Zucchini Sticks

This morning I was surprised to find my first zucchini blossoms!  Yes, the stars must be perfectly aligned because, so far, two plants are thriving  and haven't been nibbled on (cross my fingers!).  I picked a few blossoms to scramble with one egg for breakfast.  Last week it was arugula omelets and a few weeks before, spinach on toast.  Assorted lettuce was at its peak waiting to be tossed as a FRESH salad.  So, yes, I get excited when I can go into my garden and pick something to go with each meal of the day. 

Zucchini sticks in the past were deep fried and delicious, don't get me wrong.  But, when you want to eat healthier put away the fryer and bake them.   You can create a crunchy coating by using egg whites and panko bread crumbs.  These are worth a try!

Zucchini Sticks 

2 medium size zucchini, cut into large matchstick shapes

1 egg or equivalent of egg white liquid

3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

a sprinkle of garlic powder, paprika and salt

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 lemon (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Put egg white in a bowl.  Place the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, paprika a, salt and cheese into a shallow pie plate.  Dip zucchini into egg, coating both sides and move into the crumb mixture.  Use a cookie sheet which has been sprayed with pan spray.  

Bake for 10 minutes on each side for a total cooking time of 20 minutes.  Squeeze a bit of lemon if you wish.  Serve immediately.  Good with ranch dressing or all by themselves!

Crispy Baked Squash Chips

When I saw this recipe online last week,  I knew it would be a hit.  It's great for snacks and a good low carb selection.  I had to try it!  It beats plain old steamed squash.  This a MUST TRY for the self professed "culinary challenged" crowd, and you know who you are.


Crispy Baked Squash Chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small pie pan mix the following: 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp herb de Provence (optional, but good)  Dried thyme would also be a good substitute.

Cut 2 medium size summer squash or zucchini into about 3/4 inch slices.  Place 1 Tbsp of olive oil into a bowl, throw in the squash and mix.  Dip the oiled squash rounds into panko on both sides.  Some  of the breading will stick although  they won't be completely covered.  That's okay.

Place each round onto a cookie sheet which has been sprayed with pan spray.  Salt and pepper is optional.  Put the extra panko on top of each until mixture is gone.  

Bake for about 10-12 minutes.  No need to turn.  Serve immediately.  

Trick Your Taste Buds - Kale Chips

If you were to tell me I'd be snacking on kale, I would have thought you were nuts!  You would have to have your head in the sand to not hear about all the healthy properties of kale these days.  But, what do you do with it?  I've used it in simple recipes ususally sauteed with raisins and pine nuts.  Delicious!  It can be thrown into salads, soups and egg dishes.

My latest snack is kale chips.  I've never been a big fan of potato chips (thank God!).  Hand me a bag of Cheetos, though, and I'll be your friend for life!  These kale chips don't taste like Cheetos, however!  I can appreciate the fact that they are good for me....and they're so easy to make.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

You can buy pre-cut kale in bags now at most stores.  Or, you can purchase stalks of the same in the organic (preferably) section of the supermarket.  To prepare the kale for roasting, cut from the stalk and remove any hard stems, cut into pieces.

Spray a cookie sheet with either butter spray or olive oil spray.  Lay out the kale evenly on the sheet and spray with a spritz of pan spray.  Sprinkle with sea salt (not too much).  Roast in the oven for 10 minutes.  Halfway through "shuffle" the kale.  Remove and eat when cool.  These are great on salads, baked potatoes, for starters  and are GUILT FREE!  The longer they sit and cool, the crispier they become....try it!

Spicy Home Made Black Bean Burgers

Yet, another "first" for me.  Making your own veggie burgers are simple, but, why haven't I made these sooner?  Mostly, because it's easier to pluck them from the store's freezer.  They are a great alternative to regular meat burgers packed with healthy ingredients.   If you have a food processor that's sitting in the deep dark shadows of your pantry, I challenge you to drag it out and whip these up.

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

1/4 yellow onion, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1/2 cup quick cooking oatmeal

1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp egg beaters

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/8 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup panko or seasoned breadcrumbs

Place ALL the ingredients into the food processor and begin to pulse, scraping sides when needed.  You still want a bit of texture so don't pulse into a puree.  

Form into patties and place each on waxed paper.  Put in the freezer for about 30 minutes, then remove and cook.  Spray a skillet with pan spray and grill on each side for about 5-6 minutes.  Make a better burger out of these.

Recommendation:  Since this was my first time creating these, I have some hints for next time.  I like more crunch so will be adding sunflower seeds, more spice and reserve about 2 Tbsp of the black beans to give them a chunkier texture.  Just a thought!

Eggplant Un-Meat Balls

I continue with my love affair of vegetables.  I was a fortunate child who had a family full of gardeners, so for me it's easy to love veggies, even though corn was probably my favorite as a child.  Now, it seems corn doesn't have the flavor it used to, but that's a whole other story.

I keep staring out my window at my snow covered raised garden beds imagining what I'll fill them with this late Spring.   First to go in will be the spinach and lettuce, maybe even broccoli.  I can't wait!  Around these parts we have an old Indian saying about planting and it's usually incredibly accurate.  "Don't plant if there is still snow on top of Peavine mountain", which is a small mountain shadowing Reno's city limits.  The snow melts usually mid to late May on that mountain, and many a gardener is already chomping at the bit.  If you don't heed the Indian's wise words, you will probably be covering your plants with blankets, sheets or plastic (whatever works) when the snow flies.

I planted the small Asian eggplants last Summer, but they were over-watered, and didn't get enough sun.  I also planted them too close to the tomatoes, I guess.  I'll get this right one of these years!  

I used the larger eggplants for this recipe.  I sliced it in half, drizzled it with oil, placed in a baking pan, covered it and roasted on 400 degrees for around 35-40 minutes, to soften.  Then the recipe begins!

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, roasted and pulp scooped out.

1/4 cup panko crumbs and 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1 Tbsp basil, fresh chopped

1 Tbsp egg white

Put these items in a food processor and blend.  Refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour.   Using a spoon and with wet hands, scoop the mixture and roll into a ball.  I make them and place them on a parchment paper covered surface.  Roll the balls in additional breadcrumb or panko crumbs.  In a large skillet with 2 Tbsp of oil begin to fry them turning so most sides are nicely browned.

If you like eggplant, you'll love these...just another way to cook eggplant without immersing them in so much oil!  Voila!

Butternut Squash Soup with a Kick

I never used to be a soup aficionado.  But, I've discovered soup is probably one of the easiest meals to prepare.  If you can throw things in a pot, you can make a delicious soup.  

This soup can be prepared by roasting the squash first or not.  In this recipe I didn't, but opted to flavor it with a bit of chipotle, herb de Provence and nutmeg.  Those ingredients don't seem to mesh, however, it turned out great!  Smokey and spicy at the same time and perfect for that snowy weather evening.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

5 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 tsp herb de Provence

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

1 tsp chipotle sauce ( buy in a small can and freeze, chipping off what you need to use)

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

In a 5-6 qt soup pot add the oil and onions.  Cook on medium heat until softened.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook for approximately 30-35 minutes.  Puree in batches in a blender and return to the pan.  Salt and pepper, if needed and reheat to a serving temperature.  Yummy!  And wasn't that easy?

Roasted Eggplant and Whole Grain Rotini

How does a self professed lover of all things Italian reduce the pre Holiday girth and still enjoy life?  Well, after losing 5 lbs in the last month while eating a full Thanksgiving meal, sushi, Italian margherita pizza, wine, pasta, bread pudding, bagels with fruit spread and frozen yogurt, this girl has done it.   Actually, I've done it before with amazing results.  It's simple but not easy, but once you resign to the fact you won't be indulging for a short period of time on butter, cheese, meat, you'll do just fine.

I can live for long stretches of time without meat, however, being devoid of pasta is torture to me!  I'll find a way to sneak it back in, only this time preparing it a healthier way.  My creativity thrives in the kitchen on this "eating plan".  Whenever I want more substance (not meat) in a meal,  I gravitate to eggplant and hearty mushrooms, finding these a great substitute!

Roasted Eggplant & Whole Grain Pasta

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil

1/4 of a large yellow onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp red chili flakes

1 roasted eggplant, cubed

1 can (14.5 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup red wine

1/2 small can tomato paste

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper

1 cup or a bit more of rotini pasta (dry)

Start by roasting a whole eggplant.  In a 400 degree oven, place the eggplant on a cookie sheet and roast for about 35-40 minutes.  Cool and peel and cut into cubes.

In a large skillet, cook the onions in the oil until soft on medium/low heat.  Add the garlic and chili flakes while stirring.  Then add the eggplant,  and tomatoes (I pulsed my tomatoes in a blender first). Add the wine, tomato paste and water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer.  Add salt and pepper, if needed, and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water, and drain it reserving about 2 ladles of pasta water (just in case).  Depending on the thickness of the sauce you may want to add some pasta water to "loosen" it.  Add the pasta to the sauce and blend well.

The whole grain pasta added to the flavor giving it a nuttiness!  This is even better cold.  Serves about 4.

Roasted Veggie Sandwich

Whenever I roast vegetables I always make more than needed so I'll have leftovers.  Odd? Maybe...but for me, it's an easy lunch to heat and eat.  Sometimes I'll scramble an egg with them, stuff a tortilla as a wrap or make an open faced sandwich.

The vegetables I roasted the day before were not cooked in oil but in broth for added flavor.  Cook on high heat in the oven (400 degrees) for about 25 minutes.  Every once in a while stir and sprinkle with some broth.  You can add any herb or spice you like.  Of course, mine is herbs de Provence, sometimes paprika and garlic powder, or thyme and rosemary.

The dollop on top of this "creation" is non-fat yogurt cheese.  All you do is put about 1 1/2 cups of  plain yogurt into a colander or straining device that has either cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter with a bowl to catch the liquid underneath.  Put the whole thing in the refrigerator (covered) for a day or overnight.  All the liquid will pass through and you'll be left with yogurt cheese you can make dips with, etc.  It tastes a bit like sour cream.  Not bad!

Ingredients:

(serves 1)

1 piece of good whole grain bread

1-2 Tbsp of hummus (I used roasted red pepper)

enough roasted veggies to cover the bread (I used potato, fennel, carrot and onion)

a handful of spinach/arugula mix

a drizzle of fat free vinaigrette

dollop of yogurt cheese

Heat the veggies, spread hummus on the bread followed by the rest of the ingredients.  Nice presentation..even nicer to eat!

Worth a Re-Make Cold Care Soup

From now on the "go to" soup for the cold season will be this one.  This last week found hubby with a nasty cold.  He says it is just a "minor inconvenience" which, compared to other's challenges lately, proves to be true!  Still, as I watched and listened to his coughing jags, I felt I had to do something to make him feel better.  

Searching my refrigerator and pantry I came up with ingredients that would help (not cure, unfortunately)  his symptoms.  The bones of a good soup usually start with onions, celery and carrots.  From there anything goes or gets thrown in.   Besides cooking I like to research the health properties of certain foods and incorporate them in as many meals as I can.  The way I look at it is, if the Chinese and other cultures have been using these remedies for centuries, there must be something to it.  While this blog does not make health claims, what's the harm in throwing more herbs, spices and healthy veggies in your food?

Did you know that:

LEEKS act as an antiseptic and helps the body fight against infections?

SRIRACHA HOT SAUCE stimulates the immune system and acts as a decongestant?

GARLIC may reduce the severity of an upper respiratory tract infection and also boosts immunity?

GINGER has been widely used for cold care among other purposes?

So, fix a pot of this soup the next time a cold starts to rear its nasty head.  

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 leek (4-5 inch piece, cleaned and sliced)

2 carrots, sliced

2 celery ribs, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

1 tsp sriracha sauce

1/2 cup green beans (cut into bite size pieces)

1/2 cup chopped kale, optional

1 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and chopped

2 Tbsp parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup rotelli pasta  

In a large pot add the oil, leek, carrots, celery and stir until soft on low/medium heat.  Add the garlic, broth, water and sriracha, stirring as you go.  Increase the heat to a boil and throw in the beans, kale, ginger and parsley.  Cover loosely,  reduce the heat back down to a simmer (low) and cook for approximately 30 minutes.  Add the rotelli, parsley, salt and pepper during the last 10 minutes. (or the time it takes to cook the pasta).

If you want to add small pieces of uncooked chicken do it before you boil.  If you want to add cooked shredded chicken wait until after the boil, during the simmer time.  I made two batches in a matter of 3 days and varied some of the ingredients.  You can too!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta

I think this is one vegetable that get the cold shoulder.   Maybe, it's because people are intimidated by it, not knowing how best to prepare these mini cabbages.  That's a shame because they pack  powerful levels of anticancer compounds just like their "cousin" broccoli.    Apparently, don't boil them, since that method of cooking diminishes the anticancer properties.  Who knew?   Yes, I've boiled them, pan fried and microwaved them in the past, but to me, roasting is best. 

Brussel sprouts are thought to be from Brussels, Belgium.  Go figure!  However, certain varieties date back to ancient Roman times. so they're not new kids on the block!  Their growing and ripening pattern are similar to those of hollyhock flowers, sprouting from a long stalk and ripening from the bottom up.   This time of year you see them in the stores displayed on the stalk .  Enough tidbits, let's roast these!

Ingredients:

12-15 brussel sprouts

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

 pepper (no salt necessary when pancetta is being used)

garlic powder

about 3 slices of chopped pancetta  (prosciutto can also be used, but not as good)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Clean and trim off the hard ends and remove any "ugly" loose leaves.  I like to cut them at least in half and quarter some of the larger ones.  

Put the cut up sprouts in a large bowl with oil, pepper, garlic powder and pancetta, mixing thoroughly.  Spread onto a cookie sheet in a single layer.  Roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, shaking or stirring a few times during the roasting process.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

This is with prosciutto instead of pancetta

Zucchini Patties

Is your  kitchen counter overflowing with zucchini, yet?  Mine is, but I don't mind.  There's so much you can do with this vegetable!  I've been hiding it in bread, cake, assorted vegetable dishes and now the classic zucchini patties.  At least they were a classic in my home for many years.

I've pretty much thrown ingredients together over the years, sometimes getting good and some bad results.  The most important thing you can do to insure the best result would be to press all the liquid you can from the grated zucchini.  If you don't, they will ooze and run all over the place.  These zucchini patties were moist on the inside, yet crispy on the outside.  So, if you're searching for another zucchini recipe, try this one.

Ingredients:

2 cups grated zucchini, liquid drained

1/4 cup diced onion

2 Tbsp flour

1 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp either plain Greek yogurt, mayo or an egg  (use what you prefer.  I used Greek yogurt this time.)

salt & pepper to taste

 For the coating:

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 small egg

For the pan:

a combination of 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp of butter

In a bowl mix the zucchini, onion, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Stir in either the yogurt, mayo or egg.  The mixture should be stiff enough to form a patty.  It may help to moisten your hands with a bit of water first.  Yes, it is messy!  As you make each patty, gently set them onto a sheet of waxed paper.  These patties were roughly 2 1/2 inches in diameter.  The recipe makes about 6-8 patties depending on size. 

In 2 different pie plates or shallow dishes, put the bread crumbs in one and the beaten egg in another.  Heat the oil/butter combo in a large skillet.  Turn up the heat to medium and gently start to dredge the each patty in egg first, then coat with breadcrumbs.  Quick note for first timers:  You may want to coat them ALL first and lay them back onto the waxed paper if you can't work quick enough.

Cook on the first side for about 6-8 minutes, turn and continue to cook for about the same time.  The coating will get quite brown but not to worry.  They're really tasty.

Lessons in Gardening and Culinary Herbs

In my recent post about the Margarita Shrimp Scampi, I listed one of the ingredients as lemon balm, which was wrong.  I used lemon verbena!  (I've changed the post).  I still get these two herbs mixed up, but no longer.  I did my research and I'm happy to say that if you made the scampi already with lemon balm you weren't too far off from the flavor.  Verbena and balm are similar in fragrance and flavor.  Verbena is not as hardy and thrives in climate zone 9 and I'm in zone 4-5.   Needless to say, my lemon verbena plant will be coming indoors for the Winter.  At least I'll give it a try.  Hopefully, it's compatible with "chewy the indoor cat".

After doing the research, I yearn, once again, for a place in the Mediterranean.  The lemon verbena plant is a perennial (comes back every year) and actually grows to almost 10 feet in those sun drenched areas!  I realize that's not too exciting for some of you, but it's enough to float my gondola!

So, how does my garden grow this season?  Not well!  On a positive note my cherry tomatoes were abundant, while my early girl tomatoes were a delicacy for the rabbits.  The quail didn't let a little fencing get in their way.  They joined right in to harvest what they could.  The arugula was plentiful as was the spinach.  The zucchini is slowly producing.  My mantra when it comes to the garden in these parts is, "There's always next year".

abundant cherry tomatoes

Quail...helping themselves

I learned quite a bit, as I do every year, unfortunately by trial and error.  My prized tomatillo with tons of blossoms was severely yanked from the ground after I read that I should have bought two or more for pollination.  A horticulturist, I'm not.  And the Japanese eggplants that showed some promise,   shriveled up and were shadowed by the giant early girl tomato plant.   The beets were eaten, not by humans, and the mint was lackluster!   I'll get this right!  I already have "BIG" plans for next year's garden lineup.

Ricotta stuffed zucchini blossoms

On the subject of food, I've had numerous salads with arugula and spinach, zucchini blossoms, stuffed with ricotta cheese or scrambled into eggs.  I even made a chocolate zucchini cake the other day.  So, while I may sound ungrateful for a not so good growing season,  I'm thankful that I had what mother nature tried her best to provide, sunny beautiful weather.   And besides, "I BUILT MY GARDEN" myself" and it gives me great pleasure to start something from seed, nurture and watch it grow to help feed my family.  Hope your harvest is bountiful!

Israeli Couscous - Pasta of the Month

You would think at my age (and I'm not telling!), I would already have sampled this pearl couscous!  But, grocery stores don't resemble what they were 20-30 years ago.  Food was so blah back then.  A slab of meat, potatoes or rice and a few steamed vegetables usually appeared nightly on the dinner table.   If you wanted a certain ethnic food, you might be able to get some tortillas and a can of refried beans!   Seriously!   Now, as I cruise the isles I'm open to trying  just about anything for variety.  It is the spice of life, right?

Israeli couscous is a type of pre-roasted pasta shaped like a small pearl.   I first tried it in a store bought Trader Joe's salad.  It looked interesting, why not!   Like regular couscous it lends itself to experimentation.  Hot or cold, alone, with olive oil or an assortment of veggies, the variations are endless!  These are the type of meals I like!

Ingredients

1 cup pearl couscous

1 1/4 cups water

1/2 cup or 2 green onions, chopped

1/8 cup currents or raisins

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1 loosely packed chopped fresh arugula or spinach

1 Tbsp lime or orange juice

pinch of salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup parboiled chopped broccoli

1/2 cup raw cashews

In a pot, place couscous and add boiling water.  Cover and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes until done.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Add the remaining ingredients except the cashews and mix well.  You'll add the nuts after chilling in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, at least.   This is a great side dish for a picnic or brunch.  You can make it ahead, even the day before.

NOTE: If you like your veggies cooked, throw them in a pan and saute a bit before adding to the couscous.

Creole Okra

I don't know how many okra fans there are out there, but I grew up eating these little bullet shaped veggies.  To me, their taste is hard to describe.  Nutty, sticky morsels, perfect for this side dish.  You'll usually find them in Southern cooking with stews, soups, and such.  Personally I love them in scrambled eggs!   

I've attempted to grow okra in my garden, with poor results.  Last weekend at the farmer's market one of the vendors had huge bags of beautiful crisp okra for a great price.  I grabbed them (not that people were flocking to buy this quirky veggie), gave half to my dad and had some with eggs the next morning, still leaving me with quite alot to come up with  another side dish.  Here it is.  If you've never tried okra now is the time.

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, chopped

1 Tbsp oil

1 cup washed and slice fresh okra

1 tsp flour

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp red chili flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable)

In a medium skillet, brown onion in the oil.  Dredge the okra in the flour, shaking off excess and add to the pan.  Cook until slightly brown.  Add the tomatoes, sugar, pepper flakes and half of the broth.  Keep on a low heat for about 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently.  It will look a bit mushy but the flavor is great.  If the okra looks too dry, add the rest of the broth and cook down during the cooking time.

Serves 2

Farmer's Market Pasta of the Month

For most of the gardener's out there, you probably have some of these ingredients at your fingertips.  My first crop of beets didn't do very well, so I planted more.  We'll see how they do.  As for my arugula, wow, quite the crop!   With the recent heat, it's on its way out (going to seed), but I was able to scrounge enough for this pasta.  The rest came from the local (actually from Oroville, California) farmer's market.  You can use spinach or chard instead of arugula, however, the peppery flavor of the arugula  was a nice addition. 

I've found that some of my best pastas are the "rustic" ones.  Don't be afraid to try different combinations of veggies.  And if you're a gardener, now is the time to start experimenting!

Ingredients:

2 cups bow tie pasta

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups chopped fresh arugula

2 cups beet tops, chopped and stems or ribs removed if not extremely fresh

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

salt and pepper to taste

2 ladles of reserved pasta water

1 Tbsp butter (optional)

Start to bring some pasta water to a boil, adding a pinch of salt after it starts to boil.  Cook pasta according to directions.  Meanwhile, add oil, arugula and beet tops to a large skillet.  Saute until they start to wilt.  Add the garlic, tomatoes and salt and pepper and cook for a little while longer (5 minutes).  

Drain the pasta reserving some liquid.  Put the bow ties into the skillet and stir.  If it's on the dry side, add some of the pasta water, butter and/or a drizzle of olive oil, stirring to mix.  Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan, if you wish, and serve.  Mangia!  So good!   

Grilled Portabella Sandwich

If I had more thumbs, I would say this was a "three thumbs up" sandwich.  And as I plated mine, hubby was already engrossed in his mushroom sandwich.  I heard alot of yums and wows coming from his direction.  I quickly snapped a picture and hurried to take that first bite.  You know it's good when EACH bite is followed by a "yum"!

For a nice change from a burger, try this.  It takes less time on the grill and is quite simple to prepare.

Grilled Portabella Mushroom Sandwich

2 servings

For the marinade:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

pinch of salt and pepper

***********

2 large Portabella mushrooms

additional 1 Tbsp oil for brushing

Directions:

Clean and cut off the tough stem part of the mushrooms.  Place them in a shallow dish, gill side up.  Brush the marinade onto the mushroom, and refrigerate for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Heat up the (oiled) grill and place the mushrooms on,  gill side down.  Cook for 4-5 minutes, brush the cap side with olive oil, turn and cook for about 4 more minutes.  Place a slice of provolone cheese on top, let it melt and assemble your sandwich.  I used a simple avocado and a vine ripened tomato.  Next time I'll switch up the bread and try a French or Dutch crunch roll.

This recipe could easily be doubled or tripled. 

Do a Meatless Monday and Giveaway Winner

First things, first.  The winner of the giveaway is a wonderful gal from South Carolina, Ann Minard.   She has her own Italian food based blog, La Buona Cucina.   She is true to her heritage, cooking classic and authentic Italian food.  Check it out!  Thanks to those who participated.  Ann came up with the title,  Poco Questo, Poco Che which means "a little this, a little that" which seems appropriate for the way alot of my meals come together.

Today, I'm doing a "picture post" of some of the meatless meals I've had from time to time.  I usually try to reduce the meat we eat, and with prices climbing higher and higher, meatless will be a good thing!  So, sit back and enjoy or be inspired, hopefully to "delete the meat".

Meatless chili

Spring bean penne pasta

Pasta fagioli

Healthy frittata

Veggie couscous

Roasted eggplant chip and dip

Sundried tomato farfalle

Lentils and vegetable

New Kid on the Block - Kale

Since I began writing, this blog has brought me and my palate to many places.  As I browse the grocery isles these days, I'm always on the hunt for a new "victim", that is, a new fruit or veggie I've never cooked with.  I have a long way to go in this world of different cuisines.  I like to think of myself as a milder version of  that guy on Bizarre Foods.  No, I won't be eating deep fried hissing coach roaches, ever!  But, I do like to have a huge variety in my food repertoire.

Last week I brought home a bunch of kale, not sure what I'd do with it at the time.  It was a deep forest green and just looking at it made me feel healthier!   It has its origins dating back before the middle ages and is loaded with anti cancer properties, vitamin K, C, lutein and calcium.  Sure, I'd give it a try! 

Although it has the appearance of spinach or chard, its closest relative is black cabbage, a Tuscan staple.  In this recipe I treated it like spinach.  Most of the articles I  had read about kale indicated that it could be bitter, but I'd fix that.  Add raisins!  So, here it is in its glory, my rendition of "Hail to the Kale".

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale, cleaned and chopped.

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup water

2 handfuls raisins

a dash of sea salt

1 Tbsp butter

more oil for drizzling at the end.

2 Tbsp pine nuts

In a large (5 qt.) pot place the oil, water and kale in.  Bring it to a boil, adding the raisins, a dash of salt and stir.  Reduce the heat to simmer and slightly (not tightly) cover, stirring occasionally until the kale becomes fairly limp, but still has a bit of crunch.  At the last minute add the butter and sprinkle with pine nuts and maybe a drizzle of olive oil.   Serve and enjoy.

Glazed Carrots

This was a side dish I prepared for our good friends and traveling buddies.  We were invited to spend a lovely evening at at their home Saturday.  I've always been taught to never arrive without a bottle of wine or at least to make a contribution to the meal.  It was suggested I bring something to go with steak.  What goes well with steak without being filling or fattening? I steered away from potatoes or orzo and decided on a new recipe for glazed carrots, hoping it would turn out.  (not a good time to experiment, but these friends are like family and you can test recipes on family, right?)

The inspiration came from Williams Sonoma and it's a side dish I'll make again.  I followed the recipe to the letter which is pretty hard for me to do.  I like to "shake it up" most of the time.  Carrots are difficult to mess up and these were no exception.  Simple and delicious with just enough flavor so as not to distract from their scrumptious barbecued steaks.  Yum...Thanks P & C for a nice time with friends!

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

about 2 lbs of carrots, sliced into "sticks"  You could probably use baby carrots, too.

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup Madeira wine (or dry sherry)

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the carrots, coating well with the butter.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and the Madeira wine and broth.  Increase the heat to med-high and bring to a simmer.  Loosely cover the pan and simmer until the carrots are tender.  About 8 minutes.

Uncover the pan, add the sugar and continue to stir, occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and the carrots are glazed.  About 6-7 minutes more.  Place in a baking/serving dish and either serve immediately with parsley topping or transport them, covered.  Microwave at your destination for 3 minutes until warmed through.

Roasted Honey Red Onions

If you're looking for that perfect accompaniment for a roast, sandwich, soup or pasta, try this.  I found it on the food network while searching for ways to enhance a prime rib roast.  Not that it needs any help, but I wanted my prime rib roast to be "special" for the Christmas dinner.  This is where Tyler Florence came to the rescue.

After gathering up all the ingredients, I realized most were already in my pantry.  What luck!  I observed a few raised eyebrows  when I began to prepare the onion side dish.  All I could say was "trust me".  Roasting vegetables is one of my favorite ways to prepare them.  The flavors are intensified, much better than steaming or microwaving.  And how can any vegetable taste bad smothered in butter and honey?

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (I used pomegranate infused)

1/2 cup honey

several stocks of fresh thyme, leaves removed

salt and pepper

3 - 4 red onions, halved and some quartered (I used 3, but they were quite large)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a saucepan, combine the butter, vinegar, honey, thyme, salt and pepper, on medium heat.  Bring to a quick boil and then reduce after simmering for a minute.  Have the cut up onions ready in a baking dish (single layer).  Drizzle the butter honey mixture over the onions and roast until caramelized, about 45 - 50 minutes, basting throughout the roasting time.   Delicious!   I had leftovers that went into prime rib/avocado sandwiches and my shepherd's pie from a previous post.

Thanks, Tyler Florence, your prime rib roast and side dishes rocked!