VEGGIE CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

1 pkg veggie chicken (for this recipe i prefer quorn chik'n tenders)
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. plain yogurt
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and let chick'n marinade for 30 minutes.

Cook chik'n in 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet on med-high until chicken is warmed through, 7-10 minutes.

SPINACH PASTA SALAD

3 c. farfalle pasta
1 roma tomato, chopped
1/2 c. basil pesto
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
4 c. spinach leaves, chopped
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1- 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained, chopped

cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain.

meanwhile, in a food processor, blend tomato, pesto, salt and pepper for 30 seconds.

toss pesto mixture, pasta, and remaining ingredients.

ITALIAN MAC AND CHEESE

1 pkg farfalle noodles
3/4 pkg. italian three-cheese blend shredded cheese
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 leek, chopped
8 asparagus spears, chopped
1/2 c, parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Cook garlic and butter in a large pot over medium heat for 1 minute. Increase heat to med-high and add the leeks and asparagus. Cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender. Transfer this all to a bowl and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Use the same pot to boil noodles until al dente, reserving 3-4 tbsp. of the pasta water.

Drain noodles and then add the reserved pasta water, leek/asparagus mixture, and cheese. Mix together for a few minutes until all the cheese melts.

Top with parsley.

IRON CHEF SOUP

disclaimer: you WILL become addicted to this soup. don't say i didn't warn you! ;p

my friends and i got together a few weeks ago and two of my friends came up with this recipe! i am not even joking...I have been making this every week since! Also...it's just as good without the noodles in it if you want a more brothy soup.

3c. vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 pkg tofu, patted dry, chopped into cubes
2 c. basil, julienned
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 pkg rice noodles
salt to taste

Bring vegetable broth and coconut milk to a boil in a large pot. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to med-high and add all ingredients except basil. Stir everything together and simmer until noodles are al dente. Once noodles are al dente, stir in the basil and simmer for one more minute.

This soup is good both warm and cold!

MAST-O-KHIAR

here is one of my few and far between persian recipes. this so soooo easy to make! mast o khiar literally translate to 'yogurt and cucumber.' It makes a great side.....it is usually eaten along with rice dishes but I eat it as a snack or pretty much whenever I can!

a word to the wise....the only downside to this dish is that you will most likely get little pieces of mint in your teeth so I wouldn't recommend this for a first date or anything ;p

2. c plain yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled and finely diced
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. dried mint
salt and pepper, to taste

mix everything together....and that's it!

CHEESE STUFFED TOMATOES

2 large tomatoes
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste
2-3 tbsp.-worth of any kind of bread you have (i used 1/2 of a hot dog bun)
mozzarella cheese
feta cheese


preheat the oven to 400.

cut the tops off the tomatoes and set aside.

scoop out the inside of the tomatoes, and place the insides in a bowl. Scrape out as much as you can while still keeping the tomato intact enough to stand up on its own.

set the hollowed out tomatoes on a baking dish lined with enough aluminum foil to fold over the tomatoes.

with the insides of the tomatoes that you have in the bowl...take the 2 tomato cores that you will have in there and try to cut off and save as much of the soft tomato parts as you can. Once you get to the harder, inner part of the core you can discard that part.

At this point you should have a bowl full of small chunks of the inside of the tomato as well as the seeds and juice of the tomato. At this point just pour the bowl over the sink with your hand over the tomatoes, just enough so that most of the tomato juices pour out. ( I guess you could use a fine strainer but i try to use as few utensils as possible...less dirty dishes!)

once you have this tomato mixture in the bowl, add a handful of the cheeses as well as the bread and a little salt. Mix it all together with your hands (this way the juices from the tomato wet the bread and really bring everything together).

Pour about 3/4 of the olive oil over the hollowed-out tomatoes and then fill them with your tomato-cheese mixture. Top the tomatoes with the lid of the tomato and pour the rest of the olive oil over that. sprinkle the top with a little more salt.

Fold the sides of the aluminum foil up over the tomatoes to form a sort-of pouch.

bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes.

PESTO, FETA AND BEET PIZZA

my sister and i came up with this pizza the other day. it's really good!!!

1 pkg refrigerated pizza dough
1-2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. pesto sauce
4-5 tbsp. feta cheese, crumbled
1 can beets, sliced

preheat oven to 400.

roll out pizza dough onto a greased baking sheet. cover edges of pizza (where the crust will be) with some olive oil so it doesn't burn.

add the pesto, followed by the cheese, followed by the beets.

bake in oven about 10 minutes or until dough is baked through.

KALAM POLO

so this happens to be one of my favorite persian recipes. Essentially, it translates to "cabbage rice." I am aware that that doesn't sound incredibly appetizing but I'm telling you...it's so good! My husband hates cabbage and loves this rice!

1 head cabbage, chopped
1 pkg. veggie beef ( i prefer morningstar brand)
2 small cans tomato sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
1/8 tsp. saffron
1/2 c. sugar, (more or less depending on your taste but 1/2 c. is a good starting point)
1/2 c. lemon juice, again, to taste
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4-5 c. rice

Cook rice according to package directions until it is just 1-2 minutes shy of being done.

Meanwhile, chop and saute the cabbage in olive oil over med-high heat until it begins to soften. Add the beef and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the other ingredients (except the rice) and bring to a boil. Let simmer on med-low for about 30 minutes.

Add mixture to your rice (your rice should be JUST shy of being done...it should still be a little bit wet) and mix well.

GARLIC FRIES

there are few things i love in this world more than fries and garlic so pretty much these are the best things ever. enjoy!

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. canola oil, plus a little more to coat pan
3 large baking potatoes, cut into matchsticks
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
1-2 tbsp. parsley, chopped

preheat the oven to 450.

heat the garlic and oil together in a small saucepan over med. heat for 2 minutes. strain the garlic from the oil. Set both the garlic and the garlic-infused oil aside.

Cut potatoes into 1/4" thick matchsticks. In a large bowl, toss together the oil, potatoes, and salt. Coat a baking sheet with a little of the canola oil and spread the potatoes out onto it in a single layer. bake until golden-crisp, about 30-35 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the baking sheet. In a serving bowl, toss them with the parsley, reserved garlic, and salt to taste.

(just writing this recipe makes me want these really bad. i seriously have a problem when it comes to fries...haha)

WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

1. i know this isn't the greatest picture in the world....so sue me ;)
2. i know that a lot of people have a strong hatred for mushrooms but i love them and i think everyone should give this soup a try :)

1/2 c. dried porcini mushrooms
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks, thinly sliced (I've learned that to really wash leeks you need to chop them first and then place them in a bowl of water. shake the leeks around to shake off any dirt there may be and then drain)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 c. fresh wild mushrooms, chopped (really any kind of mushroom will do. i just used baby bellas)
5 c. vegetable stock
2 tbsp. cream
salt and pepper, to taste

put the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl,add 1c. of warm water and allow to soak for 20-25 minutes. When done, lift the mushrooms out of the liquid and squeeze over the bowl to remove as much of the soaking liquid as possible. Keep this reserved liquid to use later in the recipe. Finely chop the porcini and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and leeks and cook on med-high for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to soften.

Chop the fresh mushrooms and add to the pot. Stir over medium heat for a few minutes until the mushrooms begin to soften. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. add the chopped porcini, reserved soaking liquid, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes, with the lid half on, stirring occasionally.

pour about 3/4 of the soup into a food processor and process until smooth. Add this mixture back into the soup pot and stir in the cream. Heat through gently for a few minutes on low.

GREEK SALAD

1 head romaine lettuce
2-3 roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 english cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 red onion, cut into thin slices
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
1 c. kalamata olives

for the dressing:

1 c. extra virgin olive oil
3-4 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tsp. dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix all the dressing ingredients together and whisk together in a bowl. Allow dressing to sit in refrigerator for a few hours-1 day to let the flavors meld.

If desired, once you make the salad and pour on the dressing, allow the salad to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

SESAME NOODLES

i got this recipe from my friend rebecca's food blog:

http://becksterslaboratory.wordpress.com/

check it out! she has lots of great recipes :) I altered my recipe from hers a bit but it is essentially the same.

1 box angel hair pasta
1/4 to 1/2 c. soy sauce or teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
3 tbsp. pure sesame oil
4 tbsp. canola oil
2 tbsp. reserved hot cooking water
1/2 c. to 1 c. cilantro leaves, chopped
sesame seeds for garnish

cook noodles to al dente according to package instructions.

While noodles are cooking, whisk all other ingredients (except cilantro and sesame seeds) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.

When noodles are done strain them and put them in a bowl(making sure to reserve 2 tbsp of the hot cooking water).

add prepared sauce and cilantro as well as reserved hot water over noodles and toss to coat.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

RIBOLLITA

THIS SOUP IS SO GOOD!! so according to my cookbook this soup is meant to be eaten a certain way. At the bottom of the bowl you place a piece of bread. On top of that you put some sauteed spinach and then on top of THAT you pour this soup. quite honestly....the soup is just fine without the spinach and bread but if you want to do that part too, i'm including it in the recipe.

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
4 garlic cloves,finely chopped
2 celery sticks, thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
1-14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp. green pesto (homemade or bought)
3 3/4 c. (1 1/2 pints) vegetable stock
1- 14 oz. can white or borlotti beans, rinsed and drained
salt and ground pepper, to taste

optional (read description above):

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. spinach
4 slices bread (any kind will work)


heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, celery and fennel and cook on med for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

add the chopped tomatoes, pesto, stock and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste.

(optional part)

As soup is finishing, cook the spinach in a separate non-stick skillet in the olive oil until wilted.

spoon onto the bread in the soup bowls and then ladle in the soup and serve.

(there will be some olive oil left at the bottom of your skillet when you are done with the spinach..just add this into your soup. No point in wasting anything....it just adds more flavor!)