Lemon Zucchini Pasta

"Fresh and delicious!!"

My life has been insanely busy these past couple of weeks, but I am sure most of you have similar craziness in your life.  Balancing work and family can be tricky.  This dish is great for those nights where you are short on time since it literally takes about 15 minutes to make this recipe.  The best part is that the fresh lemon zest adds a lively zing that wakes up those taste buds and the feta and parmesan add a nice saltiness.  Bottom line is.....this is good!

Lemon Zucchini Pasta

3 to 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 zucchini, sliced thin

2 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp. fresh sage, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

ground pepper, to taste

zest of 1 lemon

1 pkg. whole grain spaghetti

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbles

2 Tbsp.  parmesan cheese

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Once water comes to a boil, add a nice handful of salt.  Cook for about 7 minutes.  Ladle out about 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.  Drain in a colainder and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil to keep from sticking.

Add 3 to 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil to a nonstick pan over medium heat.  Add garlic, being careful not to burn, and cook for a couple of minutes.  Add the sliced zucchini and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the sage and lemon zest.  Add the cooked pasta, stirring to combine.  If the pasta is too dry then add some of the saved pasta water.  I used about 1/2 cup.

Plate up the pasta and top with feta and parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!!

Fresh Mexican Spinach Salad

"Popeye would be jealous over this one"

The dressing for this salad is what makes this salad absolutely incredible!  The balance of the lime juice with the sweet honey is perfect.  Taste alone will sell you on this one, but the nutritional benefits are also a great reason to try this recipe.  Just 1 cup of raw spinach contains over 50% of the daily recommended value for Vitamin A.  Add in the fiber, iron, potassium, Vitamin K, etc. and the healthy fat from the avocado will leave you feeling very fulfilled for the day.

Makes a great lunch or dinner salad.  Enjoy!


Fresh Mexican Spinach Salad
makes 2 salads

fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ear fresh corn
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 avocado, diced
1 tomato, diced
fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.  Add a tiny bit of olive oil to pan.  Cut corn off cob and place in warm pan with about 1/2 tsp. cumin.  Pan roast until corn starts to brown slightly, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes while you prepare the other salad ingredients. 

Cover bottom of 2 plates with fresh spinach, black beans, roasted corn, diced avocado and tomato.  Drizzle with vinaigrette and sprinkle with chopped cilantro, if desired.


Honey Lime Vinaigrette

1/4  cup extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1 lime
1/4 to 1/2 lime, zested
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Place all ingredients in a plastic storage container with a tight fitting lid.  Shake until completely emulsified. 

Spicy Red Beans and Rice with Honeyed Plantains

"Let your taste buds take a vacation to the Caribbean"

Since I have started primarily adhering to a vegetarian diet over the last 6 weeks, I've noticed I feel better, have more energy and even lost a couple of pounds.  I do not feel deprived at all and, actually, have been enjoying the food adventure!!  I was inspired to make this recipe when I saw plantains at the local grocery store.  Honestly, I have never cooked with them before and thought it would be fun to try them out.  They were wonderfully easy to prepare and the results were amazing!  The delicate sweetness from the honey and plantain played perfectly with the spicy red beans.  They are a match made in heaven!

Red Beans and Rice

1 onion, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 14-oz can of diced tomatoes

2 15-oz cans of red kidney beans, rinsed

1 cup vegetable broth

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. thyme

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil and saute onion, celery, and garlic until tender (about 6 to 8 minutes).  Stir occasionally, making sure not to burn the garlic.  Add canned tomatoes, kidney beans, and vegetable broth along with all the seasonings.  Cover and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes over a low heat. 

Perfect Brown Rice

1 cup of brown rice

4 cups of water

1/2 tsp. salt

Rinse the brown rice in a fine mesh colander for about 30 seconds.  Bring water to a boil and add the rice and salt.  Place a tight fitting lid over the saucepan at low heat.  Stirring occasionally, cook for about 30 minutes.  Drain water from rice using fine mesh colander and place back in pan with lid to keep warm.

Honeyed Plantains

2 ripe plantains (yellow with spots of black)

splash of olive oil

drizzle of honey

Carefully peel the plantains.  I cut off both ends and tried to peel in strips so as not to break the plantain.  You made need to use a knife to assist with this since the peel is very tough.  Slice plantain at an angle (just because it looks prettier that way).  Warm a large nonstick pan over medium heat and drizzle with a little olive oil.  Place the plantains in the pan in one layer.  Cook for about 4 minutes.  Drizzle with some honey and carefully flip to the other side.  Cooking for about another 4 minutes.  The plantains should be caramelized and a nice brown color. 

Serve the red beans over the rice with the plantains on the side.  Eat and enjoy!!

Roasted Asparagus

Roasting is probably my favorite way to cook veggies because it keeps all the wonderful flavors in the vegetables.  The key to making this recipe is simply good salt and extra virgin olive oil.  That's it!!  This technique works with almost all fresh vegetables.

Roasted Asparagus

bunch of fresh asparagus, washed, dried and trimmed

kosher salt

fresh cracked black pepper

1 to 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil


Preheat oven to 400*.  Prepare asparagus by trimming and washing then drying with paper towels.  Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Stir with fingers (this part is fun) to ensure all the asparagus are evenly coated with oil and seasoning.  Bake in oven for about 20 minutes, stirring about halfway through the cooking time. 

Strawberry Feta Salad

This simple, yet delicious, salad is the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.  I love the fresh strawberries with the salty feta cheese topped with a homemade dijon vinaigrette.  Makes a great lunch salad or pre-dinner salad for that matter.  As you can tell from my photo, I did not care about plating it on a fancy plate.....all I wanted to do was eat it quickly and I can tell you that it tasted just as good as it looked!! 

Strawberry Feta Salad 

mixed salad greens

4 fresh strawberries, chopped

1 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Dijon Vinaigrette

2/3 C. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 to 1/3 C. rice vinegar, depending on how tangy you want it

1 to 2 Tbsp. dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/8 tsp. each, garlic powder and onion powder

1/2 tsp. dried parsley or 2 tsp. fresh parsley

salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until completely emulsified.  Drizzle over salad and enjoy!!

Vegetarian Korma

I have absolutely fallen in love with this recipe!!  Intense Indian flavor with a tiny kick but mellowed out with the coconut milk.  All of the veggies make it healthy but filling.  The aromatics (ginger and garlic) are what really transport this recipe so, please, do not skip over that step.  You will be thanking me later!!

Vegetarian Korma

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root

2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

2 potatoes, cubed

4 carrots, cubed
 

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced

1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
 

1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
 

1 can coconut milk
 

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

 

In a large saucepan, add olive oil and saute onion, ginger and garlic until tender (about 2 to 3 minutes).  Add cubed carrots and potatoes and chopped jalapeno pepper.  Cover with a lid and keep at low/medium heat.  Cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are tender but not falling apart.  Add tomato sauce, salt, curry powder, beans, red bell pepper, and coconut milk.  Stir to incorporate.  Heat through for about 5 to 10 more minutes.  Serve over brown rice or Israeli couscous and top with chopped cilantro.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cilantro Lime Butter

"Farm fresh vegetables feel like summertime"

One of my favorite things about summer is all the fresh produce available.  Pick up some fresh corn on the cobb if you are fortunate enough to have a local farmers market.  Grilling the corn gives it a unique smokey flavor and the herb butter provides the finishing touch.  This is a simple recipe that will impress your friends at your next gathering.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

8 ears of corn
1 stick of butter, softened
1 to 2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 C. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Remove the outer husk and peel back the inner husk to remove the silk.  Wrap the inner husk back over the corn.  Soak in a pot of water for about 10 minutes.  Warm the grill on its lowest setting.  Take the corn out of the water and shake off the excess.  Place on the grill for 15 to 20 minutes turning every 5 minutes.  Remove from the grill and serve with the compound butter.

Cilantro-Lime Butter:

Mix the softened butter the lime juice, cilantro and season to taste.  Should be a nice spreadable consistency.