Asparagus Salad

Somehow when I got fresh arugula from my dad's garden I was inspired to sautee some asparagus in garden-fresh herbs and make a salad. I put garlic, scallions, basil, oregano, salt, and olive oil in a pan with asparagus and let it cook.
I then added some goat cheese, heirloom tomatoes, avocado, raw pecans, fresh ground pepper, and sea salt to the pile of fresh arugula and asparagus (hard to see beneath all the other yummy stuff). I drizzled fancy sweet balsamic vinegar over it all, and it was amazing!

Tofu Stir Fry

The staple of any vegetarian's kitchen, right? Well it seems that I forgot about this for a while, but here's my recent take on it.

I dried out the tofu both by paper towel and in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Then I marinated it.
Marinade/Sauce:
-Low sodium tamari sauce (more flavorful!)
-Ginger garlic paste from an Indian grocery store
-Scallions
-Diced onions
-Red pepper flakes
-White wine
-Orange juice
-Sesame oil
-Water

Then I used the same sauce for the whole thing (fresh peas, carrots, onions, and cashews). All served over brown rice.

Baked shells with zucchini and mushrooms

When I was little my mom would make baked ziti, or quick lasagna, as we'd always call it. It was one of my favorite meals, but when I tried making it as an adult, I realized that my taste buds have matured beyond the rather plain flavors of that dish. I quickly set out to find a more "mature" version of this dish, and here's what I came up with.

Sautee onions, mushrooms, and zucchini (all chopped or sliced really small).
Mix ricotta, parmesan, pesto, a little milk, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Add sauteed veggies when cool. Mix these with the whole wheat pasta. Pour into a baking dish with oil on it. Then cover the top with sliced fresh mozzarella. Bake until golden brown.
Serve with warm tomato sauce on top or on the side. And a salad.

Trout with Couscous

I have recently become a fan of making different types of couscous with veggies and beans, cooked in broth. One day, while looking for something new to cook, I remembered the trout that I used to love eating at my grandparents' house. I set out to cook trout, which I hadn't eaten in years, and had no idea how to cook.

I ended up cooking the trout with citrus juices, garlic, and spices in a pan, and then toasting sliced almonds and spreading them on top. It was delicious!

Pesto & Ricotta Pizza

It seems to be more and more often that I find myself looking at the basil and tomatoes in the store, and imagining up a tasty pizza creation...!

This time I thought I'd go for something a little bit different. I used a mix of ricotta and pesto as a base-layer instead of sauce (which I never actually use).

Here's the final product:
I was most of the way through assembling the pizza, and I just had to stop and take a picture because it looked so beautiful! This was before the final layer of cheese went on.
And for the pineapple-lover in the house, half was topped with small chunks of fresh pineapple.
Here's a basic summary of the layers for this pizza:
1. whole wheat crust (I used the same one from Trader Joe's that worked so well last time)
2. a tiny little bit of olive oil brushed on (probably could have skipped this)
3. blend of ricotta cheese, pesto, and a little bit of crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper (mixed in a bowl)
4. a little bit of shredded parmesan cheese
5. fresh basil, oregano, chives -- chopped finely (many thanks to my dad and his gardening skills)
6. diced garlic, ground black pepper
7. caramelized/sauteed onion
8. a variety of little heirloom tomatoes, sliced/diced
9. pineapple (on half)
10. diced fresh mozzarella, chevre goat cheese crumbles

Tuna Pasta Salad and Black Bean Salad

On a night when you can't decide on a good dinner plan, why not just make all your little favorites? It's still healthy even if you just make a bunch of sides, right? Well these actually seem to balance out, and make a delicious meal!


Tuna Pasta Salad:
whole wheat pasta
mayonnaise
fresh lime juice
seasoning
cilantro
red bell pepper
canned white tuna

Black Bean Salad:
can of black beans
tomatoes
red bell pepper
cilantro
avocado
fresh lime juice
balsamic vinegar
seasoning

Grilled Swordfish over Coscous and Greens

Couscous:
-leftover black bean salad
-seasoning
-whole wheat couscous made with broth
-chopped up red bell pepper
-lots of chopped cilantro and scallions

Okra

After seeing okra in the grocery store the other day, I have been tempted to make some on my own. I cut it the long way, so it'd be a bit more interesting. Sauteed it in garlic and seasoning in olive oil. Delicious!

Summer Pasta

I know it's not really summer yet (especially in terms of produce), but the beautiful weather makes me feel like eating summer foods.

So here's a great summer pasta, using tomatoes, zucchini, and basil (among other things).

INGREDIENTS:
whole wheat pasta
fresh basil
baby tomatoes
onions
garlic
dried oregano
zucchini
olive oil, salt, pepper
fresh mozzarella
parmesan
shrimp

mixing everything together

Pizza

Walking through Trader Joes today I somehow felt like I couldn't just walk away from that giant box of fresh basil in front of me... So I had to find a way to use it! I settled on pizza, and just a couple minutes after that encountered the pizza dough. Wow, what a way to save time, I thought. I could even make pizza for lunch! So here I go cheating and using store-bought pizza crust, but using that basil I really wanted.

Like many great foods, this one started with chopped basil and tomatoes.


I also sauteed onions, zucchini, and garlic in a pan.

Then I brushed the crust with olive oil, seasoned with salt, pepper, and dried oregano, and I added the toppings (including fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, and parmesan).

In the end, it was amazing. All that basil really blended well with everything else, and the whole wheat store bought crust was actually quite good.

Pasta with Salmon and Asparagus in a Smoked Gouda Sauce

Never made a gouda sauce? Well neither had I. But when I walked by the gouda cheese in the store, I was inspired, so I set out to try it.

SAUCE:
-Mushrooms and garlic sauteed in butter
-milk
-grated (or cut up tiny in a cuisinart) gouda
-tiny but of flour
-lots of fresh basil and scallions
-salt and pepper
-steamed asparagus
-cooked salmon



The finished product:

It was a nice change from our usual pastas, and the smoked flavor of the gouda complemented the salmon and the mushrooms really well. The only problem was, we had too much sauce for the pasta we cooked. Guess we're having leftovers!

I don't get credit for the salad, but it was a great accompaniment to the pasta.

Swordfish over mixed greens

I made a marinade for the fish that included:
-balsamic vinegar
-honey
-dijon mustard
-olive oil
-lemon juice
-fresh basil
-garlic
-onions
-seasoning
-pepper

Then I cooked it in a pan, covered. The salad greens were tossed with a balsamic vinegrette, parm and tomatoes set on the side, and fish set on top.

And served with bruschetta. :)

Bruschetta

One of my favorite foods. I make a basic bruschetta, but I tend to use a thin layer of parmesan under the tomato layer.


It all started out with the topping of fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, onions, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

I toasted the bread in a small amount of olive oil in a pan, to keep them from getting soggy, and give a tiny bit more flavor.

A house favorite -- Calabacitas

This is one of those special dinners that is a favorite for both of us.

It's basically seasoned zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, and onions. We serve it with scrambled eggs and sometimes beans. And always with fresh tortillas and avocado.

Here's a summary of the process:





Cook them all up, and you get:

Fish with black bean salad

Another relatively quick dinner that leaves lots of leftovers.


This is the only time I use canned black beans, because it's just so quick! Just beware of the contents of some of the main brands of beans, stick to the kind without all the gross additives.

BEAN SALAD:
Black beans
Tomatoes
Red onions
Yellow corn
Avocado
Garlic, minced
Cilantro
Lime juice
Balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Serve over greens, with some cheese if you want.

FISH:
Mix together:
-bread crumbs
-chopped walnuts
-salt
-garlic
Cover fish in the above mix.
Then dip into beaten egg.
Cook in a pan with olive oil until golden brown and cooked through.

Shrimp Ceviche with Mango and Avocado

This is a great easy dinner. Watch out, if you make something else to accompany this, it might not get eaten!


Mix together chopped:
-tomatoes
-avocado
-cilantro
-onion (red if possible)
-garlic
-mango
-cooked + peeled shrimp (careful not to over-cook)
Add lemon + lime juice, salt, pepper.

Serve with tortilla chips, or any way you'd like.
I even tried this over mixed greens for a salad the next day!