Cozy Fall Salad

Cozy and salad are hardly words that one thinks of in the same phrase, but this salad is just that. It has roasted sweet potatoes, tangy cranberries, and a kick of chipotles with a crunch from pepitas. We paired this wonderful fall salad with a bed of spinach and a veggie sausage for an easy and fulfilling meal. One suggestion: put a little more water into the cranberry-chipotle dressing to allow the dressing to coat the potatoes more.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Cranberry-Chipotle Dressing (Cooking Light, October 2011, Mark Bittman)

2 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1/4 cup water

2 tsp. honey

1 (7-oz.) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkinseeds)

3/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Place sweet potatoes on a large jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with 2 Tbs. oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Bake at 450 for 30 minutes or until tender, turning after 15 minutes.

3. Place remaining 1 Tbs. oil, cranberries, water, and honey in a saucepan. Remove 1 or 2 chiles from can; finely chop to equal 1 Tbs. Add chopped chipotle and 1 tsp. adobo sauce to pan (reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use). Place pan over medium-low heat; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until cranberries pop, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Mash with a potato masher or fork until chunky.

4. Place pepitas in a medium skillet; cook over medium heat 4 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan frequently.

5. Combine potatoes, pepitas, onions, and cilantro in a bowl. Add cranberry mixture to bowl; toss gently to coat.

Fantastic Fusion

Don't let the number of steps daunt you. This recipe is a must-try. None of the steps are difficult, and you end with a fantastic meal of crunchy rice cakes with flecks of vegetables and the most perfect coconut-sweet potato-ginger sauce that is literally plate-licking good. We added pan-fried tofu and a bed of spinach to the dish, as Didi Emmons suggests in her variations, to create a well-balanced meal.

Golden Rice Cakes with Sweet Potato-Ginger Sauce (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

Rice:

3 Tbs. canola or corn oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups uncooked jasmine rice

2 1/2 cups water

1 tsp. salt

Sweet Potato-Ginger Sauce:

1 medium sweet potato (about 3/4 lb.)

14 oz. coconut milk

1/2 cup water or orange juice

1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger

salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

1 carrot, coarsely chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

4 scallions, both green and white parts, coarsely chopped, and 2 scallions, finely chopped

2 eggs, beaten

1. In a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat 1 Tbs. of the canola or corn oil with the garlic over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the jasmine rice, and stir constantly for 1 minute more. Add the water and salt. Bring the rice to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook the rice for 15 minutes. Transfer the rice to a large bowl, and let it cool for 15 minutes.

2. While the rice cooks, cut the sweet potato into thirds. Place the pieces in a pot, and cover them with cold water. Bring the potatoes to a boil, and cook them until they are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain them, and let them cool.

3. In a saucepan, bring the coconut milk, the water or orange juice, and the minced ginger almost to a boil, then turn the heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

4. Slip the skin off the cooled sweet potato, and puree the flesh with the coconut-ginger liquid in a blender or food processor. Pour the sweet potato puree back into the saucepan, and add salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm.

5. Mince the carrot, the red pepper, and the coarsely chopped scallions in a food processor. Add half of the jasmine rice and the 2 beaten eggs, and run the machine in spurts until the mixture has a mealy consistency. Put this mixture back into the bowl with the rest of the jasmine rice, and mix well. Put half of this mixture into a clean bowl.

6. Heat two skillets or a large griddle over medium-high heat. Divide the remaining canola or corn oil between the skillets, or spread it all on the griddle. Divide the rice mixture in each bowl into thirds. Form each of the six parts into a ball, then place each ball in a skillet or on the griddle, and pat the ball down to form a cake about 1 1/2 inches thick. Fry the cakes for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown.

7. Reheat the sauce, and ladle it onto plates. Place a rice cake on each plate, and top with the finely chopped scallions.

Variations: To make this entree heartier, embellish it with some pan-fried tofu. Or rest the rice cake on some spinach that has been pan-fried in olive oil and formed into a round slightly larger than the rice cake, and ladle the sauce around the spinach.

Comforting Curry with a Kick

We had one really brisk week here, so I was inspired to make a bunch of warm, comforting meals. This Fall Vegetable Curry was one of them. It was quick and easy, not to mention healthful and delicious.

Fall Vegetable Curry with Cashew Basmati Rice (Cooking Light, October 2010)

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup diced peeled sweet potato
1 cup small cauliflower florets
1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
2 tsp. Madras curry powder
1/2 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-oz.) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato to pan; saute 3 minutes. Decrease heat to medium. Add cauliflower, onion, and curry powder; cook 1 minute, stirring mixture constantly. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with yogurt.

Cashew Basmati Rice

Cook 1 cup basmati rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Stir in 1/4 cup unsalted cashew pieces and 1/4 tsp. salt.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

This pasta was another meal that we created from the leftover ingredients of our fondue night and wine country picnic--like I said, we bought way too much. Any vegetables and any type of pasta would work well for this meal. We roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, garlic, and asparagus in a 400 degree oven for approximately 35 minutes, or until the vegetables were caramelized and golden brown. We made homemade whole wheat pasta, which we tossed with 1/2 cup homemade pesto, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and the roasted vegetables. If you don't have time to make homemade pasta and pesto, this meal will still be fantastic. The only problem is that we ate it al,l and I didn't have any leftovers for lunch.

Wasabi!

One of my absolute favorite foods is sweet potatoes. They are both savory and sweet, can be made creamy or crunchy, and are all around just perfect. As I was flipping through cookbooks, I was instantly attracted to the recipe for Wasabi Mashed Sweet Potatoes in Moosewoods Restaurant New Classics. To create a complete meal, I made tofu seasoned with Chinese Five-Spice Powder and greens with ginger and garlic. To prepare the tofu, I patted the tofu with paper towels to release the extra moisture, then sprinkled salt, pepper, and Chinese Five-Spice on both sides. I proceeded to brown the tofu in a skillet over medium-high heat. To prepare the greens (they can be any type of green you prefer or have on hand), I simply sauteed garlic and ginger until fragrant in a bit of olive oil, then added the greens and continued to saute until wilted. The ginger from the greens, the Five-Spice from the tofu, and the wasabi and brown sugar from the potatoes complemented each other perfectly to create a harmonous meal of spice and flavor.


Wasabi Mashed Sweet Potatoes (Moosewood Restaurant New Classics)

6 cups cubed peeled sweet potatoes
water to cover
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. wasabi powder
1/4 cup butter
salt to taste
pure maple syrup or brown sugar to taste

1. In a covered pot, bring the sweet potatoes, water, and salt to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are very soft and easily pierced with a fork. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
2. Mix the wasabi powder with about 1 1/2 Tbs. of the potato cooking water to make a paste. Combine the drained sweet potatoes, wasabi paste, and butter and mash well. Add a little more of the cooking water, if needed. Add salt and maple syrup or brown sugar to taste.

Memorial Day BBQ

I'm not quite sure how commemorating those who have fought for our country has turned into a weekend of BBQ's, but I do know that it is a good excuse to host a cookout. I will take up any reason to celebrate life, be with friends, and cook a fabulous meal. We ended up making quite a feast with deviled eggs, potato salad, broccoli salad, baked beans, ribs, chicken, and an impressive strawberry cake to finish it all off. Thanks to all of our soldiers who made this cookout possible.


Mexican Slowboats (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

A twist on the typical deviled egg, these flew off the plate so fast that I wished I had made more than 6 eggs worth.

6 large eggs
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced with or without seeds
3 Tbs. mayonnaise
2 Tbs. whole, low-fat, or nonfat sour cream (or more mayonnaise) [we used extra mayo]
2 Tbs. finely chopped chives or scallions
1/2 tsp. ground cumin seeds
grated rind of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh-ground black pepper to taste
3 Tbs. chopped cilantro or parsley

1. In a saucepan, bring about 2 quarts water to a simmer. Gently lower the eggs into the simmering water with a large spoon. Simmer the eggs for 12 minutes. Then place the eggs in a large bowl of ice water for 5 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the jalapeno, mayonniase, sour cream, chives or scallion, cumin, lime rind, salt, pepper, and 2 Tbs. of the cilantro or parsley.
3. Peel the eggs, then carefully cut them in half lengthwise. Add the yolk halves to the sour cream mixture. With a fork, mash the yolks, distributing them throughout the sour cream. Spoon the mixture into the cavities in the the whites. Place the eggs on a platter, and sprinkle them with the remaining cilantro or parsley.
4. You can make these up to 1 day ahead. Store them, covered, in the refrigerator.


Caribbean Sweet-Potato Salad (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

This potato salad wasn't quite as flavorful as I would have hoped. Next time I think I would just amp up the dressing to make the potatoes have more of a punch. Still, quite good and worth trying again.

1 large russet potato, peeled and quartered
1 large sweet potato, peeled and quartered
1 cup corn kernels (from about 1 1/2 ears)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. lime juice
3 Tbs. chopped cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tbs. canola or corn oil
1/2 tsp. salt, or more, to taste
1/4 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced into thin half-rounds
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup finely chopped dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts

1. Put the russet potato pieces into a large saucepan, and cover them with salted water. Bring the potatoes to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium, and simmer the potatoes for 10 minutes. Add the sweet potato pieces, and cook about 15 minutes more. Remove a piece of each potato, and cit it in half to see if it has cooked enough. You should feel a bit of resistance with both potatoes; don't let them cook until they are breaking apart. Once the potatoes are tender, promptly add the corn kernels, and cook another 30 seconds. Quickly drain the vegetables in a colander, and fill the saucepan with cold water. Drop the potatoes and corn into the cold water, and leave them for 5 minutes to stop cooking.
2. In a large bowl, combine the mustard, lime juice, cilantro, and garlic. Stir with a whisk. Slowly add the oil while whisking. Add the salt and pepper.
3. Drain the cooled sweet and white potatoes, and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Add the potatoes, the cucumber, and the red onion to the vinaigrette. Toss well.
Serve the salad at room temperature or chilled. Toss the peanuts in just before serving. Well covered in the refrigerator, this salad keeps for 3 days.


Sweet and Tart Mustrad Dressing (The New Moosewood Cookbook, Mollie Katzen)

I wanted to have a green to balance out all of the carbs and meat of the meal. As I was looking through the salad section of this cookbook, I came across this recipe that suggested serving the dressing over chilled cooked vegetables. I decided a delicious salad of slightly steamed then chilled broccoli would be the perfect thing to balance out the meal.

6 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
4 Tbs. red wine vinegar [we used white wine vinegar]
2 tsp. real maple syrup or honey
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Whisk everything together. Cover and chill.


Crockpot Baked Beans (International Vegetarian Union, www.ivu.org/recipes, Alison George)

We recently bought a crockpot and desperately wanted to break it in. What better way than with baked beans. These turned out spectacularly. I can't stop eating them! I don't have a picture of them, but their beauty is not their strong point; taste is.

1.5 pound dried beans (ie pea, navy or great northern) (3 cups)
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
2 Tbs. dry mustard
2 Tbs. molasses
1 Tbs. salt
1 inch fresh ginger root (minced)

1. Wash and sort beans.
2. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes and remove from heat. Let soak 1 hour. Bring to a boil again and then simmer approx 45 min or until cooked but not soft of mushy. Drain beans. Put in crockpot.
3. Mix the rest of ingredients into the beans. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.


Leff's Stout Smoked Ribs (Grilling with Beer, Lucy Saunders)

We didn't follow this recipe perfectly because in order to do so you need to have a charcoal grill. I'm going to write the original recipe in case you want to make these unadulterated. We cooked the ribs by baking them in a 300 degree oven on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet for 2 to 2 1/2 hours and then grilling them to char the outside. The one complaint was that they were a bit salty, but they must have been delicious anyway because people kept going back for seconds, and thirds, and....

1 rack pork ribs
2 Tbs. kosher salt
1 Tbs. cayenne pepper
1 Tbs. ground black pepper
2 Tbs. dark brown sugar
24 oz. stout
2 to 4 whole dried chiles (try mixing pasilla, aji limones, de Arbol, and chipotles)
2 cups apple cider
1/4 to 1/2 cup soy sauce, to taste
1 quart apple juice
1/2 cup calvados (apple brandy)
1 small can (5 oz.) tomato paste
2 Tbs. chipotles en adobo

Mesquite charcoal and apple wood smoking chips (about 2 cups)
disposable aluminum baking pan (8x6x1 1/2-inches)

1. Remove membrane from ribs. Mix kosher sald, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, and brown sugar. Rub pork ribs with mixture and place in large glass or stainless steel bowl. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to dry.
2. Mix stout, chiles, cider, and soy sauce. Pour over ribs, cover and chill overnight, or at least 4 hours.
3. Soak apple wood chips in apple juice and calvados. Allow to soak for same amount of time as ribs (minimum 4 hours, overnight is best).
4. Remove pork from refrigerator and let sit for 1 to 2 hours while preparing fire. Prepare a charcoal fire: when coals ash over, separate coals (using small garden hoe or long-handled offset spatula) into 2 piles, each pushed to one side of bottom of grill, with room for pan pan in between. (Note: Don't try to start with 2 separate piles and try to light them separately--they'll never ash over at an even rate.)
5. Drain apple-calvados mixture from wood chips into a pitcher or bowl with spout. Reserve soaking liquid. Drain stout mixture from ribs, and transfer to a medium saucepan. Set aside.
6. Position baking pan squarely in between hot coals. Immediately pour in soaking liquid from apple wook chips. Sprinkle chips evenly over both piles of coals, then place the grilling rack on grill top.
7. Place ribs on grill grate, directly over baking pan so fat drips into pan. Allow a few minutes for wood chips to start smoking, then close grill cover and open vents.
8. Ribs will take about 2 hours to cook. Lid may need to be removed every 30 minutes to allow coals to start smoking again if fire starts dying down. Turn ribs every 30 minutes. While ribs are cooking, heat marinade in shallow pan over medium heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, stir in tomato paste. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Add chipotles en adobo. This will be table sauce for ribs. Ribs are done when tender; serve with sauce.


Mexican Dark Lager Mole (Grilling with Beer, Lucy Saunders)

Adam butterflied a whole chicken and then grilled it, coating it with this mole sauce. We have a ton of mole left over. It's quite delicious, but I wish it were a bit more flavorful. I think I would add some more heat to it for an extra kick.

2 Tbs. peanut oil
1 onion, chopped (6 oz.)
2 pasilla chiles, chopped and seeds reserved
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 Tbs. paprika
1/4 cup grated bittersweet chocolate
1 can (15 oz.) fire-roasted tomatoes with chiles
1 Tbs. ancho chile powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground coriander
pinch cinnamon
12 oz. Mexican dark lager
1/3 cup sesame or pumpkin seeds
1 Tbs. canola oil
salt and black pepper to taste

1. Place peanut oil, onion, and pasilla chiles in large deep skillet and cook and stir over medium heat 1 minute. Add garlic, paprika and chocolate. Cook and stir until onions are tender, about 3 more minutes. Place in blender and add tomatoes, chile powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and cinnamon. Cover and pulse on HIGH until mixed and chiles are finely chopped. Add lager to reach desired consistency, about 10 to 12 oz. Return to saucepan.
2. In a small saucepan over low heat, toast sesame or pumpkin seeds with the reserved pasilla chile seeds; add just enough canola oil to keep seeds from sticking. When golden, stir seeds into simmering mole sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings. Simmer until thickened. Brush on grilled chicken or pork.


Strawberry Layer Cake (Cooking Light, May 2009)

We were originally drawn to this cake because it reminds us of the top layer of our wedding cake. Cute, huh? It looks really impressive and tastes wonderfully strawberry-y. It was a bit a dense, and I'm not quite sure what went wrong to make that happen. Also, Adam changed up the icing by doubling the cream cheese and cutting back on the powdered sugar by a little less than a cup. All in all, a delicious way to end the evening.

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. To prepare cake, place sliced strawberries in a food processor; process until smooth.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in egg whites. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginnning and ending with flour mixture. Add pureed strawberries and food coloring; beat just until blended.
4. Divide batter between 2 (8-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
5. To prepare frosting, place cream cheese, 1/3 cup butter, and liqueur in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar, and beat just until blended.
6. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Cut 1 whole strawberry into thin slices, cutting to, but not through the stem end. Fan strawberry on top of cake just before serving, if desired. Cut remaining 11 strawberries in half. Garnish cake with strawberry halves, if desired.

Wine Country Salads

My parents came to visit directly after Alex and Dan left--literally hours later. Good thing we LOVE company! But, poor Adam had to go to wine country twice in three days. We normally bring an assortment of breads, cheese, and fruit with us for a picnic, but we decided to give Adam a bit of a break from the bread and cheese meal and make various salads. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of them (I wonder why), but trust me, these are salads you will definitely want to make for any picnic.


Greek Egg Salad (Moosewood Restaurant: New Classics)

8 eggs
4 cups cold water
1 1/2 Tbs. pitted, chopped kalamata olives (about 6 olives)
3 Tbs. chopped walnuts, toasted
1 1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup prepared mayonnaise
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste

1. Bring the eggs and water to a boil in a covered 2-quart saucepan. Reduce the heat to a rapid simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
2. While the eggs cook, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Submerge the cooked eggs in cold water and crack the shells to facilitate peeling. As soon as the eggs are cool enough to handle, peel them and transfer to a large bowl.
3. Mash the eggs well with a potato masher or fork. Add the remaining ingredients (except the salt and pepper, if you want to add them to taste). Stir everything gently to combine and serve.


Marinated Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli (The New Moosewood Cookbook)

If you have leftover salad, have no fear! Just place the salad on a baking tray, trying to leave most of the marinade in the bowl. Roast it in a 350 oven for 40 minutes or until perfectly chewy and caramelized. The roasted salad is wonderful on its own, cold or hot, or in a quesadilla with cheddar cheese.

3 medium-sized sweet potatoes or yams (1 1/2 to 2 lbs.)

Marinade
1/2 cup walnut oil (if unavailable, use olive oil)
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. raspberry vinegar (if unavailable, use red wine vinegar)
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. dry mustard [didn't have any, so used Dijon mustard]
1 Tbs. honey
freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch broccoli (1 to 1 1/2 lbs.), cut into small spears

Optional Garnishes
thin slices of green apple
chopped, toasted pecans [we only used the pecans]

1. Peel the sweet potatoes, cut them in halves or quarters, then into thin slices. Put them up to cook, either in or over boiling water (in a steamer). Meanwhile, prepare the marinade.
2. Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium-large bowl. As soon as the sweet potato slices are tender, add them, still hot to the marinade. Mix gently.
3. Steam the broccoli until bright green and just tender. Rinse until cold running water and drain completely. Lay the broccoli spears carefully on top of the salad. Cover tightly and marinate for several hours.
4. Within 15 minutes of serving, mix in the broccoli from on top. Serve garnished with thin slices of green apple and chopped, toasted pecans.


Chilled Asparagus in Dilled Mustard Sauce (The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest)

My dad had the leftovers of this salad for breakfast in an eggs-florentine type way. He toasted some bread, placed the asparagus on top, and then topped that with a fried egg and the remaining sauce. Let me say, I wish there had been more leftovers so that I could have had one too!

1 lb. asparagus (as thin as possible)
1 cup firm yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise (optional) [We didn't use, and it wasn't missed!]
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. minced fresh dill
2 Tbs. minced fresh chives
salt to taste (optional)
fresh black pepper to taste

1. Snap off and discard the tough bottom ends of your elegantly thin asparagus.
2. Steam the spears over boiling water until just tender. Remove them immediately from the heat, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. (At this point, you can leave them at room temperature or chill until serving time.)
3. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, optional mayonnaise, mustard, and herbs, and whisk until smooth. Season to taste with salt (or not).
4. To serve, arrange the asparagus in a shallow dish, drizzle on the dressing, and grind some fresh black pepper over the top. That's it!

New Age Burgers

I know I haven't updated the blog in quite a long time, but I am about to inundate you with a ton of fantastic recipes.

If you are in the mood for delicious, unusual burger, do I have the perfect recipe for you! The Sweet Potato-Pecan Burgers with Caramelized Onions from Cooking Light are sweet and hearty, with an extra punch from the caramelized onions. At first, we were a little intimidated by the burger making, but with a food processor, these burgers practically make themselves.


Sweet Potato-Pecan Burgers with Caramelized Onions (Cooking Light, January/February 2009)

Onions
1 tsp. canola oil
3 cups sliced onion
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt

Burgers
2 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
cooking spray
2 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves
1 cup regular oats
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 Tbs. canola oil, divided
6 Boston lettuce leaves
6 (1 1/2-oz.) 100% whole wheat or whole-grain buns
6 Tbs. chili sauce

1. To prepare onions, heat 1 tsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion to pan; saute 12 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar, sugar, and 1/8 tsp. salt; cook 30 seconds or until vinegar is absorbed. Remove onion mixture from pan; keep warm. Wipe pan dray with a paper towel.
2. To prepare burgers, place potato in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender; drain.
3. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chopped onion and garlic to pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender.
4. Place potato, chopped onion mixture, oats, cumin, 3/4 tsp. salt, and pepper in a food processor; process until smooth. Place potato mixture in a large bowl; stir in nuts. Divide potato mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.
5. Wipe pan dry with a paper towel. Heat 1 1/2 tsp. oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 patties to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned. Carefully turn patties over; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 tsp. oil and 3 patties. Place lettuce leaves and patties on bottom halves of buns; top each patty with 1 Tbs. chili sauce, about 3 Tbs. onion, and top halves of buns.

Go Fish

Adam has been craving a lot of fish lately, so for Saturday night dinner we decided to incorporate fish into the meal. We went to the grocery store and found really beautiful (and on-sale) salmon. We paired it with a baked sweet potato and greens and beans with a splash of lemon juice. There wasn't actually much to this dinner in terms of preparation, but there was a lot to this dinner in terms of taste. For the salmon (and tofu, which was prepared in exactly the same way), we coated each side with salt and Paula Deen's Lady & Son's Pepper Mix, which is slightly sweet, and seared it in a cast-iron skillet with a touch of oil. The sweet potatoes were baked in a 425 oven for about 40 minutes after being rubbed with olive oil and pricked all over. Then, we put a pad of butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar over them. Greens and beans are such a healthy and easy way to get nutrients. Just place a bit of olive oil in a nonstick skillet, then saute the spinach or other greens and add white beans, a splash of lemon juice, salt, and red pepper flakes to taste. Voila! A fantastic meal!

Practically Perfect in Every Way

This weeks' meals have a particular goal: get rid of extras in the fridge! One leftover ingredient from the rice we made last week was coconut milk. We also had some sweet potatoes in the pantry, so I cleverly thought to make a sweet potato soup with coconut milk. The soup uses only a few ingredients and barely takes any time at all. This will definitely be a keeper in our repertoire and I'm already thinking of new versions of the soup (perhaps tomato-coconut soup will be next). I gave some of the soup to my vegan co-worker today, and he gave it the thumbs up, so maybe you should try it too.


Sweet Potato Coconut Soup

4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 (14-oz) can coconut milk (I actually used a little bit less because of the rice last week, but a whole can will work perfectly)
2 massive sweet potatoes, cubed
1 Tbs. lime juice
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1. Bring vegetable broth, coconut milk, and sweet potatoes to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender. With an immersion blender, blend the soup to the desired consistency. We kept some of the sweet potato cubes whole for added texture, but it could be blended until smooth if preferred. If you do not have an immersion blender, blend the soup in batches in a regular blend with the top open and a clean cloth over top to allow steam to escape (this will help in making sure the soup doesn't explode out of the blender).
2. Add the lime juice and jalapeno. When ready to serve stir in most of the cilantro, leaving the rest to garnish. Garnish the bowls of soup with remaining cilantro.

Savory Napoleons

We are still trying to clean out our fridge from all of the Thanksgiving festivities. Pulling from what we had, I came up with this idea to make a sweet potato Napoleon. We took sliced sweet potato, tofu, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and feta cheese and baked them all together. To top it all off, we mixed together a concoction of yogurt, thyme, lemon juice, and cayenne and drizzled it over the Napoleon. Although we should have sliced the sweet potato a bit thinner, these sweet potato Napoleons were restaurant-quality (almost, at least).


Sweet Potato Napoleons

I am not going to add any quantities for the ingredients because they can be used in any quantity. Roasted red peppers or spinach would be amazing additions to the Napoleon if you feel like straying from what we used.

sweet potato, sliced thinly into rounds
tofu, sliced thinly into rectangles about the size of the sweet potato slices
mushrooms, sliced
sun-dried tomatoes
feta, sliced or crumbled
plain yogurt
lemon, juiced
cayenne
fresh thyme

1. Steam the sweet potato by placing it in a microwavable bowl and microwaving for approximately 7 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender. Broil the tofu by placing it on aluminum foil, spraying both sides with cooking spray, and placing under the broiler until slightly crisp and brown.
2. Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat.
3. In a baking sheet, layer the sweet potato, tofu, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and feta, starting and ending with sweet potato. We used 3 sweet potatoes per Napoleon. Bake in a 425 oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Mix together the yogurt, lemon, cayenne, and thyme (in your preferred portions) in a small bowl.
5. When the Napoleons have baked through, place on a plate and drizzle with yogurt mixture. Serve immediately.

Parsnip and Sweet Potato Gnocchi

One time last year, we had some leftover parsnips in the fridge and Adam made these fantastic gnocchi out of them. Ever since then, we've been yearning to make them again. Last night was finally the night. I have to warn you, gnocchi-making is quite a process. Not only does it make your kitchen one big, floury mess, it also takes a fair amount of time. But, there is nothing better than some homemade gnocchi over a bed of garlicy, sauteed greens to start the week off on the right foot.


Parsnip and Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Garlicy Kale

We took the basic recipe for the gnocchi off of a recipe by Mario Batali we found on www.foodnetwork.com. We ended up using more flour than the recipe originally called for, but as long as the starch and flour turn into a knead-able dough the amount of flour can vary. We tried to use the least amount of flour possible to keep the integrity of the sweet potato and parsnip flavors. Oh, and this recipe makes a ton of gnocchi. We have plenty of leftovers for several more meals. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with that!

1 bag parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, chopped
1 egg, beaten and divided
3 cups flour, approximately
1/2 tsp. salt

1 bunch kale, taken off the stem and chopped
2 portabella mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder

chili oil
paprika

1. To prepare the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water with the sweet potatoes and parsnips to a boil. Boil until the potatoes and parsnips are tender and slightly soft. Transfer the potatoes and parsnips to separate bowls. Mash the potatoes with a fork until smooth and then mix in half the egg and salt by making a well in the center. The parsnips mash better in a food processor with half of the beaten egg and the salt. If you can mash the parsnips with a fork, that works too, although the dough will not be as smooth. Next, add and stir in the flour to each starch, about a half cup at a time. Continue adding and mixing in the flour until you are able to roll the dough. Roll the dough into snake-like rolls that are approximately 1-inch in diameter. Cut into 1-inch squares. Place in another pot of boiling water. Allow to cook until the gnocchi rise to the top, indicating they are done. Then remove to a colander.
2. To prepare the greens, saute the portabella mushrooms in a large skillet with olive oil over medium-heat. Once the mushrooms are tender, add the garlic and kale and allow the greens to wilt. Sprinkle the paprika and chili powder over the greens and add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Place kale on a plate and surround with gnocchi, alternating parsnip and sweet potato. Drizzle with chili oil and sprinkle with paprika. Impress all those who eat!

Autumn Salad

There's this one small restaurant chain in the Baltimore, Maryland area called Donna's that makes the best roasted vegetable salad. We had some extra arugula left over from the butternut squash pizza and also sweet potatoes and onions, which lend themselves to roasting. When thinking about all those ingredients, I thought of Donna's salad and decide to make my own version. We used only sweet potatoes, onions, and peppers, but you could add any vegetable you have on hand. Adam also added a chicken breast seasoned with rosemary to his. Topping the salad with goat cheese would make a delicious addition, if you wanted to make the salad a little more rich. You could easily make this gorgeous dish for guests by preparing the vegetables before guests arrive, popping them into the oven, and letting them roast while you serve appetizers and cocktails. I can guarantee that everyone will be impressed with the beauty and flavor of this salad.


Roasted Vegetable Salad

The quantities for the vegetables are incredibly loose. The amount that we used, as described below, made approximately three servings. You can't make too many roasted vegetables, in my opinion. Worse-case scenario, you have extras, which you can mix with more greens for lunch salads or simply eat plain.

1 large sweet potato, cubed
1 red onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup arugula per person
balsamic vinaigrette or light dressing

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place sweet potato, red onion, and pepper in baking dish. Coat in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in oven for 40 minutes, or until potatoes are completely tender.
3. Portion arugula onto plates and top with roasted vegetables and balsamic vinaigrette. Enjoy this healthy, delicious meal.

Cookin' Up a Storm

Friday night we had some new friends over for dinner. We thought we should go all out for them. (We have to impress, right?) We came up with a fantastic menu that really may have been one of our most impressive meals we've ever made--and that's saying a lot, if I may say so myself. For appetizers we had Oven-Dried Tomato on Toast Rounds and Pretzel Goat Cheese Bites. Our main course consisted of Sweet Potato Ravioli with Lemon-Sage Brown Butter over sauteed mixed greens. We ended the night by completely indulging in a Turtle Cheesecake. The food and company couldn't have been better.


Oven-Dried Tomato on Toast Rounds (Cooking Light, October 2006)

This recipe takes a long time to prepare. It's very hands-off, but the tomatoes are supposed to bake for 4 hours. We only had 3 hours, and they still turned out magnificently. I would say to just keep the tomatoes in the oven as long as you can but don't stress if can't bake them for the whole time. We used homemade bread that we then broiled until crisp with a touch of olive oil, but store-bought bread would work just fine. Also, we used dried herbs rather than fresh to lower the cost of the evening. I don't think anyone missed the fresh herbs, because the tomatoes themselves were so incredibly flavorful.

12 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut in half lengthwise
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano)
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
24 (1/2-inch-thick) slices French bread baguette, toasted
24 fresh basil leaves

1. Preheat over to 250.
2. Arrange tomato halves in a single layer in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with herbs, garlic, pepper, and salt. Bake at 250 for 4 hours. Place one dried tomato half on each toast round. Garnish each with 1 basil leaf.


Pretzel Goat Cheese Bites

Adam and his brother had a big tub of pretzels to snack on during their drive out west. We still have them. Needless to say, they are bit stale. Instead of throwing them away, I decided to try my hand at making them into breadcrumbs. I thought the idea of fried goat cheese would be fantastic as well, so we combined the two ideas into one. They tasted pretty good, but I don't think I'll be making these again any time soon. But, if you are looking for a new and innovative way to serve cheese, perhaps you want to try this recipe out.

5 pretzel rods, crushed
1 log of goat cheese, sliced into rounds
1 egg white, beaten
canola or vegetable oil

1. Dip the goat cheese rounds in the egg white and then the pretzel bits, making sure to fully cover the cheese.
2. Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the pretzel goat cheese rounds in the oil until crispy on both sides. Remove from oil and serve immediately.


Sweet Potato Ravioli with Lemon-Sage Brown Butter (Cooking Light, October 2007)

Here's a way to use the leftover wonton wrappers from the dumplings I made a few weeks ago! We served these ravioli over a bed of sauteed mixed greens. The flavors of the sauce, ravioli, and greens blended perfectly together. I highly recommend serving this dish that way.

1 (1-lbs.) sweet potato
2 Tbs. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
24 wonton wrappers
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
6 quarts water
cooking spray
3 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
sage sprigs (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Pierce potato several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes or until tender. Cool. Peel potato; mash. (I actually just steamed the potato by cutting it into chunks and microwaving in a covered dish with a bit of water. This is a much faster process.) Combine potato, cheese, 1/4 tsp. salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl.
3. Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep them from drying), spoon 1 Tbs. potato mixture into center of wrapper. Brush edges of dough with egg white; bring 2 opposite corners to center. Press edges together to seal, forming a triangle.
4. Bring 6 quarts water to a boil Add 8 ravioli; cook 2 minutes or until done. Remove ravioli from pan with a slotted spoon. Lightly coat cooked wontons with cooking spray; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining ravioli.
5. Melt butter in a small skillet over high heat. Add chopped sage to pan; cook 1 minute or until butter is lightly browned. Stir in 1/4 tsp. salt, juice, and pepper. Drizzle butter mixture over ravioli. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired.


New York Cheesecake (Betty Crocker's Cookbook)

We made this decadent cheesecake and then drizzled caramel and hot fudge on top with chopped pecans to make a Turtle Cheesecake. The recipe calls for a flour crust, but we opted for a Vanilla Wafer cookie crust. We made this by pulsing the cookies in a food processor and mixing it with melted butter. Let me just say that this is the most heavenly delicious dessert I have had in a long time.

crust (of your choice)
5 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. grated orange peel, if desired
1 Tbs. grated lemon peel, if desired
1/4 tsp. salt
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup whipping cream

caramel
hot fudge
pecans, chopped

1. Make crust.
2. Heat oven to 475.
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, orange peel, lemon peel, and salt in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Beat in eggs, egg yolks, and 1/4 cup whipping cream on low speed until well blended. Pour into crust.
4. Bake 15 minutes.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 200. Bake 1 hour longer. Cheesecake may not appear to be done, but if a small area in the center seems soft, it will become firm as cheesecake cools. (Do not insert a knife to test for doneness because the hole could cause cheesecake to crack.) Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool in pan away from drafts on wire rack 30 minutes.
6. Without releasing or removing side of pan, run metal spatula carefully along side of cheesecake to loosen. Refrigerate uncovered about 3 hours or until chilled; cover and continue refrigerating at least 9 hours but no longer than 48 hours.
7. Run metal spatula along side of cheesecake to loosen again. Remove side of pan; leave cheesecake on pan bottom to serve.
*8. Drizzle with caramel and hot fudge, and top with chopped pecans. Indulge!

Unconventional Burritos

Friday night for dinner, we finally made these unconventional burritos I have been meaning to make for God knows how long. The Sweet Potato-Walnut Burritos lived up to their expectation for sure. With the lentils, sweet potatoes, walnuts, and intense spices, these burritos pack a hearty punch. Adam and I decided that we actually liked the filling better when not baked in a tortilla shell. Saturday for lunch we deconstructed the burrito by heating up the filling, turning it into a dip, and frying a tortilla into chips. Although the dip was not very attractive, I felt like it was more flavorful than it's burrito counterpart. Definitely worth trying!

Sweet Potato-Walnut Burritos (Three Bowls)

This recipe took a lot of pots and pans to make, but don't let that turn you off. All of the components complement each other so well, you really can't leave any of them (or the pots) out.

1/2 cup green lentils or split peas, rinsed well, and drained (we used lentils)
1 large sweet potato (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or more to taste
1/2 cup grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and ground or chopped, if desired
3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes

Shredded green cabbage, for lining the baking pan, optional (we omitted this step and simply sprayed the baking pan with cooking spray)
6 8-inch flour tortillas
1 large tomato, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, optional

1. Place the lentils or split peas and 1 1/3 cups water for lentils or 1 1/2 cups water for peas in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender yet firm, 25 to 35 minutes for lentils, 1 hour and 15 minutes for peas. Drain and set aside.
2. Place the sweet potato in a medium saucepan with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the cubes are soft but still hold their shape, about 20 minutes. Drain and mash them in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes more. Add the onion mixture, lentils or split peas, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the walnuts, and crushed tomatoes to the mashed sweet potato and mix well.
4. To Assemble and Bake the Burritos: Preheat the oven to 350. Place a thin bed of shredded cabbage in a 9-x-13-inch baking dish, if desire, or lightly coat the dish with spray, oil, or butter. Fill a tortilla with about one-sixth of the filling and roll it securely. Place it seam side down in the baking dish. Continue with the remaining tortillas. Cover the dish tightly with foil. (You can prepare the burritos 1 to 2 hours ahead up to this point and store at room temperature.) Bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through.
5. Remove the foil from the baking dish. Place 1 or 2 tomato slices on each burrito. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over them and return the dish to the oven for a few minutes to melt it. Place the burritos on a platter and sprinkle with the cilantro or parsley, if desire. Serve immediately.

Carly Comes!

My friend Carly visited this past week (along with Rachel). One of her favorite foods that I make is Sweet Potato Fries. Naturally, I couldn't let her down. So, on the night she arrived, she was welcomed with Grilled Mole Chicken/Tofu, Sweet Potato Fries with Peanut Sauce, and a Sesame Cucumber Salad.


Grilled Mole Chicken/Tofu
All we did for the grilled mole chicken was to coat the chicken in Trader Joe's Mole sauce and grill it up on the hot grill. And, I must give Adam all the credit for that. If tofu is more of your style, make sure to press it with a paper towel to release some of the moisture before grilling. But, other than that, it can be grilled just like chicken. Delicious!


Sweet Potato Fries with Peanut Sauce

This is, I have to say, one of my specialties. Sweet potatoes are so wonderful because they are chock-full of nutrients and taste fantastic--what could be better?

2 sweet potatoes (about 1/2 a potato per person), sliced into wedges
olive oil
kosher or sea salt

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. milk

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Line baking sheets with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
2. Arrange sweet potato wedges on baking sheets. Brush on olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
3. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Flip the potatoes and sprinkle with salt again.
4. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender. If you want the fries crispier, continue baking until desired crispiness has been reached (you may even want to turn up the oven temperature to 450).
5. In the last few minutes of baking, prepare the peanut sauce. Heat a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Brown the garlic in a tiny bit of olive oil. Add the peanut butter and melt slightly. Then, add the soy sauce and milk. Mix until the peanut butter has completely melded with the other ingredients. Add more peanut butter if the sauce looks too thin or more of the liquids if the sauce is too thick.
6. Dip your sweet potato fries in the peanut sauce with abandon!


Sesame Cucumber Salad (Cooking Light, August 2005)

Although we used all of the ingredients for the salad as Cooking Light suggests, we did not follow the exact instructions for assembly. We just combined all of the ingredients and let it sit while we completed the rest of the meal--and, it was absolutely fantastic! Here is the true recipe though, so you can decide for yourself whether or not to follow it.

1 3/4 cups (2-inch) julienne-cut English cucumber (about 1 large)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup red bell pepper strips
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
2 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Place cucumber in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Toss well. Drain 20 minutes. Combine cucumber and bell pepper in a medium bowl.
2. Combine vinegar, ginger, and oil, stirring with a whisk. Pour over cucumber mixture; toss gently to coat. Stir in crushed red pepper and black pepper.

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.