Archive for the ‘entree’ Category
|Butternut Squash Flan with Pecan Crust
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Butternut Squash Flan
Fearless Creativity. Funny, I definitely don’t think of myself as fearless, but I will say that when it comes to cooking and baking, I get the closest to this sense of fearlessness. Maybe that is why I love cooking. Usually when I am feeling overwhelmed and stuck, I retreat to the kitchen to lighten my heart and work on releasing what binds me…
This week, I have been in serious need of some fearlessness, so I have been adding creativity here and there between the kitchen and my studio. I guess here is where I can fearlessly plug my newest jewelry designs which you can see in my etsy shop and get a preview of at the bottom of the page…
But back to the kitchen… This recipe was super easy, and I hope you will try it out! It was a total experiment and I will surely tweak it for next time, but after rave reviews last night (from my mother) I know it is ready for the world to taste!
Tags: butternut squash, eggs, pecans, rice milk, rosemary
Posted in alternative grain, dairy free, entree, gluten-free, indulgent, vegetarian, wheat-free | 2 Comments »
Gingered Rice Stuffed Peppers
Sunday, August 30th, 2009
Color, flavor, crunch…these peppers have it all.
I have been making this gingered rice recipe from Vegetarian Times Magazine for a few years now. In my first few years in Key West I would purchase these magazines religiously. Always looking for new ideas on great vegetarian meals I definitely found my share. I have bookmarked numerous pages, and my collection of magazines has followed me from Key West to Boulder and now to Cape Cod. Who knows where I will take them next… I will keep you updated on where my next home will be, but in the meantime enjoy this fun summer rice dish.
Tags: bell pepper, corn, ginger, orange juice, rice
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, entree, gluten-free, grain side, vegan, vegetable side, vegetarian, wheat-free | 1 Comment »
Pasta with Almond Tomato Pesto Sauce
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
Tonight I flipped through old photos of my dear friends from Florence and smiled remembering all of the great times we had together. Considering it was Italy, a lot of the fun involved good food, and social gatherings. Living in Florence was a great influence on my life in so many ways and I don’t think I could have left without having a new culinary approach. No one understood how I could be vegetarian in Italy…but surprisingly I met other vegetarian/vegans in Italy too. These friends opened my eyes to new exciting directions. My friend Tracey was passionate about spinach and green beans, and thanks to her, they became staples of my diet as well. She even taught me how to make roasted chickpeas…delicious!
My friend Joslyn introduced me to so many new recipes and shared beautiful meals with me. I was always excited to join her for a dinner party. One recipe I loved was her Fennel and White Bean salad…so easy and so good! Eventually she introduced me to the recipe below for Pasta with Almond Tomato Pesto Sauce. It came from an Italian cooking magazine called Cucina Naturale which I eventually bought every issue of.
My dear friends from Italy, I am sending you love and hoping that we can gather around the table again soon to share good food and life stories.
Tags: almonds, basil, pasta, tomatoes
Posted in alternative grain, dairy free, egg-free, entree, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free | 3 Comments »
Flax Veggie Burgers
Thursday, July 9th, 2009
My favorite veggie burgers...so far!
Isn’t it wonderful when you look in the fridge and you have all of the exact ingredients you need to make your favorite recipe? I know it doesn’t happen that often, especially without having planned it, and gone out specifically to get them. This happened to me last night. It just so happened that everything I needed to make my favorite veggie burgers was all in the kitchen without even knowing it! As tired as I was, I could not pass up the chance to make now!
As the cooking process went on I realized that I also had all of the ingredients to make my favorite sun dried tomato avocado spread which goes so well with the burgers. Once I was making all of that oven baked fries followed right along…and with a little salad, I had a beautiful dinner! It came together beautifully, and I hope that you enjoy these recipes sometime soon as well. Enjoy!
Tags: black beans, chicpeas, flax seed, green onion, millet, parsley, rice, tahini, zucchini
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, entree, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free | 1 Comment »
Roasted Vegetable Tart
Saturday, May 16th, 2009
A bite of goodness
The other night we had a dinner party with some of our friends here in Boulder. It was great to see them again as time seems to get away from us when it comes to socializing. When it comes to having a dinner party, I am always happy to create something that I don’t usually make for myself. A new recipe, or an old favorite becomes an opportunity for a new twist. I have been playing with tart recipes for a little while now, and thought that would be perfect for this crowd. A mix of gluten-free gourmets I knew that it would be a great opportunity to try out a gluten-free tart crust. Thankfully, the reviews were quite supportive of the outcome!
I made two different crusts because one friend also avoids flax and almonds, but I still wanted to see how the tart would taste with those ingredients…personally I think both were really good. I will list the variations below in case you want to try both as well. I will not mislead you by saying that this recipe is easy. It was a lengthy process, but it was totally worth it! And we just made sure to make extra so we would have leftovers to savor for the next few days. (I suggest you do so as well!)
Tags: almonds, amaranth, bell pepper, eggplant, flax seed, garlic, oat flour, oatmeal, tahini, tomato, yellow squash, zucchini
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, entree, gluten-free, vegan, vegetable side, vegetarian, wheat-free | 1 Comment »
Cornucopia Spring Rolls
Friday, May 8th, 2009
Cornucopia Spring Rolls
We are still on our cleanse, doing well and feeling great! The amount of extra energy that I feel is wonderful, and I am noticing that I don’t need to eat as much as I often do with my regular diet. It definitely takes more preparation and consciousness but I enjoy the challenge. It is an invitation for creativity in the kitchen, and that is what I love.
We have moved onto the second phase of the cleanse, where we can introduce some grains into our diet in combination with vegetables, and since rice is on the list, I though some Spring Rolls would be a great idea. C. wasn’t so excited because she said that spring rolls usually are not so tasty and filling…so there was my challenge. To make some taste-packed and fully satisfying spring rolls.
Personally I think I did it! I was quite happy with them, and look forward to having seconds tonight.
Tags: avocado, basil, bell pepper, carrot, cucumber, mint, mushroom, parsley, snow peas
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, entree, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free | 3 Comments »
Portabello and Spinach Pizza
Saturday, March 7th, 2009
Pizza night!
Pizza night is a special occassion in our household. Most specifically because we have found a great gluten free pizza crust. So in addition to this being a pizza recipe, this is also a quick and easy recipe, using a pre-made crust. Our favorite crust comes from Sami’s Bakery. He makes millet and flax pizza crusts, all gluten free ingredients, but just a warning that they do make their gluten free products in the same facility as products with gluten.
Their millet and flax products (also include crackers, bread and lavosh) are so good that I am dying to know the recipe because nothing compares to the quality of the products, and you can’t really tell that they are gluten free. It might have something to do with the use of a brick oven…but it is still a mystery to me.
We used to be able to purchase their products when we lived in Key West, but they haven’t made it out west yet, so we order online, and therefore keep it as a special treat.
Our favorite pizza lately is a portabello mushroom and spinach pizza which is pretty easy to put together. We even use a store bought sauce. After looking at the options around town, we are happy with Whole Foods Organic sauces. I am pretty surprised when I see how many companies use sugar in their pasta sauce. It seems like a violation of nature! Thankfully Whole Foods organic sauces (as far as I have found) do not add sugar to their sauce (and the price is great!). We have tried a few but personally I like the Mushroom Tomato Sauce.
Tags: millet, mozzarella, mushroom, spinach
Posted in alternative grain, egg-free, entree, gluten-free, vegetarian, wheat-free | 2 Comments »
Falafel (2 ways)
Sunday, March 1st, 2009
Little chickpea patties, perfectly spiced and slightly crunchy on the outside. Falafel are something that I did not discover until my adult years, but since then, I have made up for the lack. I have yet to travel to a country where falafel is the specialty, but after trying around, my favorite falafel was at a Lebanese restaurant in Paris. I tried to search for the restaurant online so that I could give you a link or an address, but I haven’t been able to find it so far. Their falafel was so good though! It was always on my list of places to go when I visit Paris.
so much better than the canned version!
While I have great affection for falafel, I prefer my falafel to be very lightly fried, or not fried at all, which is why C. and I prefer to have homemade falafel when possible. Personally, one of the most important ingredients is fresh chickpeas… I know that soaking and cooking chickpeas seems like so much more work, but it is totally worth it! And personally I don’t think it is more work, it just takes some planning ahead. Try comparing them sometime and I think you will taste the difference! If you are overwhelmed by the idea of making falafel and cooking your own chickpeas, take it easy and just start with making the falafel, but once you get more confident…definitely try it!
The recipe below is the same for both ways of cooking, but I will give you 2 options to cook them.
Tags: chickpeas, parsley, sesame seeds, tahini
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, entree, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free | 3 Comments »
Giambotta
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
Hearty Giambotta Stew
Eggplant.
Some people love it and some people really dislike it. I even know someone who passionately dislikes it. Personally, I am a big fan, and am always looking for something different to do with it. This past fall I discovered Giambotta while I was cleansing and looking through cookbooks for recipes that could fit into the phase of the cleanse that I was currently on.
Cleansing is a great way to step back and gain some perspective on how my body feels eating certain foods, and how I can actively promote my physical well-being. I have tried a few cleanses in the past few years, but the one that I have found the most rewarding and compassionate is from the book If the Buddha came to Dinner by Hale Sofia Schatz. During the first phase of the cleanse you eat mostly vegetables, so Giambotta was a great choice. It is a hearty stew, and is very nurturing during the winter months.
It is described in the cookbook Moosewood Restaurant Low Fat Favorites (where I discovered it) as an Italian version of the French Ratatouille dish, and I have to say, I agree. It reminds me of Ratatouille, and the potatoes definitely “frenchify” it. My french sweetheart was definitely happy with it!
I have modified the recipe changing a few ingredients and quantities from the original recipe. So, with no further ado, here my Giambotta recipe. Stew and enjoy!
Tags: bell pepper, celery, eggplant, potato, tomato, zucchini
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, entree, gluten-free, soup/stew, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free | No Comments »