Cauliflower and Feta Omelet

Gourmet, November 2008
Recipe by Ruth Cousineau, Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Serves 2

Little bites of cauliflower add wonderful texture to this open-face omelet; salty-tangy feta gives it character.

5 large eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch-wide florets (3 cups)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 oz)
1/4 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves

1. Beat eggs with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

2. Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté cauliflower until browned and tender, 5 to 9 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, then add garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and sauté 1 minute.

3. Pour eggs over cauliflower. Cook, lifting edges to let uncooked egg run underneath and shaking skillet occasionally to loosen omelet, until almost set, 4 to 5 minutes. Slide out onto a large plate. Put skillet over omelet and, using pot holders, firmly hold plate and skillet together, then invert omelet back into skillet and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Slide out onto plate and sprinkle with feta and parsley.

Stir-Fried Noodles With Tofu and Vegetables

Real Simple, September 2009
photo: Christopher Baker

Ingredients
1 8-ounce package rice noodles or 12 ounces linguine
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 14-ounce package firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 carrots, cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 cups bean sprouts
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped1/2 cup fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions
1. Boil the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and return them to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice. Gently press the tofu between layers of paper towels to remove excess liquid, then cut into ½-inch pieces.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, bell pepper, and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the tofu and bean sprouts. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are slightly tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Toss the noodles with half the soy sauce mixture and cook over medium-high heat until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and top with the vegetables and the remaining soy sauce mixture. Sprinkle with the scallions, peanuts, and cilantro, if using.

Almost Meatless Sloppy Joes

Cooking Light, May 2010
Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

I hated sloppy joes when I was a kid - this is the first time I've had a sloppy joe in a long time and it was fantastic! I've been eating more vegetarian than not lately and I also like this "almost meatless" approach. I bought a pound of good meat and used only half of it for this recipe, then next time we're ready for another meat meal, we can use the other half to grill a couple burgers.


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)


Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces ground sirloin
1/2 cup grated carrot
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 (15.5-ounce) can low-sodium red beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
4 (2-ounce) whole-wheat sandwich rolls, split and toasted
4 (1/4-inch-thick) red onion slices, separated into rings

Preparation
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, and beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until meat is browned and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to crumble beef.

2. Add carrot, chili powder, sugar, oregano, and red pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes or until thickened and carrot is tender, stirring occasionally.


3. Partially mash 1 cup beans with a fork or potato masher. Add mashed beans and remaining whole beans to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Spoon 1 cup bean mixture onto bottom half of each roll; top each serving with 1 red onion slice and top half of roll.

Smashed White Bean and Avocado Club

Real Simple, August 2006
photo: John Kernick

I had a similar sandwich for lunch last week - it was delicious (but expensive). This is a great recipe - you could use hummus instead of the smashed beans which would make it even more simple. The double decker made it a huge sandwich - I couldn't finish the whole thing for dinner, so next time I'll just make a single-decker. Good multigrain bread is key to making this a good sandwich.

Serves 2

Ingredients
1 15-ounce cans white beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 slices multigrain bread
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, preferably hothouse (seedless), thinly sliced (peeled, if desired)
1 4- to 5-ounce container sprouts (such as alfalfa, radish, broccoli, or a combination)
1 avocado, pitted and thinly sliced

Directions
1. In a medium bowl, combine the beans, oil, salt, and pepper. Roughly mash the mixture with the back of a fork.

2. Place 4 of the bread slices on a work surface. Divide the mashed beans among the slices. Top with the onion, cucumber, sprouts, and avocado.

3. Stack the open-faced sandwiches on top of one another, avocado-side up, to make 2 double-decker sandwiches. Top with the remaining 2 slices of bread. Slice each sandwich in half, if desired, and serve.

Rigatoni with Sweet Potato, Oregano, and Parmesan

Real Simple, November 2004
photo: Antonis Achilleos

Another pasta and sweet potato combo. My oregano from last year is coming back in abundance already, so I was excited to find this super simple recipe that uses tons of oregano. It is delicious!

Serves 6

Ingredients
4 medium sweet potatoes
1 pound rigatoni
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
6 to 8 fresh oregano stems
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Rinse the sweet potatoes and prick their skins several times with a fork. Place them directly on rack in oven. Bake 1 hour or until soft; set aside.

3. Cook the rigatoni according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking water.

4. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté until just golden. Add the oregano and sauté about 1 minute, until fragrant and slightly crisp.

5. Place the rigatoni in a large bowl. Scoop the potato flesh into the bowl of pasta. Add the olive oil mixture and pasta water and toss. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and Parmesan.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Bread

from Simply in Season, p. 33-34

The farmer's market opened this weekend and I picked up some rhubarb. It wasn't quite as ripe as it should be to be good for baking, so I added some strawberries to the bread as well to make sure it had enough fruit flavor. The rhubarb-strawberry combination is always a winner.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
Combine thoroughly.

1 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
In a separate bowl, mix well. Stir in dry ingredients until just moistened.

1 cup rhubarb, diced
1 cup strawberries, diced
1/2 nuts
Stir in. Pour into greased 9x5 loaf pan.

1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter (melted)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. flour
Combine and sprinkle on top of batter. Bake at 375 degrees until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Three Pepper Pizza

dough recipe from Joy of Cooking

Combine in a large bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes:

1 1⁄3 cups warm (105° to 115°F) water

1 package (2 1⁄4 teaspoons) active dry yeast

Add:

3 1⁄2 to 3 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

Mix by hand for about 1 minute. Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a bowl lightly coated with olive oil and turn it once to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place (75° to 85°F) until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Grease 2 baking sheets and dust with cornmeal; or place a baking stone in the oven and preheat it for 45 minutes. Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Roll each piece into a ball and let rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Prepare the desired toppings. One at a time, flatten each ball of dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 12-inch round, rolling and stretching the dough. Lift the edges and pinch to form a lip. To prevent the filling from making the crust soggy, brush the top of the dough with:

Olive oil

Use your fingertips to push dents in the surface of the dough, to prevent bubbling, and let rest for about 10 minutes. The pizza is now ready to be topped and baked.

Spread over the pizza dough:

Marinara sauce

Shredded mozzerella cheese

Jalepeno pepper, diced

Red, orange or yellow bell bepper, diced

Pepperocinnis, diced

Shredded parmesean cheese

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. oats

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl combine butter, sugars, and vanilla and mix until creamy. Add to flour mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and oatmeal. Spread into greased 8x8 baking pan. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes. Cool completely then cut into 16 squares.

Jalepeno-Oregano Burgers

1 lb. ground beef
1 jalepeno, diced
1/2 onion, diced
handful of fresh oregano, chopped
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
a few shakes of worsteshire sauce

Mix the ingredients and form into 4 burgers. Grill. Serve on buns with lettuce and tomato.

Seven Layer Dip

recipe from the Joy of Cooking
photo: thejoykitchen.com


Spread evenly in a 13 x 9-inch glass dish:
One 16-ounce can refried beans

Mash together and spread over the beans:
2 large ripe Hass avocados, peeled and pitted
2 tablespoons lime juice

Mix together and spread over the avocado layer:
1 cup sour cream
1/2 envelope taco seasoning

Layer in the order listed:
3 tablespoons chopped drained canned green chiles
One 5 3/4-ounce can sliced black olives, drained
8 plum tomatoes, chopped (about 4 cups)
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar (8 ounces)

Broil 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Top with:
chopped cilantro or scallions

Serve with:
Tortilla or pita chips

Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burgers with Pear Chutney

Recipe courtesy of Jeff O'Neill
Oprah.com, Published on June 03, 2008

I revised the recipe to how I made it. The original recipe called for 4 lbs of turkey, I only used 2 lbs of turkey, but I still got about 10 good sized burgers with all the other ingredients mixed in. The last time I made these, instead of the tabasco sauce, I chopped up a chipotle in adobe sauce minus the seeds and this was an awesome addition - gave it just a bit of a kick. Major Grey's chutney is a key ingredient that can be found in the grocery aisle near the barbaque sauces, ketcheps, marinades, etc I think. Because there are so many ingredients mixed with meat, the burgers don't stick together well at first - that's why it's important to refrigerate for a couple hours at least. I usually just make them the day before we plan on grilling. By then the burgers are nice and firm and don't fall apart through the grill!

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 Granny Smith apples , peeled and diced
1/8 cup canola oil
2 pounds ground turkey breast
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. Tabasco® chipotle pepper sauce
1 lemon , juiced
1/2 bunch parsley , finely chopped
1/4 cup Major Grey's Chutney

Directions:
Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.

Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Serve with a side of Mar-a-Lago Pear Chutney and your favorite toasted bread, pita or hamburger roll.

Mar-a-Lago Pear Chutney
This pear chutney topping is the key to giving the Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger that extra zing.


1 Anjour pear , peeled and diced
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 cups Major Grey's Chutney
1/4 cup dried currants or raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Toss the diced pears with cinnamon and salt. Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for 10 minutes.

Cool and mix with the chutney and currants or raisins.

Ham & Egg Fondue

This is the egg casserole my Grandma Jean used to make every Christmas morning. Mom makes it at Christmas now and I made it for the first time at Christmas last year. I made it again this past weekend for Easter brunch at my house with Kev and Erica. It makes a great brunch with cinnamon rolls or some kind of sweet biscuits, and fruit.

Grease casserole dish with butter.
Place 1/3 of each of the following ingredients in the dish:
3 cups cook ham (cubed) I use sausage
3 cups french bread (cubed)
3 cups Longhorn Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
Sprinkle with:
1 Tablespoon flour
1 Tsp. dry Mustard
1 Tbls. melted butter
Repeat 2 times with remaining ingredients.
Beat together in a separate bowl:
6 eggs
3 cups of milk
Add to egg & Milk mixture:
2 dashes tabasco
garlic powder
salt
Pour egg & milk mixture over other ingredients in casserole dish. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Bake 350 for 1 hour uncovered. May need additional 10 to 15 min.

Lentil-Barley Burgers with Fiery Fruit Salsa

Cooking Light, March 2010 (with my revisions)
photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr

For the salsa I used a can of chopped pineapple and can of chopped tomatoes (both drained) plus a few tablespoons of Sherry's spicy relish. I got to the point in the recipe where you're supposed to add the barley and I hadn't cooked it yet, so that added an extra 30 minutes. Cook the barley the same way you cook the lentils. The burgers took a long time to make, but we've had them for dinner the past 3 nights so it was worth it. Next time I'll make a whole bunch at once and freeze them maybe.


Use leftover cooked pearl barley with lentils, veggies, and seasonings for a hearty main-dish burger sans the bun. Fruit salsa adds bright flavors. Serve with lime wedges for added zest.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 patties and 1/4 cup salsa)

Ingredients

Salsa:
1/4 cup finely chopped pineapple
1/4 cup finely chopped mango
1/4 cup finely chopped tomatillo
1/4 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 serrano chile, minced

Burgers:
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dried lentils
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup grated carrot
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 cup cooked pearl barley
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Preparation
1. To prepare salsa, combine first 6 ingredients; cover and refrigerate.

2. To prepare burgers, combine 1 1/2 cups water and lentils in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain. Place half of lentils in a large bowl. Place remaining lentils in a food processor; process until smooth. Add processed lentils to whole lentils in bowl.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and carrot; sauté 6 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add onion mixture to lentils. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, barley, and next 5 ingredients (through egg); stir well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

4. Divide mixture into 8 portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and 4 patties. Serve with salsa.