Sun-dried tomato jam

Whenever I use sun-dried tomatoes I only use a handful since they are so flavorful, which means I am often left with most of a bag that I don't know what to do with. This savory jam recipe uses up leftover dry (non-oil packed) sun-dried tomatoes and creates a delicious topping for whipped ricotta crostini or as a flavor-packed sauce for a pan pizza or even as a dipping sauce for arancini. When you start making the jam it might look like the balance of onion to tomato is off, but just remember that the onion will cook down and the tomatoes will plump up.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato halves, thinly sliced
1/2 a small sweet onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine
1 1/2 tablespoons mild vinegar (rice vinegar or white/red wine vinegar)
3/4 cup veggie stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon honey
salt, as needed
pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat, then add onion and tomato. Stir to coat everything in oil and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened and become translucent and the tomatoes are starting to just barely caramelize. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, then add the wine and scrape any caramelized bits off the bottom. Add the vinegar and the bay leaf and cook until the wine has reduced a bit, maybe 2 minutes. Add the veggie stock and honey, taste for salt levels and add more if needed then season with pepper. Cover the pot and turn heat down to low. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and give everything a good stir. The tomatoes should have softened and plumped. Remove the bay leaf and then either use an immersion blender to pulse a few times to break up large chunks or transfer to a food processor to pulse 2-3 times. Return mixture to pot and allow it to simmer for a few minutes to continue to thicken. Remove from heat when it is the thickness you'd like. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve warm or cold.

Whipped ricotta crostini three ways

This might become my new go-to appetizer recipe for when I need to make something in a hurry. It seems so simple, and it is, but it is also so much more delicious than you'd expect from something that takes about 5 minutes to throw together. I topped mine three different ways but my hands down favorite is the honey topping, it is salty and just a little sweet and would be perfect for before or after dinner.

Ingredients:

1 cup ricotta cheese
1 ounce cream cheese
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons oil
toppings: lemon zest + olive oil + coarse salt; za'atar spice + olive oil; a drizzle of honey
1 baguette, sliced 1/2" thick on an angle

Directions:

Place ricotta, cream cheese, salt, and oil in a small bowl and mix with an electric beater on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, or until it is no longer grainy and is nice and fluffy. Take your baguette slices and toast them in a 350* oven for a few minutes until you've reached your desired level of crispness. Top each baguette slice with a dollop of whipped ricotta, then add a sprinkle of lemon zest, salt, and olive oil. For the za'atar topping just sprinkle za'atar on top and drizzle with a little olive oil. For the honey topping just drizzle a small amount of honey over top of the cheese.

Cheesy polenta with spinach, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes

This recipe was born out of one of those "cook whatever you've got in the fridge" nights and I was surprised at how much the boyfriend liked it. The title pretty much gives away everything that's in it and I ate mine like it is in the picture, but if you want a little more protein in the meal it is delicious with an over-easy egg on top as well.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup corn meal

3 1/2 cups veggie stock

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1-2 dashes cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

4-5 cracks black pepper

salt, to taste

1 ounce cream cheese

2-3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon oil

1/4 of an onion, chopped

1/2 a box of mushrooms, sliced thinly

5 sundried tomato halves

1/2 cup hot water

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 large handful spinach leaves

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1-2 dashes cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large sauce pot, bring 3 cups veggie stock to a boil. Combine the corn meal with the leftover 1/2 cup of veggie stock and stir until it is smooth. Stir this into boiling stock and whisk to prevent lumps. Turn the heat down to low and add garlic powder, cayenne, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Cover and simmer this mixture for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally. While this is simmering, heat the oil in a separate pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until it is tender, about 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook until they have lost most of their water and have started to turn golden brown. While you are waiting for this to happen, soak tomatoes in the hot water for a few minutes, then chop them into pieces. When the mushrooms are nice and brown and starting to caramelize, then add the tomatoes and a splash or two of the soaking water. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, then add the spinach, garlic, garlic powder, cayenne, and Italian seasoning and cook until the spinach is tender. Add more of the soaking water if necessary and then season with salt and pepper. When the 30-35 minutes of simmering is finished, stir in cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella and stir until everything has melted together. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, place a few spoonfuls in the bottom of a bowl and top with the veggie mixture. Top with more parmesan and potentially a fried egg. 

Lentil sloppy joes

Sloppy joes always look so good to me. They just seem so warm and comforting and filling, but rarely do you see them without ground beef so I decided to try making my own with lentils instead of the meat. It turned out really well and came together faster than I expected, especially since I used lentils that I had cooked in advance. If you don't have cooked lentils on hand just boil them for 30 minutes while you're making the sauce.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1/4 of an onion, chopped
1/4 of a green pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4-5 baby carrots, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce (look for a vegetarian one)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1-2 dashes of crushed red pepper flakes
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 cup of cooked brown lentils

Directions:

In a medium sauce pot, heat oil over medium-low heat. Saute onion, green pepper, celery, and carrots for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add ketchup, mustard, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and paprika and stir to combine everything. Add tomato sauce, brown sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes, then stir to incorporate. Bring everything to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce is nice and thick. Taste the sauce a few times during the cooking process and adjust the seasonings to your liking being careful not to add too much salt to early since the sauce will continue to reduce as it cooks. Put lentils in a separate small sauce pot and turn burner to medium heat, then add some (not all!) of your sauce, stirring frequently until it is as saucy as you'd like. Allow the lentils to warm up in the sauce for a few minutes, then remove from heat and serve on buns with any toppings you'd like (red onion, pickles, mustard, lettuce, etc).

Apple butter

Nothing says Fall to me more than apples and cinnamon. This is the perfect thing to make in early fall when the apples are inexpensive and it is just starting to get cold out. This recipe is so easy it almost shouldn't count as a recipe. The hardest part about this is waiting to eat it while your house smells amazing. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your liking - I'm not a huge fan of nutmeg so I went really light on it but you could easily add more if you like that flavor.

Ingredients:

Roughly 3 pounds of apples, cored and chopped (I used a mix of honey crisp and green apples)
1/2 rounded teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Add all ingredients except vanilla to a large crock pot and stir to combine. Cover the crock pot and cook on low overnight. In the morning, take the lid off and give it a good stir, making sure to scrape down the sides of the pot. Using an immersion blender, blend the apples until they are completely smooth and thick. Add more water if necessary to get the consistency you like. If it isn't thick enough for you just leave it in the crock pot and let it cook, uncovered, for a few more hours. Add the vanilla when it is finished cooking and stir to combine. Ladle into mason jars and store in the fridge if you'll be eating it within a week or two and freeze the rest of the jars.

Veggie lo mein

I love americanized chinese food but sometimes I don't want to order takeout, especially when I have plenty of veggies I should use up in the fridge. This is the perfect meal to make for times like that. You can really throw any veggie you want in this, which makes it really flexible so feel free to change up what you put in it.

Ingredients:

1/3 box spaghetti noodles, cooked and cooled
1 tablespoon oil
1 stalk celery, sliced thinly
6-8 baby carrots, sliced thinly length-wise
1/4 green bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 handful spinach leaves
1 handful broccoli florets, cooked
1/4 cup peas, cooked
1/4 cup veggie stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
cilantro, to garnish

Directions:

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat, saute celery, carrot, and green pepper until tender, about 5 minutes. Once tender, stir in spinach and cook for about one minute, or until wilted. Turn off heat and add broccoli, peas, and noodles to the pan. Set aside for later. In a large pot, combine veggie stock, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sriracha, garlic, sesame oil, and sesame seeds and stir well. Stir cornstarch into a tablespoon of cold water, then add to the pot. Heat mixture over medium heat and stir well as you bring it to a boil. Allow it to bubble until it starts to get nice and thick, which will take about 3 minutes. Once it has thickened a bit, add the veggies and noodles and stir to coat everything in the sauce. Allow this to heat through for about a minute or until the sauce is thick and sticking to the noodles. Serve with cilantro and more sesame seeds.

Ravioli with zucchini and mushrooms

After making the lasagna that I posted a while back I had a lot of ingredients left over but was sick of eating lasagna, so I used pretty much the same filling ingredients to make these ravioli. If you're not a fan of zucchini or mushrooms feel free to add whatever sauteed veggies you'd like to the cheese mixture. Just make sure you chop them finely. These were really tasty and froze really well. I had always been a little intimidated to make ravioli but they were much simpler than I had anticipated since I used wonton skins.

Ingredients:

20-25 wonton wrappers
1 tablespoon oil
1 zucchini, shredded
5-6 mushrooms, chopped in small pieces
7-8 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat oil over medium heat and saute zucchini and mushrooms for 5-6 minutes, or until soft and tender. Remove from heat and allow them to cool to close to room temperature. Once your veggies are cool, combine ricotta, egg, and parmesan in a bowl. Stir in veggies and season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Take a wonton skin in your hand and place one spoonful of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper and fold in half, pressing the edges to seal completely and pushing the air out of the middle. Place it on a cookie sheet that is lined with wax paper. Repeat with the rest of the wonton skins and filling. Mine made about 24 ravioli. When ready to eat, boil water in a large pot, once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and stir to create a whirlpool. Add about 6 ravioli to the pot and cook for about 3 minutes, or until they float to the top of the water. Remove from the water and continue to cook as many as you will eat that day in batches. Freeze the rest of the uncooked ravioli on the baking sheet, then transfer to a ziplock bag. To cook the frozen ravioli just follow the same process, but cook for about 5-6 minutes. Serve with pasta sauce and parmesan cheese.

Baked vegetarian taquitos

Before I made this I hadn't had a taquito in probably 15 years. I haven't done a ton of looking around for them, but the ones you can find in the freezer section are definitely not vegetarian. They sometimes sound really delicious though. So I decided to create my own. The secret here is to not let them rest too long before baking because the tortillas will split open like mine did.

Ingredients:

10 corn tortillas

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 of an onion, diced

1/3 green bell pepper, diced

1/3 red bell pepper, diced

1 roma tomato, diced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 can water

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

2 dashes cayenne pepper

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it liberally with cooking spray. Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and saute onion and bell peppers in oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomato and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add beans and water and stir to combine. Add garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the beans are soft. Smash the beans with the back of a spoon (or fork) and mix until the beans become thick and relatively smooth, adding more water if necessary. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Allow this mixture to cool in the fridge for about 10 minutes. When the filling has cooled, take the tortillas and wrap them in damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds to allow them to soften. Take one tortilla at a time (and cover the rest) and spread about 2 spoonfulls of bean mixture about 1/4 of the way up the tortilla. Roll up tortilla as tightly as possible and place seam-side down on the pan. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Spray the taquitos with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tortillas have crisped up and have begun to turn brown. Serve with salsa, guacamole, or lime-cilantro sour cream.

Lasagna with zucchini and mushrooms

Lasagna is one of those hit or miss dishes for me. I really dislike it when it is watery or when the ricotta is really grainy, which I find is quite often with a lot of frozen lasagnas. I actually thought I hated lasagna for a while but it turns out that when it is made well it can be really delicious. This is not one of those lasagnas out there that uses zucchini to replace the noodles, why would someone want that? The noodles are one of the best parts! This recipe makes two small lasagnas, which is perfect for me - I could make one veggie one and then throw spicy sausage into the other one for the boyfriend. You could just as easily eat one and freeze one for later.

Ingredients:

8 lasagna noodles, broken in half and cooked
1 1/2 cups pasta sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
dash salt
2-3 cracks black pepper
1 medium zucchini, sliced thinly
1/2 a small box of mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup mozzarella, shredded

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease two small, rectangular baking dishes. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat and cook zucchini and mushrooms for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Allow them to cool slightly before assembling the lasagna. Pour just enough pasta sauce into each baking dish to cover the bottom, then lay two cooked noodles on top in order to cover the entire bottom. Pour a bit more sauce on top of the noodles, then layer a scoop of ricotta on top and smooth it out, top this with some of the sauteed veggies, then a handful of mozzarella. Continue layering like this until you are out of ingredients. On the top layer, skip the ricotta so it ends with pasta, sauce, mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese begins to brown in spots. Allow the lasagna to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Corn chowder

Soup is one of those foods that I could eat pretty much every day and be happy. This is a great soup to make at the end of summer or beginning of fall when there is plenty of good fresh corn around. The corn adds a nice amount of sweetness and crunch, which I balanced out with the creaminess of potato and the spices. It is delicious right out of the pot or, almost better, the next day after the flavors have had a chance to really come together.

Ingredients:

1/2 an onion, chopped
1/4 green pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 potato, peeled and diced
2 cups veggie stock
2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 generous dash cayenne pepper (adjust to your liking)
4-5 cracks fresh black pepper
1 ounce cream cheese
salt, to taste

Directions:

Heat a large pot over a medium-low flame and saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add potato and cover with veggie stock. Bring to a boil and place the lid on the pot but make sure it is cracked a bit so that a little steam can escape. Cook potato until it is very tender, about 10 minutes. It should be very easily broken down by a fork. Add corn kernels, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper and cook for about 5 more minutes. Blend the soup to your desired level of chunkiness, I pureed about half of mine. Then bring back up to a simmer for about 3-5 minutes. Add cream cheese and stir to make sure it melts completely. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings to your liking. Serve topped with fresh corn and green onions if desired.

Pumpkin pie smoothie

Even though tomorrow is the first official day of fall, it already feels like fall to me. There are so many great things about fall; boots, cool nights, beautiful colors, cozy sweaters, and best of all, the food. This pumpkin smoothie really does taste like pie, and unlike a pumpkin spice latte, it actually has pumpkin in it. It is delicious.

Ingredients:

1/2 an apple, chopped - I left the skin on and it was fine
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cup almond milk - I used unsweetened vanilla
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon instant oatmeal
5-6 ice cubes

Directions:

Place everything but the ice into a blender and puree until smooth. Add the ice cubes and blend until they are completely crushed and it is nice and thick, add more ice if you'd like it a little thicker.

Sweet potato, corn, and black bean enchiladas

This meal is so good. It is one of those meals that feels like it is really bad for you but really it is fairly healthy, especially if you limit the cheese on the top. I didn't really care about it being healthy so I loaded mine up with cheese. Make sure you let these rest a bit after you take them out of the oven, that way they can set up a bit and you make sure you don't burn your mouth.

Ingredients:

1 small sweet potato
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon oil, divided
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/3 cup corn
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 small can enchilada sauce
6 corn tortillas
1/3 cup - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop sweet potato into small cubes and toss with garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of oil. Roast in preheated oven for 15-25 minutes or until tender. While the sweet potato is roasting, heat remaining two teaspoons of oil in a small sauce pan. Add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender, add frozen corn and heat 2 more minutes, or until corn has heated through. Add black beans, garlic, cumin, and chili powder and heat for 2 more minutes so the beans warm through. Remove from heat. Add the sweet potato chunks when they are done and stir to combine, season with salt and pepper. Turn oven down to 350. In a small baking dish, place 1/3 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom. Take a corn tortilla and stuff with 1/4 cup (or so, just eyeball it) of filling and roll up. Place it seam side down in the pan and repeat with the rest of the tortillas and filling. Once the pan is full pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese. Place in oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Allow it to rest for about 5 minutes, then top with sour cream, avocado, lettuce, or whatever toppings you prefer.

Veggie pot pie

This is one of those meals that I had been meaning to make for a really long time but just never got around to it because it makes more food than one person can eat and I really don't like eating leftovers for days and days. I was really craving some comfort food recently so I decided to make it and I am so glad I did, it was exactly what I was in the mood for. It was creamy, full of veggies, and the crust was nice and flaky. I didn't brush mine with an egg wash, but next time I would so that the crust would turn nice and brown instead of how it looks in the picture.

Ingredients:

1/2 a small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/3 cup chopped broccoli florets, boiled
1/3 cup chopped green beans, boiled
1/3 cup frozen corn
1/3 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/4 cups warm veggie stock, or more as needed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash cayenne pepper
1 ounce cream cheese
5-6 cracks black pepper
salt, to taste
pie crust (store bought or make your own, recipe I used below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. Either prepare your pie crust and place it in the fridge or if you're using store bought, just roll out one layer of it in the bottom of a pie plate. If you're making your own you'll do this step later). In a sauce pot, heat oil over medium heat and saute the onion, carrot, and celery for about 4-6 minute or until soft. Once they are soft, add the butter to the pot and allow it to melt. Once it is melted add the flour and stir to make sure that the flour is mixed into the butter. Cook this mixture for about two minutes, stirring to make sure nothing browns. Add the wine and stir until a thick paste forms and the wine cooks down. Slowly add the warm veggie stock, stirring while you add and allow this mixture to come to a simmer, once it simmers it will thicken considerably. Once it is nice and thick (this will take a few minutes), add the corn and peas and cook for about a minute more, then throw in the cooked broccoli and green beans. Stir in the cream cheese and season with garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper, and more salt if needed. Turn off the heat and allow it to rest a bit while you roll out your pie crust. When rolling, split the dough in two parts, one for the top and one for the bottom. Place the bottom crust in the pie plate and then add your veggie mixture, place the top crust on and crimp the edges to seal everything in. Brush with egg wash if using. Place the pot pie in the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the crust is brown and sounds hollow when you tap on it. Allow it to rest for about 15 minutes before serving.

Pie crust:

1 cup flour
1/2 stick cold butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons ice water

Place flour, butter, and salt in the food processor and pulse a few times until the butter is broken up and it looks sandy. Add 2 tablespoons of water and turn it on again for a few seconds. Check the dough, add an additional tablespoon of water and turn it on again. Continue to do this until your dough just starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Press into a ball and refrigerate until you need it.

Quinoa tabbouleh with chickpeas

I love middle eastern food but I rarely stock things like bulgur wheat in my cabinet. In this version of tabbouleh I used quinoa, something I almost always have on hand, instead of the traditional bulgur. I also added some chickpeas just to make it a little more substantial since I wanted to have it as a main course instead of a side dish. Feel free to leave them out if you don't like them or want it to be a little more traditional.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
Veggie stock (about a cup)
1/3 cup chopped cucumber
1/3 cup chopped tomato
1/3 cup finely sliced red onion
1/3 cup chickpeas
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped and smashed and made into a paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt
pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

Cook quinoa in veggie stock according to package directions, then fluff with a fork and cool in the fridge. While the quinoa is cooling, combine cucumber, tomato, red onion, and chickpeas in a mixing bowl. Add the cold quinoa and the parsley and stir to combine. In a separate small bowl, combine garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and stir well to make it smooth and thick. While stirring, stream in olive oil and continue stirring until it is nice and incorporated. Taste it to check for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if needed. Pour this dressing over the quinoa and veggies and stir well. You can serve this right away or keep it in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors come together.

Fried Rice

I love fried rice, but depending on where you get your Chinese take out the fried rice may have mystery meat in it. I've seen bright pink chunks of meat in some restaurant's version. This recipe is really simple and tastes just as good as take out, plus it is probably healthier and there is zero chance of pink mystery meat. This comes together really quickly if you have leftover white rice or if you cook your rice in advance.

Ingredients:

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 a small onion, chopped
1 large (or two medium) carrots, chopped in small cubes
1/2 cup cooked peas
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon sriracha
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons soy sauce
5-6 drops sesame oil
2 cups cooked white rice, cooled

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once pan is hot, cook your eggs by swirling them around the pan until they have set up. Then flip the egg over and cook for about 30 seconds, or until the egg has been fully cooked through. Remove the egg from the pan, cut it into pieces, and set it aside. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add onions to the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until have softened a bit. Add the carrot to the pan and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to soften them. Add the peas, sriracha, and garlic powder and stir to combine. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, then add the rice. Stir and break up clumps of rice for about 3-4 minutes, or until the rice is heated through and has started to get some color from the oil and veggies. Add the egg and then the soy sauce and sesame oil and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly making sure none of the rice sticks to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and serve with extra soy sauce, sesame oil, and sriracha so that people can adjust the seasoning to their preferences.

Pierogi

I have to admit, these do require a bit of work, but I think they are worth it. This recipe makes enough for several meals, which means that you can keep the leftovers in the freezer and have them whenever you'd like. You can pretty much top these with anything. I topped a few of mine with cheese and hot sauce and a few others with sauteed mushrooms, both were delicious. These work the best with leftover mashed potatoes since they are a little more sturdy to work with.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash garlic powder
1 dash cayenne pepper (optional)
1 egg
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
3/4 cup water
2 cups of cold mashed potatoes, seasoned however you'd like*

*I seasoned mine with butter, sour cream, cheese, leeks, and salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and garlic powder (and cayenne pepper if you're using it). Make a little well in the flour and add the egg and the yogurt. Slowly and gently combine the ingredients and then add water. Stir to combine and then turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead a few times to bring it together, then let it rest for a while. After it has rested, roll the dough out pretty thinly. Mine took up most of my counter space. You'll want it to be thick enough to make sure it doesn't tear but thin enough to not be gummy or tough. Using a cookie cutter or an upside down pint glass cut dough into 3-4" circles. Fill each circle with a scoop of cold mashed potatoes and press the sides together to seal. Repeat until you've used all of the dough. Store these in the fridge while you're working so that they can get nice and chilly. Once you're done filling them, take a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. Drop 5-6 into the pot of water and stir to make sure they don't stick to the bottom. Cook them about 3 minutes, or just after they float to the top of the pot of water. Remove from the water and repeat until you've cooked all the dumplings. Allow them to cool a bit, then add as many as you'd like to eat to a saute pan with a little butter. Cook the dumplings for a few minutes over medium heat until they get a little crispy and brown on the bottom. Remove from heat and serve with whatever toppings you'd like.

You can freeze the rest of the boiled dumplings. To serve those just toss as many as you'd like into a saute pan with a pat of butter and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Then add about a 1/4 cup of water. Cover the pan and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking until they are crispy and brown on the bottom, maybe 1 minute more.

Vegetable bouillon

I am about to share with you my ultimate cooking secret weapon. This is absolutely a staple in my kitchen, and if you've looked through some of my recipes you've probably seen that I use it in almost everything. It is so much better than store bought stock or bouillon cubes and is better than stock made with scraps, which is never that consistent. Yes, there is a lot of salt in this, but it also makes a lot of bouillon. I promise this still is less salty than store bought. Also, I originally found this recipe on a blog called "In Jennie's Kitchen" and you can certainly still find the recipe there, but I've made this a few times and I have adapted it a bit to fit my tastes. The one below is my take on her original recipe.

Ingredients:

4 full sized carrots, tops cut off
3 ribs celery, cleaned
1 small onion
1 1/2 cups button mushrooms
1 leek, white and very light green parts only
10 sun-dried tomato halves
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 a lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons salt

Directions:

Get out your biggest food processor. Roughly chop all vegetables and add them to the food processor. Turn it on and run it for about a minute until everything is starting to get smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and turn the food processor on for another minute or two until everything is completely smooth and thick. Store it in the freezer. To use this as stock, dilute 1 teaspoon in 1 cup of hot water (then adjust to your liking).

Arugula and feta pasta salad

Pasta salad is one of the best summer foods. You can make a big batch of it and keep it in the fridge for a few days so you don't have to cook on super hot days. This pasta salad is a little different from how I normally make it (Dana posted that recipe to her blog, so if you want a non-creamy version you can get my recipe from her website). I loved the feta in here though, I used a fresh feta that almost dissolved into the vinaigrette to make it really creamy but still nice and light. If you don't have (or don't want) feta feel free to use cubes of mozzarella or swiss.

Ingredients:

1/2 box of pasta (shells or bow ties work well in this)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 red onion, sliced thinly
1 1/2 - 2 cups arugula
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons vinegar (white or rice vinegar)
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

Boil pasta according to directions, once fully cooked, drain and rinse with cold water. While pasta is cooking, combine veggies and cheese in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine mustard, honey, dill, salt, and garlic powder together and mix well - it will create a thick paste. Add vinegar and whisk until it starts to loosen up. Slowly drizzle in oil while whisking until it is all combined. Add pasta to the veggies and cheese, then top with the dressing. Mix well until everything is coated in the dressing. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Watermelon salad

This salad is slightly spicy but is really refreshing on a hot day. This is a great way to use up the rest of a watermelon if you have some left over after a barbecue. Feel free to adjust the spice by adding or reducing the amount of jalapeno, or even replacing it with serrano peppers if you want it hotter.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped watermelon
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 a jalapeno, sliced
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
salt, to taste

Directions:

Place everything in a mixing bowl and stir to combine, season with salt according to your tastes.

Zucchini and feta cakes

One of the easiest veggies to grow in the summer is zucchini, which means you can almost always find someone looking to give a few away at the end of the season. This is a really good way to use them up. When you're making these just be sure to squeeze out as much water as you can from the zucchini.

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, shredded on a box grater
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon dill
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
pepper, to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
lemon wedges

Directions:

Squeeze out as much water as you possibly can from the zucchini and then place it in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the feta, egg, dill, garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne and mix well. Stir in the flour and the baking powder and mix very gently until it is just combined (don't over mix). Heat a cast iron skillet over low heat and when it is hot (wait a minute or two for it to really heat up) add the oil. Place spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture into the oil and gently push them into a flattened patty. Cook for about 3 minutes, flip, then cook for another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt while still warm, then serve with lemon on top. I served mine with arugula, lemon, and tomato and then a runny egg on top.

Soft pretzel sticks

Growing up we always called these "hot pretzels", I've been told that no one else says that. Just like no one else calls nachos "chips and cheese". Whatever, soft (hot) pretzels are delicious and relatively easy, although they do require a few steps and a bit of time. These are delicious served with cheese sauce or this mustard (or this mustard!).

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups flour
10 cups water
1/2 cup baking soda
coarse salt for sprinkling on top

Directions:

Combine butter, water, yeast, and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixture. Stir things together and allow it to sit until it becomes nice and bubbly and the yeast has dissolved into the water. Then add salt and flour and mix with a dough hook for 3-5 minutes on medium-low until the dough is smooth, elastic, and forms a ball that pulls away from the side of the bowl. Knead it for a few times by hand and then place back in your bowl. Cover with a towel and allow it to rise for 1 - 1.5 hours until it doubles in size. After it has risen, preheat oven to 425 and bring 10 cups water and baking soda to a boil in a large pot. Cut dough in six pieces and roll each into a log with your hands that is about 1/2 an inch thick. Cut into sticks that are about 3-4 inches in length (or however big you want them, but just remember that they will puff up). Roll out all the dough, then drop four pieces at a time into the boiling water. Boil for 30 seconds, then place on a cookie sheet lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle the boiled dough with coarse salt and repeat with dough until your cookie sheet is full. Bake for 13-16 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool pretzels on a cooling rack and continue with the rest of your dough.

Spinach artichoke dip

I love spinach artichoke dip. It's creamy, warm, and gooey, but it is also loaded with veggies which always makes me think that I'm being at least somewhat healthy. It is actually not that hard to make your own, feel free to change the amount of cheese or veggies to your liking. I've also added a shredded zucchini on occasion, which is also really tasty.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup veggie stock
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 a small onion, minced
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a sauce pan, melt butter over low heat and add flour. Whisk together and cook for a few minutes until it is thick and bubbly. Slowly whisk in stock to the roux and simmer for 3-5 minutes to thicken (it should be able to coat the back of a spoon). Season with garlic powder, pepper, and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Add 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella and stir until melted. In a separate pan heat oil over medium heat, add onion and garlic and saute a few minutes until softened. Add spinach and artichokes and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add this mixture to the roux. Stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes so that everything comes together and is thick and bubbly. Transfer this to an oven-proof dish that is sprayed with non-stick spray. Top with 1/4 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons parmesan. Broil until the cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 2-3 minutes, but watch it carefully. Serve with crostini or tortilla chips.

Raw vegetable flatbread

Sometimes I really just crave fresh veggies, especially if I've been eating heavy foods or eating at restaurants quite a bit. This flatbread is fairly light and is packed with veggies. We used to eat something like this growing up but I put my own spin on it. This recipe uses half a package of crescent rolls, you could double this to make a big one or you could use the other half for Cheaters' stromboli like I did.

Ingredients:

1/2 a package of crescent roll dough, pressed out into one rectangle
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dill
1 1/4 cup chopped veggies (any amount of each depending on what you like):
     -broccoli
     -carrot
     -cucumber
     -tomato
     -red onion
     -green pepper
     -red pepper
     -green onion
1/2 an avocado, mashed well
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of salt
1/2 a lime, juiced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Directions:

Cook crescent rolls according to package, remove from oven and allow to cool a bit. While it is cooling, mix cream cheese, garlic, salt, and dill together. In a separate bowl, combine avocado, sour cream, garlic, salt, lime, and cilantro together and mix until very smooth then transfer to a small ziplock bag, cut one corner off the bag so that you can pipe it easily. Once crescent roll dough is mostly cooled spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the dough. Spread chopped veggies over the cream cheese and press down a bit to make sure it sticks. Take the bag with the avocado cream and pipe a small line over the entire flatbread. Cut in squares and serve.

Asian quinoa salad

I brought this dish to work for my coworkers recently and a few of them asked me to post the recipe here, so here it is guys! This recipe is really flexible, so feel free to add or change the veggies based on what you have on hand or what sounds good to you! The amount of each veggie is also really subjective so just use this as a guideline

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup veggie stock
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup cooked, shelled edamame
2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup shredded purple cabbage
1 sizable handful cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 a lime, juiced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 clove garlic, made into a paste
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 green onion, sliced in rings
1 dash crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

Cook quinoa in veggie stock according to package directions. While that is cooking, combine veggies and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. After quinoa is done cooking, allow it to cool for a while and then add it on top of the veggies. In a small mixing bowl combine the rest of the ingredients (oil through red pepper flakes) and whisk to make sure there are no lumps of garlic left. Add half the dressing mixture to the quinoa/veggie bowl and stir well. Taste and continue to add dressing until you're happy with the flavor of the salad. Serve warm or cold.

Blueberry muffins

Muffins are a great breakfast food or snack and the best part about them is that they freeze really well, which means that you can make a batch and then have them whenever you want. I like my blueberry muffins with a bit of lemon, but if you don't then just leave it out.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter (room temp)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir in half the flour, all the salt, and baking powder and mix. Add in the buttermilk and the rest of the flour and stir until mostly smooth. Fold in the blueberries. Fill muffin pans with liners and spray with non-stick spray. Fill muffin cups most of the way full with batter (they will look really full, thats ok!). Top with a sprinkling of sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then transfer the muffins to a cooling rack.

Lemonade by the glass

Lemonade is delicious and the powdered versions don't come close to the real thing. This recipe makes just one glass and uses just one lemon, which makes it really simple to throw together on a hot day. I typically make a huge batch of simple syrup and then store it in the fridge, which means that you can sweeten pretty much anything whenever you want.

Ingredients:

1 lemon, cut in eighths

3 tablespoons simple syrup*

1 1/2 cups cold water

ice

Directions:

Squeeze each section of the lemon into a glass, trying to get as much out of the lemon as possible. Add simple syrup to lemon juice and mix. Top with cold water and ice. Stir to combine. Add more syrup if necessary. 

*simple syrup is made by dissolving equal parts sugar and water together in a sauce pan. Simmer it for about 5 minutes, then allow to cool. 

Asparagus, sun-dried tomato, and olive quinoa

Quinoa has a ton of protein in it, which makes it a perfect food for vegetarians to rely on. This is served warm, but you could just as easily eat the leftovers cold as well. If you don't like olives you could swap them out for mushrooms. If you use the mushrooms instead just slice them and saute them with the asparagus.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons quinoa, rinsed
3/4 cup veggie stock
1/2 cup asparagus slices
1 tablespoon oil
3 sun-dried tomato halves, soaked in hot water
5-6 black olives, sliced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
black pepper
salt

Directions:

Combine quinoa and water and cook according to package directions. While this is cooking, saute asparagus in oil over medium-low heat for about 5-6 minutes or until tender. Season asparagus with salt. Remove tomatoes from the hot water and slice in small pieces. When quinoa is finished, add parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and all of your vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

Tofu tikka masala

There is a place near me that makes this incredible paneer tikka masala and I've been hoping to try to recreate it at home. This actually a pretty close version using tofu instead of paneer. You could easily use paneer if you wanted and the process wouldn't change. Serve this with rice and naan.

Ingredients:

1/2 block tofu, drained and pressed and cut in cubes
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 green pepper, sliced
1/4 red pepper, sliced
1/2 an onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, made into a paste
1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
3/4 cup crushed tomato
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 cardamom pod, cracked open and seeds crushed
1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup plain yogurt

Directions:

In a saute pan, heat oil over medium heat and cook tofu for 3-5 minutes, or until lightly browned on the sides. Remove from pan. Add the bell pepper strips and onion to the pan, adding more oil if necessary and saute for 3-5 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat. In a medium sauce pot, combine garlic, ginger, tomato, water, cumin, garam masala, cardamom, cumin, coriander, cayenne, paprika, salt, and butter. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes or until it has thickened up a bit. Add tofu and sauteed veggies and cook about 2-4 minutes more, or until the veggies are very soft and the tofu is evenly coated. Turn off heat and stir in yogurt. Serve with rice and naan.

French onion soup

I love french onion soup. The problem is that traditionally it is made using beef stock, which makes it not as appealing for vegetarians. I use red wine and good veggie stock in my version to still get the same richness you'd expect from french onion soup without any of the beef flavor. This does take some time to make (and a lot of stirring) but you can make it really quickly if you already have caramelized onions on hand.

Ingredients:

3 yellow onions, sliced in half moons
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup red wine
3-4 cracks black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2-3 cups veggie stock
1 bay leaf
mozzarella, swiss, or provolone cheese
baguette slices, toasted and buttered

Directions:

Over medium heat, melt butter then add onions. Cook for 20 minutes stirring every few minutes, then cook about 10 more minutes stirring every minute or less until onions are caramelized but not burned. Add wine and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Add black pepper and garlic powder and allow the wine to reduce by about half. Add stock until you have the thickness you'd like for your soup. Add bay leaf and allow it to simmer for about 15 minutes over low heat. Place a few ladles of soup in a bowl, add toasted and buttered baguette slices, top with cheese. Place bowl under the broiler and broil for about 1 minute or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Teriyaki "chick'n" sandwich

I am not one for fake meat substitutes. Most of them are either pretty gross or pretty bland. Sometimes those fake meat patties make things really easy though, like at a bbq with friends, or when you want a quick dinner. This recipe is one of those quick dinner go-tos.

Ingredients:

1 fake chicken patty
1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 dash garlic powder
1 ring of fresh pineapple
lettuce
red onion
mayo
sub bun, lightly toasted

Directions:

Place pineapple on a heated george foreman grill, press for a few minutes until it is tender. While the pineapple is "grilling", heat the fake chicken patty in the microwave according to package directions. In a small saute pan, mix ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic powder together and heat over low heat until everything is combined and sugar has melted. Add cooked fake chicken to the sauce and stir to coat, it should thicken as it heats and coat the patty well. Smear the mayo on the toasted sub bun, add the fake chicken patty, top with pineapple, lettuce, and red onion.

Naan

I've been cooking a lot of Indian food recently, and every time I make it I make naan to go with it so I can soak up the sauce. I found frozen naan at Trader Joes. It was $3 for two pieces. I bought it because it seemed convenient but it was no where near as good as the home made stuff, plus the home made stuff is pretty easy as long as you have enough time to let it rise. I used my cast iron to cook these and I prefer them to get a little charred and smokey, but if you don't like that flavor just take them off the pan before they darken.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon yeast

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine water, sugar. and yeast and mix until the yeast dissolves into the water and turns a bit foamy. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, oil, and yogurt. When yeast has dissolved, mix it into the flour bowl and stir to combine. Turn out onto a well floured surface and knead for 5 minutes or so, or until it forms a nice, smooth ball that isn't sticky. Place this back into your mixing bowl and cover with a cloth. Let it rise for about an hour. After an hour, take the dough and cut it into 4-6 pieces. If you want fat, puffy naan do 4. If you want thin, pillow-y naan do 6. (I always do 6). Roll out each piece until it is 6-7 inches in diameter. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat for several minutes. When the pan is hot, brush each piece of naan with water. Take one piece at a time and place the watered side onto the cast iron. Cover with a lid for 30 seconds, take the lid off, flip it over and cook uncovered for 30 more seconds. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Pineapple salsa

This salsa is really tasty. It is definitely a little different than your typical tomato salsa but it is worth a try! I used fresh pineapple and I really wouldn't bother with the canned stuff for this since you want it pretty acidic.

Ingredients:

1 cup of diced fresh pineapple
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 a small jalapeno, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 a lime, juiced
1 large handful cilantro, torn in small pieces

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir to combine. Taste and add more lime or cilantro if necessary. Allow it to chill for about 30 minutes to let flavors come together. Serve with tortilla chips.

Orange tofu

I really, honestly think this is just as good as takeout. Seriously. The sauce is thick, shiny, and sweet and it reheats really nicely in case you have leftovers. This also comes together really quickly, especially if you've cooked your tofu in advance. Feel free to add more veggies to this, I just used what I had around. If you add tons and tons more veggies you may want to increase the sauce a bit though.

Ingredients:

1/2 block of tofu, cubed and pressed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon corn syrup (or sugar)
1 teaspoon sriracha
2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 an onion, sliced
1/4 green pepper, sliced
1/4 red pepper, sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. Combine tofu, garlic powder, celery salt, 1 tablespoon oil, and corn starch in a small bowl and toss to coat well. Place tofu on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with non stick spray. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn cubes and cook for 10 more minutes. While the tofu cooks, combine water, soy sauce, vinegar, corn syrup, sriracha, cornstarch, orange juice, and garlic powder and stir to blend ingredients. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet and saute the onion, and pepper strips for 3-5 minutes, or until softened slightly. Add cubes of tofu and stir to combine. Add your sauce mixture and reduce heat. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce is thick and shiny and coats the veggies. Serve with rice.

Quinoa balls

Quinoa is packed with protein and fiber, which makes it really filling but it is a grain which can limit its uses. This recipe turns quinoa into something like a meatball (obviously with no meat) so that you can use it in recipes that call for meat. I've tossed these quinoa balls in buffalo sauce and used them in chinese stir-fries, both were delicious. These freeze well so you can have them on hand when you want them. These are mildly spiced so that they are versatile in many dishes, but you could play around with the seasonings to match what you'll be using them for.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup veggie stock
1 large stalk celery
2 green onions
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash cayenne pepper
salt
pepper
1 egg
1 tablespoon flour*

Directions:

Cook quinoa in veggie stock according to your package directions (cooking times vary with different brands). Remove from heat and allow to cool. While it is cooling, puree celery and green onions in a food processor until they are very finely chopped. Once the quinoa is cooled, add the pureed veggies, garlic powder, cayenne, and season with salt and pepper. Add the egg and mix well. *If it looks really wet and you're unable to form it into balls, add up to a tablespoon of flour and mix again. Heat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil, spray foil with non-stick spray. Form quinoa into 1 inch (approximately) balls and place on baking sheet. Spray with non-stick spray and bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through. After 20 minutes, turn on the broiler and broil for about 30 seconds to a minute to get a golden brown coating. Remove from heat and serve.

Sangritzer

This is, by far, my favorite summer drink. I call it sangritzer because it is a cross between sangria and a white wine spritzer. I don't add any additional alcohol to the wine just because I want it to be easy to drink and relatively light, but feel free to booze it up a bit if you want. You can use pretty much any fruit you want for this but make sure you use a fruity, crisp wine.

Ingredients:

6-8 ounces of frozen fruit (I used a mango, pineapple, strawberry mix)
1 bottle of white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc)
2 liter bottle of sparkling water

Directions:

Cut frozen fruit into small pieces. Add to a large pitcher. Pour bottle of wine over frozen fruit and stir. I like to allow people to add as much or as little water as they'd like so I don't add it to the pitcher. Instead, I just encourage people to pour the fruity wine into a glass and then top each individual serving with sparkling water, this way it stays fizzy as well. I've found that a 50/50 split is a good starting point for most people, but adjust to your liking.

Chana Masala

The spice list on this recipe is long, I'll admit that, but it is so easy to make that just about anyone could do it. Mango powder is somewhat of an odd ingredient, but don't let it scare you off, if you don't have it just use lemon juice.

Ingredients:

1 can chick peas, drained
1/2 onion, diced
1 tablespoon oil
1 large (2 smaller) clove(s) garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you want it spicier)
1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder
2-3 teaspoons mango powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 lemon, juiced
cilantro leaves

Directions:

Place chickpeas in a small pot and cover with water. Boil for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside. While they are boiling, cook onion in oil over medium-low heat until it is soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and jalapeno and cook for one more minute. Add cumin, coriander, cayenne, tumeric, mango powder, paprika and garam masala and cook one more minute until everything is fragrant and browning just a bit. Add salt, water, and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Add your drained chickpeas and continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes, checking to make sure it isn't drying out (if it is just add more water). When chickpeas are tender remove from heat and add lemon juice, stir to combine. Top with cilantro leaves and serve with rice and naan.

Potato leek soup

I brought this soup in to work to share with my coworkers once a year or two ago and people are still talking about how good it was. It is so simple but it is really comforting. You can serve this completely smooth or you can serve it a little chunky like I do, both ways are delicious. This is great on its own or you can top it with cheese, green onions, hot sauce, tomato, and/or bacon if you're not vegetarian.

Ingredients:

1 leek, white and very light green parts only, sliced in half moons
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium (or 1 extra large) potato, peeled and cubed
3-4 cups veggie stock
1 ounce cream cheese
pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, combine leek, butter, and olive oil and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the leek is very tender but before it browns. Add cubed potato and add just enough stock to cover the potatoes by about a 1/4 inch (mine took a little more than 3 cups). Bring to a gentle boil and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you want your soup chunky, remove about a 1/3 of the potatoes from the pot after 7-8 minutes (or until they are fork tender but not mushy). Continue boiling the rest of the potatoes for another 10-15 minutes, or until they are very soft and mushy. Using an immersion blender, blend the mushy potatoes until they are smooth. Stir to get everything off the bottom and then add the cream cheese, stirring well to incorporate. Add the reserved potatoes back in and stir. If it is thicker than you'd like, add a bit more stock until you have your desired consistency. Season with pepper and let cook for about 1 more minute just to heat everything through. Serve alone or with cheese, hot sauce, green onion, etc.

Pineapple quesadillas

These quesadillas are a little different since they have pineapple in them, but they are both spicy and sweet. If you want more spice just increase the amount of chili powder (and add a dash of cayenne). I served these with bbq sauce on the side and shredded lettuce for a little more crunch.

Ingredients:

2 flour tortillas
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh pineapple
1 tablespoon chopped red onion

Directions:

In a small bowl, heat cream cheese until soft, add mozzarella and chili powder and mix well. Spread half the cheese mixture on one tortilla. Top with green pepper, pineapple, and red onion. Add the remaining cheese mixture on top and cover with remaining tortilla. Place the quesadilla on aluminum foil on a baking sheet and spray with non-stick spray, place under the broiler. Broil for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip and broil for another 2-3 minutes, or until the other side is equally brown and crispy. Check your quesadillas regularly when under the broiler since all broilers are different. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 1-2 minutes. Cut in wedges with a pizza cutter. Serve with bbq sauce.

Strawberry cream cheese crepes

All the prep work should be done the night before, so plan ahead for these!! Despite needing to think ahead, these are so easy. Crepes have a reputation for being challenging, but really they are quite simple. So simple that it is sort of silly that they cost $10-$15 at a restaurant.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cream cheese
10 strawberries
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 egg
1 small pat of butter
1 dash salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

In a food processor, combine cream cheese, strawberries, 1 teaspoon sugar, and lemon juice. Pulse to combine then process for a few seconds straight so that it is nice and smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate overnight. In a blender, combine the rest of the ingredients (water through vanilla) and blend until very smooth. Transfer to a sealable container and place in fridge overnight. When you're ready to cook them, place a non-stick saute pan over medium heat and spray it with non-stick spray. Place 1/4 cup of batter on hot pan and swirl the pan to coat it thinly and evenly. Cook for about 1 minute, or when the bottom begins to bubble and turn very light brown. Carefully flip crepe using an offset spatula and your fingers and cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and continue with the rest of the batter. To serve, place a dollop of the strawberry cream cheese in the center of each crepe and fold in triangle shape. Top with sliced strawberries or whipped cream or powdered sugar.

Corn cakes

These corn cakes are just as good for dinner as they are for breakfast. For dinner, serve as is or with black beans. For breakfast, serve with eggs. These are really delicious and they also freeze well just in case you can't eat all of them. I served mine with easy blended salsa.


Ingredients:

1 box jiffy cornbread mix
1 egg
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup corn
1 green onion, chopped
1 small handful cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon jalapeno (adjust to your taste)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except butter and vegetable oil in a bowl until just combined. Let rest for 5 or so minutes. Heat a cast iron skillet over low-ish heat and melt butter and vegetable oil together in pan. Take approximately 1/3 cup of batter and pour into hot pan (I cooked about 3 at a time). Cook until edges look cooked and are starting to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Repeat with the rest of the batter, adding more oil and butter if necessary. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and/or black beans.

Cilantro mint dipping sauce

 

This sauce is really delicious. It is bright and fresh and slightly spicy. This sauce is sort of like the one you get as an appetizer at Indian restaurants. I served this with naan but it would be great with pita bread or pita chips or along side a spicy curry dish. Feel free to adjust the spice according to your preference.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon lemon juice (I used half a lemon)
2 tablespoons water
salt, to taste

Directions:

Combine everything in a food processor and pulse a few times, then turn on until everything is smooth and well combined. Season with salt as necessary and add more water if you would like to change the consistency. Serve with naan.

Parmesan herb salad dressing

I recently bought a huge thing of buttermilk because it was the only size container available, which has forced me to get creative with how to use it all up. I decided to try making a creamy dressing at home and it was really delicious, much better than bottled dressing. I also used all low-fat ingredients here but use what you have on hand.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup buttermilk
2 rounded tablespoons mayo
1-2 rounded tablespoon(s) sour cream
1 clove garlic, made into a paste*
1 green onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon dill
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup pamesan cheese
5-6 cracks black pepper
salt, to taste

Directions:

Mix buttermilk, mayo, and sour cream together until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well, making sure to mix up the garlic paste well. Season with salt. Store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using to allow the flavors to come together.

*Make a garlic paste by mincing the garlic clove as finely as possible. Then sprinkle liberally with salt. Take the flat side of your knife and scrape the garlic and salt together several times until it forms a thick, smooth paste.