COLESLAW

coleslaw is a tricky thing...and most of the time i don't like it but i finally found a recipe that i like! here we go:

(ps-this makes a LOT of coleslaw)

1/3 red cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, grated
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 c. mayonnaise (I used my new favorite earth balance vegan mayo)
1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp. wine vinegar
2/3 tsp. dijon mustard
1/8 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper, to taste

just toss it all together and that's it!

SPANISH RICE

yet another horrible picture/great recipe post. I also just realized, while typing this, that I forgot to add cilantro to it at the end. that would have made it better! imagine this picture of rice with cilantro!

also...i served it with some guacamole and some greek yogurt and it was very tasty :)

1 onion, finely diced
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles with juice
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 c. salsa
1 1/2 c. vegetable broth
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 c. long-grain rice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, or to taste

preheat oven to 350.

Heat the oil in a saute pan over med-high heat. Add onions and cook until they are beginning to brown. At this point, add your green chiles and your cumin. Stir it all together well and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the salsa, broth, and lime juice and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rice.

Pour this mixture into a casserole dish, cover it with aluminum foil, and bake for 40 minutes.

Stir it really well before serving and top with cilantro!

ROSEMARY POTATO PIZZA

for each pizza you will need:

1 tortilla or 1 pita bread
a few thin slices of potato
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
shredded mozzarella
salt, pepper, and minced rosemary, to taste
red pepper flakes, optional

preheat the oven to 450.

in a bowl, combine the potato slices, salt, pepper, rosemary, red pepper flakes (if using), and 1 tbsp. of oil. mix until the potatoes are nicely coated.

to assemble the pizzas, drizzle your tortilla or pita bread with a little olive oil. place cheese over top and then the potatoes.

bake 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.

SHALLOT OVERLOAD SPAGHETTI

this pasta is sooo good. i love the mixture of shallots and parmesan. this is another case of my picture doing the dish no justice.

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
10 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb. spaghetti
2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2-2 c. vegetable broth
3/4 c. parsley

heat oil in a large pan on med-low heat. add shallots and garlic and season with salt and pepper. cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the 2c. broth.

meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente. drain and set aside.

add the pasta to the shallot mixture and combine with the cheese and parsley. add more salt and pepper, to taste.

BAHARAN'S SAVORY SWEET POTATO SOUP

so here's the deal...i have a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with sweet potatoes. I'm just not a fan usually. THIS recipe, however, is awesome. Baharan made this soup and it's not sweet! it's really good!!!

1 white onion, finely chopped
4 sweet potatoes, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
4 c. vegetable broth
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin
1/4 tbsp. garlic powder

saute the vegetables in a large pot, uncovered, with the oil, salt, and pepper at just over med-high heat. stir occasionally until they start getting soft (about 15 minutes). Add the broth and seasonings and bring to a boil with the lid on. let it simmer on low until the vegetables are tender (about 10 more minutes) and then blend them to your desired texture.

it should taste savory, not sweet, so adjust the seasonings if you need to.

great served warm or cold.

CURRIED TOFU "EGG" SALAD

this stuff tastes like the real deal!!!

1-14 oz. pkg extra firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1/2 c. diced red onion
1 carrot, grated
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 tbsp. curry powder
1/2 c. mayonnaise ( I used earth balance mindful mayo)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tbsp. honey
salt and pepper, to taste

in a steamer basket, steam the tofu for 10 minutes. remove from the heat and place in a towel-lined bowl to remove the excess water.

while the tofu is steaming, combine all the other ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. when tofu is done, add it to the mix also.

allow this to chill in the fridge for 15-30 minutes for best flavor.

i served this with tortilla bread and spinach....but it would taste good just on sandwich bread. i'll definitely be making this again!

STRAWBERRY AND SPINACH SALAD

so trey and i always have this argument over spinach.....i prefer it cooked and he prefers it raw. since i'm such a nice wife, i wanted to try some more recipes with raw spinach so i made this salad. i used a raspberry vinaigrette for this salad but really i'm sure any oil/acid blend dressing would taste good with it.

spinach leaves
strawberries, sliced
sesame seeds
salt and pepper
raspberry vinaigrette