This was another one of those impromptu sides I managed to come up with in my head and on the fly. I don't do much with beans, but these turned out so good!

Ingredients:

1 can of white kidney beans (canellini beans) 

1/3 cup of white wine

1 medium-sized tomato, diced

1/4 red onion, diced

2 Tablespoons of pesto

1 Tablespoon chopped oregano

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a skillet, on medium heat, sautee the onions in the olive oil until softened, about 3 minutes.   

Add the tomatoes and sautee another 3 minutes. 

Add the beans, pesto, and oregano. Sautee another 1-2 minutes to encorporate the pesto.

Add the wine. Simmer until the wine has reduced to about half and the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper and serve. 

Optional: Sprinkle with your favorite cheese (parmigiano-reggiano, feta, etc.)

Fettuccine Alfredo

This recipe is not for the faint of heart, literally! It's rich, creamy, cheesy, and decadent. But - if you want fettucine alfredo, this is how it has to be done. No skimping here!

1 lb fettuccine
1/2 cup butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 cups light cream or half and half
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper
pinch of salt

Cook the fettuccine pasta according to package directions.

Melt the butter in a skillet and lightly saute the garlic. Do not brown the garlic. Add the cream/half and half mixture and bring to a simmer. Add the cheese and allow to melt. Add salt and pepper. Mix with the cooked (and drained) pasta.

I also topped mine with a grilled chicken breast. It was perfect!

Homemade Pierogies

I love homemade pierogies. Unfortunately, I don't get them very often and came to the harsh reality that if I want them, I have to make them myself. It's really not hard at all, but it's rather time-consuming. It definitely helps to have a curious husband who wants to help out.

1 large egg
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup milk
1 cup water
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
5 pounds (about 10 medium) baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 ounces cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup) grated
6 ounces cream cheese
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper


Make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk egg. Add sour cream, and whisk until smooth. Add milk and water, and whisk until combined. Slowly add about 3 cups flour, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and work in about 1 cup flour as you knead. Use a plastic scraper to lift dough as it will stick to the counter before flour is worked in. Continue kneading for 8 to 10 minutes, working in another 1/2 cup flour. The dough should be elastic in texture and no longer sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour, as this will toughen dough. Place dough in a lightly floured bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rest while you prepare filling.

Make the filling: Place potatoes in a large pot, and cover with cold water. Add salt. Place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender. Drain and mash with a potato masher. Add 8 tablespoons melted butter and the cheeses, and continue to mash until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

On a floured surface, roll out dough to about 1/8-inch thick. Using a glass or a cookie cutter measuring 2 1/2 inches in diameter, cut out as many circles as possible. Gather dough scraps together, roll them out again, and continue cutting.
Lay a dry, clean towel on work surface; set aside. Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough circle. Holding a circle in your hand, fold dough over filling, and pinch the edges, forming a well-sealed crescent; transfer to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Continue this process until all dough circles are filled.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Place pierogi in boiling water in batches. They will sink to the bottom of the pot and then rise to the top. Once they rise, let them cook for about a minute more. Meanwhile, In a small saucepan, cook remaining butter over medium-high heat until nut-brown in color, about 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and drizzle butter onto a serving platter, leaving any burned sediment behind. Remove pierogi from pot, and transfer to platter to prevent sticking. Serve immediately.

Now, I have a 2" biscuit cutter...which makes petite pierogies. This was not my intention at first, but they are perfectly bite-sized. I would recommend a 3" cutter for 'normal' sized pierogies.


Since they are so small, I used a teaspoon to measure the filling and then formed it into balls. Just fold the dough in half and seal with a fork.

Here they are in all their cuteness...ready for the freezer. I freeze them like this and then transfer them to a freezer bag when they are frozen through.

Josh had the brilliant idea to add some bacon that we had leftover from breakfast to the potato-cheese filling. Let me say, oh my god! What a great idea! With a little sour cream they were similar to stuffed potato skins. Yum!

I'm a reasonable gal, and I'll share my pieroghies with you...on one condition...you come to my house to eat them. They're like the Holy Grail...they can't cross the 'seal' (aka...my doorway).

Cabbage Noodles (Halushki)

This is one of my most favorite comfort foods. It's basic - cabbage and noodles - but it takes me back to my childhood when my mum-mum and pap-pap would make this all the time and I'd eat 2 or 3 bowls! Okay - I admit it's presentation is lackluster. Heck, it may even be down right unappetizing to anyone with no experience with Hungarian and Polish foods. Like I said - this is a comfort food and yes, it's an ethnic food as well. Deal with it.

Cabbage Noodles
1 head of cabbage - chopped (core removed)

1 bag of egg noodles

1/2 stick of butter (the real thing!)

1/4 cup of Crisco (vegetable shortening) - it's comfort food, remember!

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large skillet, melt the vegetable shortening and add the chopped cabbage. Sautee on medium heat. Stirring occassionally to keep the cabbage moving and so it doesn't burn on the bottom.

You want the cabbage browned (see below). To be technical, you need to caramelize the cabbage to bring out the sweetness. It will probably take about 35-40 minutes of sauteeing and stirring to get it to this point. Do NOT cover with a lid at any time! You want the water to cook out and caramelize the sugars.

Now you want to boil the noodles. Once they're tender, drain and mix with the cabbage. I like to let it sit on very low heat so that the noodles have time to absorb some of the butter/shortening and the cabbage flavor. Salt and pepper to taste.

Acorn Squash-Butternut Squash Soup

Let me preface this by saying - that is not my ugly bowl. I brought this soup to work and this is one of our office dishes.

As you may already know, I belong to a CSA Farm. It's squash season and they've hooked me up with some acorn squash and some butternut squash. Heck, I don't know what to do with it...my husband won't eat it in any way, shape, or form. So, I figure I'd whip up a soup and take it to work to share with my 5 co-workers. Luckily, it was a hit!

Acorn Squash-Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash - peeled and cut into chunks
1 acorn squash - peeled and cut into chunks
3 granny smith apples, peeled and diced
1 onion - diced
1 clove of garlic - diced
3 14-oz cans of chicken broth
1 Tablespoon Butter
1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon of sage, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Toss the squash chunks in a little bit of olive oil (to coat) and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.

While the squash is roasting, melt the butter in a dutch oven or stock pot and sautee the apple and onion for about 10 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, sage, and the spices (Chinese 5 Spice/Nutmeg).

Add the chicken broth and the squash and simmer for 30 minutes. Place the soup into a food processor and puree until slightly chunky/slightly smooth. You will need to do this in batches. If you have a hand-blender, this would work perfectly.

Season with salt/pepper and serve.

Pizza Night!

Last night, we decided we wanted Pizza but didn't want to drive 30 minutes to get some. So, we made our own! Josh is rather traditional and stuck with pizza sauce, mozzarella, and cheddar cheese. I went with my favorite - white pizza - with riccotta cheese, fresh mozarella, spinach, garlic, and tomatoes.

Pizza Crust

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 package of dry yeast

2/3 cup warm water

1 1/2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 tablespoons cornmeal

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flour, cornmeal, oil, and salt to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons bread flour, as needed, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; shape into a ball. Lightly respray bowl; place dough in bowl, turning to coat top. Cover; let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, for 30 minutes.

My Famous Stuffed Mushrooms

This recipe was the very first one I created on my own. Gosh, I think that was probably back in college...over 10 years ago. I had stuffed mushrooms in a restaurant and knew I could recreate them. The ingredients are so simple, it's hard to imagine that they taste so gosh darn good! So good in fact, that a friend of mine offered to mow our lawn if I paid him in stuffed mushrooms! Plus, if you're feeling adventurous, I suppose you could experiment with the filling on your own!

1 8oz. package of white button mushrooms

1/2 cup of ricotta cheese

1/2 cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 shallot, finely minced

1/2 cup of melted butter, divided

3 tablespoons of shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese

salt/pepper

Carefully wash the mushrooms. Remove the stems. Place the mushroom caps in a baking dish. Dice the mushroom stems and place into a mixing bowl. Add the riccotta cheese, breadcrumbs, shallot, 1/4 cup of the melted butter, and salt/pepper to the bowl. Mix well.

Stuff the filling into the mushroom caps. Go ahead, pile it on high!

Take the remaining 1/4 cup of melted butter and pour over the top of the mushrooms. Sprinkle the parmigiano-reggiano cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Veggie Pizza

I love this stuff! It's really the only way you'd get me to eat raw cauliflower and raw broccoli! I made it as a side dish to our dinner last night. Josh made hot wings so this was like the veggies and ranch dip you get as a side.

2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Light Miracle Whip
1 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Roll out the crescent roll dough onto a 9x13 inch baking sheet, and pinch together edges to form the pizza crust.

Bake crust for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Once finished cooking, remove crust from oven and let cool 15 minutes without removing it from the baking sheet.

In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dry Ranch dressing. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange broccoli, tomato, green bell pepper, cauliflower, shredded carrots, and Cheddar cheese over the cream cheese layer. Chill for one hour, slice and serve.

Italian Fusion Hummus

This hummus is so good! It's a mix of Greek and Italian flavors and it comes together so well.

1 can of chick peas, drained

2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped

1/4 cup of kalamata olives, pitted

salt

pepper

olive oil

Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor. Stream in olive oil as mixture is processing. The consistency should be smooth and creamy.

Quinoa, Corn, and Tomato Salad with Chive Infused Oil

This recipe is from Cooking Light August 2007. This looked so refreshing and filling that I had to try it. It's so good! Light yet fulfilling!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups water

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons Chive-Infused Oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation

Combine 1 1/2 cups water and quinoa in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Combine quinoa, corn, tomatoes, and parsley in a medium bowl. Combine Chive-Infused Oil and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over salad; toss well to coat. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Fusili with Lemon Cream Sauce, Asparagus, & Peas

I saw this in the August issue of Cooking Light and knew I had to try it! The sauce has a fresh taste with a little bit of pep from the hot pepper flakes.

Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked long fusilli (twisted spaghetti)

1 3/4 cups (1 1/2-inch) slices asparagus (about 1/2 pound)

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed (I used canned)

1 tablespoon butter (I used Earth Balance Soy Garden)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dash of ground red pepper

Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)

Lemon slices (optional)

*I also added grilled chicken and sundried tomatoes....because I wanted to!

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add asparagus during last minute of cooking time. Place peas in a colander. Drain pasta mixture over peas; set aside.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Combine broth and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Add broth mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in cream, juice, salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper. Add pasta mixture to broth mixture; toss gently to coat. Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper and lemon slices, if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 351(29% from fat); FAT 11.2g (sat 6.7g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 11.5g; CHOLESTEROL 35mg; CALCIUM 49mg; SODIUM 471mg; FIBER 4.9g; IRON 3.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 52.9g

My Favorite Panino

This is sort of a "caprese" panini, but with a twist. I've tried so many different types of panini and this is my favorite...and everyone else raves about it too!

2 slices of Panera 3-cheese bread (I normally use foccacia, but this is what I had on hand)

3 slices of fresh mozzarella

2 slices of tomato

pesto sauce

salt/pepper

Spread the pesto sauce on each slice of bread. Place the tomatoes and cheese on the bread and press into panini press. That's it!! I have a Breadman panini press....$40 at Target!

Nutrition Information

Potato-Leek Soup

I whipped this up one day when I was living with my vegetarian friends. I normally use chicken broth, as in this recipe, but I used vegetable broth when I made it for my veggie friends. It gets rave reviews every time I make it!

4 Cups of chicken broth or stock (vegetable broth is ok too)
3 leeks, cleaned and chopped
5-6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed. (I prefer the Yukons because they have a buttery texture/taste, cook faster, and have the best texture for this recipe.)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup milk or half/half (whatever you have on hand works)
3 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons of flour
olive oil
salt/pepper

1) In a large pot, coat the bottom with olive oil. Add the butter and allow to melt. Add the flour to make a roux. Whisk until smooth.
2) In a skillet, sautee the garlic and leeks in about a tablespoon of olive oil and cook until leeks have softened.
3) Add the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a light boil
4) Add the potatoes and leeks and allow to simmer until potatoes have softened.
5) Once the potatoes are soft, add the milk.
6) Mash up some of the potatoes with the back of a wooden spoon (leaving as chunky or as smooth as you like)
7) Allow to simmer a few more minutes to thicken.
8) Salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition Information

Serve with crusty, cheesey bread.

Pesto Sauce

I've started making my pesto sauce. As you can see, I had quite a harvest of basil!



I don't measure this. What I do is add a handful of pine nuts, 3 cloves of garlic, a couple handfuls of basil leaves, salt, pepper, and grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese to the food processor. Then I start streaming in extra virgin olive oil as it's processing. I let this go until it's the consistency I want.

Fire Roasted Corn & Onion Salsa

1 pound of roma tomatoes
4 jalapeno peppers
3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
2 ears of corn
1 large vidalia onion
salt
lime juice

Dice tomatoes and set aside.

Chop peppers and garlic and process in food processor until finely chopped.

Grill ears of corn until carmelized and a nice char is on the corn. Cut kernals off the cob.

Coarsley chop the onion, toss with olive oil and broil until carmelized.

Mix all ingredients together. Add salt and lime juice and mix again.

I also canned about 6 jars of this recipe.

Salsa

I started making my salsa. This first recipe is the basic recipe, but very fresh and with lots of flavor. I'm canning my salsa, so I'm making huge batches at a time...

5 pounds of roma tomatoes

6 jalapeno peppers

10 banana peppers

8 cloves of garlic

5 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons of chives, chopped

The juice of 2 limes

3 tablespoons of sea salt

Chop the roma tomatoes and set aside.

Coarsley chop the peppers and garlic and process in a food processor until chopped.

Mix the tomatoes with the peppers/garlic. Add the parsley, chives, lime juice, and sea salt and mix.

Fill glass jars and hand-tighten the lids. Process in boiling water for 10-12 minutes. Remove from water bath and allow to cool. Jars should be sealed once the button is no longer raised.

I'm going to add roasted corn and onions to a batch tomorrow...I'll post pics!

Zucchini Pie

Another recipe from my BFF Jill! I ended up baking this in my grill because my oven is dead and it turned out great!

Zucchini pie
4 c very thinly sliced zucchini (about 3 med. Sized zucc’s)
1 med Vidalia onion, diced
¼ t each garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, black pepper, sea salt
1 can Pillsbury crescent roll dough (DO NOT use reduced fat)
1 T mustard (any kind)
2 eggs, beaten
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese (part skim ok)
½ stick butter (or 4 T Earth Balance Soy Garden Buttery Spread!)

1. heat butter, sautee zucchini and onions. Add spices and sautee 5 minutes, let sit to cool off.
2. line glass pie plate with crescent roll dough, smear mustard on ‘crust’. Preheat oven to 375 F
3. when slightly cooled off, add 2 beaten eggs to zucchini mix. Mix well, add cheese, mix.
4. pour into pie crust
5. bake at 375 for 25 min. if not turning golden brown on top, reduce heat to 325 and bake for another 5-10 min.
6. let sit 10 min before serving.

Basil Mock Duck

*If you’re not a fan of seitan, you can substitute it with chicken or even thin pieces of beef, although,I highly recommend trying it with the seitan!

1 can Mock Duck (seitan) -drained
4 carrots, peeled and julienned
1 cup of broccolini (add more if you like)
1 cup of green beans (fresh) (add more if you like)
1 thai chili
1 clove garlic
¼ Cup of water
4 basil leaves (chopped)
3 tablespoons of Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce (tu’o’nggiavi)
3 tablespoons of KecapManis–Sate1-2 tablespoons of KwongHung SengSauce (Thin Soy Sauce)
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar

In a saucepot, warm 2 tablespoons of oil with the thaichili and clove of garlic. Let the chili and garlic infuse the oil and remove.

Add water and the 3 thai sauces, and sugar, lightly simmer to melt sugar.
Add chopped basil leaves. Keep sauce warm.

In a skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir fry the vegetables. They should be cooked yet crisp. Add in the seitan to warm it. Add sauce to skillet with veggies and seitan and toss to coat.

Serve with a side of white rice.

Giada's Balsamic Brown Butter Ravioli

We all love Giada!!

18 to 20 ounces store-bought ravioli (cheese, mushroom, or squash)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts*
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain ravioli onto a large serving platter.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.

*I didn't use walnuts. I chopped up some sundried tomatoes (in oil) and sprinkled on top.

Fiesta Rice

This recipe is from Cooking Light. It's great as a side, inside burritos, and an alternative filling for quesadillas.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup chopped green onions

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dash of salt

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Preparation

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add corn to pan; cook 10 minutes or until corn starts to brown, stirring occasionally.

Remove from pan. Set aside.

Melt butter in pan. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice, cumin, and garlic; cook 1 minute.
Add chicken broth, black pepper, salt, and diced tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat; stir in reserved corn and beans. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and juice.

Yield

8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 226(16% from fat); FAT 3.9g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 6.6g; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 52mg; SODIUM 354mg; FIBER 4.9g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 43.5g