Pasta Aglio e Olio

I have been so obsessed with a new YouTube channel I found called Binging with Babish. Have you seen it? Are you also obsessed? Are you also a fan of Frasier?

Even though I'm vegetarian, and a lot of the dishes he makes are meat-centric, I can't help but watch in a trance-like state. I love watching people cook in general, but I'm especially in love with this channel. It's stylish, and funny, and everything he makes looks so good...well maybe not the Milk Steak, but everything else...okay, maybe not the Grilled Charlie...you know what? Maybe just stay away from any foods thought up by the Always Sunny team 😩.

Anyway, he recreates the Pasta Aglio e Olio from the movie Chef with John Favreau and I thought "YES!!! Something I can make!"

Was it as good as it looked?

Yes.

Should you make it?

Also yes.

I just made a couple of changes to it - adding zucchini noodles, mainly because I wanted to try out my new Veggetti (so excited!), and reduced the amount of olive oil I used, because weight loss reason. So good, and I already want to make it again.

Let's get started!

Cajun Cauliflower Po'Boys with Homemade Remoulade Sauce

I've visited a lot of places and tried a lot of food, but there are only two places I've gone that had me thinking about the food long after I got home, and I mean desperately dreaming and wishing I could have another bite/lick/slurp of whatever goodness they were serving up: Amalfi, Italy; and New Orleans, Louisiana. There is so much that could be said about both from a food standpoint, but for me the two major things they have in common are: 1) The food is so good it's almost not believable, and 2) In both places the food feels like such a cultural cornerstone that it's really, really hard to recreate once you get back home.

Roasted Veggie Lasagna with Creamy Pesto Sauce

Have you ever made something so delicious that you thought you may never be able to top it? Like you might as well hang up your apron and call it a day? This was that recipe for me. Legitimately, this might be the best thing I've ever made; and it's the kind of recipe I get really excited to share with you, because I know it's really good. My husband even said he wished people could taste it through their screen, which is high praise coming from my own little food critic.

When I first started working out this recipe, I decided that I wanted to do something a little different. I knew I wanted to use a creamy pesto sauce instead of the standard marinara, but I also didn't want to leave out tomatoes completely, plus I really wanted to have something at least a little green in there. Fast forward through several Pinterest inspiration scrollings and I decided to try adding some yummy roasted veggies to the mix. I used a recipe I've been making a lot lately (see info below), which served to really balance out all of the creamy goodness going on, and it turned out to be the perfect compliment. I'm absolutely sure you'll love it, and I hope you'll share in the comments below if you do! Let's get started.

Spicy Vegetable Stir-Fry

With the holidays mostly under my belt (literally), new resolutions just around the corner, and self-righteous bathing suit collections on the horizon, I'm feeling pretty motivated to start the new year off right. That means trading in the stuffing and pie (so much pie) for something a little healthier. I'm sure I'm not alone in this, as any overworked piece of gym equipment will tell you over the next few weeks, so I thought it would be the perfect time to share this quick and healthy stir-fry recipe.

Chicken-Less Orange Chicken Wraps

I'm just going to be honest here; I came thiiiiis close to pouring a bowl of cereal tonight and calling it a day, but I convinced myself, despite feeling totally exhausted, that I could make something relatively healthy and tasty in a short amount of time. My internal conversation went something like this:

"You know, I think I'll feel much better if I make a healthy meal tonight. I'm sure I could throw something together really quickly if I wanted to."

"No."

"But I already have all the stuff I need. It really won't take that long."

 "Noooooooo!"

"I even have that orange 'chicken' I can use."

 "Orange 'chicken', you say? Well, maybe just this once."

I'm actually not sure how I prevailed in that conversation, but moving on!

Heirloom Tomato and Mushroom Frittata

What can I say about frittatas? Actually, I could probably say quite a bit, but any anecdotal quips I might have regarding my love for them would invariably boil down to three main characteristics: they're delicious, easy, and versatile. Here are some more words of affirmtion in case you don't believe me:

Delicious - that one doesn't take a whole lot of explaining. If you've ever had a frittata, most likely you're on board with this statement. 

Easy - I guess this could be debatable depending on what you would consider easy. I usually consider things to be easy if there aren't too many ingredients, steps, or time involved. This particular recipe meets at least two of those three requirements, so I think we're good there as well. 

Versatile - that's a no-brainer. You can pretty much throw any suitable ingredients you have in your fridge into this thing and it will turn out great; it's kind of like soup that way. Also anything that can be prepared for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is a winner in my book. The only other food I can think of that has a similar versatility is cold pizza - I once ate leftover pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the next day. I'm not necessarily proud of this achievement, but it was delicious nonetheless.

Now that we're on the same page, let's take a closer look.

Herbed Flatbread Pizza with Artichoke Hearts and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Yumm - I am so glad I got a picture of this before we devoured it! Dustin actually gave it a 9 out of 10 on his "No B.S." scale (that's what he calls it), which is practically unheard of. Let me tell you a little about Dustin and his little scale. Most of the time when I ask him to rate my meals he takes a bite, churns it around in his mouth thoughtfully, swallows it, and the says astutely "it's a solid 7." Never. Fail. There has been one other occasion where he rated something higher than that, because, as he puts it "if you give everything a 10, then what are you going to give an actual 10? If everything you cook is a 10, then the scale becomes useless and you might as well not measure anything."

I give his reasoning a solid 7.

Anyway, where I was going with that is that if Dustin broke his own rule to give this recipe a 9, not an 8, mind you, but two full numbers above his usual rating, then it must be good!

Here's what you do: Soften the butter in the microwave for a few seconds, then mix in the herbs and spread evenly over the flatbread. Top with parmesan cheese, artichoke hearts, golden cherry tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, and fresh basil; then pop it in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Done and done!

I didn't measure anything out this time, but you can't really go wrong here. Just don't use too many sun dried tomatoes - they can really overpower a dish.

Ingredients

2 flatbreads (I use the StoneFire brand)
2 Tbs butter
Dried basil, oregano, and garlic powder (a few shakes of each)
Handful of golden cherry tomatoes, sliced into rounds
Marinated artichoke hearts to taste
Sun dried tomatoes to taste
A few leaves of fresh basil, thinly sliced
Shaved Parmesan cheese, about two handfuls

Servings: 2

 
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Thanks for reading my blog! Please leave your thoughts, ideas, suggestions, or meals you would like to see me cook, in the comments below. Follow, share, and enjoy!

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Mushroom Medley Burger with Feta and Herbs

Every now and then, while perusing my local grocery store, and usually while feeling totally unispired, I will come across something that totally sets my wheels in motion. What starts out as a mundane venture turns into a sudden surge of possibilities. A furry of ingredients leap into my basket, piling up into precarious positions; bags are flying; produce is being squeezed; and I can hardly keep up with my own train of thought.

I appreciate moments like that because they remind me of why I love cooking so much - that spark of an idea that gets ignited into something I can share with the people I love.

That is exactly what happened when I got the idea for this burger. I came across a package of fresh herbs, diced onions, and cheese intended for topping a steak, and instantly the mushroom medley burger unfolded in mind. I picked up some fresh herbs, two kinds of onions, crimini and oyster mushrooms, and some delicious onion rolls; I couldn't wait to get back and start cooking!

Red Pepper Quinoa and Chipotle "Sausage" Stuffed Yams

Nothing says fall like the vibrant orange and earthy goodness of my favorite root vegetable. Yams, with their rough and tumble outside and surprisingly sweet inside, are the one thing I always have to have after the long summer months are over. Even though they’re available all year round, they just don’t taste the same to me unless the air is a little cooler, the breeze a little stronger, and the leaves a little yellower.

I like to use yams in many different ways; they really are a versatile vegetable, pairing well with both sweet and savory dishes. I like to bake them, roast them, add them to stews and casseroles; sometimes I’ll even throw leftover yams into a nice autumn salad. This time I decided to bake them and stuff them with roasted red pepper quinoa and Mexican chipotle veggie sausages. I let flavored ingredients do most of the work for me, so this one is super easy!

Vietnamese Tofu Lettuce Cups

Recently I came across a recipe in one of my cookbooks for Vietnamese Pork and Lettuce Cups that looked incredible. As per usual, the first thing I did was think about how I could turn this scrumptious looking dish into something vegetarian friendly. The usual ideas popped into my head, i.e. using mushrooms or eggplant in place of the meat, but I’ve been wanting to try tofu for a while now and decided that this would be the perfect opportunity.

Although I’ve had tofu plenty of times, I’ve never actually cooked with it myself. To be honest, I was a little unsure about how it would turn out and, specifically, whether or not it would mimic the crumbly texture of ground pork, but a quick internet search regarding how to cook tofu gave me the extra boost I needed to give it a shot.

The end result was surprisingly good, and although the texture of the cooked tofu did not quite match what I saw in the original recipe, it was nevertheless tasty. Fresh bell peppers, carrots, and peanuts added a punch of color, gave the dish the crunch it needed, and also served to keep everything together in the lettuce cups. The peanuts and bell peppers were not in the original recipe, but paired well with the ginger and garlic and gave the dish a little oomph! I will definitely be trying this one again soon.

Pasta Malafemmina

Although fall is just around the corner, inspiring visions of the pumpkin pies, simmering soups, and steaming cups of hot chocolate to come, summer is still very much clinging on, outside as well as inside my kitchen. Usually I am ready for fall within the first couple of weeks of the sweltering Central Valley summer, but this time I'm holding on a bit - mainly because I'm still enjoying the myriad of produce the summer brings.

Indeed, I'm not quite ready to give up my favorites, such as the beautiful red, yellow, and orange tomatoes I used for this dish. But, luckily, I still have a few more weeks to get my fill before jumping headfirst into fall!

This recipe was inspired by a pasta dish I had while in Italy (Check it out here!). The original dish I had was literally one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life. I didn't know exactly what went into it, but I of course wanted to try it out as soon as I got home. I knew the original had a very light tomato sauce, which was probably more olive oil than tomato, so I started there. Then I added in a healthy helping of capers, some kalamata olives, and a few other ingredients I discerned from taste and picture. It turned out very yummy!

Pesto Spaghetti with Mushrooms and Kale

After taking such a long break from the blogging world, I decided to ease back in with a simple recipe that’s easy to throw together and takes very little time to prepare (basically the time it takes to boil pasta). I used whole wheat spaghetti and loads of vitamin-rich kale to make it a healthier dish that I can make regularly without hurting my waistline. Earthy, meaty mushrooms provide some bulk, fresh lemon juice brightens everything up and compliments the mushrooms amazingly well, and the rest of the ingredients just kind of happened as I was going along, as most of my recipes tend to do. I think it turned out pretty well, and I hope you do too.

Let’s get cooking!

Split Pea Soup with Toasted Olive Oil and Garlic Bread

Hello, my friends! It’s been too long since I’ve posted a new recipe. The last few weeks have been a tad stressful, and that usually means me begging my husband to cook dinner while I curl up in a ball on the couch. Alas, I got tired of eating rice and steamed vegetables (just one expertise of many that my wonderfully supportive husband possesses) and decided to shake my funk and get back to one of the things I love – cooking!

I almost hesitated to put another soup recipe up, but just couldn’t resist. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I really love soup! I’ve wanted to make the split pea variety for a while now, and when my mom called to tell me about a pea soup recipe she made recently, I got jealous…er, I mean inspired…so here we are.

Roasted Herbed Vegetables with Red Wine Sauce and Toasted Garlic Bread

Last night I really wanted to have a date night at home. I love getting dressed up and going out to eat, but sometimes it’s nice to put the extra money into a nice home cooked meal, turn on some music, and relax instead. Needless to say, I wanted to make something a little more special than the average weeknight.

I immediately thought about our first trip together to New Orleans and recalled this amazing French bistro we tried on our first night in the vibrant city. I ordered coq au vin (obviously pre-vegetarian days), which I had never had before, and I simply cannot remember what Dustin ordered…probably because I was too busy focusing on my yummy meal! I wanted to make something reminiscent of that dish, only without the meat. It seemed a difficult challenge!

In the end I decided to brown some potatoes in a little oil and butter (you can’t have a French dish without butter!) and then threw them into a pot with loads of mushrooms, a couple of carrots, pearl onions, garlic, lots of herbs, and a beautiful wine sauce. I served it over toasted sourdough French bread, and it turned out perfect! I think I will definitely make this again, only next time I will use a full cup of wine, and will remember to put candles on the table – ooh la la! (Cheesy, I know!)

Greek Pizza Bread

I’m always amazed when a handful of ingredients and minimal effort result in deliciousness, and today’s recipe is the perfect example. Last night Dustin and I were both craving pizza, but a combination of laziness and frugality made the acquisition of said pizza a little difficult. I opted instead to make pizza bread, which is always yummy and very easy to make, only with a Greek twist.

The idea came to me when I came across THIS feta dip recipe, which looked so good! I adapted it for my pizza bread, used red onion instead of green, and oregano instead of Greek seasoning (I can’t seem to find it anywhere, and by anywhere, I mean the one store where I looked for it). The end result was so much better than a store bought pizza, and had me wishing I had made more…in fact, I thought about it all day today and couldn’t wait to get home to make it again!

Hodgepodge Pot Pie with Biscuits

What a crazy week this has been so far! Mostly due to the fact that I’ve waited until the last minute to make an overly elaborate costume for Halloween (as usual), but also because it seems like a million other things have come up. As to be expected, when it came time to make dinner tonight I realized that I never made it to the store. I stood in front of my recipe graveyard, aka the fridge, and wondered what on Earth I could make.

I noticed the biscuits first, which gave me the idea for a pot pie. I knew I had potatoes, onions, and veggie broth, so I scrounged around to see what else I could find. I found a bag of rotting carrots in a forgotten corner of my crisper drawer – gross – so those were out, but I did have yams, so I picked those up. Next I found some leftover cream I had from the corn chowder I made a few days ago, and the peas popped out at me as soon as I opened the freezer. I picked up some dried thyme, salt and pepper, and a little bit of flour, and I was good to go!

Not only was this recipe delicious, but I was able to use a lot of ingredients that otherwise would have gone bad, which is always a plus!

Corn Chowder with Cilantro, Avocado and Lime

For the last couple of weeks I have had a serious craving for corn chowder. I had never actually had corn chowder before making this, but that’s beside the point! Somehow I just knew it would be delicious…luckily I was right (if only I could say that more often!).

Not only was this recipe good, I think it might be one of the best recipes I’ve ever made, AND it hardly took any time to make, which made me love it even more. My husband and I devoured it, and my mom, who tasted leftovers the next day, went straight out to get the ingredients to make it for dinner! That’s really what I love about cooking and trying new recipes; when it turns out great, it gets people excited to try it, add in their own creativity of flavors, and share it with the people they love.

The toughest part about the whole endeavor was removing the corn from the cob, but I learned some tricks that will help make this process easier in the future. Other than that, this recipe is pretty straight forward. The cilantro and lime give it a Mexican flair that would be great as a starter for the Vegetarian Enchiladas or Grilled Eggplant Fajitas I’ve made, but it also has enough weight to be the star of the meal.

I sincerely hope you try this one; you won’t be disappointed!

Grilled Eggplant Fajitas

I’ve been spending some time revisiting a few of the classics lately, and finding ways to make them fit into my vegetarian lifestyle, whether they want to or not! ;) This week’s lucky dish was fajitas, and with the help of one of my favorite nightshades, I can now add this usually meat stuffed delight back into my rotation - yay!

I’ve actually had this idea since I made the Vegetarian Gyros a couple of weeks ago, and finally decided to give it a go. I used eggplant in place of meat, which gave it a great texture and soaked up all the flavors of the fajita mix really well. I almost used mushrooms (as I’m prone to do), but was glad I chose the eggplant in the end. It was very yummy, and healthy to boot!

5 Pepper Vegetarian Chili with Roasted Veggies

If you love chili, and especially spicy chili, then you are going to LOVE this recipe! I’ve been stewing on this one for quite some time (get it?), and finally decided to give it a try. I felt so happy about the end result that I almost cried (if only this were an exaggeration): it was thick; it was just the right color; it lit our mouths on fire; and it was perfect. I, of course, called my mother immediately to brag…er…I mean express my joy (it’s quite possible she thinks I’m having a life crisis; that’s how good it was), then we enjoyed it with freshly baked cheddar corn bread, and a dollop of sour cream. The only thing missing, as my dad pointed out the next day during taste tests, was the fire extinguisher ;)

Grilled Portobello Mushroom “Steaks”

Is calling them “steaks” going a bit too far? Perhaps, but that’s what I thought of when I was grilling these yummy portobello mushroom slices. I spotted a tidy package of these beauties while perusing the produce department recently. I almost walked right past them, but their gleaming white flesh, dark gills, and perfectly curled edges looked so pretty…how could I not throw them in the basket? My mom had recently told me about a grilled mushroom burger she had seen on the food network, and grilling seemed like the perfect thing to do, so in they went!

Making them was super easy. They were the focus of our meal, but they would also work great as a side, would be perfect for burgers or sandwiches, and would be even more fantastic with some melted cheese on top…darn, now I’m hungry again!