HULA PIZZA

so there are a few great debates when it comes to cooking...and one of them is definitely about cilantro. people either like it or hate it with a burning passion. i personally am a fan of it so if you are not this might not be the recipe for you...but then again i guess you can just leave that part off. so anyway, i got this recipe out of a "biggest loser" cookbook. i know it doesn't look like a lot of cheese but it's actually really filling!

each pizza consists of:

whole wheat flour tortilla
2 tbsp. barbecue sauce
3 tbsp. goat cheese crumbles
2-3 tbsp. drained, canned pineapple, chopped into bite sized pieces
1-2 tsp. finely chopped cilantro

preheat the oven to 400.

place tortilla on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for about 2 minutes per side. If air bubbles form flatten them down with a spatula to let the air out.

remove from oven and top with all ingredients. bake 3-5 minutes longer.

that's it! :)

TOMATO-BASIL BITES

this dish consists of three of my favorite things....tomatoes...cheese...and basil. it can do no wrong. it takes a little bit of prep work but it's worth it!

1 pkg cherry tomatoes
fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
6-8 basil leaves, julienned

cut a bit off of the top of each tomato and squeeze out the seeds and juice (i save this all in a separate bowl and use it later mixed in with pasta sauce). as well as taking the top off of each tomato, cut a little sliver off the bottom as well so each tomato will sit upright on a plate. Once each tomato is hollowed out, fill with a small cube of cheese.

Drizzle oil over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and top with basil.

the end :)

CROWN JEWEL CHICKEN PITA SANDWICHES

when i saw the recipe for this i thought "this will either be really good or really gross"....luckily for me it was the former :) the original recipe calls for raisins which i didn't add and it uses mango chutney instead of the peaches...you are welcome to do whatever you want. also, instead of mayonnaise i use a product called "nayonaise." as you can probably deduce....it is like mayonnaise but vegan. it is really good and i recommend trying it! i buy it at kroger but i'm sure it can be found in other places too :)

1 pkg veggie chicken (i prefer quorn or morningstar brand), cooked, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 green apple, seeded, diced
2 tbsp. mayonnaise (or in my case nayonaise)
1 can of peaches in light syrup (you will use some of the peaches as well as some of the syrup)
2 tbsp curry powder
pita bread

cook the chicken in olive oil according to package directions. When chicken is almost done cooking, add about 1-2 tbsp of the syrup from the can of peaches and cook another minute, mixing to combine.

In a separate bowl add the apple, salt, pepper, mayo, curry powder, diced chicken, and about 2 tbsp. of peaches from the can, diced. Mix this all together until everything is coated in the sauce and put into the pita bread.

that's it! it's really good and really easy!

SPICY ARABIAN BUTTERNUT SOUP

2 medium butternut squash
2 large onions, chopped
1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger
1 can coconut milk
1 heaped tsp. turmeric
1 heaped tsp. cumin
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
few dried chili flakes
1 heaped tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. kosher salt

peel the butternuts, dice them, and boil them until they are soft. Then, pour out about half of the water you used.

peel and dice onions and saute in a separate pan until browned. add spices and a little water to deglaze pan. mix, add coconut milk, and let simmer a little.

add this mixture to pot of squash and blend it, adding water if it's too thick, until you reach a consistency you like. add chili flakes.

serve with bread or croutons.

MINESTRONE SOUP

just wanted to mention before you start this that this recipe makes a LOT of soup so make sure to use a HUGE pot!

1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery rib, diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
4 c. shredded green cabbage
5 c. vegetable stock
1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. italian seasoning
2 zucchini, diced
1-15 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 lb. small shell pasta
1-10 oz. pkg frozen green beans
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent. Add cabbage and cook for 1 minute.

Add vegetable stock, tomatoes, parsley, and italian seasoning and bring to a boil over med-high heat, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup, partially covered, for 40 minutes. Add the zucchini, garbanzo beans, and kidney beans and simmer an additional 15 minutes.

While soup simmers, bring a separate pot of water to boil and cook the past until al dente, drain, and set aside. ( I like to kill two birds with one stone so once the pasta has cooked for a few minutes, I throw the green beans in there to cook with the pasta until both are done).

Add pasta and green beans to the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes.

serve hot.

SALAD SHIRAZI

so i was thinking about it....and i haven't put any persian dishes up here yet! haha. tisk tisk. so anyway, this is my favorite salad ever and i usually hate raw onions! if you do too i would advise trying it anyway because surprisingly it is awesome. In the picture above I used a yellow onion but my favorite kind to use with this salad is actually a red onion. Any kind will work though..you can even use green onions. ok...anyway...back to the recipe:

2 cucumbers, diced
5 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 to 1/2 red onion, diced (just depends on how much onion you want in there...if it was my dad he would probably stick 2 in there! lol)
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 tbsp. dried mint leaves

chop, combine, mix...done!

PIZZA CASSEROLE

4 c. wagon wheel pasta
1-28 oz. jar pasta sauce
1 pkg veggie beef (i prefer morningstar brand)
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1-2 c. shredded mozzarella

heat the oven to 350.

cook and drain pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, cook bell peppers for 2-3 minutes in olive oil on med-high until they are softened. Then add the veggie beef and cook until almost cooked all the way through, 3-4 minutes.

In the pot the pasta is in, add the beef mixture as well as the pasta sauce. Mix together and pour mixture into an ungreased casserole dish. Cover and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake uncovered for another 4-6 minutes longer until cheese is melted.

serve immediately.

PORTABELLO PIZZA

2 portabello mushroom caps, gills removed
4 thin tomato slices
shredded mozzarella
8 basil leaves, torn
pinch of kosher salt

preheat the oven to 425. place the portabello caps on a baking sheet, transfer to the oven, amd roast for 10 minutes. Take caps out of oven and top with salt, cheese, basil, and tomatoes (in that order). Return portabellos to oven and roast until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

serve immediately.

TOMATO BREAD PUDDING

4 large tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. sugar and kosher salt
pepper
3/4 loaf french bread, cut into cubes
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c. parmesan cheese

preheat the oven to 400. Grease a shallow casserole dish. Using a food processor, pulse tomatoes, salt, sugar, and a pinch of pepper until coarsely pureed. Place the bread cubes in the prepared dish and pour melted butter over top to coat. Top with tomato mixture and gently mix to evenly distribute. bake until golden brown, about 22-25 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for another 8-10 minutes.

let cool for a few minutes before eating.

GUACAMOLE SALAD

4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 avocados, diced

mix all the ingredients together (adding the avocado last) and serve immediately.

ROMAINE SWEET HEARTS

WHY ARE POMEGRANATES SO ANNOYING TO EAT?! ugh...oh well. they are worth the 900 years it takes to get the seeds out. anyway...i'll quit complaining now...here we go...

3 tbsp. mayo
1 1/2 tbsp. mint, chopped
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. chopped marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 c. hearts of palm, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
salt
1/2 pomegranate
6 leaves from heart of romaine lettuce

Mix all the ingredients (except pomegranate) together and spoon into lettuce leaves. top with pomegranate seeds.

also...just a warning...these are pretty messy!

SAVORY GREEN RICE WITH FONTINA CHEESE

this is probably my new favorite rice dish ever! it's soooooo good!! :) oh, and by the way...the "meat" i served with it was gardein's beefless tips. I'd never tried them before...they weren't too bad....they were even better with A1!! (in case you don't know....i am obsessed with A1)

ok, here we go:

salt and pepper
1 1/2 c. rice
2 c. vegetable broth
juice of 1 lemon
1 c. spinach
1 c. parsley
few grates of fresh nutmeg (or just use the powder...not a big deal)
1 roma tomato, finely diced
1/3 lb. fontina cheese, cut into small cubes
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

in a large saucepan, bring the rice, salt, stock, and 2/3 c. water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 18 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, spinach, and parsley and process. Set aside.

Fluff rice with a fork and then stir in the spinach mixture, diced tomatoes,cheese, and nutmeg. Stir together well to blend in the cheese.

serve immediately.

VEGETABLE PAELLA

so...here's the thing....i have had this recipe FOREVER. do any of you ever look at a recipe and in that split second you think...."nice, i want to make that!" and then every time you actually go to make dinner you skip over it because you don't actually think it seems that interesting anymore? well...this was that. I sure am glad though that i finally decided to make this because not only was it easy....but i dare say it is one of my favorite new recipes! alright....enough blabber...here's the recipe:

1 c. rice
1 lb asparagus, cut into 2" pieces
3 c. fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. saffron (if you don't have that you can use 1/4 tsp. turmeric but saffron is much better!)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
2-15 oz cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
1-10 oz. bag frozen sweet peas

Cook rice in water as directed on package; set aside and keep warm.

In a saucepan, heat 1" of water to boiling. Add asparagus and broccoli; return to boiling. Boil this mixture for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then add the peas and continue to boil, stirring occasionally, for another 2 minutes or until asparagus and broccoli are crisp-tender. (i know that was a horrible run-on sentence..but oh well ;p) Drain mixture in colander.

Coat that same pot with the olive oil and place on med-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, salt, saffron, and asparagus mixture and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is crisp-tender.

Stir in the remaining ingredients (including the rice) and serve immediately.

SMOTHERED SQUASH AND ZUCCHINI WITH BASIL

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lb of a mix of zucchini and squash, cut into thin rounds
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 c. water
1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh basil

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy skillet over med-high heat until hot but not smoking, then add half the vegetables and saute, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, add more oil and repeat with remaining vegetables. Return all the vegetables into the skillet. add garlic and saute for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. add water, salt, pepper and simmer briskly, covered, until vegetables are tender and most of the liquid is evaporated, 6-7 minutes. stir in basil.

LENTIL TOASTS

7 oz lentils, rinsed and picked over (make sure to get any tiny pebbles out...not fun to chew on!)
2 2/3 c. vegetable broth
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 lb spinach, chopped
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
8 slices toasted bread
1 clove garlic, peeled

place lentils in a large saucepan with the stock. bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until tender. drain and set aside.

saute the onion in 2 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan until softened, 5 minutes. season with salt. add the tomatoes and lentils and saute for 3 minutes. add the spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted, 3-4 minutes.

beat the remaining oil and vinegar in a small bowl. season with salt and pepper. rub the toast all over with the garlic.

arrange the toast on serving dishes and spoon lentil and spinach mixture over the top. drizzle with the remaining oil and vinegar and serve.

POTATO & TOMATO GALETTE

3 potatoes, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. butter
6 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 or 2 c. chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

preheat the oven to 450. Lightly grease a shallow cake pan. Arrange half the potatoes inside the pan.

Brush with butter and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Add half of the tomato slices and then cover with the remaining potato slices. Brush again with butter and sprinkle on some salt and pepper.

cover loosely with foil and allow to bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until golden-brown.

Take the pan out of the oven and top with remaining tomatoes and then the chopped basil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and then put back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve immediately.

CURRIED RAVIOLI WITH SPINACH

1-9 oz pkg refrigerated cheese ravioli
1-9 oz pkg frozen spinach
2 oz cream cheese, softened
2/3 c. coconut milk
1/3 c. vegetable broth
3/4 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Cook and drain ravioli as directed on package.

Cook and drain spinach as directed on package.

In a saucepan, mix cream cheese, coconut milk, broth, curry powder, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot.

Mix together pasta and spinach and add sauce over top. Stir to evenly coat.

FRIED SMASHED POTATOES WITH LEMONS

so i was watching "giada at home" the other day and I saw her makes these and they looked so good! It's going to take some practice to learn how to cook them without them falling apart. This was my first attempt at it but I now know that when you are smashing the potatoes...don't smash them too flat, keep them kind of round....also, we ate these with Quorn's naked chik'n cutlets. I hadn't ever tried them before and they are pretty good :)

so anyway...here we go:

for the potatoes:
2 lbs. baby or fingerling potatoes
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
for the dressing:
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. chopped thyme
2 lemons, zested
salt and pepper

Put the potatoes in a stockpot with enough cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil and salt the water. Cook potatoes on med-high for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain in a colander and let sit for 5 minutes to dry. Using the palm of your hand or the bottom of a cup, gently (THIS IS THE PART I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER) press the potatoes until LIGHTLY smashed.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil over med-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly brown, about 1-2 minutes. Remove garlic and discard. In batches, add the potatoes and cook, without stirring, 5-8 minutes on each side or until golden brown. (You might need to add a little more oil with each batch).

For the dressing combine the above ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Evenly distribute this dressing over the potatoes when they are done.

TOMATOES WITH EGGPLANT CAPONATA

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced into 1/4" pieces
1 cubanelle pepper, seeded and diced into 1/4" pieces
1 sweet onion, diced into 1/4" pieces
1/2 c. large green olives, chopped
3 tbsp. capers
1/4 c. golden raisins
1 medium firm eggplant, diced into 1/4" pieces
kosher salt
1 handful parsley, chopped
2 or 3 large tomatoes, scooped out and salted

Heat a big pot over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. Add peppers and onion and then increase heat slightly. Let cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the olives,capers, and raisins. Salt the diced eggplant and stir into the pot. Add diced tomatoes and stir well to combine. Cover pot and cook 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in parsley and remove pot from heat.

Spoon mixture into tomatoes.

BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

1 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
3 c. original soymilk
2 tsp. cornstarch
3 c. fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar

In a saucepan, melt butter over med. heat. Stir in onion, flour, and salt. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until onion is soft.

In a small bowl, mix soymilk and cornstarch with whisk until smooth. Gradually stir into onion mixture. Heat to boiling; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly, until bubbly and thickened.

Stir in broccoli. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese. Cook 2-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted.

Serve immediately.

VEGGIE JOES

2-12 oz. pkgs veggie beef (i prefer morningstar brand)
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 c. water
1 1/2 c. ketchup
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tbsp. yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
sandwich buns, split

Cook onions and peppers in a high-sided skillet with 2 tbsp. of the olive oil until softened. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil and veggie beef and cook until veggie beef is nearly cooked through. When almost done, add ingredients 5-11 and allow to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Put into toasted sandwich buns or eat by itself (as pictured).

CURRIED LENTILS

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minces
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 1/2 c. brown lentils, rinsed well
4 c. vegetable stock
2- 3" cinnamon sticks
3 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2" dice
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
salt and pepper
3 c. cooked basmati rice, hot

Heat oil over med-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent. Stir in curry powder, cumin, coriander and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, lentils, stock, and cinnamon sticks to pan, and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer mixture, uncovered, adding more stock if necessary, to keep ingredients just covered with liquid, for 40 minutes or until lentils are very soft.

Remove and discard cinnamon sticks. Add zucchini to pot, cover pot, and cook for 10 more minutes, or until zucchini is tender. Stir in cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately over rice.

VEGETABLE BARLEY SOUP

3/4 c. barley
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 large onions, diced
2 c. frozen peas
1 bunch spinach
salt and pepper
2-28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1-15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed


Cook the barley according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot. Add the carrots, celery, onion, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 20-25 minutes. Add the tomatoes (and their juices) and 4 c. water. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the soup has slightly thickened and vegetables are tender, 45-60 minutes. Add spinach and frozen peas and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it is tender, 5-6 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and cooked barley and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

(For this batch I also added some cooked pasta ;p )

i didn't die...i promise

sorry to anyone who reads this. i know i haven't updated this in a while and you can blame my sister for it ;p i've been borrowing her camera and she stole it back from me, lol. hopefully one of these days i'll get my own and then i'll update this on a regular basis.

tomato-basil french bread pizza

so, i LOVE pizza...and their are a million different varieties of this you can make but this is one of my favorites. What can I say? I love basil :)

ingredients:

french bread
tomato sauce (any kind will work, I usually just use leftover spaghetti sauce)
fresh mozzarella cheese (yes, it makes a difference)
basil
tomatoes

Put on the toppings and cook in oven on 450 for about 10-15 minutes, depending on how crispy you want it.

a little tip: Don't put the basil on the very top or it will get burnt.

barbecue tofu-basil sandwich

ingredients:

extra firm tofu
extra virgin olive oil
barbecue sauce
basil
mayonnaise
mozzarella cheese
french bread

preparing the tofu:

take tofu out of packaging and wrap in a towel or a few layers of paper towels. Set it on a plate, set another plate on top of it, and place something heavy on top of the top plate. This will put pressure on the tofu to help soak as much water out of it as possible. Let it sit out like this for an hour.

unwrap the tofu and dry it off as much as possible. Slice it into four slices. Marinate in barbecue sauce in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

preparing the sandwich:

grill the tofu for a few minutes on each side with a little bit of olive oil until it is heated through. Meanwhile, toast the cheese on the bread. Once the bread is toasted with the melted cheese on it, add the mayo, cooked tofu, and basil.

taco salad

ingredients:

extra virgin olive oil
veggie beef (i prefer morningstar brand veggie crumbles)
lettuce
sharp cheddar cheese
tomatoes
salsa

Just cook the veggie beef in a little bit of olive oil for a few minutes until warm and mix in with the other ingredients. See guys, being a vegetarian isn't so hard after all ;)

cream cheese pinwheels

ingredients:

whole grain tortilla bread
cream cheese (i prefer onion and chive)
lettuce
tomatoes

This one is pretty simple guys. Just spread everything onto the tortilla bread, roll it up, and then cut it into little bit sized pieces.

to blog or not to blog

maybe it's the insomnia...maybe it's my obsession with food network...either way, i've decided to start my own blog of foods that I have been making and new foods that I am going to try out. All the recipes are vegetarian so whether you want to be a vegetarian for a day or you are interested in using these meals all the time...go for it :)

wish me luck!

-shadan