PASTA WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND PARMESAN

even the world's biggest brusells sprouts hater will love this dish. trust me!

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 large shallots, cut into thin rounds
1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 1/4 c. "mock" chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
12 oz. pasta, I used the tri-color spirals
1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1/3 c. fresh sage leaves, chopped

Add oil, garlic, shallots, sprouts, salt, and pepper to a skillet over medium high heat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 c. of the pasta water. Return pasta and reserved pasta water back to pot.

Add the stock to your brussels sprouts mixture and cook over medium high for 5 minutes, increase heat to high and cook an additional 5 minutes until sprouts are tender and most of the cooking liquid is absorbed.

Pour the sprouts mixture into the pasta pot and mix well. Add cheese and toss until combined.

Serve topped with more parmesan, if desired.

VEGGIE-RICE SALAD

1/2 c. white rice
salt and pepper, to taste
1 carrot, cut into 1/4" dice
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 c. frozen corn
1 c. frozen peas
2 stalks celery, including leaves, finely chopped

cook rice according to package directions, fluff, and let cool.

meanwhile, fill a small pot with salted water. Add the carrots, bring to a boil, and cook for 2 additional minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the carrots to a bowl and toss with 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste.

In the same boiling water, cook the corn and peas for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through. transfer to the bowl with the carrots.

Add the remaining ingredients to your vegetable mixture, season with more salt and pepper, and 2 tbsp. olive oil, and toss well.

CAULIFLOWER WITH GARLIC BREADCRUMBS

ha...so i just noticed that this picture kind of looks like scrambled eggs! so anyway, i'm a bit skeptical when it comes to cooking with cauliflower but this recipe will change the mind of any skeptic!

salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
6-8 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 c. fresh bread crumbs
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella

Bring a large pot 3/4 full of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt, the sugar, and the cauliflower and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain, rinse under cold water, and leave to drain.

In a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat, warm 4-5 tbsp. of the oil. When the oil is hot, add the bread crumbs and toss them constantly until they are evenly toasted, browned, and crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, turn the crumbs once or twice, and remove them from the pan. Do not allow the garlic to brown; it should be cooked only enough to flavor the crumbs.

Heat the remaining 2-3 tbsp. oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and mash and break it up a bit as it lightly browns in the oil and becomes slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Do not allow the cauliflower to become crisp and dark.

Add the crispy garlic crumbs to the pan and toss them with the cauliflower over med-low heat, mashing some more of the cauliflower and allowing some to keep its shape, for 4 minutes. Add the cheese, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring constantly for about a minute until cheese is melted.

serve hot.

SHADAN'S WIMPY CHILI

sorry guys...i've been slacking on the food blog. it's been a crazy summer. so...this is called wimpy chili because, in case you don't know, i'm the biggest baby when it comes to spicy food so this is just about the most spice i can tolerate. you can add more chili powder than I did if you are brave ;p

6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. chili powder, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
10 roma tomatoes, cored and halved lengthwise
1 yellow onion, sliced crosswise
10 cloves garlic, halved
3 poblano chiles
1-24 oz. container vegetable broth
1-15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded

preheat oven to 450.

grease a baking sheet with 2 tbsp. olive oil. in a small bowl, combine the chili powder, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. place the tomatoes, seed side up, and onion on the prepared baking sheet. Push a garlic clove half into each tomato, making sure it's secure. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 c. olive oil over the vegetables and dust with the chili powder/salt/pepper mixture.

bake until onions begin to brown, about 25 minutes.

meanwhile, roast the poblanos until charred all over. (Since I don't have a gas grill to easily char them, I stuck my poblanos in a separate baking dish in the same oven with the roasted tomatoes and onions, making sure to turn them occasionally so they could char evenly). Transfer them to a bowl and cover for a few minutes with cling wrap. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel, stem, and discard all the seeds. chop the poblanos.

In a large pot, combine the roasted tomatoes, 2 roasted onion slices and the roasted garlic. Add the vegetable broth. using an immersion blender, puree the mixture to desired texture. Chop the remaining roasted onion and add to the pot. Stir in the poblanos, kidney beans, cumin, and remaining chili powder. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. stir in 2/3 of the cheese to melt.

Serve topped with the remaining cheese.