Category Archives: Vegetarian Meals

Quinoa and Broccoli Salad

  • 1 1/2 cups red or white quinoa, rinsed, drained
  • 1 pound broccoli, trimmed, cut into small  florets
  • 9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,  divided
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground  black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon  juice
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice  vinegar
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced  shallot
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf  parsley
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh  cilantro
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh  mint
  • 4 ounces feta, cut into 1/4-inch  cubes
  • 4 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted,  divided

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 450°. Bring quinoa and 4 cups water to a boil  in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until quinoa  is tender but not mushy, 12–15 minutes for red quinoa or 8–10 minutes for white.  Drain; return quinoa to hot saucepan. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Fluff  with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, toss broccoli with 2 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking  sheet.  Season with salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat broccoli. Roast,  stirring occasionally, until nicely browned and cooked through, about 15  minutes. Let cool slightly; add to bowl with quinoa.
  3. Whisk remaining 7 Tbsp. oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and shallot  in a small bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add parsley, cilantro,  mint, feta, and 2 Tbsp. pine nuts to quinoa; pour vinaigrette

Enjoy, I love you.

Mom’s Asian Slaw

There is alot of substituting you can do with this recipe.  It all depends on what you have around and what you like.

  • 2 packages of ramen noodles (I use chicken flavor, because I use some of the flavoring in the dressing)
  • 1 pound of cole slaw mix
  • 1 bunch of scallions sliced thin
  • 3/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup raisins or craisins
  • 2 Tbsp sugar (+ or – to taste)

Crunchy stuff: (pick a few 3 )

  • slivered almonds *
  • sunflower seeds *
  • flax seeds
  • pumpkin seeds
  • pistachio nuts – chopped
  • toasted sesame seeds
  • black oriental sesame seeds (looks GREAT in salad) *
  • wasabi peas

Break up ramen noodles while still in bags. 
Place noodles on bottom of large salad bowl
Top with raisins, then cole slaw mix, then scallions – in that order.
Add the crunchy stuff you chose on top.
Mix well – oil, vinegar, sugar and a bit of the seasoning from one packet of ramen.  Pour over top.  Let it sit for at least an hour, or even overnight.

Toss all together and serve.

The noodles on the bottom will soften with the dressing.  This is why you do not toss right away.

* means I always use these

Enjoy!  I love you!

Spaghetti al Limone

  • 1 lb spaghetti
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 Cup medium cream
  • 1/4 cup vodka or grappa
  • 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

 

  1. Cook Pasta in 4 qts of boiling salted water
  2. Grate the lemon rind being careful not  to grate any part of the white peel
  3. In large skillet over low heat steep cream and lemon zest for 5 minutes.  Add vodka and stir in juice of half of the lemon and nutmeg.
  4. Drain the pasta when it is barely al dente and add to the sauce in the skillet.  Raise the heat to medium and stir and toss the spaghetti until they have absorbed most of the liquid and sauce is creamy and thick.

I love you

Butternut Squash and Fried Sage Pasta

  • 8 oz whole-wheat penne
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 sage leaves
  • 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 medium butternut squash (2 lb), peeled, seeded & cut into 1″ cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

butternutsquashsagepastaCook penne as directed on package.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Fry sage, turning once, until crisp on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel.

Add onion and garlic to skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and golden, about 3 minutes.

Add squash, 3/4 cup water, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until squash softens, 5 to 7 minutes.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot and add squash mixture; stir over low heat, adding some reserved cooking water if necessary, until pasta is coated, about 1 minute.

Serve, garnished with cheese and sage.

I love you

Polenta and Vegetables With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

polenta-red pepper1 cup uncooked instant polenta
2/3 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or oregano) or 1 tbsp dried
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 asparagus stalks, ends trimmed
8 scallions, trimmed
2 small Japanese or Italian eggplants, trimmed and halved
1 medium-large yellow squash (about 1/2 lb), cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 cup cherry tomatoes

Sauce

1 jar (12 oz) prepared roasted red peppers, drained
1/3 cup vegetable (or chicken) broth
1 large clove garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, basil or parsley (plus extra for garnish)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium-sized heavy saucepan. Add polenta in a stream, whisking to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/3 cup Parmesan and season with cayenne and salt. Coat a 9″ pie plate with cooking spray. Transfer polenta to pie plate, smooth into an even layer and let cool 15 minutes. Heat broiler. Whisk garlic, thyme, lemon juice and oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss vegetables with dressing. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange vegetables in 1 layer (or in 1 layer in a grill basket). Broil vegetables about 4 inches from heat until tender and slightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter. Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Sprinkle polenta with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan. Broil polenta in pie plate until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, then cut polenta into 8 triangles. Divide polenta among 4 plates. Top with vegetables, drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with chives. Serve any remaining sauce on the side.

280 calories per serving

I love you