Tag Archives: vegetarian

What to do with frozen peas

We all have that sad, lonely, dejected bag of peas in the freezer, right? They’re right next to that half-empty pint of rainbow sorbet from two summers ago. We buy the peas with good intent but somehow the damn things always get overshadowed by pasta, chicken or even canned tuna - basically any other kitchen staple that’s not peas. As far as I’m concerned, their only real purpose is as an ice pack, for handsome men like Ryan Gosling who happen to have been punched in the face. I mean, we could just add them to our soups, stews, rice, etc. but we forget they’re even there.

Garlic peas (2) copy

Below is a recipe for what to do with a large quantity of peas that’s so easy, it literally consists of three ingredients (not counting salt and pepper). The peas turn out flavorful and dare I say desirable, and make a fantastic side dish for just about anything.

Sauteed Garlic Peas

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 c frozen green peas

A pinch of salt and freshly grated black pepper

Procedure: Heat the oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and saute for 1 min, just until fragrant. Add peas, stir and cook until softened and warmed through, stirring frequently, 7-8 min. Taste and re-season if necessary. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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How do you like to use frozen peas?

Chick pea, tomato and basil pasta

I’m not gonna bore you with the story of how I came up with this recipe or go on and on about how easy it is to make. I’m also not gonna tell you that tomatoes and basil are a fail-proof flavor combo (duh) or that chick peas boast quite an impressive nutrition panel. I will, however, tell you that chick peas make this sauce sinfully rich without any help from our good friends butter and heavy cream. And, I will also gonna strongly suggest that you make it. ASAP.

Chick pea and tomato pasta

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 small onion, diced

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 20 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt + pepper

1 tsp sugar

1/2 c basil leaves, gently torn

1 lb penne or another short cut pasta, cooked just short of al dente

Parmesan cheese for garnish (if desired)

Procedure: Divide chick peas in half. Puree one half using a potato masher or food processor. Set all chick peas aside. Heat olive oil in large saute pan or high-sided skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 min until fragrant. Add onion with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and translucent, stirring frequently, about 5 min. Then add chick peas, tomato cause, oregano, a pinch of salt and pepper and sugar. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 min, stirring occasionally. Then turn the heat off and stir in basil leaves (if not serving immediately, hold off on adding basil until right before serving).

Chick pea and tomato pasta

Combine sauce with pasta; taste and re-season if necessary.

Chick pea and tomato pasta

Mango and Muenster baked quesadillas

Mango and Muenster baked quesadillas

It’s easy to get stuck in a jack cheese, chicken and/or bean quesadilla rut. But, crispy flour tortillas are actually a great vessel for all types of ingredients and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t let our imaginations run wild! And while Muenster cheese (my favorite melting cheese) and mango slices aren’t exactly a crazy combo, they’re a start.

Mango and Muenster baked quesadillas

(Yield: 4 quesadillas)

Ingredients:

8 flour tortillas

1 c shredded Muenster cheese

1/2 mango, thinly sliced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Procedure: Preheat oven to 350F. Place four tortillas on baking sheet and brush the top-facing side lightly with olive oil. Flip tortillas oiled side down and sprinkle each tortilla with cheese. Divide mango slices evenly amongst four tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with remaining four tortillas and brush tops with remaining olive oil. Place into oven and cook for 10-12 min until crispy. Serve hot.

Mango and Muenster baked quesadillas

To make dipping sauce, combine 3 tbsp sour cream, 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice, and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro together. Serve with quesadillas.

Mango and Muenster baked quesadillas

How would you re-invent the classic quesadilla?

Curried sweet potato hash

Ever since I had my first breakfast hash at brunch in District Commons, I realized that hash is one of the greatest things to ever happen to breakfast. Caramelized vegetables studded with bits of salty meat and topped with a runny egg - I mean, it’s completely irresistible.

This recipe is meat-less but it’s so flavorful that it doesn’t feel like anything’s missing. The way the sweetness of the sweet potatoes, carrots and onion mixes with the fragrance of curry is divine and unique, and I foresee myself returning to this flavor combination again and again in the future.

Curried sweet potato hash (16) copy

It is also important to point out that sweet potatoes are a power food. They are a low calorie food that is high in fiber and potassium, but most notably in Vitamin A, which acts as a powerful antioxidant and aids in preserving eyesight. They are very versatile so they’re easy to incorporate into any diet.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 3/4″ cubes

1 yellow onion, diced

1 portobello mushroom, diced

1 large carrot, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp yellow curry powder

1-2 (to taste) tsp red curry paste

Salt + pepper

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 tbsp Butter

4 eggs

Procedure: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil. Add all vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 min.

Curried sweet potato hash (2) copy

Then season with a generous pinch of salt and add garlic and curries. Stir and cook for a few more min, until potatoes are fork tender. Turn heat off, stir in cilantro, taste and re-season if necessary, and keep warm on the stove. Meanwhile, heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter on griddle. Gently break eggs onto griddle and season with salt and pepper. Cook until edges are browned and middle is set. Divide hash amongst four plates and top each one with an egg. Serve hot.

Curried sweet potato hash (12) copy

Curried sweet potato hash (33) copy

What is your favorite way to cook sweet potatoes?

Anticipation & garlic roasted Brussels sprouts

I was going to write an elaborate review of a renown pizza restaurant that I recently visited as today’s post but couldn’t bring myself to do it. My mind is a bit preoccupied right now because I’m flying out to Paris - which is like, my favorite place in the world - tomorrow night. I know, I know, I should be jumping-up-and-down, can’t-keep-my-pants-on, bragging-like-an-***hole, excited right now. But instead, I am nervous and a little scared. This is the first time I’ll be flying by myself, and to a foreign country, at that. Hopefully my nerves will calm as soon as I land across the ocean and this turns out to be as fantastic a trip as I originally anticipated.

There will be no new posts for the next 12 days or so, but follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates!

Garlic roasted Brussels sprouts (8) copy

Here is a simple, healthy, vegan recipe for Brussels sprouts that is inspired by, oddly enough, the Provencal-style roasted potatoes at Home/made in Red Hook.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 lb Brussels sprouts

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried thyme

8 garlic cloves with skins intact

1/2 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp pepper

Procedure: Heat oven to 400F. Wash sprouts and pat dry. Trim bottoms, peel off outer layer and cut in half lenghtwise. Scatter onto baking sheet and toss with remaining ingredients. Roast 35-40 min, flipping twice while roasting, until sprouts are brown on the outside and mushy on the inside. Serve hot.

Spiced refried beans

I wish I could write a witty little intro blurb about this bean recipe - a sort of literary version of the Mad Men dancing-in-slow-motion Heinz beans (some of you must know what I’m talking about, right?) - but I cannot. Beans are beans, and they are not romantic. Beans are a utilitarian, cheap, peasant food. And like many other peasant foods, beans are versatile, nutritious and filling. Pinto beans, for instance, have 100 calories per one 1/2 cup serving, and they are high in fiber, protein and help decrease cholesterol. Although they’re not very dreamy, beans are definitely worth incorporating into your diet.

Spiced refried beans

These beans can be a dip, topping or side dish.

Ingredients:

2 15 oz cans pinto beans, drained, rinsed

1 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c water

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/3 cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedure: Pour half of the beans into a blender with water and puree. Set aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook until softened, about 4 min. Add beans and bean puree along with spices and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 min - until beans are warmed through. (Add more water if thinner consistency is desired).

Spiced refried beans

Taste and re-season if necessary. Serve hot.

Spiced refried beans

What are your favorite ways to prepare beans?

Potato and squash frittata

Hello, readers. Happy new year!

Although I hope that you all have enjoyed a bountiful holiday season, along with the basted birds, creamy casseroles, grandma’s pies, and neighbors’ cookies, the holidays are O-V-E-R. The time has come for us to stop stuffing our faces and consider what’s happening inside our bodies. I’m sure I speak for more than myself when I say that January is the month when I want to put the indulgence on hold and bring my waistline back to the way it was before November 22nd. Here is a healthy, vegetarian, and might I add beautiful, dish to get us on the right track for this month.

Potato and squash frittata

Here is a healthy, vegetarian, and might I add beautiful, dish to get us on the right track for this month.

(Yield: 6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 large russet potato, sliced 1/8″-thick

1 small green squash, sliced 1/8″-thick

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp butter

4 eggs

1/4 c milk

1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tbsp

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 chopped scallion for garnish

Procedure: Preheat oven to 375F. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, 1/3 c cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper. In another bowl, toss together potato, squash and thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Grease pie dish with butter. Evenly layer vegetables into dish and pour egg mixture over the top.

Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 min. Then, uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake for another 10-15 min, until the top is golden brown.

Potato and squash frittata

Let stand for 10 min before slicing. Garnish with scallions.

Potato and squash frittata

Broccoli pesto pasta

Those of you who follow me on instagram might have seen a photo from this series a loooong time ago. Alas, here is the recipe.

This broccoli pesto is a tried and true recipe that both my mom and I have been making for years. The pesto is one of the few pasta accompaniments I know of that goes as well with long-cut pastas as with short-cut ones. It’s also a relatively healthy alternative to, say, a cheese sauce. And it’s vegetarian. Try it for your next pasta night! You won’t regret it - I promise.

Broccoli pesto pasta

(Yield: 6 servings)

Ingredients:

3 c broccoli florets

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

1/2 c parmesan cheese

1/4 c olive oil

1/2 c toasted walnuts

1 tbsp lemon juice

3/4 lb pasta any kind, cooked al dente in salted water according to package directions

Salt, freshly ground black pepper

Procedure: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Season with 1 tbsp of salt and add broccoli. Cook for exactly 3 min. Drain broccoli and place into food processor along with garlic and nuts. Pulse until pureed, occasionally scraping down sides. With the motor running, add lemon juice, a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, and stream in oil. When incorporated, remove blade and stir in cheese by hand. Taste and re-season if necessary. Combine with hot pasta and 2 tbsp of pasta cooking water. Stir until incorporated. Serve hot; garnish with more cheese if desired. (Reheat leftovers in a skillet with butter and cook with a beaten egg for a quick, carbonara-style dish).

Broccoli pesto pasta

Easy Asian-style vegetables for hard times.

Dearest readers: Please note that in the coming weeks, new blog posts will probably be scarce. There are about three weeks left of this semester (finals included) and if all goes well, I will be a college graduate come January. But until that day comes, I have to focus as much as possible on my schoolwork. I have so many papers due that I’ve lost count of them, and I haven’t even thought about cracking a book to study for final exams yet. I also have to start applying to big girl jobs soon and the mere idea of it is simply paralyzing.

If I survive this whole ordeal, I will re-commence blogging at full speed as soon as I can - you have my word. So please don’t forget about me and my baby (…ahem, this blog) in the meantime.

Asian sauteed vegetables

This recipe is for times when you need to eat something good, fast, and refuse to succumb to take-out.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp veg oil

1 tbsp sesame oil

8 oz baby bella mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

3 bulbs baby bok choy

1/4 c low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp corn starch

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger root

Procedure: (Cut off 1″ from the bottom of bok choy bulbs and separate leaves. Rinse and dry). In a bowl, combine soy sauce, corn starch, garlic and ginger. Stir until starch is dissolved and set aside. Heat both oils in a sauté pan or wok over high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 3 min. Then add bok choy. Cook until wilted while continually stirring, 1-2 min. Then stir in soy sauce mixture; cook until sauce is thickened and bok choy is fork tender, about 1 min. Serve immediately; over rice, if preferred.

Vegetable pancakes

I am currently in the last semester of my undergraduate education, and with each day, I care about schoolwork less and less. Some of you are probably thinking, “Oh no! But school is so important.” While I agree, I also believe that tending to that which makes one’s heart smile is equally as important (unless it’s killing babies/cooking drugs, in which case one should seek help). That is why on the first day of my Sandy “staycation”, I was ecstatic - no school, no work, can’t go outside, nothing to do but make love to my kitchen. Seriously, at this point, all I want to do is explore new recipes, work on my photography, choose my words, and hit “Publish”.

These pancakes are just one of the scrumptious things I made that day.

This is another one of my mom’s recipes. The outside crisps up while the inside stays delicate and soft - topped with cold sour cream, these little guys kick ass. Warning: next day fridge leftovers will not be good so I urge you to eat these fast, with which I don’t foresee you having a problem.

(Yield: about 20 little pancakes)

Ingredients:

2 medium russet potatoes, peeled

1 green squash, peeled

1 large carrot, peeled

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c all-purpose flour

Salt + freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Sour cream for serving

Procedure: Shred vegetables (preferably using a food processor).

Working with a handful of vegetables at a time, squeeze out as much liquid from vegetables as possible with your hands. Then combine vegetables with garlic, eggs and flour in a bowl. Season with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.

Heat a skillet/griddle pan over medium heat and add enough oil to cover the bottom. When hot, spoon batter onto skillet and press down on each pancake with spoon to flatten. Pancakes should be 2-3″ in diameter.

Cook about 4 min per side, flipping once, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve immediately, topped with sour cream.

What would you be doing if you didn’t have to study/work?

Crispy breaded cauliflower

Cauliflower is a hard vegetable to like, because let’s face it – it smells kind of funky. But, it’s very low in calories while being a great source of B-group vitamins, vitamin K, and one serving of it provides almost the full daily recommended dose of vitamin C. Cauliflower is a super food and if seasoned and cooked properly, it can be quite tasty and a nice addition into a boring vegetable repertoire. So learn to like it.

We have my mom to thank for this recipe.

(Yield: 6-8 servings)

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

2 eggs

1/3 tsp salt + 1/3 tsp pepper

3/4 tsp garlic powder

About 1 c seasoned bread crumbs

Olive oil for frying

Grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for garnish

Procedure: Trim cauliflower and slice into about ½”-thick pieces (there will be some odd-shaped pieces as well but they can come too!) Beat eggs with salt, pepper and garlic in a shallow dish and add cauliflower. Toss until coated evenly. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add just enough oil to cover the bottom. Dredge cauliflower in bread crumbs and place into skillet. It should sizzle gently – if it is not, the oil is not hot enough yet. Cook 3-4 min per side, until golden brown, flipping once. Using tongs, transfer cooked cauliflower to platter covered with paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with cheese while hot, garnish with parsley just before serving. Cauliflower will need to be cooked in several batches.

How do you like to cook cauliflower?

Chick pea stew

Chick peas, aka garbanzo beans, are one of my favorite ingredients to cook with. They are healthy (high in protein and fiber), tasty and, most importantly, versatile - they’re like the chicken of the legume world. I tend to use the canned variety because it’s a lot more convenient and time efficient than boiling the dried kind, but if you have the time and desire to cook your own, more power to you.

This recipe is vegetarian and vegan friendly.

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 vine tomatoes, chopped

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp cumin

2 15 oz cans chick peas, drained and rinsed

1 c packed baby spinach leaves

Salt + pepper

Procedure: Heat a high-sided skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onion with a pinch of salt and cook until translucent, 3-4 min. Add garlic and cook for 60 secs. Add tomatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper, sugar and cumin. Stir, turn heat down to low, cover and cook for 10 min, stirring occasionally. Then add chick peas and spinach. Stir continuously to warm chick peas throughout and wilt the spinach. After spinach has wilted, about 2 min, turn heat off, taste and re-season if necessary. Serve hot over creamy grits or polenta, or with hunks of fresh bread.

If you are interested in more chick pea recipes, check out my falafel post as well as this chick pea and eggplant sauté.

Quinoa garden salad

These grain-like seeds of South American origin known as quinoa are a super food by all means. “Keen-wah” is high in protein and fiber, while low in carbs, and it is gluten-free. Health nuts and foodies have been indulging themselves in its the benefits for several years now but I acquired my first box of it only a few weeks ago… I guess I wasn’t curious enough. What I discovered is that it looks and tastes like bird food.

The first time I cooked it, I meant to combine it with roasted eggplant, and serve it warm, drizzled with homemade garlic aioli. But, it turned out to be a complete disaster. I forgot to salt the water when boiling the damn stuff and the aioli turned out bitter (read this informative article to learn why). I was very disappointed and almost swore off quinoa for good.

Thankfully, I decided to give it another chance. Turns out, when handled properly, quinoa can actually be quite lovely.

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

1/2 c quinoa, dry

1 avocado, diced

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 vine tomato, diced

2 israeli-style cucumbers, partially peeled, chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp sunflower oil

Salt + freshly ground black pepper

2 oz crumbled feta cheese

Procedure: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of water with quinoa and ¾ tsp salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-12 min more, until water is absorbed. Turn heat off and cool completely. Then, in a small bowl combine lemon juice and avocado (to slow down oxidation process), and let stand for a minute. In a large bowl, combine quinoa with all remaining ingredients including avocado. Taste and re-season if necessary. Serve at room temp. or cold. Garnish with more feta and/or a lemon wedge, if desired.

If you know any cool quinoa recipes, please share!