Orzo with feta

Ingredients:
1/2 cup orzo
3/4 cup vegetable stock
1 zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup feta cheese

Start by boiling the vegetable stock in a small pot, add the orzo and cover.  Cook the orzo for 10-15 minutes, until it is cooked through.  You may need to add bit more liquid (water or stock) if it gets too dry before it's finished cooking, just check it periodically.  Heat a pan to medium heat and add the vegetables.  Saute them for about 10 minutes until they are soft.  Mix the vegetables into the orzo and add the feta cheese.  I served this with bacon wrapped shrimp!

BBQ Pulled Pork

It's such an easy, delicious winter dinner.  I used a crock pot to cook the pork but you can use a pot with a lid.

Ingredients:

Pork roast (I bought a random affordable cut of pork, I think the butt, it weighed about 1.5 pounds)

3 cloves of garlic

1 red onion

2 cups vegetable stock

2 cups water

Cooking oil spray

Salt and pepper

1/4-1/2 cup of you favorite BBQ sauce (I love Bullseye original)

Start by heating a pan to medium heat sprayed with cooking oil spray.  Season the pork with salt and pepper and sear the meat on each side for about 3 minutes or until it is browned.  Set aside.  Chop the onion and garlic (It can be any size since its purpose is to flavor the cooking liquid) and add it to the crock pot.  Pour in the water and vegetable stock, then add the pork.  Set the heat/timing for 6 hours.  In a pot with a lid, cook on low for 2-3 hours, until the meat is falling apart.  When it is ready, shred the pork into chunky shreds and add to a saute pan.  Discard any fat left in the meat.  Saute the meat with the BBQ sauce on medium heat, stirring periodically, for about 10 minutes so the sauce coats the pork.  I served in a toasted bun. 

Roasted vegetables tossed with balsamic vinegar

After the hiatus due to school and now after the holidays hopefully I can cook and share some new recipes.  The other night, after a couple weeks of indulging, we just wanted vegetables for dinner.  On Christmas night, my dad made roasted brussels sprouts tossed with balsamic vinegar so I wanted to add a little more.  There is not a photo accompanying this recipe because, honestly, the roasted vegetables were not too photogenic.

Ingredients:

2 cups of halved brussels sprouts
2 zucchini chopped into 1/2-1 inch pieces
2 cups of sliced button mushrooms
3 whole cloves of garlic
1 red onion sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Toss the vegetables and garlic in the olive oil, salt and pepper.  On a baking sheet, make sure they are arranged in a single layer to roast evenly.  Roast them for about 20-30 minutes, toss them after about 15 minutes to ensure even browning.  They are done cooking when they are golden brown.  In a bowl mash the roasted garlic cloves and mix with the balsamic vinegar.  Toss the vegetables in the mixture and serve.

Appetizer Party

We had an appetizer party for dinner last night, just the two of us.  We like to have a variety of things at one time, so it was a good Saturday night dinner.  I made roasted red peppers with garlic oil, sauteed mushroom and onion crostini topped with Gruyere cheese and a greek bruschetta.

For all the apps I toasted a thinly sliced baguette drizzled with olive oil in an oven preheated to 325 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Ingredients/What I did:

For the mushroom/onion crostini (makes 6):

                                         

• 1 cup of chopped mushrooms (I used a cremini/shitaki mixture)
• 1 cup of thinly sliced red onion
• olive oil for drizzling
• salt/pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup of wine (I used a rose)
• 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Drizzle a pan with olive oil and heat to medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes, then add the onion.  Cook for about 5 minutes, when the mushrooms are reduced in size and soft and the onions are translucent add the wine and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Top 6 toasted baguette slices with the mixture and add the Gruyere cheese evenly to each.  Place on a baking sheet and put under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and melted. 

For the roasted red peppers:

• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small clove of garlic, chopped

To roast the peppers, heat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Place the whole peppers on a baking sheet and bake.  Rotate the peppers about every 5 minutes, each side will look black in spots but that's good flavor.  It takes about 20 minutes for them to finish cooking, by the end the skin will look dark and the pepper will be soft if you press on it.  Place them in a bowl to cool and allow the skin to separate from the flesh.  Meanwhile, in another bowl add the olive oil and garlic, you can keep the garlic in the oil when you add the peppers or take it out before you add the peppers.  The garlic will flavor the oil if you just let it sit for 10 minutes or so.  Once the peppers are cooler, peel the skin off the flesh, and cut the flesh into slices discarding the seeds.  I topped the toasted baguette with the pepper slices and chopped Mozzarella cheese.

For the Greek style Bruschetta:

• 1/2 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of feta cheese

Just put these in a bowl and mix, top the toasted baguette with spoonfuls of the mixture and eat.

Portabella Mushroom Burger topped with sauteed onion and Swiss cheese

I find myself eating less meat these days.  It is cheaper, for one, and I just feel better incorporating a lot of vegetables into a normal day.  One thing I can't do without is a good cheese burger.  It is something I crave often so I wanted to try a burger with a Portabella mushroom.  It did not disappoint; it does not replace a juicy cheeseburger in my life but it's a great alternative.

Ingredients: (for one burger)

• 1 Portabella Mushroom, wiped with a damp cloth and stem removed
• A quarter of red onion, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 thick slice of tomato (I used heirloom)
• a handful of arugala
• 2 slices of swiss cheese
• 1 hamburger roll
• olive oil to drizzle

For Honey Mustard:

• 1 tbsp brown mustard
• 1 tsp honey or agave 
• 1 tsp of mayonnaise 

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.  Place the mushroom on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes then flip and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until the  mushroom is tender.  Meanwhile, heat a skillet to medium heat and lightly drizzle with olive oil.  Add the onion slices and cook while stirring often for about 10 minutes.  They should have some color, reduce in size and be translucent.  Take the onions out and put aside, in the same skillet pour the soy sauce and stock and heat on medium heat.  Place the mushroom in the liquid as it reduces.  Keep heating until the liquid has evaporated and the mushroom is coated in what has reduced.  Place the onions and cheese on top of the mushroom and cover to allow the cheese to melt.  

To assemble the burger, mix the components of the honey mustard and spread on the bun.  Place all other components on and serve.

Greek Pizza

We are obsessed with pizza and cheese so we incorporate this sort of dinner frequently.  If you like feta and greek ingredients, this is for you!  Also, this is mostly prep and not so much cooking which makes it quick and easy.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound pizza dough
• 12-ish cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup chopped Kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• some thin slices of red onion
• roasted garlic cloves (I found some in the antipasta bar at the food store, but to make it you just heat an oven to 400 and roast garlic cloves in the covering for about 20 mins) (I used about 15)
• 1 package of hummus

To start, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  On a baking sheet or pizza stone stretch the pizza dough to the desired size.  Depending on the size of your pizza, the amount of hummus to use will vary.  Spread  the hummus to cover the dough.  Then top with onion slices, roasted garlic cloves, chopped olives, feta cheese and halved tomatoes cut side up.  Bake for about 10-15 minutes, and serve.

Slow cooker Thai

Since I go to school in NYC, it was easy to find a Thai market with every type of curry paste you could want.  I wanted to make red curry so I stuck with that, but hope to branch out.  You can find red curry paste in specialty markets, and if you're lucky the normal super market.  I am posting this recipe even though it is not perfected.  I loved the flavor but the sauce wasn't a thick smooth consistancy I find from Thai restaurants.  Maybe there's a secret only Thai cooks know, but I think the problem was me trying to cut fat and using reduced fat coconut milk.  If you end up making this, go for the full fat or better yet, try coconut cream.

This recipe also makes a lot because it takes a while to make and I wanted leftovers for the freezer so I could have it again after reheating it.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 cans of coconut milk/cream
• 1/3 cup red curry paste (taste as you go, you may want to use more or less)
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 package of frozen broccoli
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced

In a bowl, mix the coconut milk with the curry paste.  At this point taste for how much paste you want to add.  Pour it into the crock pot and place the chicken breasts in also.  Set the crock pot for how ever long you need it to run, I set it for a 6 hours, since I was home all day.     Once there is about 45 minutes left of cooking add the sliced vegetables.  I add them at the end so they still have some texture.  If you don't have time to do this either add them at the the beginning or saute them separately and mix in with chicken.  I served this over rice!

Roasted Eggplant Dip

This dip is inspired by the Melitzanosalata we order every time we eat at our favorite greek restaurant, Greek Taverna in Montclair.  The amounts of each vegetable are not exact, you just want there to be more eggplant that the other vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, chopped with skin left on
• 1/2 of a large, or 1 whole small red bell pepper
• A quarter of a large red onion or half of small one, cut in chunks
• 2 whole cloves of garlic, left in the covering
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/3 cup of non fat greek yogurt

Heat the over to 400 degrees F.  On a baking sheet, add the vegetables and toss with salt, pepper and olive oil.  Place the garlic on the side of baking sheet so you don't lose them in the other vegetables.  Roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes so each piece cooks evenly.  They are done when they look wilted, browned and are tender.  Add the vegetables to a blender or food processor.  Squeeze the garlic out of the covering into the vegetables.  Add the greek yogurt and blend until smooth.  If it is too thick, add some water, a little at a time.  I served this with whole wheat pita chips.

Creamy Spinach Pizza

After an intense summer semester I again have time to update with the recipes I have made and also develop new ones!  Yes, very exciting because my focus can now shift back to food.  My approach is still to fill recipes with a lot of vegetables (or fruits), use little oil (especially butter) and still get great tasting and satisfying meals.   

So I wanted to make pizza one night but not the typical red sauce/cheese combo that I frequently make. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded part skim Mozzarella
• 1/2 pound of pizza dough (I used whole wheat)
• 1 tomato, chopped (Yellow tomato in the photo)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion (if you don't have either garlic or onion just sprinkle some powdered of each over the spinach) 
• 1 1/2 cup of frozen spinach
• salt and pepper to taste

To start, heat a skillet to medium low and cook the garlic and onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Raise the heat to medium and add the frozen spinach.  Cook for 10-15 minutes until the spinach is thawed.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add the ricotta cheese and stir into the spinach.  Now heat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Flatten the pizza dough to whatever size and thickness you desire and place on a pizza stone or a greased baking sheet.  Spread the spinach mixture on the dough, then top with mozzarella cheese and the chopped tomatoes.  Bake in the over until the dough is crispy and the cheese is bubbly, about 10-15 minutes. 

Herb Frittata with Rosemary potatoes

Sometimes I just crave a dinner that is filling and flavorful but won't take a lot of time to prepare.  My go to for this type of night is a frittata.  Honestly, it's easy to make into an omelette but I love delicious bubbly cheese and a golden brown presentation even on a simple night, which you can only attain under the broiler.

 

Ingredients for 2 portions:

• 4 small red potatoes
• 2 whole large eggs and 2 egg white
• 1 tbsp chopped chive
• 1 tsp chopped cilantro
• 1tbsp chopped basil
• 1 tsp of finely chopped Rosemary for the eggs
• 1 tsp of roughly chopped Rosemary for the potatoes
• Olive oil for drizzling
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup of cheese (you choose!)(I used Feta, but Parm or cheddar would be great)

First, fill a pot with water and put the potatoes in it.  Put it on high heat and bring it to a boil.  Boil until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes depending on the exact size of the potatoes.  When they are cooked, heat a skillet to medium heat and drizzle with olive oil.  Slice the potatoes roughly and add them to pan with the rosemary, press them down so they cover the bottom of the pan and can get golden brown.  Meanwhile, add the herbs, salt and pepper to the eggs.  Heat a small to medium sized skillet that is oven safe on medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil.  Add the egg mixture.  Cook over heat until the edges start to look cooked.  Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top and place under the broiler.  Keep an eye on it for about 5 minutes, and it will be finished when the top is bubbly and golden brown.

 The frittata is ready to serve when it is out of the oven and the potatoes are ready when they are golden brown (should be around the same time).

New Summer Salad Favorite

After a 4th of July weekend full of fried seafood, hearty cookouts and what else, ice cream, I opted for a vegetable filled light dinner on our first night back.  I was shopping in Whole Foods when the idea of a mushroom salad beside a caprese salad popped into my head.

 

For 2 servings:

• 2 large tomatoes, I used Roma because they don't have too many seeds inside
• 4 Slices of Mozzarella cheese
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 

• 8 medium to large white mushrooms
• 4 handfuls of Arugala
• 3 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds

• 1 tbsp brown mustard (I used Grey Poupon deli mustard)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Agave nectar or honey
• Drizzle olive oil until desired thickness, about 1/4 cup

For the caprese salad, layer tomato slices with cheese and drizzle the top with balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.  For the mushroom salad, first clean the mushrooms by taking a damp towel and wiping the tops.  Then remove the stems and thinly slice.  In a large bowl add the arugala and mushrooms.  For the dressing, in a small bowl add the mustard, lemon juice and agave and mix.  Then slowly drizzle in the olive oil.  I added less than a quarter cup and had the dressing a bit thicker but it up to your preference.  When you are ready to serve, add the dressing and mix, then top with toasted sesame seeds.

You can toast the sesame seeds at home.  Just buy plain sesame seeds.  Heat a skillet to medium heat and add them in.  Closely watch them and keep stirring because they brown quickly.  Once they are golden brown promptly remove from heat and allow them to cool in a bowl since they continue to cook if kept in the skillet.

Whole wheat fusilli tossed with roasted vegetables and fresh tomatoes

I wanted some summer pasta and since grilling isn't an option right now, I turned to roasting.  I let the pasta sit for a bit to cool down and we ate it room temperature.  It makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 Roma tomatoes
• Half package of whole wheat fusilli
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 large zucchini
• 12 cremini mushrooms
• 1/2 of a red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup of wine (I used white Zinfindel, but any white would work)
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock
• some olive oil for drizzling 
• salt, pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Parmesan or Asiago cheese to serve with

Start by washing the vegetables.  Chop the zucchini and pepper in even sized chucks so they cook evenly.  I chopped mine in about 1 inch pieces.  Slice the onion in about quarter inch slices.  Add these vegetables to a baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil, salt, pepper and the garlic powder.  Toss with your hands.  Roast them in an oven heated to 400 for 15-20 mins.  Check every 5 minutes and toss with a spatula so they don't burn.

While they cook, boil the pasta water and add the pasta.  Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.  Also chop the tomatoes.

For the mushrooms, heat a large skillet (Large enough to toss the pasta in also) to medium heat and drizzle with olive oil.  Quarter the mushrooms and add them to the pan.  Allow them to brown before adding salt and pepper.  This take about 7 minutes.  Then add the vegetable stock, wine and garlic and simmer.  Add the cooked pasta, spinach and roasted vegetables and toss.

Serve in a bowl and top with cheese and chopped tomatoes!