Sofrito. So-do-it-o.

How can there be so much delicious food in the world? I don't understand, shouldn't there be a limit? There are just so many ways to combine tomatoes and onions. You add one spice, cook one thing differently and WHAM, entirely new flavor combinations to amuse your pallete. I know it's obvious, but I am so amazed at how many different ways there are to use the same ingredients. I want to know them ALL. But of course that takes time, blah blah. This recipe comes from Jose Andres, or Mr. Tapas, as I refer to him. He is a super famous chef who has restaurants, cookbooks, and nice belly, you know the usuals for a good chef. Sofrito is a classic spanish tomato sauce that has a ton of variations. The ingredients are simple, so there are plenty of ways to try your own spin on this classic sauce. Do not use traditional paprika here, the spanish smoked paprika is essential in creating the smoky flavor.

The onions part 1: Cooking

The onions part 2: Caramelized and ready for maters!

Sofrito

Based on Jose Andres recipe

Just remove bay leaves and serve! Or store for later.

The Goods: Makes about 2 cups
1 (28 oz) can whole plum tomatoes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 small onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
1 teaspoon spanish smoked paprika
2 to 3 bay leaves

The Deal: 
1. Heat oil and butter on medium heat in a large saute pan. Add onions, sugar, and salt and stir to evenly mix ingredients. Heat onions until browned and caramelized, about 40-45 minutes. Stir occasionally and reduce the heat if the onions begin to burn.

2. While the onions are cooking drain the plum tomatoes. Place whole tomoatoes in a food processor and blend until chunky, about 10 pulses. This is a very up to you step, puree more if you want a smoother sauce, blend less if you like a chuncky sauce.

3. When your onions are caramelized add tomato puree, paprika and bay leaves. Stir and heat about another 20 minutes. Add additonal salt if needed. Remove bay leaves before serving or storing.

It's Chili Yall.

With the weather dropping, sorta depending where you live, I think most of us want something warm and simple to come home to. And if you are like me, with all this holiday insanity, you need something that doesn't take a lot of time. Soups and Chili are the perfect fix. With only a little chopping you throw everything into a pot and cook it until the flavors meld, which gives you just enough time to open the wine and snuggle up to a book. 

This recipe is a meld of a few different vegetarian chili dishes I found. You can add all sort of other vegetables such as zucchini, sweet potatoes, peppers, etc but I was looking for something with almost no chopping needed. My kitchen had been usurped by my roommate all day so it was 9pm before I could start dinner. Given the circumstance, I needed dinner to be quick so did not add a ton of vegetables. As I said, there a million variations, but this is a great basic chili to add on as you see fit. The flavors are rich and it's healthy to boot! You could also play with beans, using pinto or white northern beans, along with the classic black bean for a variation. As I said chili is fairly versatile, but knowing what spices to use helps your chili stand out.
Most of us will be eating fairly gourmet this weekend, but next week I urge you to make this simple, healthy chili. Make it on Monday and have lunch for the rest of the week :)

Vegetarian Chili
Based on "Vegetarian Pleasures" Black Bean Chili

The Goods: Makes a big ole pot of Chili, serves 4-6

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil 

2 medium onions, diced

6 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms, stemmed, wiped clean and cubed

2 cups fresh corn kernels (frozen is fine) 

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes in their juices

3 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups vegetable stock or water

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne (more if you want a spicy chili)

Suggested toppings: 

Sour cream and chives

Sliced Avocado

Shredded Cheddar

Fresh Cilantro

The Deal: 

1. Heat oil on medium high heat in a large stock pot. Add onions and garlic, cooking until soft, about 3 minutes. Add corn and mushrooms and cook until soft and browned around the edges, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chili powder, soy sauce, cumin, oregano, ginger, cinnamon, salt and cayenne, stirring constantly and cooking until fragrant about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, black beans, and vegetable stock and mix well while bringing to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, keeping a good simmer until thickened, but not pasty, about 30 minutes. Taste and add seasonings if desired. 

Serve warm over brown rice. This also reheats beautifully, add a bit of water if too thick when reheating in a pot. 

Fresh Vegetable Sauce with Pasta

This is a really quick way to eat your vegetables and have dinner on the table in under 20 minutes. This dish appealed to the lazy daisy inside me, who doesn't always want to spend an hour or two cooking on a weeknight. Sometimes I need something quick, that is also nutritious, and of course yummy. Especially when cooking for healthy boyfriend, he is not a fan of the ole bread and cheese dinner I used to be so fond of. It's good to keep him around because he is constantly making sure there is enough healthy food on the dinner plate.
This sauce is easy, and most of the vegetables are in season right now. Not sure about the rest of the country but in NC you can still buy tomatoes, eggplant, onions, and garlic at the farmers market.
The combination of these vegetables was lovely, which makes sense given they all grow around the same time. Food that grows to together, stays together. Or should anyway.
Only a few chops and 15 minutes stands between you and a healthy dinner!

Pasta with Fresh Vegetable Sauce

Adapted from Jacques Pepin's Table

Be sure to boil the pasta-cooking water before you begin the vegetable sauce. It only takes about 7 minutes to make the sauce and 8 minutes to cook the pasta, so have your water boiling before you begin.

The Goods: Serves 4

1/2 pound spaghetti (number 4)
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1 large red onion (1 1/2 cups), halved and thinly sliced
1 small eggplant (6 ounces), diced into 1/2-inch pieces
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
2 ripe tomatoes (12 ounces), seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons parsely, coarsely chopped
2-3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

The Deal: 

1. Bring water to a boil. Add pasta, return water to a boil, and cook for about 8 minutes, until pasta is just tender to bite.

2. Meanwhile heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the onions and eggplant until soft and browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and mix in the garlic. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Mix throughly and set aside.

Accidently diced my onion, but just slice thin into strips

3. Remove 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water, and add it to the eggplant mixture. Drain the pasta, add it to the saucepan, and toss to coat it with the vegetables. Serve immediately, and sprinkle with parsley and parmesan to taste. 

Pizza Two Ways: Peach, Tempeh Bacon, & Goat Cheese or Margarita

Two different pizzas united to defeat bland flavor

Certain foods are a part of me. As much as I try to change my eating habits, more vegetables, less cheese and bread, I am atomically drawn to pizza. Many of my eating habits come from the foods I loved growing up, and I don't think there was a week in our house where we didn't have pizza. Compared to many normal American households, we ate fairly healthy, but my mother is a fan of cheese and bread. And in turn, so am I. Vegetables and healthy food were staples as well, as Mom was a vegetarian most of my childhood.

 My poor mother had a the most stoubborn daughter (that's me) when it came to eating vegetables. If it wasn't fried, smothered in cheese, or involving barbecue sauce I refused to eat it. Even when forced to eat vegetables, I would often go to the bathroom after dinner and vomit them up. REEEEE. DICULOUS. Thank goodness I had other good qualities, because I have no clue how she put up with me all those years. I was a terror at the dinner table. Not until college and traveling did I open my culinary mouth to all the remarkable tastes out there. I remember my mother came to visit me in Holland, where I studied abroad for a semester, and was shocked to see me eat food without knowing what it was. A mother's patience finally rewarded.

Holy peaches this was a good pie.

Margarita (with needed to be used mushrooms)

All that being said, it still feels wrong to go a week without pizza. Im always working on making them healthier, but I still like cheese on my pizza. I see those vegan almost all vegetable pizzas out there; well done to those who can eat them and be satisfied, but a pizza without cheese is like summer without strawberries. Now making my own sauce and dough, and using all vegetarian toppings does makes it healthier, but it's still no salad on a tortilla. Yes, I saw a recipe for "pizza" that was literally a whole wheat tortilla with a tablespoon of sauce, mixed greens and like 5 different steamed vegetables. Call me fat, but that AINT pizza to me. Thats a salad with a tortilla bowl. 

Margarita pizza is the most classic type of pizza, showcasing what makes a pizza great. Good mozzarella, quality sauce and basil, its all you need. I added mushrooms because I had some about to be wasted, as always better to eat it then trash it. 

The second pizza was possibly one of the best pizzas I've ever had. For someone who's eaten pizza almost every week for 27 years, thats SAYING something. Peaches, goat cheese and tempeh bacon, my mouth is literally mouth dreaming about it right now. Healthy boyfriend was skeptical, in fact said "Peaches on pizza? Really?" To which I replied, "Really!" and the rest was delicious history. He hates pineapple on pizza ( I know who IS this guy?) but he loved this peach pizza creation. Combined with the goat cheese and tempeh bacon, yall I am telling you, you NEED to make this pizza. You're mouth and happy tummy will thank you. 

Never thought you would make your own pizza crust and sauce? Well neither did I! Honestly it was cheaper than buying the same pre-made items, and just took a little time and effort. Dough does have to rise for at least an hour, but it only takes 10 minutes to make, so you can let it rise while preparing the rest of your meal. Use bread flour if you can, it has the most protein of any other flour, which makes a difference in the oven. All purpose will work, just not as well. Nothing was difficult, just needed a little forethought. If you are one for potlucking or cooking with friends, making your own pizzas never fails. Everyone brings ingredients, you prepare the sauce and crust, and viola, fun times ahead!

Pizza Two Ways: Peach, Tempeh Bacon, & Goat Cheese or Margarita

The Goods: Makes two 10 inch pizzas
1 recipe homemade pizza dough (see below) or store bought

Quick Pizza Sauce:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2-3 small cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper (optional)

Toppings:
12 ozs of fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 large ripe peach, peeled and sliced 1/4
1/2 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)
4 slices hickory smoked Tempeh Bacon
1/2 cup goat cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil, chiffonade

The Deal: 
1. On medium heat, place olive oil in a large pot with garlic and crushed red pepper, if using. Saute until aromatic, about one minute. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer until sauce thickens about 20 minutes.

Sauteing onions

Sauce! 

2. While you sauce is cooking, fry your bacon. Heat a dash of grapeseed oil in a medium saute pan on meduim high heat. When oil is shimmering, add bacon and fry until crispy, about 2 minutes on each side. Set aside to cool and then crumble. Begin to roll out your dough into two 10 inch round doughs. Be sure to make an inch border. Brush each dough with around a teaspoon of olive oil, being sure to get the edges. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, and place your cookie sheets or pizza pan in oven to warm.

3. Once your sauce is ready, remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes. To make margarita pizza, spread a thin layer of sauce over first dough, add mozzarella slices, mushrooms if using, and finish with parmesan. You will add the basil after the pizza is cooked. To make other pizza, spread sauce, then mozzarella, sprinkle peaches evenly, tempeh bacon, then finish with goat cheese.

Pizza One

Pizza Two

4. Place both your pizzas in the oven on pizza pans, or inverted cookie sheets. Cook for 12-16 minutes, rotating half way through to ensure even cooking. Remove from heat when crust and cheese are lightly golden brown. Sprinkle Margarita pizza with basil. Serve hot! But be careful of burning.

Simple Pizza Dough
The Goods: 
3 cups bread flour (all purpose will work), plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon instant or rapid rise yeast
2 tablespoon olive oil, plus one teaspoon
1-1 1/4 cups warm water
2 teaspoon coarse kosher sea salt

The Deal: 
1. Combine the yeast, flour, and 2 teaspoons salt in a food processor or standing mixer. Turn the machine on and add one cup of water and 2 tablespoons of oil through the feed tube. Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water a little at a time until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If dry, add water a little at at time.

2. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand a few seconds to form a smooth round dough ball. Grease a bowl with remaining olive oil and place dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap or damp cloth and let rise in a warm, draft free spot until the dough doubles in size, 1-2 hours.

Eggplant Caviar

Chips and Dip, who doesn't love that?

And Im BAAAACCK! Its been oh too long since my last post but not to fear. Your mostly vegetarian, mostly healthy blogger is back with a bunch of new yummy recipes. (Insert personal sigh of relief here)

The last two months have been exhausting, blissful, confusing, exciting, and mostly ridiculous. I am finally in a new home(three cheers to that!) that has a kitchen so beautiful I would live in it, if that wasn't impractical on every level.

I also was on vacation and abandoned my healthy eating routine for convenient junk food eating. I now know that its unlikely I will ever eat uber-unhealthy again in my life. Sure I have more pizza than I should, and I can always eat less meat, but eating mostly junk food for even a few days made my tummy and body feel awful. Too much salt, sugar, and processed crap made me feel tired, grumpy, and constantly nauseous. Though it can be fun to indulge in chips, soda, and magic shell(Damn you delicious magic shell) the effect it has on my body is not worth it. Vacations are for being ridiculous, and eating to the extreme, but I must say Im happy to be back in the land of brown rice and steamed broccoli. I also missed cooking and blogging and now I finally have a nice clean kitchen to cook in!

So Im jumping back in a with a healthy dip that can served as an appetizer, spread on a sandwich, or even a base for a pizza. Not sure why its called caviar, its from The old Quick Vegetarian Pleasures book, and apparently is Russian in origin. This book doesn't seem to have a bad recipe in it, I'm telling yall, Jeanne Lemlin is WHERE ITS AT. These books are over 20 years old, but the recipes are spot on tasty. Also for the most part affordable, which any gal/guy on a budget can appreciate.

The ingredient list drew me to this dish because it is only vegetables. Also eggplant is a vegetarians best friend, and I want to have as many ways to cook it as possible. Green bell peppers are in the mix as well, and since I seem to hate their taste, Im trying to use them in more dishes to build up a tolerance for them. I know that sometimes you just don't like how a food tastes, but I never thought I would like ANY vegetables, and now I love so many. You are next bell peppers, watch out!

Vegetable delicious-ness

I recommend serving this with crackers, assorted vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, celery, or homemade pita chips. To make your own pita chips just cut your round pita into triangles, bake on a cookie sheet it for about 5 minutes at 425 degrees and BOOM, delicious homemade pita chips for your dining pleasure. FYI Pita bread is about as cheap as it gets, and so versatile. I try to keep it around for quick chips, making pita pizzas or sandwiches. Plus it comes in whole wheat!

Looking for a way to jazz up your normally bland vegetable sandwich? Take some good hearty wheat bread, fresh spinach, sprouts, carrots, tomato, slap the eggplant spread on each slice of bread and you have a great lunch.

Get creative, this is healthy, delicious, and taste perfect at room temperature. Enjoy!

Eggplant Caviar 

The Goods: Serves 6-8 as an appetizer, about 3 cups

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

1 16 ounce can plum tomatoes, drained well and finely diced

1 green bell pepper, cored, and finely diced

1 medium eggplant, peeled and finely diced

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, more to taste

The Deal: 
1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until soft about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and saute another 5 minutes, stirring often.

2. Reduce heat to medium and stir in remaining ingredients, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes, until the eggplant is very tender. Stir periodically.

Vegetables just added, so pretty :)

3. Remove lid and cook until all the juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Ready to be blended

4. Place half of the eggplant mixture in a food processor(or blender) and puree until smooth. Stir back into the remaining mixture. Remove from heat and place in a serving bowl. Serve at room temperature.

Basic Bruschetta

Oh tomato, why must we fight? I love you in sauce, in bottles of ketchup and even ground up into paste, but on your own, I just don't get it.

Fresh Basil=happy mouths

Well I plan to end this battle once and for all. I WILL love you tomato, all on your own, even if I must eat you every day this summer! Do you hear me!?!?!

For some odd reason, I've never enjoyed just tomatoes. I rip them of sandwiches, or pick them off salads quickly and plop them on healthy boyfriend's plate if possible. Of course I remember when I dreaded broccoli, and now I crave it. I'm not sure I've ever had a local tomato, so this summer I plan on eating lots and lots of delicious tomatoes and becoming a fan of this red beautiful fruit. I mean its so adorable :)
I love Bruschetta, which is basically just tomato with herbs and olive oil. Only a few steps away from loving just tomatoes, muahahahaha!

I know. I want to eat this right now too :)

What you serve this tasty appetizer on makes a big difference, but Im sure many would eat it with any old crackers. Of course I try to pay attention to all the details of my dishes, but not everyone needs local fresh baked baguettes lightly toasted and rubbed with garlic and olive oil. Right?
Who am I kidding, if you serve triscuits with something as delicious as bruschetta you are LAZ. EEEEE. Get some good bread and toast it up. Besides having to turn on your oven to toast the bread, there is no cooking involved. For those of you starting to feel the summer heat, having dishes that don't leave you roasting in the kitchen are a definite plus. Its barely June and already I don't want to cook unless its before 10am or after 7pm. I sound like a sissy, but dripping over a hot stove so I can then eat a hot meal just aint for me. Someday I'll have air-conditioning

I found this recipe out of "America's Best Test Kitchen" aka my new best friend, but I tweaked it a bit. Classic bruschetta does not have balsamic or oregeno, though I think they add a depth to the flavor, and rounded out the whole dish. Be careful with the oregano and balsamic, a little bit goes a long way. You want these ingredients to enhance the flavor of the 'mater, not cover it up. So use with caution. As always use herbs you have, especially if you are lucky enough to have a garden. I dream of having a garden full of basil, some day....

Basic Bruschetta

a mouth full of deeeeelicious

The Goods: Serves 4 to 8

4 ripe medium tomatoes, cored and chopped medium
1/2 cup fresh basil, chiffonade
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegrette
Sea Salt and Fresh ground pepper
1 loaf crusty Italian or French Bread, sliced one inch thick
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced in half
4 tablespoons extra olive oil

The Deal: 
1. Place tomatoes, basil, oregano, 1 tablespoon of olive oil a few dashes of balsamic vinaigrette in a medium bowl. Lightly stir, just enough to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

2. Broil your bread slices until lightly toasted 3-5 minutes, then remove from the oven and rub the sliced garlic clove on each bread slice. Then lightly brush each slice with olive oil. Scoop a heaping spoonful of bruschetta on each bread slice and serve warm.

If you are not going to serve right away, just toast your bread and let people dip as needed. Warm bread is best, but do what you must. Just make sure you share, I could have eaten the whole bowl myself. But I didn't!

Guacamole with Basil

A few chops away from delicious

Find a better dip than homemade guacamole with fresh ingredients and you will be a rich woman. You don't need to know jack about cooking to make a perfect guacamole. For those who want a few banging staple dishes they can make over and over and always wow a croud, this guacamole is one to keep in your pocket. Or recipe book, or secret lair, wherever people are keeping recipes these days.

Well, something went haywire on the blog site, so my this post was deleted. I am very annoyed, so for anyone who saw the first post, this is a repost and probably will not be as good because I am frustrated. Anyway please read on!

I call him "Guac Man"

A few key elements are imperative to make a guacamole wow a crowd worthy. Haas avocados are a must. No exceptions, must be Haas. I know on the outside they are the ugliest color, but inside is one of the healthiest fats you can eat.

Second, you MUST use fresh herbs and fresh lime juice. Over and over I read in cookbooks that when they say use fresh herbs or fresh juice, thats what they mean. They add a brightness in flavor that cannot be replicated, no matter what. Of course we all forget an ingredient sometimes, and dried herbs or bottled lime juice will do in a pinch, but do your best to get fresh. I will be moving in a few months and I am determined to find a place I can have a small herb garden, or even a deck where I can get some big pots and herb it up!

I made my sweet potato quesdillas with black beans and this time I used some leftover herbs I had from this guac. Boy howdy, a few basil or cilantro leaves on the quesadillas made a noticeable difference. Fresh herbs are just where its at. To see that recipe, click here:Sweet Potato Quesadillas

To properly cut an avocado, remove the pit with a knife, then make criss cross cuts creating squares with your knife and remove the squares with a spoon.

To chiffonade basil, simple gather the basil leaves in a stack, roll them tightly, then cut them into thin strips.

Roll basil leaves, looks like a caterpillar

Slice thin

Guacamole with Basil

The Goods: Makes 3 cups
3 Haas Avocados, pitted and cubed (see note)
1/2 small red onion, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1-2 tablespoon basil, chiffonade (see note)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 small jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and minced
1/2 1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste

The Deal:
1. Mash 2 of the avocados until relatively smooth using a fork in a medium bowl. Fold the cubed avocado and remaining ingredients into the mashed avocado until incorporated.
Grab some chips, vegetables, or a spoon and eat YO dip!

For a spicier guacamole, add a few seeds from your jalapeno with the other ingredients. The seed and stem are the spiciest, so use with caution.

Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

about to be roasted!

This is one of my all time favorite salads. In fact it is one of my all time favorite things to eat. It is tangy, hearty, full of flavor and a healthy salad! What could be better?  I promise,  you will never buy caesar dressing again.

I first learned about this recipe from the Carmolas, close family friends of mine.  I was stunned by how delicious it was. I just could not believe what real caesar dressing was suppose to taste like, it is completely different than the thick flavorless muck you buy in the supermarket.

Caesar is much closer to a vinegrette, and less like ranch which many people don't know.

This recipe does not keep, so make it for a big group because leftovers are out of the question. The dressing itself keeps for a day or two, but that is it. This recipe is a good sized meal for 6 people, perhaps with extra bread on the side, just in case.

This is another recipe that you can follow exactly and still not get the perfect flavor. After you make this a few times you will be able to taste the dressing and know it needs more lemon juice, or worcestershire, it tastes a bit different every time.

Making your own croutons is so easy and WORTH IT. Again the croutons you buy in the supermarket taste like dog biscuits, once you have made your own. With 10-15 minutes of work, you will have the best croutons of your life!

I hope that everyone makes this at some point, its just out of this world. Once I've made it for people, they crave it constantly. Im telling you, with salad its ALL about a good, made from scratch dressing. It will make the non-salad eaters.....well salad eaters.

There are several notes below for this recipe, it is not hard to make, but there a few crucial steps that must be followed to make a banging salad.

This recipe is based on the one first taught to me by the Carmolas and also from Barefoot Contessa Caesar dressing from her book, "Barefoot Parties".

Parmesan Note: Grate the parmesan in a a food processor. You want it corsely grated like you buy in the store, not thinly shredded. In fact, this is one time when the store bought parm works just as well. The texture is just better.

Bread Note: Any good crusty bread will do, a french baguette or hard sourdough, you want a bread with a nice hard top that is soft inside. Do not use sandwich bread, or a soft bread, it will not work well.

Salad Note: Using a clean pillow case works as a great salad spinner in a pinch. Simply place the washed salad in a pillow case and hang it. The water will drip out of the pillow case leaving you with drier lettuce! Another trick I learned from the Carmolas, love them!

Egg Note: If you are nervous about using raw egg, you can use 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise or buttermilk. I have never had a problem, but I always buy local or cage free organic eggs.

 Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

seriously, this is like eating heaven. 

The Goods: Serves 6-8

The Salad: 
3 large heads romaine lettuce
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese(see note)
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons butter or earth balance
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 cups sourdough bread cut into 1/2 cubes
2 cloves of garlic, minced

The Dressing:
1 extra large egg yolk at room temperature(see note)
2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice(2-3 lemons)
1 cup mild olive oil
1/2 freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon anchovy paste(optional)

The Deal: 
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until soft.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a large saute pan on medium low heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant about 1 minutes. Add bread cubes and mix into the butter oil mixture. Heat bread, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, and slightly crispy, about 10-15 minutes.

cooking croutons, yum!

4. Wash the lettuce leaves and spin dry in a salad spinner(see note). Once dry cut the lettuce crosswise into 1 1/2 inch thick slices. Place them in a large mixing bowl.

5. Once your tomatoes and croutons are ready, make your dressing. Place the egg yolk, mustard, garlic, worcestershire, lemon juice, anchovy paste(if using), salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor with a steel blade. Process until smooth. With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until thick. Then add 1/2 cup of parmesan and pulse 3-5 times, until just blended.

6. Toss your lettuce with the dressing, then add your tomatoes and croutons and toss again, just until all ingredients are lightly coated. Add parmesan at the end and put any leftover parmesan on the table for people to add onto their salad.

ENJOY a delicious homemade Caesar salad! Hail Caesar....Salad!

Zucchini, Tomato and Cheddar Pie

Zucchini, Tomato and Cheddar Pie:
This is a easy, delicious pie, that will satisfy your need for pie, but is still mostly vegetables. Serves 3-4, and can be served as a meal, but a salad or side dish would round out the meal nicely.  

Ingredients: 

1 tbsp butter

1/4 cup bread crumbs (I prefer Panko, b/c they are generally healthier)

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium tomatoes diced and seeded

3 medium zucchini quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced

3 large eggs

1/3 cup milk

1 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer Cabot, its cheap, made in Vermont, and a great company)

3-4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

salt/pepper

1/2 tsp fennel seed(optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Butter pie plate then sprinkle bread crumbs covering sides and bottom of pie pan. This will be your simple crust. 

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 10 minutes, onions should cook down slightly. Stir in diced tomatoes and saute for five minutes. Raise heat to high. Mix in the zucchini, salt, pepper, and fennel seed(if using). Cook until the zucchini is barely tender, about 5 minutes. The mix will begin to stick to the pan. Remove pan from heat and cool for 5 minutes(this recipe can be prepared in advance at this point, and chilled for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

3. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in milk then stir in zucchini mixure. Pour half into prepared pie plate, top with cheddar cheese, then pour on remaining vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese covering the top and dot with remaining butter. 

4. Bake 30 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. 

Total prep/cooking time about an hour. Cutting vegetables ahead of time will save you 20 minutes.

ENJOY!

Based on recipe from Quick Vegetarian Pleasures.