VEGETABLE SAUTE

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. frozen shelled edamame
2 c. corn kernels, frozen or fresh
1 pint grape tomatoes ( i used a few grape tomatoes and diced up 1 roma tomato)
3 tbsp. chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 c. lightly packed basil, chopped
1 tbsp. lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste

heat oil in a large skiller over med-high heat. add onion and cook for 3 minutes,stirring occasionally. add garlic and cook 30 seconds more. add edamame and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. add corn and cook for about 3 minutes or until cooked through. stir in tomatoes (grape and sun-dried) and cook for 5 minutes. stir in basil and lime juice. season with salt and pepper.

TREY'S RESCUE SALSA RISOTTO

so i made this dish tonight and when my husband and i sat down to eat it, it was just missing something....but we didn't know what. at first he joked about putting some ketchup in there but then he came up with the idea of adding some salsa in it and it totally made the dish!

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 c. arborio rice (risotto)
1/2 c. white wine, vegetable broth, or apple cider vinegar (i used the broth)
2 c. vegetable broth
1 c. peas (thawed if frozen)
1/2 c. grated parmesan
1/3 c. basil, chopped
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/2 c. ricotta cheese (i personally think this is where the recipe went wrong. if i make this again i'm going to subsitute this for mozzarella or something.)
salt and pepper, to taste
salsa, to taste

cook onion and garlic in a pot with the oil for about 5 minutes on medium heat until softened.

increase heat to med-high. add risotto and stir to coat it with the oil. let cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. add wine (or 1/2 c. of your alternative liquid), stirring until absorbed. add stock, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes until broth is absorbed and risotto is al dente.

add peas, zest, basil, cheeses, salt and pepper. mix everything together well.

(if you want to go ahead and just throw salsa into the pot to mix it into the whole dish i would recommend using about 8-10 tbsp. of salsa.)

ROASTED CURRIED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

1 container brussels sprouts, halved
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. salt and pepper
1 tbsp. curry powder

Preheat oven to 400.

Meanwhile, put oil and garlic in a small skillet and heat over medium for a few minutes until it becomes fragrant. set oil aside and discard garlic chunks.

in a large bowl toss together sprouts, garlic-infused oil, salt, pepper, and curry powder.

place mixture on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and cook 15-20 minutes to desired texture.

KALE AND MANGO SALAD

if any of you watched top chef last season, this is a recipe from aarti. i'd never eaten kale before and this was definitely a great introduction to it. Also, the dressing is SO GOOD! in aarti's recipe she also adds pumpkin seeds to the salad. I'm not a huge fan of nuts in salad so i left them out :)

1 bunch kale, stalks removed, leaves thinly sliced
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
kosher salt and pepper
2 tsp. honey
1 mango, diced

in a large serving bowl, add kale, half of the lemon juice, a drizzle of oil, and a little kosher salt. (here is the fun part...) massage this mixture with your hands for 2-3 minutes until the kale begins to break down, soften, and wilt.

in a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey and lots of pepper. stream in the 1/4 c. of oil while whisking until a dressing forms.

pour dressing over kale toss together.

add mango when ready to serve and gently toss together again.

COCONUT MACAROONS

disclaimer: this isn't the prettiest picture ever but these were so good! if you know me, you know that i'm not a huge fan of baking. i'm way too impatient to perfectly measure out ingredients, etc. but these were so easy to make!

1/3 c. sugar
1 large egg white
1 c. sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
pinch of coarse salt

preheat oven to 350. line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

whisk together sugar and egg white in a large bowl. stir in the remaining ingredients.

form dough into 8-2 tbsp full mounds and drop onto the baking sheet about 2" apart.

bake macaroons until golden-brown on bottom and edges, about 12-14 minutes.

Let cool on sheets for a few minutes before eating (if you are patient enough!)

ps-these will make your kitchen smell amazing!

RICOTTA-BASIL RISOTTO

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 c. risotto rice
4 c. simmering vegetable stock
3/4 c. ricotta cheese
1 c. basil, finely chopped
1/2 c. parmesan, grated
salt and ground black pepper

heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan and cook the onion over a gentle heat, stirring frequently, until soft.

stir in the rice. cook for a few minutes until the rice is coated with oil and is slightly translucent, stirring.

pour in about 1/4 of the stock. cook until all the stock has been absorbed, stirring, then add another ladleful of stock. continue in this manner, adding more stock when the previous ladleful has been absorbed, for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is just tender.

spoon the ricotta cheese into a bowl and break it up a little with a fork. stir into the risotto along with the basil and parmesan. adjust the seasonings to taste, then cover and let stand 2-3 minutes before serving.

ROASTED TOMATO-GARLIC SOUP WITH ORZO AND BASIL

1-24 oz jar roasted garlic pasta sauce
2 c. water
1 c. vegetable broth
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. rosemary, chopped
1/2 c. orzo pasta
3-4 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil leaves

in a stockpot bring the pasta sauce, water, broth, oil, and rosemary to a boil over med-high heat. add the orzo and half of the basil and boil, stirring occasionally, until orzo is tender (about 9 minutes).

serve hot, garnished with remaining basil.

FENNEL/POTATO/GARLIC MASH WITH LEMON CHICKEN SALAD

this one is two recipes in one blog post. lucky you :)

LEMON CHICKEN SALAD

1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp dill
2 tbsp mayo
zest and juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
bite sized pieces of cold,cooked veggie chicken (i prefer quorn brand for this recipe)
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
2 stalks celery, chopped

whisk together first four ingredients. add chicken, tomatoes, and celery and toss together.

FENNEL, POTATO, AND GARLIC MASH

1 head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 large fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. butter or extra virgin olive oil (i personally think butter is better for this recipe)
1/2 to 2/3 c. cream
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper

cook the garlic with the potatoes in a pot of salted boiling water for 20 minutes.

meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp. of the butter or oil in a heavy non-stick pan. add the fennel, cover, and cook gently for 20-30 minutes over med to med-high heat until it is soft but not browned.

drain and mash the potatoes and garlic. puree the fennel in a food processor and beat into the potatoes with the remaining butter or oil.

warm the cream in a pan and beat into potatoes until it makes a creamy, light mixture. season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

EMILY'S FRUIT SALAD

my friend emily made this for a work potluck we had a few weeks ago and i made it for my parent's persian new year party. this stuff will go FAST so make a lot of it!!! Your going to have to tinker with the measurements of the ingredients depending on how much fruit you use but no matter what it will be great!

assorted berries, chopped if large (i used blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries)
4 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
4-5 tbsp vanilla extract, or to taste
3-4 tbsp. brown sugar, or to taste
1-2 tsp. ground cinnamon, or to taste


mix all ingredients together (being very careful not to mush the fruit!). this salad is best if it gets to sit overnight in the refrigerator.

MIXED VEGETABLE RICE SALAD

1 1/2 c. long grain rice
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
8 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp. parsley, chopped

for the dressing:
4 tbsp. french dressing
1 tsp. dijon mustard
salt and pepper

cook the rice according to directions until al dente. be careful not to overcook it.

drain the rice and rinse thoroughly under cold running water and drain again. leave the rice to cool completely.

place the rice in a large serving bowl, add vegetables and dressing. toss together well and serve.

CORN WAFFLES WITH TOMATO SALSA

yes...you read that correctly. waffles WITH salsa. i was a little reluctant to try this but i figured if chicken and waffles can go together then salsa can too. this was really easy to make and the salsa would be good just on it's own or wrapped in a tortilla.

frozen waffles
6 roma tomatoes, halved
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1-15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 -15 oz. can corn, rinsed and drained (or fresh or frozen...doesn't matter)
1/3 c. sliced green onions
2 tbsp. cilantro or parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. lime juice
1-2 serrano peppers, chopped (you can remove the seeds for less heat)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. plain yogurt

for the salsa, brush the tomato halves with 1 tsp. of the olive oil; place on the unheated rack of the broiler pan. broil 4-5 inches from the heat for 8-10 minutes or until tomatoes begin to char, turning once. remove from broiler pan and cool slightly, then chop.

meanwhile in a medium boil combine all the other ingredients (except the waffles and yogurt) together. once the tomatoes are done, add them into the salsa.

serve waffles toasted and topped with salsa and yogurt.

QUITE POSSIBLY THE CHEAPEST VEGETARIAN DISH OF ALL

if you have spent any time as a poor college student...you know what this is....RAMEN!
before i became a vegetarian i used to eat ramen all the time and i LOVED it. lol. once i became a vegetarian i sadly realized i could no longer eat the soup because of the chicken broth it came in and for some reason it never dawned on me to just replace the broth! hah. here is a veggie ramen recipe that is just as good as any other flavor out there!

1 pkg. ramen(any flavor....discard the flavor package inside)
2 c. vegetable broth
1 tbsp. lemon juice

bring the vegetable broth to a boil. add noodles and boil for 3 minutes. take off heat and stir in lemon juice.

the end.

BARBECUED TOFU AND CORN SALAD WITH CILANTRO VINAIGRETTE

vinaigrette:
1 c. cilantro leaves
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. lime juice
1/4 c. orange juice
1 tbsp. agave nectar or honey
2 cloves garlic, minced

salad:
1-16 oz. pkg tofu, cut into 1/2" thick slices
1/2 c. barbecue sauce
1 c. frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 c. canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 c. bell pepper, diced
1 med. head romaine lettuce, torn

process vinaigrette ingredients in a blender until smooth. season with salt and pepper.

for the salad: heat grill pan to med-high. brush tofu on both sides with barbecue sauce, and grill or sear 3-4 minutes per side. cool, and cut into cubes.

toss lettuce, corn, beans, and bell peppers with vinaigrette. add tofu just before serving and toss (very) gently to combine.

SO CUTE I HAD TO POST IT

i had to post this! my radish was heart-shaped! :)

BASIC ROASTED VEGETABLES

2 c. bite-sized cauliflower florets, halved lengthwise
2 c. halved brussels sprouts
2 med. carrots, cut into sticks
1 med. sweet potato, peeled and diced
3 tbsp. garlic-infused oil, divided
1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

preheat oven to 450.

while you are chopping the vegetables, make the garlic-infused oil. just place the olive oil in a skillet and throw in 3-4 pieces of peeled garlic which have been cut in half. cook over medium heat until you can smell the garlic cooking. discard the garlic chunks and reserve the oil.

scatter the vegetables evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and toss to coat with 2 tbsp. of the oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Roast 20 minutes, turning 2-3 times with a spatula. increase oven to 500 and roast vegetables 10 minutes more, or until tender.

transfer vegetables to a large serving bowl and toss with remaining oil, lemon juice, and the parsley.