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