I also liked the idea of a light carbonara style pasta dish. While I like the combination of asparagus and tomato and basil (I also added chicken), the flavor of this dish wound up being really bland. In the end I added a marinara sauce to it. I also used wheat pasta, but it really did taste a lot pastier than regular pasta which added to the blandness. I think I'll stick to regular pasta with marinara and these ingredients from now on, skipping the whole "carbonara" stuff.


Ingredients:


3 quarts water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound (1-inch) diagonally cut trimmed asparagus
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves


Directions:

1. Heat water in a large pot until boiling.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add asparagus; sauté 3 1/2 minutes. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes; cook for 6 minutes or until tomatoes are tender.
3. Combine cheese, salt, pepper, and egg in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
4. Add pasta to boiling water; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and toss pasta immediately with egg mixture. Add tomato mixture, tossing until sauce thickens. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon basil. Serve immediately.

Pierogies, by Diane

This week I decided to tackle homemade pierogies. It was a lot like making ravioli in that the consistency of the dough is key to how the final product comes out, and it can be difficult to get it right. Mine came out fairly decent for the first try. I had a lot of fun picking out different types of fillings, but ultimately settled on a classic of beef/potato/onion and a vegetarian version of sweet potato/squash/zucchini/ginger/carrot. In the end they were delicious yet fairly time consuming. The dough was also really tough to roll out and got tougher as the time went on. The best pierogies had the thinnest dough- around 2-3 mm- which took a lot of muscle- and the thicker ones came out more chewy (similar to my ravioli experience!). Here is a shot of the two fillings:

Ingredients and Directions:

Dough (makes 30, I doubled it for the two fillings)

from: http://www.tastingpoland.com/food/recipes/pierogi_dough_1.html

1. Prepare the bowl. Put 3 cups of flour through a sieve. Add half a teaspoon of the salt. 
2. Pour 0.75 of cup of boiling water while quickly stirring with the fork. Crumble flour lumps with a fork.
3. Cover the bowl with the cotton cloth and put aside for five minutes.
4. Pour a quarter of a cup of cold water, again mash pellets with the fork and cover the bowl with the cloth. Put pierogi dough aside for 15 minutes.
5. Add half a teaspoon of oil and knead the dough until it's smooth. It should require 5 to 10 minutes of kneading. Pierogi dough should be stretch and have a homogeneous consistency and color.
6. Roll dough on the table or pastry board, until the thickness of about 3 millimeters. Before you start rolling up, you should flour the pastry board so that pierogi dough doesn't adhere to it. While rolling up you can also lightly sprinkle the dough with the flour if needed. However, remember that only one side of the dough should sprinkled with the flour. We want the other side to cling to itself easily while folding pierogi when filling will be ready.
7. Cut circles out of dough clump by using a cup.
8. Arrange stuffing in the middle of every circle and fold each pierogi.
9. Collect scraps of pierogi dough, knead again, roll up and cut second set of circles.
10. Spoon a small amount of filling into the center of the circles, pinch to close.
11. Drop into a pot of boiling water, they will be ready when they float (about 3-5 minutes).
12. Drain from water and transfer to a griddle/pan with butter, cook until golden.



Beef/Potato/Onion Filling:

Cut 3 large yukon gold potatoes and boil until soft, then mix in a food processor until smooth. Brown 1 lb. of ground beef in a skillet with one grated onion. Mix together.


Sweet Potato//Squash/Zucchini/Ginger/Carrot Filling:

Cut 2 large sweet potatoes into chunks and boil until soft, then place in a food processor with 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, 6 carrots, and 1 large chunk of ginger until smooth. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan, add 1-2 minced cloves of garlic until golden, then add filling, a pinch of sage, and salt/pepper to taste. Cook until heated through.

Coconut Banana Spinach Smoothie, by Diane

This past weekend I found a local festival with lots of cool vegan treats. Among the treats was one of my favorites- a green coconut. I brought it home and created this smoothie, which packs a great nutritional punch and is an amazing pick-me-up midday. The addition of spinach really doesn't change the flavor, so I often add it into a lot of my drinks. The only difficulty in this recipe is cracking open the coconut- but once you do you'll be glad you did because there is no comparison from store bought to fresh raw coconut!

Ingredients:

1 green coconut, both the liquid and the meat
1 banana, preferably on the spottier sweeter side (bonus if it's frozen!)
1 handful spinach leaves


Blend until smooth!

Bright Green "Neon" Juice, by Diane

I make fresh juice all the time, but this one is my all-time favorite and has been heavily in rotation since last spring so I thought I'd post it! I call it Neon because the flavors are so bright they really do wake you up! I love it as an early morning or afternoon pick-me-up instead of coffee. Plus, it's incredibly healthy and supports your immune and cardiovascular systems! It sort of tastes like an apple jolly rancher candy, without the sugar!

Note- if you don't like the tart taste of green apples, switch to a green pear instead!


Ingredients:

1 green apple
15 green grapes
1 large stalk celery
1/4 lemon, peel and white part removed
1 small piece ginger
1 cup spinach
1 small bunch parsley

Blend all ingredients whole in a juicer and enjoy!!

Yogurt Curry Kabobs, by Diane

This recipe came from Washington Magazine. I chose the yogurt curry marinade, it turned out really good on the chicken but I was not overall impressed with it. The combinations on the skewers were great though- although I forgot the mango until the last minute which is why in my photo they are separate!


Ingredients:

Marinade:

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used greek yogurt)
1 tbsp honey (I doubled this and was glad I did)
2 tbsp curry
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tbsp cumin

Kabob:

3-4 chicken breasts, cubed
1 red onion, in wedges
3 zucchini, sliced in rounds
2 mangos, cubed
2 red peppers, cubed


Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in marinade with whisk and marinate chicken for 30 minutes.

2.  Skewer kabobs and grill until cooked.

Garbure, by Diane

This recipe came from the latest issue of Cooking Light. Although it's summer and still hot out, this recipe looked really enticing and reminded me of the peasant stews and crusty breads I had in France. It also looked healthy and full of nutritious ingredients. I researched the name, and apparently it's named after a sheild with a pitchfork for sheathing grains because the French ate this with a fork reminscient of the pitchfork. It is supposed to be cooked with a giant ham hock hence the fork- but I used a ham steak because it was easier. Photos online show it to be a lot chunkier so they used a fork then soaked up the broth with bread skipping the spoon!

This recipe turned out really well- some of the ingredients seemed odd in a soup but all worked together really well and tasted so good with the bread the way it was prepared. I also liked the taste of the dried beans instead of canned. The only exception was the addition of the apple cider vinegar, which I left out and brought to the table to add in if desired because it's a strong taste and I was unsure of how it would work out. I ended up adding a splash into my bowl which was fine, so next time I'll still leave this out. I also doubled the recipe so it would last for a while and cut down on cooking for the week!

The only change to the cooking instructions I would add is that cooking the potatoes carrots and turnips took WAY longer than 10 minutes (about 30-35) and I had to bring the soup back to a boil to make them tender so take note!!


Ingredients:

4 ounces dried cannellini or Great Northern beans

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 1 large)

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 cups no-salt-added chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence

1 cross-cut smoked ham hock (about 8 ounces)

1 bay leaf

6 ounces red potatoes, cubed

6 ounces turnip, cubed

1 large carrot, cubed

4 cups thinly sliced Savoy cabbage

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 (1-ounce) slices country bread, toasted

1 garlic clove, halved

1 tablespoon butter, softened

Directions:

1. Sort and wash beans. Place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans. Cover and let stand for 8 hours or overnight. Drain.

2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; swirl to coat. Add onion. Cover and cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add leek and chopped garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add soaked beans, stock, herbes de Provence, ham hocks, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are just tender. Remove ham hock; cool slightly. Pick meat from bones; reserve meat. Discard bones and fat.

3. Add potatoes, turnip, and carrot to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in cabbage; simmer 4 minutes. Stir in parsley, thyme, vinegar, salt, and black pepper.

4. Rub toast slices with cut sides of garlic clove; spread evenly with butter. Serve toast with soup.

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1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 1 large)

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 cups no-salt-added chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence

1 cross-cut smoked ham hock (about 8 ounces)

1 bay leaf

6 ounces red potatoes, cubed

6 ounces turnip, cubed

1 large carrot, cubed

4 cups thinly sliced Savoy cabbage

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 (1-ounce) slices country bread, toasted

1 garlic clove, halved

1 tablespoon butter, softened

Directions:

1. Sort and wash beans. Place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans. Cover and let stand for 8 hours or overnight. Drain.

2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; swirl to coat. Add onion. Cover and cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add leek and chopped garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add soaked beans, stock, herbes de Provence, ham hocks, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are just tender. Remove ham hock; cool slightly. Pick meat from bones; reserve meat. Discard bones and fat.

3. Add potatoes, turnip, and carrot to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in cabbage; simmer 4 minutes. Stir in parsley, thyme, vinegar, salt, and black pepper.

4. Rub toast slices with cut sides of garlic clove; spread evenly with butter. Serve toast with soup.

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1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 1 large)

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 cups no-salt-added chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence

1 cross-cut smoked ham hock (about 8 ounces)

1 bay leaf

6 ounces red potatoes, cubed

6 ounces turnip, cubed

1 large carrot, cubed

4 cups thinly sliced Savoy cabbage

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 (1-ounce) slices country bread, toasted

1 garlic clove, halved

1 tablespoon butter, softened

Directions:

1. Sort and wash beans. Place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans. Cover and let stand for 8 hours or overnight. Drain.

2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; swirl to coat. Add onion. Cover and cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add leek and chopped garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add soaked beans, stock, herbes de Provence, ham hocks, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are just tender. Remove ham hock; cool slightly. Pick meat from bones; reserve meat. Discard bones and fat.

3. Add potatoes, turnip, and carrot to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in cabbage; simmer 4 minutes. Stir in parsley, thyme, vinegar, salt, and black pepper.

4. Rub toast slices with cut sides of garlic clove; spread evenly with butter. Serve toast with soup.

Avocado Pesto Grilled Cheese with Bacon, by Diane

I was watching an episode of Eat Street, and a segment of a food truck called Food Farm making this amazing grilled cheese sandwich came on. This is the exact sandwich I saw, and I immediately got up to make it. Not only is it quick, easy, and filling, but it is really one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I've ever tasted. I would never think to put these ingredients together, and yet they work perfectly with one another. I'm not even a big gouda fan, but I wouldn't replace it for anything else! Craving another tonight!!


Ingredients:

2 slices thick whole wheat bread
Arugula walnut pesto (see below)
2 slices gouda cheese
1/2 avocado, sliced
2 slices bacon


Pesto (makes more than one sandwich):

1/2 cup walnuts
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
900 grams arugula
1/2 cup basil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup olive oil
Salt


Directions:

1. Fry the bacon until crispy.

2. While the bacon cooks, combine walnuts, lemon zest, garlic and cheese in a food processor until smooth. Add remaining pesto ingredients, and process until smooth. 

3. Spread the pesto on each slice of bread, top with one slice cheese each. Place face up onto griddle/pan and cover until cheese is melted and bread is toasty.

4. Remove the sandwich from the pan, add bacon and avocado slices to one side and close. Press together until the cheese seals the sandwich.

Blackened Tilapia Baja Tacos, by Diane

Lately with trying to eat healthier and include dishes that are nutrient-rich, I've come up with a lot of spins on my regular dinner favorites. Mexican is my favorite food, but many dishes are fried or laden with fat and flour and red meat. So I found this recipe on Cooking Light (http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/blackened-tilapia-baja-tacos-50400000110429/) as part of an article for healthy fish tacos. I've actually never had a fish taco before, despite all my time in California where they are hugely popular and my love for mexican. I only recently attempted to try fish other than canned tuna fish for the first time. But this recipe had enough spices and flavors that I figured the taste of the fish wouldn't be a problem for me! Plus, it used tilapia which is a very mild fish that I've tried once before.

Typically fish tacos on the east coast (and even some on the west coast) are battered and fried, and topped with some sort of chipotle aioli (mayo sauce). With this cooking light recipe, I seared and blackened the fish, had a sauce of reduced fat sour cream but loaded with cilantro, red onion, and lime juice (I omitted the jalapeno), and swapped high cal low nutrient flour tortillas for corn ones, all of which increased the flavor so much that you could never miss the fat and calories. Overall, I was really surprised at how the flavors compensated for the light nature of the taco, and how well those flavors blended together! This was a great weeknight dinner, took under 15 minutes total, and was both satisfying and delicious without making you feel that fullness you typically get from tacos. Plus the toppings have so many good nutrients for you that you feel good eating it too!

Ingredients:


1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup thinly sliced white onion
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon canola oil
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/2 ripe peeled avocado, thinly sliced
4 lime wedges (I omitted these because there was so much lime already in the sauce it was perfect!)

*We also added 3 color cabbage mix for a crunch as typically found in fish tacos- highly recommended!


Directions: 

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine jalapeño sauce and onion in a small bowl. (Note: I wound up doubling the sauce as I typically do from experience with CL recipes, and it was a perfect amount!).

2. Combine paprika and next 6 ingredients (through ground red pepper); sprinkle evenly over fish. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

3. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish, onion mixture, and avocado evenly among tortillas. Serve with lime wedges.

Thai-Style Green Beans, by Diane

This photo clearly goes back to our old standards of picture-taking :)

When I lived in California a few years ago I became obsessed with Trader Joe's like the rest of my fellow Californians. One of the dishes they made that got me hooked was Pad Prik Khing, green beans cooked in a Thai chili sauce. They stopped making this dish a year or so ago, and I was crushed (as were the rest of it's followers, looking it up online there were so many posts trying to get Joe's to bring it back!). Ordering it at Thai restaurants was not the same. Then it occurred to me that I could attempt to recreate the dish, and this recipe is the final product.

It does not have the Thai chili sauce (called Prik Khing) because I thought I'd see what happens if I mixed a few Asian ingredients together on my own (this blog has taught me SO much about Asian sauces!). I got it right on the first try, and I can literally eat an entire bowl of this for a meal and be content. Plus, as I learned in my nutrition class, it is great for digestion and the immune system because of the spices and chilis in it!


Ingredients:

1 lb. green beans (I love the fresh steam in bag ones!)
4 tbsp. soy sauce (I used low sodium)
2 tbsp. honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sambal oolek (chili mixture- use more if you like it really spicy or less if you don't like spice)
3 tbsp. hoisin sauce

Directions:

1. Steam the green beans until just tender.

2. While the beans are steaming, heat a large saucepan over medium-high and add remaining ingredients stirring with a whisk until honey is blended.

3. Add in the green beans and toss to coat. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the beans can evenly cook with the sauce.

Eggplant Curry, by Cheryl

Not the most appetizing shot... but it was delicious!

The first week we were in Italy we met our friends Ashley and Kamalan. Kamalan is Sri Lankan so when they have us over for dinner their meals usually consist of Sri Lankan cuisine made by Ashley. The food is so delicious and SPICY! Ashley gave me all of their recipes and I've tried making some of them. While the meals generally don't take that long to make, it's very hands on using a lot of spices that were a little foreign to me. I've made this dish twice and both times it came out very well... although the second time was a little better since I knew what to expect. I highly suggest giving it a try since this can be a side dish to any meal you make, not just when the whole meal is Sri Lankan. Yum!

Ingredients:

- one eggplant
- 1 can coconut milk
- oil (to fry)
- 1 onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- spices: anise, cinnamon, chili powder, tumeric, curry powder, black pepper, salt, crushed fenugreek (I didn't use this), cumin powder, and curry leaves (about 6). Use more curry powder than the other spices.

Directions:

1) Cut eggplant into small pieces. Toss with red chili powder, salt, and tumeric.

2) Heat oil in a pan and fry the eggplant. Remove once eggplant has browned and dry on a paper towel.

3) Add a few tablespoons of oil and saute the onion and garlic. Add the spices and saute until the onion is cooked.

4) Add the can of coconut milk, more tumeric and red chili powder to taste.

5) Mix well, add the eggplant, and let simmer until the curry sauce has thickened.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad, by Diane

I had lunch at Nordstrom's Cafe the other day, and the salad I ordered was fantastic. It was a southwestern type of salad with a cilantro lime vinaigrette. What I loved most about it was the details of the ingredients- the corn was grilled, the red peppers were roasted, and they added freshly toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds). I decided to recreate it at home for an easy lunch/dinner, and when I looked up a recipe online for the dressing I found the salad itself had quite a following! I actually found the original Nordstrom recipe, so this is what I used.

The dressing in the Cafe was pale with lots of cilantro in it, but the recipe online called for chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I was skeptical because I knew that would make the dressing spicy and red, and sure enough I was right. I made a second batch of dressing without the peppers it was spot on to what I had in the restaurant. This vinaigrette is so easy, stores well, and really could pair well with chicken, fish, and other seafood for grilling, tacos, or even a ceviche type dish! Overall, I'll be making this salad and the vinaigrette a lot more without the chipotle peppers (although it did add a lot of smoky heat which was kind of nice!).

The table- everyone was in a frenzy building their salads!
This is a shot of mine, premixed, with the chipotle version of the dressing!

Ingredients (serves 4):

Salad:
5 thin grilled chicken breasts, sliced
2 red peppers
2 ears yellow corn
2 avocados, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 sprigs green onion, sliced
Raw pepitas
Shredded monterey jack cheese
Mixed greens

Dressing:
2 chipotle peppers in adobo
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp honey
3/4 cup canola oil (I only used about 1/3 cup, and that was plenty)
1 cup cilantro


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 and place the red peppers whole onto a baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, turning twice. Remove from oven and immediately cover with aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Remove foil and slice peppers, discarding stems ribs and seeds.

2. Grill corn on a outdoor/indoor grill or grill pan, turning occasionally until all sides are slightly charred. Cut kernels and set aside to cool.

3. To make the dressing, add ingredients through honey into a food processors and blend until honey is combined. Slowly add in oil while blending. Finally, add in cilantro and process until blended well.

Vegetarian Black Bean Chili, by Diane

Last week I attended a seminar on nutritional approaches to dealing with fatigue. It was really interesting to learn what happens to the body if any of the essential vitamins, minerals, or amino acids aren't eaten in proper amounts, and how much damage it can do- not to mention deplete you of energy. As a part of the seminar, the instructors cooked whole food recipes that were packed with the nutrients addressed in the lecture. This is the first recipe they made, I'll be posting the rest soon.

This chili was so simple to make, and was very good and filling. I personally might have cut down on the cayenne, because it was pretty spicy. I also think it would be great chilled as a substitute for salsa with some homemade chips! There were many other additional health benefits to this chili, such as healthy fats from EVOO and avocado, immune boosters from spices, etc., but the main benefit of this recipe was described as "creates warmth (good for blood flow and circulation) and stimulates digestive properties." You are definitely warmed when you eat it! We also learned that the more surface area garlic has, the more nutrients are absorbed (why you mince it instead of rough chop it) and that the darker the bean = the more nutrients (why black beans are used).


Ingredients:

2 tbsp EVOO
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium coarsley chopped red bell peppers
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained
1 16 oz. can chunky tomato sauce
1-2 medium avocado, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped


Directions:

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, cook until golden, then add bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add in garlic and cook altogether for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Mix in spices, stir and cook for 2 minutes covered.

3. Mix in beans and tomato sauce, bring to a boil while stirring occasionally. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low, simmering and stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add in water if you want it thinner and cover, or if you want it thicker cook uncovered.

4. Ladle into bowls and top with avocado and cilantro.