Easily Swayed

Adam and I had been planning on eating grilled chicken and tofu with some sort of sweet and spicy rub. But, then we started watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay with Buffalo Wings. As I've said before, I used to absolutely love Buffalo wings, so we were very easily persuaded (by the tv) to make a version of Buffalo Chicken and Buffalo Tofu for dinner. We paired our new creations with Baked Beans and a Corn and Tomato Salad. It was a bit of a saucy meal, as you can see, but everything tasted fantastic.

Buffalo Chicken and Tofu, Adam-and-Kristin Style

chicken breast or tofu patties
flour
1 egg, beaten
Franks Red Hot sauce
oil

1. Heat canola oil in a skillet on medium heat. Beat together the egg, a dash of hot sauce, and some salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken or tofu in the flour and then in the egg mixture. Place carefully in the hot oil.
2. Allow the chicken or tofu to brown on the outside. Flip after approximately 5-7 minutes. Make sure to cook the chicken fully.
3. When brown and crispy, remove the chicken or tofu and slather in hot sauce. Serve with bleu cheese dressing.


Corn and Tomato Salad

2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 tomatoes, diced
10 basil leaves, sliced

white wine vinegar
olive oil
honey
salt
pepper

1. Combine the corn, tomatoes, and basil.
2. Mix the vinegar, oil, honey, salt, and pepper to taste. We usually use equal parts of vinegar and oil.
3. Toss the dressing with the salad. Enjoy!


Baked Beans

This is a super easy way to dress up canned baked beans for a quick, weekday meal. Oftentimes, we add diced red pepper into the baked beans as well.

1 (15-oz.) can baked beans
1/4 cup red onions, diced

1. Heat the baked beans in the microwave or over the stove.
2. Saute the red onions in a tiny bit of olive oil.
3. Add onions (and peppers) to baked beans. Top with salt and pepper.

Cocktails and Apps

Friday night, we had our neighbors over for a little happy hour to celebrate the start of the weekend. We made really light and simple recipes that are perfect for an after-work gathering. We had: a White Bean Dip and a Tzatziki Dip with Pita Chips and Veggies, Mushroom Caps with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto, and Apple, Walnut, and Bleu Cheese Salad Cups. The Mushroom Caps are the same as those we made for Sharon, so I won't repeat the recipe here (you can always look back to "Good Friends and Good Food").

White Bean Dip

Bean dips are so wonderful because they take no time at all to make--all you have to do is throw the ingredients in a food processor and voila! Plus, they are a healthy snack when paired with homemade pita chips and veggie sticks.

1 (15-oz.) can of cannellini beans, rinsed and mostly drained
juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. cayenne, or to taste
1 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper, or to taste

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste to make sure it has the flavor you like. Dig in!


Tzatziki

This is my own version of the traditional Greek yogurt dip.

8 oz. Greek yogurt (I used non-fat)
juice of 1 lemon
3 garlic cloves, mashed
1 cup English cucumber, grated and drained
salt
pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Garnish with a thin slice of lemon.


Pita Chips

Pita chips are so easy to make and seem so impressive.

3 pocket pitas
spray oil
garlic salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Cut the pitas into 8 pieces each. Separate the pita sides, so that you make 16 thin pieces of pita.
3. Place the pitas on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil (or easy clean-up). Spray with a thin layer of cooking oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Toss to ensure all pitas are covered.
4. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.


Apple, Walnut, and Bleu Cheese Salad Cups

Adam made these, so I'm not exactly sure of the amounts. But, as always with cooking, make the proportions how you like.

1 apple, chopped
1/4 cup walnut halves
4 oz. bleu cheese, crumbled
3 Tbs. bleu cheese dressing
salt and pepper
leaves from 2 or 3 Belgian endive heads

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Arrange the endive leaves on a platter. Fill with the apple mixture. Serve and impress your guests with your salad cups.

Not Your Everyday Mac n' Cheese

When Adam and I visited my sister over Easter weekend this past year, we ate at the Manhattan restaurant S'mac. They serve all types of mac n' cheese, including an Indian one with garam masala and other Indian spices, a French one with brie and mushrooms, and a Mediterranean one with feta, spinach, and kalamata olives. Every since we went to that restaurant, I've been wanting to try to make my own version of a specialty mac n' cheese. We absolutely love Swiss cheese, so our mac n' cheese consisted of Emmenthaler cheese, caramelized onions, and sauteed mushrooms. The flavors worked exceptionally well together. To accompany the Swiss Mac n' Cheese, we had a fresh Spinach and Raspberry Salad.

Swiss Mac n' Cheese

Next time I make this concoction, I will make some changes. For instance, I believe the sauce I used was a little too creamy and not cheesy enough. If you are going to make this, decrease the roux amount and add more cheese. I love stringy mac n' cheese, and I believe altering the proportions will achieve this effect and create perfection.

1 1/2 to 2 (about 4 cups) onions, sliced thinly into rings
olive oil
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

4 Tbs. butter
4 Tbs. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups Emmenthaler cheese, grated

8 oz. uncooked pasta, such as elbow macaroni

small slices of Emmenthaler, optional
bread crumbs, optional

1. Cover the bottom of a skillet with olive oil. Heat on medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions. Stir occasionally. Allow the onions to get to a golden brown color; be careful not to let them burn. The caramelization process will take approximately 30 minutes.
2. When the onions have fully caramelized, remove them from the pan. Add the mushrooms to the pan, and saute.
3. To make the roux, place the butter into a saucepan on medium-low heat. Melt the butter completely. Mix in the flour so that the mixture becomes smooth and bubbly. Add the salt. Then, gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the mixture becomes thickened. (This process takes considerably longer than you may think; be patient, it will happen.) Once the sauce has properly thickened, add the cheese, stirring to help it melt.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.
5. After draining the pasta, put the pasta back into the large pot in which it was prepared. Thoroughly mix in the onions, mushrooms, and cheese sauce.
6. Transfer the mac n' cheese into a cast iron skillet or 8 x 10-inch baking dish. If you want your mac n' cheese super cheesy, place small slices or cubes of cheese into the pasta. Top with bread crumbs.
7. Place in a preheated 350 oven for 20-25 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.


Spinach and Raspberry Salad

The freshness of this salad went really well with the Swiss Mac n' Cheese, which is quite heavy. It helped to lighten and brighten up the entire meal.

pecans
butter
sugar
salt

Raspberry-Melon vinegar, or other light vinegar
olive oil
salt
pepper
honey

spinach, about 1 big handful for each person
red onion, finely diced
raspberries

1. Prepare candied pecans by melting a thin slab of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pecans, enough sugar to coat, and a pinch of salt. Combine thoroughly. Toast until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the butter by stirring occasionally.
2. Mix together the vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey to taste.
3. Plate the spinach, topped with the red onion, raspberries, and pecans. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top.

Presto, Pesto!

Last night, we finally used the remains of our homemade pesto (I must admit that this is bittersweet because I am sad that it's gone, but it means that I can experiment with a different kind of pesto). This meal of Pesto Gnocchi with Broccoli and Sun-dried Tomatoes is super fast; it literally takes about 15 minutes from beginning to end thanks to the fact that gnocchi cooks up in about 2-3 minutes. And, it will have you practically licking the bowl when you're done.

Pesto Gnocchi with Broccoli and Sun-dried Tomatoes
1 package gnocchi
1 medium-sized crown of broccoli, chopped
2 Tbs. (or so) sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup pesto, homemade or canned

1. Prepare gnocchi according to package directions.
2. Saute broccoli in 1 Tbs. olive oil over medium heat. When broccoli has reached desired tenderness, add sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, and gnocchi. Mix thoroughly. Serve piping hot.

Lunchtime!

I found this recipe in Cooking Light a week or so ago and have been thinking about it since. We had all of the ingredients for it today, so I thought that I should seize the day and finally make this sandwich! It was absolutely delicious and much more impressive tasting than the few simple ingredients would suggest. If you cut the sandwich into little rectangles, they would be perfect for a mid-afternoon tea. (Sorry for the not-so-great photo.)

Feta-Basil Sandwiches (Cooking Light, August 2005)

This recipe makes 4 sandwiches, but it is easy to reduce or increase the number of sandwiches you need to make.

1 cup (4-oz) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
8 (1 1/2-oz.) slices firm white bread (such as Pepperidge Farm Hearty White), toasted
8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato

1. Combine first 4 ingredients, tossing with a fork until well combined. Spread about 2 1/2 Tbs. cheese mixture onto each of 4 bread slices; top each sandwich with 2 tomato slices and 1 bread slice.

Wok This Way

I love Asian Stir-Fries. They are so quick and easy, as well as fairly healthy and nutritious. We found fantastic looking bok choy, which is what sparked this meal. We added oyster mushrooms, tofu, ginger, udon noodles, and other seasonings to make a wonderful, delicious one-pot meal. If you want some wine with dinner, we've found that Reislings go exceptionally well with spicy Asian foods.

Udon Noodle and Bok Choy Stir-Fry, Adam and Kristin-Style

10-oz. tofu, cubed
5 cups bok choy, chopped
2 personal-sized packages pre-cooked udon noodles (any type of cooked Asian noodle will work)
1 package oyster mushrooms
1 1/2-inches ginger root, grated
2 Tbs. soy sauce, or to taste
2 Tbs. chili garlic sauce, or to taste
2 Tbs. peanut butter, or to taste

Sriracha hot sauce, optional

1. Heat wok on medium-high with 1 Tbs. canola oil. Place tofu in wok. Allow to brown and crisp for approximately 3-5 minutes on each side. Add bok choy, noodles, oyster mushrooms, ginger, and soy sauce. Cover with lid and allow to steam for 3 minutes. Add chili garlic sauce and peanut butter. Mix thoroughly. When vegetables have reached the preferred tenderness, serve. Top with Sriracha hot sauce for additional spice. Try not to lick the plate when finished.

Maid Marian of Bagel and Sir Robin of Loxly

Sorry for the reference, but I had to. Anyway, Adam and I were walking around beautiful Lake Merritt yesterday discussing what we wanted for breakfast this morning (yes, I recognize that that's a bit sad, but that's my life). We decided that we wanted bagels with cream cheese, tomatoes, and capers, a glass of orange juice, and piping hot cup of coffee. We walked to Piedmont Ave in hope of finding some fresh bagels. When we found none, we were sorely disappointed. But, I then suggested, "Why don't we just make our own?" And so we did.

The best thing about making your own bagels is that you can top them with whatever you want. We made several different kinds: plain kosher salt; rosemary with kosher salt; Garlic and Wine Seasoning; and Everythings with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and salt. These bagels absolutely beat any bagel you can buy in a grocery store. And, they don't even take that long to make!

Bagels (found on recipezaar.com, "Beautiful Bagels," but I have altered it slightly)

The original recipe calls for 2 Tbs. gluten flour, but I omitted it and the bagels tasted fantastic.

3 tsp. yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. honey
1 1/4 cups water

1. Place all ingredients in a bread machine on the dough cycle. Allow the dough to go through one full cycle of mixing and rising (about 1 hour 10 minutes). Then, take out the dough and pour onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 1 minute.
2. Cut the dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each of the parts into a snake-like shape. Form a circle and tightly pinch the ends together. Place the bagels onto individual pieces baking paper that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Cover with another piece of baking paper. Allow to rest.
3. Bring a large skillet of water to a boil.
4. Place the bagels in the boiling water (about 4 at a time) for approximately 40 seconds on each side. Allow to drain on a cooling rack.
5. Brush each bagel with a lightly beaten egg mixed with 1 Tbs. water and 1/2 tsp. salt. Sprinkle the toppings of your choice onto the bagels.
6. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden on top. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Salty Cookies? Yes, Please!

Adam and I were watching Paula Deen on Food Network, as usual, and saw her making all sorts of cookies and treats. Naturally, we decided that cookie-making was going to be part of our Sunday afternoon. We started looking through cookbooks and found one for which we had all the ingredient: Sweet and Salty Peanut Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Let the cookie-making begin!

Sweet and Salty Peanut Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Cooking Light, March 2007)

The recipe, as the title denotes, calls for peanuts, but Cooking Light suggested that any nut could be substituted. We had pecans, so we used pecans. The combination of the nuts, sweetness of the sugar and chocolate, and the addition of the sea salt make these cookies absolutely delicious and satisfying for every palate. And, they are fairly low-fat, at least as low-fat as a cookie can get while still tasting fantastic.

1/3 cup coarsely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts (or pecans)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place nuts in a small baking pan. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until lightly toasted, cool.
3. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda, stirring well with a whisk.
4. Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla and egg; beat until combined. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Stir in peanuts, chocolate chips, and salt.
5. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
6. Devour!

Reinventing Leftovers

Adam and I try to be really good about eating leftovers so we don't waste any food. We've been less than vigilant with the Pesto Orzo that we made for Sharon last week. The problem was that we ran out of vegetables and had nothing to eat with it. But, last night we reinvented the pasta and made it absolutely delectable. We made: Pesto Orzo Patties with Sauted Spinach, Red Peppers, and Cannellini Beans.

Pesto Orzo Patties

I am sure that you could use any type of little pasta, rice, or even hearty root vegetables to make patties. By pan-frying the patties in a little bit of oil, you get a whole new texture on the leftovers. We used egg substitute to help mold the pasta, but I believe an egg beaten would work better, so I have put that into the recipe instead. And, although I normally use olive oil for all my cooking, I've opted to use canola oil because I wanted the oil to get really hot in order to crisp the patties. Canola oil has a higher burn point than olive oil, so it works better for fried dishes.

leftover pesto orzo
tofu, crumbled (we used only two 1-inch blocks for the amount of pasta we had)
egg, beaten
bread crumbs, enough to make the patties stick

1. Heat 1 Tbs. canola oil in a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Mix the ingredients together and then form patties. Mostlikely, they will not stick together very well, but they can be molded again once in the skillet.
2. Carefully place the patties in the hot skillet and mold into patty form if need be. Allow to brown on the one side, then flip with a spatula to allow to brown on the other. Each side will take about 3 minutes. Top with fresh-squeezed lemon juice.

Sauted Spinach, Red Pepper, and Cannellini Beans

This combination of vegetables and beans is a common one for Adam and me to make. It's super speedy and has an abundance of vitamins and minerals. Although not necessary, the chili oil drizzled on top adds a nice touch of unexpected heat.

1/2 red pepper, sliced thinly
several handfuls of spinach
1 (15-oz) can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
juice of 1/2 a lemon
chili oil

1. Heat a skillet with a touch of olive oil on medium heat. Saute the red pepper slices until tender. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the beans and heat through. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Once plated, drizzle the mixture with chili oil.

Who Doesn't Love Breakfast for Dinner?

Ever since I went to this diner down the street for fantastic croissants and saw the other breakfast-goers eat hash browns, I've been craving the potato concoction. Having left over potatoes that needed to be eaten, last night seemed like the perfect opportunity. And who doesn't like breakfast for dinner? So, we had Skillet-Browned Potatoes and a Spanish Omelet--a fairly quick and simple meal for any weeknight.

Skillet-Browned Potatoes

We had a leftover bag of mixed potatoes with little red, white, and purple potatoes. I'm sure any type of potato would work; they just may take a little longer to become soft. A great thing about these potatoes is that you can just leave them in the pan to brown while you focus on fixing the omelet (or any other part of the meal).

1 lbs. potatoes
onion, any variety, diced
2 tsp. olive oil
salt
pepper
butter

1. Place the potatoes in a microwaveable bowl with about an inch of water. Microwave for 5-7 minutes or until a fork goes through them easily.
2. Heat a skillet with olive oil on medium-high heat. Place the potatoes in the skillet. Mash potatoes with a fork once or twice, just so that they have opened up and flattened. Add onions to the skillet. Brown the potatoes and onions for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add seasonings and enough butter to moisten the potatoes. Serve plain, with ketchup, or melt cheese on top just before serving for delicious gooey-ness.

Spanish Omelet (The New Broccoli Enchanted Forest by Mollie Katzen)

This is just the recipe for the filling. It serves 2-3 people each with 2 egg omelets. It helps to make the filling before starting on the omelet to ensure that the eggs don't get cold and gross. Also, we used fresh basil instead of dried for added freshness and green olives from a jar with pimentos rather than those that come off a pit. Both changes worked well.

1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 small bell pepper, in very thin strips
1 medium-sized ripe tomato, diced
4 to 6 green olives, sliced off the pit
freshly ground black pepper
cayenne

1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add onion, garlic, salt, and herbs, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.
2. Stire in the bell pepper, and cook over medium heat another 5 to 8 minutes, until the pepper is tender. Add tomato and olives; season to taste with black pepper and cayenne.

Enchiladas Fantastico

Last night, we didn't end up eating dinner until 9. But, that's not due to how long dinner took to make. These enchiladas are our stand-by meal that we crave. Any of your favorite fillings could be added, but this filling is full of nutritious veggies and beans that cook up pretty quickly, which is a huge plus when you're starving and want a quick, delicious, and healthy bite. I know it doesn't look like the most appetizing meal, but trust me, it's fantastic!

Enchiladas

I'm not going to put amounts for the ingredients here, because it depends on how many are being made and how big the tortillas are as to how much is used.

spinach
red pepper, thinly sliced
black beans, rinsed and drained
tofu (we don't normally use tofu, but we felt protein-deprived), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
cheddar cheese, sliced
tortillas
mole sauce for the top (we use Trader Jose's Mole Sauce, but I am sure there are other mole or enchilada sauces out there that are good)

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Place a tortilla in a baking pan. Place the fillings inside and roll the tortilla to the side of the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and fillings. Top the enchiladas with mole sauce.
2. Bake enchiladas for 15 minutes or until the spinach has wilted, the peppers are tender, and the cheese has melted. Serve with your favorite hot sauce and sour cream. Our favorite hot sauce with the mole is Green Bandit Cilantro Habanero.

Fast, Easy, and Thanks Meliss

Last night we were a bit short on food and energy. So, I decided to mix up something quick and easy that turned out to be absolutely delicious. It really helped out that Melissa, my sister, had given us a fantastic tomato sauce that she had prepared from a Cooking Light recipe and then canned to preserve it. The multiple jars of sauce have been a great time saver and a fantastic way to make a really yummy meal. Adam added grilled sausage to his pasta for an added punch of protein, while I simply topped mine with feta cheese. The saltiness of the cheese melded perfectly with the tomato sauce. In addition to the pasta, we ate Grilled Broccoli and Onions.

Grilled Broccoli and Onions

We like our veggies to get charred in the grill for that added smoky flavor. The red pepper flakes gave a bit of an added bite to the veggies that you don't get with black pepper.

1 head of broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 large Vidalia onion, sliced
olive oil
salt
red pepper flakes

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Toss all of the ingredients together in a bowl so that the broccoli and onion are well coated with olive oil and seasonings.
2. Place on the grill in a vegetable grill basket. Grill for 15 minutes or until preferred readiness.

Good Friends and Good Food

My best friend from high school, Sharon, came out to visit me this weekend. Naturally, Adam and I had to impress her with a fantastic meal. What else do you do for a life-long friend? We started the night off right with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Mushrooms. After a few rounds of Wii bowling, we continued with dinner: Lemon-Parsley Tofu, Pesto Orzo, and Grilled Veggies. Adam and Sharon ate grilled Ahi tuna that was pre-marinated by Trader Joe's. I think they both wanted my tofu though! There's nothing like good friends and good food.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Mushrooms

A week or so ago, Adam and I went to the Jack London Square Farmer's Market. We stumbled upon this stand with fabulous hummuses and pestos and just had to have some. After much discussion and tasting (my favorite part) we settled on getting a sun-dried tomato pesto. We've been trying to figure out how best to use it, and we came up with this super simple recipe. Any type of sun-dried tomato pesto, regular pesto, or just chopped sun-dried tomatoes could be used.

3 Tbs. sun-dried tomato pesto
1 Tbs. softened cream cheese
9-12 cremini mushrooms, with the stems pulled out
1 Tbs. breadcrumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Mix the pesto and cream cheese together thoroughly. Place the mushroom caps on a baking sheet or dish. Stuff the caps with the pesto mixture. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until tender.

Lemon-Parsley Tofu

I made this recipe for just me, so the portion of tofu that I used was not that big. I believe the marinade could go far and provide enough for several portions though. Cut the amount of tofu needed for the number of people being served and adjust the marinade in order to be able to douse each piece of tofu with the mixture.

juice of 1 lemon
1-2 Tbs. parsley, chopped
1 tsp. mustard
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. honey
salt
pepper

3-4 slices tofu, 1/2-inch thick

1. Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients. Place the tofu in a baking dish. Cover one side with the marinade. Flip the tofu and repeat on the other side, pouring all of the remaining marinade over the tofu. Let the tofu sit for 2 hours for best results.
2. Grill the tofu over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side.

Pesto Orzo

We had a bunch of fresh herbs that needed to be used fairly soon, so we decided to make pesto. I don't have any measurements of how much of each ingredient I used, but I would just mix together the ingredients until you reach the desired taste. Store-bought pesto would also work with the orzo.

parsley (most of one bunch)
thyme
garlic cloves (3-4)
Parmesan cheese
olive oil
salt
pepper

orzo

1. Place all of the pesto ingredients into a food processor and blend. Add olive oil until a smooth, creamy texture has been achieved.
2. Prepare orzo as directed on the box. Mix the orzo and pesto together.

Grilled Veggies

We used broccoli, zucchini, red pepper, and a Vidalia onion. Any vegetable can be grilled though, as long as it's big enough to not fit through the grill cracks. We just bought a vegetable basket for grilling, so nothing can fall through, which means the sky's the limit! Simply coat the veggies with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper; then, place the veggies on the grill until tender and slightly blackened.

Let's Go, Raiders!

Friday night was the first pre-season football game with the Oakland Raiders playing the San Francisco 49ers. Needless to say, having just moved to Oakland and having a brother-in-law living in San Fran, we had to have some sort of get-together and vie for our teams. In order to get in the spirit, we had to have fantastic food. And that we did! Our food festivities included: Black Bean and Corn Salsa, the Best Queso Ever, and Buffalo Potatoes. By the way, the Raiders crushed the 49ers.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup corn
1/2 red pepper, diced small
1/4 cup red onion, diced small
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
2 Tbs. cilantro, chopped
habanero pepper, minced and added to taste
salt

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. For optimum taste, let the flavors meld for a few hours before serving. If you don't have time to let the flavors meld, simply enjoy with chips immediately.

The Best Queso Ever!

All I am going to say is that I couldn't stop eating this queso. I literally felt sick when I got home because of the incredible amount of the queso that I ate. Truly it is some of the best queso I've ever had, and I've had my fair share of queso. We used a fondue pot to melt the cheese mixture and keep it from becoming cold and stringy. Beware, you won't be able to stop eating it!

1/2 red pepper (use the other half from the salsa)
1 or 2 thick slices of onion
1 anahiem or poblano pepper
2 jalapenos
1 serrano pepper

1/2 bottle of a dark Mexican beer, we used Trader Jose's Mexican Dark
1 bag (12. oz) of Mexican blended cheese (cheddar, monteray jack, asadero, and queso blanco)

1. Grill the peppers and onion until they get nice and blackened. If you don't have a grill, broil the peppers for the same result. Let the veggies cool.
2. Peel the skin off of the red and anahiem peppers. Chop all peppers and onion into fairly small pieces.
3. Melt the cheese with beer. Mix in the peppers and onion. Dip in your chip and enjoy!

Buffalo Potatoes

My favorite food before becoming a vegetarian was buffalo wings. My parents and I came up with this recipe as an easy alternative. Even non-vegetarians love this much healthier version of those spicy wings we all love.

baking potatoes, 1/2 to 1 per person
Franks Red Hot sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Cut the potatoes into wedges, approximately 8 wedges per potato. Lay on the wedges on a baking sheet. Smother the wedges in Franks Red Hot sauce. Place into oven for 15 minutes. Flip the wedges over and cover in sauce once again. Bake until tender, approximately another 15 minutes.
3. Serve with blue cheese dressing, carrots, and celery sticks.

California Dreaming

Each issue of Cooking Light has an "Inspired Vegetarian" section. Last month's (July) section was all about California Wine Country's vegetarian delights. Since we just moved to the area, I've been hooked on making as many of those recipes as possible. I mean, I'm living right near the wine country, shouldn't I know how to cook all of their delicious creations? Therefore, tonight's dinner included: Sweet Corn and Squash Soup, a Garden Salad, and Focaccia with Rosemary and Thyme. It was completely scrumptious, healthy, and filling!

Sweet Corn and Squash Soup (Cooking Light, July 2008)

The recipe calls for fresh corn kernels, but to make it easier and cheaper, I used frozen corn. And, we didn't strain the corn mixture, as the recipe calls for, which made the soup quite thick and filling. In addition, I garnished my soup with fresh thyme sprigs because I already had some in the fridge and decided to use it up instead of buy squash blossoms. Also, we garnished with, and then mixed in, a few pinches of cayenne pepper. We decided it needed a little punch. It was absolutely delicious!

1 Tbs. butter
2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 7 ears)
3 cups water
2 cups chopped yellow squash
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6 fresh squash blossoms, thinly sliced (optional)

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onion to pan; cover and cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add corn and next 4 ingredients (through pepper); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Place half of corn mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Strain corn mixture through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Repeat procedure with remaining corn mixture. Garnish with squash blossom slices, if desired.

Garden Salad

Unfortunately, we don't have any special recipe for salads, at least not one that we used tonight. Salads are a great way to use vegetables that need to get eaten. In our salad dressing, we use less oil than most vinaigrettes call for, simply because we figure, why add the extra fat? Be creative, add spices (fresh or dried), different types of mustards, or different types of vinegars. And just keep tasting until it tastes wonderfully delicious!

Salad:
Romaine lettuce
carrots, chopped
tomatoes, chopped
red onion, diced
pecans
feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
1-2 tsp. mustard
balsamic vinegar, a generous pour
1/2-1 tsp. honey
salt
pepper
drizzle of olive oil

1. Place all salad ingredients in bowl. Mix dressing ingredients to taste in a jar. Top salad with dressing. Chomp away!

Focaccia with Rosemary and Thyme
This is my family's universal bread recipe. My parents, and I now, use this recipe for loaves of bread, breadsticks, and focaccia. Tonight I halved the recipe since we don't need to eat a full loaf, although I must admit that it has been done. Adam and I dipped it in olive oil dressed with Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Lemon juice and garlic are other good additions to the olive oil mixture.

1 1/4 cups water
1 Tbs., heaping, yeast
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 cups flour

Olive oil
Rosemary and thyme (or any other hearty herb you prefer)
Kosher salt

1. Add ingredients to the bread maker in order listed. Set bread maker to dough cycle. (Don't forget to push start.)
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place a pizza stone in the oven to heat up for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. I put the pizza stone in as soon as I turn on the oven.
3. When the dough is complete, shape it into a large round patty, about 1 1/2 inches thick.
4. Make the pizza stone non-stick with olive oil, spray oil, or cornmeal. Then, place the shaped dough on the stone, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with herbs and kosher salt. Bake approximately 20 minutes.
5. Rip apart (no cutting allowed!) and start the dipping!

Summer Lovin'

Having just moved to sunny California, and having just bought a grill (thanks Mom and Dad), we are trying to eat as many summery foods as possible. Tonight the menu consists of: Grilled Mushroom and Asiago Sausage (Adam)/California Veggie Burger (me), Fingerling Potato Salad with Gremolata Dressing, and New-Fashioned Apple and Raisin Slaw.

The sausage and veggie burger are absolutely delicious after grilled to perfection.

Fingerling Potato Salad with Gremolata Dressing (Cooking Light, July 2008)

We don't actually have any fingerling potatoes, so we used a variety of red, gold, and purple potatoes. You can steam the potatoes by putting them in the microwave in a container with just a bit of water. Super easy!

1/2 lbs. white fingerling potatoes
1/2 lbs. red fingerling potatoes
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs. extravirgin olive oil
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 garlic clove, crushed and minced
1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs. capers, drained

1. Steam potatoes, covered, 12 minutes or until tender. Cover and chill.
2. Combine juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; slowly add oil, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in rind and garlic; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and capers.
3. Cut potatoes into quarters; add potatoes to juice mixture, tossing to coat.

New-Fashioned Apple and Raisin Slaw (Cooking Light, Jan.-Feb. 2007)

We had leftover red cabbage from an orzo salad we made this weekend, so it seemed a good idea to make a slaw with our summery, grilled dinner. I used it instead of the package of cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw. We also don't have white balsamic vinegar, so I used apple cider vinegar. After eating the slaw, I believe it would be even better with walnuts.

1/2 cup light sour cream
3 Tbs. reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups unpeeled chopped Rome apple (about 1 medium)
1 cup golden raisins
1 (16-oz.) package cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add apple, raisins, and coleslaw; toss to combine.