Mexican Corn

In my neighborhood there is no shortage of yummy, buttery, mayonnaise-y, cheesy grilled corn on the cob. It seemed easy enough to make, so I attempted to recreate a lesser-evil version of my own at home. Also, as an "Ode to Nolita" before I leave this A+mazing New York weather behind, I thought it appropriate to sneak in an extra post today as my bon voyage to you all, as well as to my beloved 'hood. I'll be back soon enough, with some new Parisian inspirations. But, until then....peace out cub scouts.

Ingredients:

For the corn:
4 roasted corn, in husk
2 tbsp. light mayo
2 tbsp. part-skim cotija cheese
1 tsp. sriracha chili sauce
1 lime, cut into 4

Salad components:
4 cups mixed greens and spinach salad mixture
1 tomato
1 cucumber
1/2 small red onion
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/3 cup roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds

Balsamic dressing:
2 oz. balsamic
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. garlic mustard aioli
1 tsp. honey
1/2 shallot, minced
salt & pepper, to taste

Procedure:


Preheat the oven to 375. Soak the corn with the husks in water for about 20 minutes, then pat dry. Peel back the husks, but do not remove them, simply place them back to cover the corn. Place the corn on a tray (or if you happen to have a grill- grill away!) and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

While the corn is roasting, cut the lime into 4 quarters, mix the light mayo with the chili sauce in a separate bowl, and grate/crumble the cotija cheese on a separate plate.

Also, I used this time to prepare a salad to pair with the corn. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing; balsamic vinegar, oil, mustard, garlic, shallot, honey, salt & pepper, in a salad dressing emulsifier or a blender to thicken the dressing. Place the dressing in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Then, chop the red onion, cucumber, tomato and mix those with the salad greens and top with roasted sunflower seeds and quinoa. When ready to serve, dress the salad.

When the corn is finished cooking, remove the husks and clean the corn. Spread the mayonnaise, roll in the cheese and finish by squeezing a quarter of lime on each piece of corn. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Oven-Baked Cajun Tilapia

On Sunday a few friends and I headed to Madison Square Mark't Eats, which is going on until June 3rd. If you have not had a chance to check it out, I would highly recommend you visit this awesome food mecca, plus the cuuute workers (especially at Roberta's) aren't too hard on the eyes. Some friends of mine are running a cookie stand called Cookie Panache, so if you do end up visiting make sure to show them some support...the coconut caramel cookie was our favorite!

Anyway, I brought this all up because one of the stands "Spice and Tease" (yeah, they definitely got me with their name) had a huuuge selection of spices that my fellow foodie friends and I could not resist. I bought some spices and since the owner loved us so much he decided to throw in free samples- funny enough he happened to throw in "Herbs de Provence"- yes! another reference to my upcoming trip to France (woooo!). Thus, I was inspired by our spice trip to make a simple piece of baked fish to showcase the wonderful flavors the spices had to offer.

Ingredients:

2 pieces Tilapia filet
2-3 tbsp. Cajun spice
2 tbsp. Herbs de Provence
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper (If available to you, use lemon peppercorns from Trader Joe's)
1 lemon, sliced horizontally

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Blot fish with a paper towel to wipe off any excess water. Then, rub in the Cajun spice and Herbs de Provence on both sides of the fish, use amounts generous enough to cover both sides. Sprinkle both sides with some garlic powder, salt and pepper (Here, I used Lemon Peppercorns from Trader Joe's). Then, drizzle the olive oil on top of the fish, cover with lemon slices and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, flipping the fish after 10 minutes. This deliciously juicy fish would be great over a salad, in a sandwich or even eaten plain...it is really melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

As seen below, I paired my fish with a toasted quinoa salad that I made with ingredients I already had in my refrigerator- roasted corn, avocado, and sauteed red onion.

Serves 2. Enjoy!

Havarati Dill Grilled Cheese

Listen it's finals time, I need quick and I need good.

Ingredients:

1/4 avo
2 slices tomato
1 tsp. cajun spice
1/2 persian cucumber, sliced
2 tbsp. sun dried tomatoes
2 oz. dill havarati cheese (found it in TJ's)
a shake of salt and a few shakes of pepper

1 tsp. butter
1 tbsp. balsamic reduction
1/4 shallot, minced

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 375.

Spread the avocado onto one slice of multigrain bread, top it with the cajun seasoning. Then, layer the sun- dried tomatoes, slices of cucumber, then the havarati dill cheese, top with sliced tomato some salt and pepper.

Now comes the "hard" part. Mix together 1 tsp. of softened butter (in small amounts butter is fine, contrary to popular belief, but if the butter scares you too much, by all means use smart/earth balance) with the shallot and balsamic reduction (see my post about eggplant seitan Parmesan where there is an explanation- I had some already made) or sub for regular balsamic vinegar. Then spread that on the top piece of bread, close the sandwich. Spray the top and bottom with cooking spray or rub a small amount of olive oil on each side, this helps get the bread extra crunchy. Put it in the oven and toast for about 5-10 minutes.

The havarati cheese melts soo well into major ooey gooey cheesy satisfaction.

Plus, these plates make me so happy during finals.

Serves 1. Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato & Haricot Vert Salad

Being that haricot vert were 20% off in Whole Foods, I had to grab myself a bag of these babies. Also, it seemed very fitting buying a french bean this week since I will be leaving to Paris very soon!!!!! (Woooo!) Surprisingly enough, haricot vert are a low calorie (25 calories per half cup!) source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants- you would not have thought that huh? I usually prepare them simply by sauteing with onion and garlic and adding in some vinegar, but I decided to get a tad more creative being that it's Spring time (I'm just going to completely ignore the miserable rain). I added some heirloom tomatoes for color and some frisee for an added fun texture. With all the different textures and colors included in the salad, there truly was a party in my mouth...and this time you are all invited!

Ingredients:

1 lb. bag haricot vert (french green beans)
8 oz. mini Heirloom tomatoes, cut in half
1 large shallot
1 bunch frisee lettuce, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. olive oil
Salt & Pepper, to taste

For the dressing;
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1 tbsp. sriracha chili sauce
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cayenne
salt & pepper
pinch of sugar

Procedure:


Boil a pot of water over a high-heat. When the water is boiling add in the haricot vert and boil for aprroximately 3 minutes. Prepare an ice bath for the beans, or run the string beans under cold water in order to stop the cooking. This procedure is know as "blanch & shock."

In another pan, saute the shallot in the olive oil for about 3 minutes, then add in the garlic along with some salt and pepper and continue to saute for another minute or two. Next, toss the stringbeans into the saute mixture. Set aside.

Chop the frisee. Set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together the part-skim ricotta, juice & zest of 1 lemon, sriracha chili sauce, oregano, and cayenne.


Toss together the haricot vert/saute mixture, the frisee and the dressing, and add some salt & pepper as necessary. Serves 4-6. Enjoy!!

Eggplant not-so Parmigiana

Cheesy goodness not your thing? Then no need to read on. Does anyone else find that eggplant parmigiana can kind of get mundane after a while? After constant personal look-overs on restaurant menus and at events, I had to address the situation. So as I thought of what I could do to mix things up, I was inspired by the one and only Raquel who used honey goat cheese in a recent dish (yummy quinoa salad with black beans, fire roasted corn, and honey goat cheese...mmmm!). Cracking it out a bit more by adding caramelized onions to the mix, a scrumptious final product was made. When I made this for dinner, we had it together with brown basmati rice and chickpeas. Highly recommended combo.

Ingredients:

1 eggplant
1/3 cup olive oil
cayenne pepper, garlic powder, oregano, salt & pepper
1/2 cup marinara sauce (I always get the tomato basil flavor)
1/4 cup honey goat cheese
1 onion, caramelized
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 375.


Cut eggplant into 1/2" thick slices, season with 1/2 the requested olive oil, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. It isn't all that important how much seasoning you put, but just don't smother the eggplant. Put it on a tray and roast it in the oven for 20 minutes.

As the eggplant is roasting, begin to caramelize the onion. Usually full caramelization takes about 30 minutes, however I was a tad impatient and only did it for the 20 minutes while the eggplant was roasting. Also, I feel like they cook more anyway while in the oven afterward.


Heat up a pan on a medium flame and use the other 1/2 of olive oil. Slice the onion in half, and then into strips. Put that in the heated oil and add 1 tbsp. sea salt. Make sure to cover the onion with the oil, stir it up every 30 seconds or so so that it doesn't brown. After about 5 minutes the onion should stop sweating (looks like steaming- because the water is being cooked out) and after about 10 minutes you should start to see some caramelizing goin on. If you don't plan on paying good attention to the onions at this point lower the flame so they don't burn, either way keep stirring up the onions every so often.


After the onions are caramelized, take out a pyrex and start to layer the eggplant-we're going to make 4 layered piles, so put 4 pieces, then 1/2 the tomato sauce, 1/4 of the caramelized onions on each pile, then 1 tbsp. goat cheese per tower, then another layer of eggplant and cover with the rest of the tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and lastly the Parmesan.

Bake on 375 for about 15-20 minutes and then broil for 2 minutes at the end. Serves 4, enjoy!

Roasted Fennel

Yo yo yo! I apologize for my complete and utter disappearance. I can give you a million and one excuses as to why I haven't blogged, but who really cares? The most important thing is that I am back and ready for some foodie action. PS in the works, thanks to my awesome friend David, is virginecuisine.com! Stay tuned for more info about that...

Now back to the whole cooking thing. Last week I attempted to make Giada's sweet potato gnocchi with whole wheat flour and low-fat ricotta, but to no avail. It was my first complete FAIL in the kitchen, but it's part of the learning process...I guess not all dishes can tastefully be slimmed down. On the bright side, I made some roasted fennel as a side dish and it was definitely a complete WIN!

Ingredients:

1 Fennel bulb, fronds reserved (fronds are the leafy things on top)
1.5 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. orange muscat champagne vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
pinch of hungarian paprika
pinch sugar

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 425.


Cut the fennel bulb into horizontal planks as shown above.

Dress the fennel with olive oil, orange muscat champagne vinegar salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and hungarian paprika. Rub it in well to both sides. Then place fennel on a greased pyrex and sprinkle a pinch of sugar on top.


Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes until tender and slightly browned. Serves 2, enjoy!

Creamy Polenta & Truffled Mushrooms

I've been staring at the leftover bag of cornmeal ever since I made cornmeal crusted tuna a few weeks ago and thus my staring turned into craving polenta and/or cornbread. Then, I went out to dinner one night and polenta was on the menu but no one seemed to want to order it because of its fatty nature. Well, true but false when homemade- polenta can be slimmed down quite easily. Now the issue became what do I cook with the polenta? A few weeks ago a friend of mine, Shirley, came over for dinner and taught me how to make mushrooms with Marsala cooking wine. So, using the leftover Marsala she brought over, I decided to give it a go, tweaking it a bit of course.

Ingredients:

For the polenta;
1 cup cornmeal
4 cups 2% milk
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
salt & pepper, to taste

For the mushrooms;
2, 8-0z packs mushrooms (any type you prefer)
2 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup Marsala cooking wine
2 tbsp. dried thyme (definitely use fresh if it's available to you)
1-2 tablespoons truffle oil
salt & pepper, to taste

Procedure:

For the polenta;

Bring milk to a boil in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring every so often. When you see bubbles start to form around the edges, slowly add in the ground cornmeal. Add a tablespoon of salt and continue stirring on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture heats up again. Reduce to a low heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, paying attention to the polenta and stirring every other minute or so. If your polenta thickens up too much, no worries just add a bit of water to loosen it. Turn off the heat when done, and add in the Parmesan (before serving). If necessary, season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the mushrooms;

Heat a saute pan over a medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add in the minced shallots and stir for about 3/4 minutes until the shallots are translucent and a tad browned. Next, add in the mushrooms, thyme, salt, pepper and the Marsala wine. Reduce heat to medium and stir for about 10 minutes, until all the liquid is cooked out. When finished and read to serve, top it off with truffle oil.

Serves 4. Enjoy!

Lentil Salad

Hello all, I apologize for my brief leave of absence. Between my social calendar obligations and all my school work due before Spring Break, I did not spend all too much time in my own kitchen (and I totally feel a bit heavier as a result).

For my father's birthday I did not know what to get him (especially with my quite diminished bank account), and he is always asking about the blogola so I decided to make him a birthday feast. My main aim was to make highlights from the blog; making dishes that would never usually be found on my table at home. Well, it was a huge success and guess what? I have a new recipe to share! (Plus I got to bring tons of leftovers back to the city with me. Score!)

Ingredients:

1 16 oz. bag lentils
2 large carrots, cut in small cubes
1 large parsnip, cut in small cubes
1/2 onion, minced
4 large cloves garlic, pressed
1 tbsp.+ 1 tsp. dried thyme
dash of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup olive oil (2.5 tbsp. for sauteing and 1.5 tbsp. for salad)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 tbsp. white vinegar (can also use TJ's orange muscat champagne vinegar!)
salt & pepper, to taste

Procedure:

Bring lentils to a boil, once boiling add some kosher salt, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the lentils are cooked through.

While the lentils are boiling...

Mince carrots, parsnip and 1/2 onion. Heat 2.5 tbsp. olive oil on a medium-high heated saute pan. When the oil is hot, toss in the 1/2 onion stirring for about 3 minutes, until beginning to become clear. Add in 4 cloves of smashed garlic, stir for another minute. Then, add the carrots and parsnips to the mix, stir to mix with onion+garlic mixture. Add in dried thyme, a dash of cayenne, salt and pepper. Stir the mixture every so often until the carrots and parsnips become soft, about 5-7 minutes.



Strain the lentils, put them in a mixing bowl. Toss with parsnip mixture, chopped parsley, white vinegar, and the rest of the olive oil. Add a little bit of salt and pepper if necessary. Cool in the fridge for approximately 30 minutes before serve time. Enjoy! Serves 8-12.

Lemon-y Za'atar Chicken

Guess what? It's time for another chef spotlight! My awesome roommate (you know, the one who convinced me to start this whole thing in the first place) decided to pry the knife and cutting board from my cold dead hands in order to take over the kitchen and show me some of her culinary skills. I'm not the only VD resident of 1J with Mediterranean blood running through their veins! This post was all Victoria. Get ready people, this recipe is a sure winner winner chicken dinner.

Ingredients:

4 pcs. (cleaned) chicken breast
2 lemons
4 - 6 garlic cloves
Za'atar (with sesame seeds), enough to completely cover the chicken
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt
pepper
cayenne pepper

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 375.


Take the chicken cutlets (or whole pieces of chicken) and place in a pyrex baking square. Cover the cutlets with olive oil and the juice of one lemon. Then, Cover all the chicken with a full layer of za'atar so that the actual chicken is pretty much invisible. Flip the breasts over and cover the other side with za'atar as well.

Next, place the pieces of garlic (chopped in halves) throughout the dish along with the second lemon - sliced into quarters (see image).

Garnish with a sparing amount of sea salt, a tablespoon of pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper (adjust if needed depending on your taste buds).

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the inside of the chicken reaches a temperature of 165 degrees. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Sauteed Spinach & Chick Peas

Packed with protein, fiber and iron I am not ashamed to say I love this little bean. Like most of my peers, whenever I go back home it is most likely that I swipe something(s) from my mom's cabinet to come take residence in my apartment. This week it was $1.29 can of chick peas. Ridiculous I know, but I find much comfort in the fact that you all do it too! So, what started with a stolen $1.29 can o' chick peas became a recipe I will surely be adding to my arsenal. The random combination of cayenne and cinnamon I was feeling really turned out well paired with the spinach/chickpea dynamic (if I may say so myself). Needless to say, there was not one bean left behind.

Ingredients:

2 packages fresh spinach, rinsed
1 can (or 20 oz fresh) chick peas
1 shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 shakes cinnamon
1/4 cup olive oil
salt & pepper

Procedure:

Open up the can of chick peas and strain out the liquid. Run under cold water for approximately 3 minutes to remove as much of the sodium from the canning process as possible. (If you have the time and patience to reconstitute fresh dry chick peas, by all means...be my guest!)

Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil on a medium high heat. When the oil is hot, throw in the minced shallot and keep mixing for approximately 2-3 minutes. Then, add in four cloves of crushed garlic and stir for another minute, before the garlic starts to brown.

Next, toss in the thoroughly rinsed chick peas, cayenne pepper, two dashes of cinnamon and some salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high, and leave the chickpea mixture on the flame, stirring every so often, until the chick peas start to crisp up a bit.

Once a tad crispy, add in the two bags of spinach, juice of one lemon, and 2 more tablespoons of olive oil. Stir it up. The spinach should shrivel faster than your boy toy in a hot tub. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Cornmeal Crusted Tuna

US Dietary Guidelines have been updated this year to include a 6-8oz serving of fatty fish (fish rich in omega-3's) per week in order to fulfill the requirements of a healthy diet. Since I do not generally care for salmon all that much, Tuna is the next best fatty fish option for my taste buds. For a while now I have been thinking of making corn-nut crusted tuna, but of course Whole Foods does not sell those so I opted for cornmeal instead and let me tell you, I ain't complaining.

Ingredients:

For the slaw;
8 oz. chopped red cabbage
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. orange vinegar (can sub regular white or red wine vinegar here)
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
optional: 3 thin slices avocado

For the cormeal crusted tuna;
2 6-8 oz Tuna steaks
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 limes zested (save the rest of the lime to squeeze later over the fish)
1 tsp. Hungarian (spicy) paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
olive oil (for pan searing)

1 tbsp. wasabi mayonnaise + 2 tbsp. low fat mayonnaise

Procedure:


Mix together all the slaw ingredients; chopped cabbage, toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, sesame oil, orange vinegar, salt & pepper. Place in refrigerator while you prepare the tuna steaks.

In a bowl, mix together cornmeal, lime zest, Hungarian paprika, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Pat down the tuna steaks and then completely cover with the cornmeal mixture. Heat a pan with olive oil over a medium heat, when the oil is hot place the tuna steak on the pan and sear on each side for about 1 minute per side, or until desired level of done-ness.

Slice the fish and plate on top of the wasabi mayonnaise mixture (1 tbsp. wasabi mayonnaise + 2 tbsp. low fat mayonnaise). Plate with cabbage slaw and place 3 thin slices of avocado on top of the slaw if desired. Squeeze some fresh lime juice over the tuna. Serves 2. Enjoy!

OMG Sea Bass

OMG Sea Bass: Orange Marmalade Ginger Sea Bass

After a LONG day of classes and exams, an amazing guy friend of mine, Phillup Donnahue, had dinner waiting for me. Not going to lie, it felt amazing having a homemade dinner cooked for me, for a slight change. OMG! This piece of fish was hands down the best sea bass I have ever tasted, no exaggeration. I could not have done a better job myself. Since I had no part in this Bass, this is a complete chef spotlight on Sir Phillup. All details, ingredients and photos were provided by him. A girl can get used to this kind of treatment ;-).

Ingredients:


For the marinade;
I tblsp orange marmalade
2 garlic cloves - crushed
2 pieces of ginger (equiv to the cloves) - crushed
1/2 lime zested and juiced
salt & pepper - to taste

2, 8 ounce pieces of chilean sea bass, skinned
1 handful fresh spinach leaves
2 scallions, chopped (for garnish)

Procedure:

Combine marinade ingredients, and add a dash of water to spin it all together.


Line the bottom of the fish with spinach leaves. With a fork, spread the marinade evenly over both pieces of fish, (leave a little for the end) and let marinate in the fridge for 30 min.


Place in oven (preheated to 375) for 25 min or until desired firmness.

Garnish with scallions.

Suck it.
-Phillup Donnahue

Eggplant-Seitan Parmesan

Odd it sounds, I know. I've made both Eggplant Parmesan and Seitan Parmesan separately, but after discussing the dishes with a few friends, I was inspired to merge the two, and a brilliant merge it was indeed. As part of my religion it is customary not to mix meat and milk, so I have never (intentionally) consumed chicken Parmesan or any sort of chicken and cheese combo (to my utter dismay). For a close chicken second, I always rely on Mr. Seitan and he certainly did not fall short in this dish. Be forewarned, this is a step-heavy dish and may require some time, but I assure you all- it is most definitely worth it.

Ingredients:
grill pan (Yes! First time I got to use this new toy. So fun...)

1 package plain seitan
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. salt
1.5 tbsp. pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cayenne
1 tbsp. dry oregano
1 tsp. paprika
1 egg

4 medium tomatoes (I purchased brown kumato tomatoes from whole foods- if they are available to you go for it! They are deliciously sweet and juicy.)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil

1 large eggplant
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil

2/3 cup marinara sauce
2/3 cup mozzarella cheese (If you like smoked mozzarella, go for it!! I made some extra on the side for myself with fresh smoked mozzarella and it was amazing. )
8-10 fresh basil leaves

OPTIONAL: For the balsamic reduction
2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. honey

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 375.


Cut tomatoes into small rounds approximately 1/2" thick. Blot the rounds to dry them off a bit and then place the tomato rounds in a greased Pyrex, cover with grated parmesan, salt & pepper. Next, drizzle the olive oil on top. Place them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown as shown above. Set aside.

If you choose to make the balsamic reduction to drizzle on top (which should be the choice you make, duhh) take the 2 cups of balsamic and bring to a boil. (Now, it will probably get a bit smelly as the vinegar boils so take caution). Once boiling, add in the 2 tbsp. honey and stir on a low heat. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the reduction coats the back of a spoon. My awesome sous chef Raquel made this for me as I prepared the other ingredients. She's the bestest.


Sift together the whole wheat flour, oregano, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper.


Cut the seitan into thin slices, kind of like filets. Dip it into the egg, then the flour mixture. Place it on a greased grilled pan and grill for about 2-3 minutes on each side until browned. Set aside.






























Next, cut the eggplant into 1/2" rounds. Rub in the olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the eggplant on a grill pan for approximately 4 minutes on each side, rotating 45 degrees after 2 minutes (to get cross hatch marks). Flip over and repeat. Set aside.

Spray a rectangular Pyrex with non-stick olive oil spray, spread out a layer of eggplant rounds, making sure not to overlap. Place a spoonful of marinara above and below each circle. Then, place the seitan cutlet on top for the second layer. Now, take the eggplant and make a seitan sandwich of sorts by placing the next layer of eggplant on top of the seitan. (If your feeling extra adventurous, you can add low fat ricotta here as well). Add the tomato on top of all the eggplant rounds. Next, take the tomato slices and cover the eggplant. Then, sprinkle the mozzarella on top of the eggplant and finish each serving with a fresh basil leave. Bake for 15-20 minutes until all the cheese melts. Then broil the last 2 minutes to enhance the cheesy goodness. Drizzle balsamic reduction on top. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Truffled Angel Hair with Peas

This dish is what I like to call comfort food on crack. Truffled angel hair with peas is my go-to when all I can think about is pasta. I should warn you- you may not be able to stop after just one portion, but I dare you to try...

Ingredients:

1 box whole wheat angel hair (thin) spaghetti
1 16oz bag of frozen peas
4 cloves of garlic
1 small shallot
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons truffle oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Procedure:

Boil pasta al dente (firm, but not hard).

While the pasta boils, mince the shallot and garlic (or put the garlic cloves in a garlic press). Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil on a medium high heat. When the oil is hot, begin to saute the onion. After about 3 minutes of sauteing the onion, add in the garlic and saute for another minute or two (before the garlic begins to brown).

Add in the frozen peas, mix well. Now, throw in the rest of the olive oil (2 tablespoons), 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp. salt, & 1 tbsp. black pepper. Stir and mix well, letting the peas soften. This should take no more than 5 minutes.

Toss together strained angel hair with the sauteed peas, add in 2-3 tablespoons truffle oil (taste as you add to see how strong of a truffle flavor you would like), and some more salt & pepper (again tasting as you add to your desired taste level). Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 6. Enjoy!

Kale Chips

Growing up, kale was never found on my family's dining room table. Until I learned about it in Nutrition and Health, kale was not even a part of my vocabulary. We learned of it's high vitamin K, A & C content, its fiber content and many other nutrients like iron, calcium, etc. The benefits of the cruciferous powerhouse sounded so enticing, but if it tasted good why was it never in my refrigerator before? Insanely skeptical I started googling kale recipes, and stumbled upon one that promised only good things. After making my own version of roasted kale the crispy crunch left me no choice but to surrender and admit defeat. They were as addicting as potato chips, but with only 36 calories per cup (of raw kale) they are much nicer to my hips. Trust me peeps, this recipe is most definitely worth trying. Not to mention it takes all of 20 minutes to prepare from start to finish!

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder (optional)

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 425.

Wash and dry the kale leaves very well (attention: there can be a lot of dirt in the center by the stem). Next, remove the leaves from the stem by simply pulling the leaf off, as you would when removing herbs from their stems. Toss the stems.

Chop the leaves into smaller- 1 inch pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and optional garlic powder. Also, if you want spicy chips consider using cayenne or crushed red pepper as well. Lay them out on a greased baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, just as the leaves start to brown, pull them out and let them sit for a few seconds to finish crunching up. Peace out Lay's. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Munch

Yes, this recipe has quinoa. Again.

To be fair though, I did warn you of my love for this superduper grain.

Inspired by Miami Juice while on vacation in Florida, I created an Israeli twist on a Greek salad that is sure to make the persons next to you at lunchtime uber jealous. This protein-packed Mediterranean shmorgasboard is super satisfying, filling and oh-so-delicious.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water

2 tomatoes
3 Persian cucumbers (perfect for our Mediterranean theme, no?)
1/2 red onion
4 oz. light feta cheese

1 lime, juiced
2 lemons, juiced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped fine
2 tbsp. za'atar spice +1 tsp.
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. ground fresh pepper

Procedure:
Cook the quinoa. (See my other quinoa-containing recipes for this procedure)

Rinse all the veggies well (especially the cukes because they're going uncircumcised), then chop cucumbers and tomatoes to be similar in size, chop the onions into thin strips as shown above.

Next, cut the feta into small squares, about 1" cubes.

Now, let us prepare the dressing. Juice the lemons and limes, add in the olive oil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, 1 tbsp. za'atar, and fresh mint. Beat well or put it in a blender to really mix it up. Toss the veggies and light feta in the dressing.

Now, we're ready to plate. First put the quinoa, then the dressed veggies & feta and sprinkle that last tsp. of za'atar on top. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Parmesan Roasted Artichokes

Silly me! I forgot to wish everyone a Happy National Nutrition Month! The entire month of March is dedicated to Nutrition- so consider this the time to make your New Years resolution of joining a gym or eating out less- actually happen!

A medium sized artichoke (only 25 calories! insert gasp here.) is a good source of vitamin C, folate and potassium. With a delicious heart rich in antioxidants, consuming artichokes is a great way to fight off disease and celebrate life.

Ingredients:

3 bags frozen artichoke hearts

1 lemon, zested

2.5 lemons, juiced

1 tbsp. orange zest

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup olive oil

1.5 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. sea salt + 1 tsp.

1 tbsp. fresh black pepper+ 1 tsp.

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. paprika

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 425.

I admit, I have yet to prepare a fresh artichoke. I always cheat and buy the frozen ones but they are just soo much easier to prepare. So open up those bags and throw them into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice and olive oil to coat, mix well. Then, add the lemon and orange zest, 2/3 cup grated Parmesan, garlic powder, cayenne powder, paprika, and 1tbsp each of salt & pepper. Mix well so that all the artichokes are evenly coated.

Next, lay the artichoke hearts onto a large (cooking oil sprayed) baking sheet. Add 1 tsp. each of salt and pepper and sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan on top. Put it in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes until golden and crispy. Serves 10. (Note: this accounts for the losses from seeing, smelling and tasting the artichokes after they come out- they are too good to resist.) Enjoy!