Chive Risotto Cakes

Happy Meatless Monday!

I had the most fantastic birthday weekend ever, and celebrated the big thirty plus four. My mom had stayed over our house for the past week and helped me out with Elena. There's nothing like having your mom around the house to help you with little things since I'm moving a little bit slower these days. (26 weeks pregnant!) I was able to get some much needed errands done, bake my birthday cheesecake, and have a wonderful date night out with my husband. Eric and I dined at one of our favorite restaurants, Pizzeria Mozza, and shared this tasty pizza and another one. It had brought back several yummy foodie memories from our vacation in Italy.

One of my favorite dishes from Italy is risotto. It's one of those fancy dishes that I crave something indulgent and rich. I have had trouble with indulgent and rich dishes with this pregnancy, but this is a dish that is on a level that my palate can appreciate. Maybe because it's fried and has cheese, who can say no to cheesy carbs? This is a fantastic recipe to use if you want something a little fancy for a weeknight dinner. You can easily opt to use leftover risotto, if by chance there were any leftovers. It's a versatile recipe that you can substitute other cheeses as well, but Italian Fontina is an excellent creamy cheese when melted. Make sure to use a cheese that melts well.

Sun-Dried Tomato, Arugula & Goat Cheese Frittata

Breakfast for dinner is one of my go-to meals whenever the case of I need dinner on the table in 15 minutes or less. We have had eggs and rice, waffles and bacon and a bowl of cereal for dinner sometimes. Perhaps the never ending Indian summer that SoCal has prevents me from cooking hearty oven-baked dishes like enchiladas, lasagna, and roasted chicken. Or perhaps I'm stuck entertaining my daughter while she rolls around the living room floor. Elena is at this funny baby stage where she notices me, and loves the moment that I put my eyes on her. Then that one moment I leave the room, she faceplants the floor and fake cries for my return. Oh my sweet Elena, you have me wrapped around your little finger.

Enter breakfast for dinner. It's a fail proof plan where you only need a couple of minutes of prep time, and it's absolutely delicious. You can also serve it for breakfast, but I love my tasty amount of carbs in the morning of bagels. This frittata has some of my favorite components of sun-dried tomatoes, arugula and goat cheese. The tangy and sweet pairing of it all melts in your mouth and beware it will disappear fast. I ate seconds and possibly thirds without blinking.

Perfect for Meatless Mondays, too.

Sun-Dried Tomato, Arugula & Goat Cheese Frittata
Adapted from Erin's Food Files
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Fried Mac and Cheese Bites

Yesterday, I had the worst sugar high food hangover in my life. UGH. Plus, it wasn't even from the Superbowl bonanza foods that I enjoyed on Sunday either because it was from the glucose test drink that I had to endure yesterday morning. I had to fast before my scheduled appointment, which meant no breakfast, no cup of coffee, or no food in my stomach until after 10am. FAIL. After guzzling that sugary fizzy citrus drink, cookie was beating me up left and right. It felt like cookie was practicing baby zumba and boxing all at once.

The nurse finally took their samples, and I went my happy and hurriedly way to enjoy breakfast. But it was too late, my sugary buzz and growing 'need caffeine asap' headache was starting to grow. I spent most of my day in a uncomfortable sugary super high, and when I finally came home from work. I crashed hard, and stayed in bed and rested until dinnertime.

Luckily, we still had leftovers from Superbowl to enjoy for dinner. Nothing seemed appetizing though in my sugary daze, and I really wanted another platter of these savory fried mac and cheese bites. For my Superbowl party, I had re-purposed my leftover four cheese macaroni and cheese and made a tasty appetizer for everyone to enjoy. For a playful presentation, I bought these colorful serving forks in the dollar bin at Target. It was a delightful platter of smack-tastic bites for the eyes and the tummy.

Enjoy!

Fried Mac and Cheese Bites
Adapted from Alton Brown
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
Leftover macaroni and cheese, refrigerated
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoons water
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Vegetable/Canola Oil for deep frying, preheated to 375 degrees

Preparation:

Prepare your deep fryer or large pot with vegetable/canola oil and heat to 375 degrees.

Scoop about 1/2 cup of macaroni and cheese, and form balls or you can cut into bite size pieces.

Set up three dipping and breading station containers: one dipping container for the seasoned flour of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, one dipping container for the beaten eggs, and the final dipping container for the panko bread crumbs.

Dredge each ball of macaroni and cheese in the flour and remove the excess. Dip in the egg wash and coat with the bread crumbs. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes so the crust can set.

Very carefully drop a couple of the macaroni balls into the oil and fry until golden brown. Remove and place on a paper-lined baking sheet. Let it rest for 5 minutes until ready to serve. Place on serving platters.

Serve with a side of buttermilk ranch dressing.

Yield: 16 to 20 bites (depending on your macaroni and cheese leftovers)

Review: Absolutely delicious, and who can say no to macaroni and cheese? No one. Plus, it was super easy to prepare especially since I had a deep fryer, and it makes less of a mess in the kitchen because I fry everything out on the patio. I have this tiny Cuisinart that we received from our wedding registry and it really does the trick whenever you need a couple things deep fried. My little growing cookie sure loves his/her savory foods like this and I'll be twiddling my thumbs all week long until I find out the results of my glucose test next week.
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Four Cheese Macaroni & Cheese

Monday Fun-day. It's the day after the Superbowl XLVI bonanza between the NY Giants and NE Patriots. Did you watch the game or watch the commercials for giggles? I'm all about the entertainment and tasty foods, and mostly hosting the Superbowl party. My most favorite commercial has to be the one with the M&Ms where Ms. Brown (Vanessa Williams) is mocked about the color of shell looking like she is naked and argues that her color is milk chocolate. Then the crazy Red M&M strips down to his brown shell to my most favorite LMFAO tune to "Sexy and I know It." It was pretty clever and hilarious because he also did the "wiggle wiggle wiggle" dance.

My husband and I had hosted a simple Superbowl party with our friends. I made my tasty buffalo chicken tacos, bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, fried macaroni and cheese bites, and football shaped sugar cookies. Nothing but the best game-style foods right? The fried macaroni and cheese bites were something that I had been wanting to make because I had made this large batch of four cheese macaroni and cheese.

Last year while traveling in Italy, Eric and I had picked up a bottle of white truffle oil while we were in Florence. I really wanted to take a couple truffles home with me, but that would have cost me a small Italian fortune. Truffle oil was the next best thing and easier to pack up in my travel bag. Truffle oil adds an extra smoky flavor that is hard to describe, but was the key ingredient that motivated myself to make this dish. This was one extravagant macaroni and cheese dinner filled with some tasty cheeses, and a comforting meal to enjoy, too.

Four Cheese Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from Bobby Flay
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 pound elbow macaroni
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot whole milk
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup grated fontina cheese
3/4 grated gouda cheese
3/4 cup grated extra sharp white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon truffle oil *Optional*

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the macaroni to the package directions.

While the macaroni is cooking, heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Do not let the butter brown and slowly add the flour and whisk at a constant speed until a roux forms. Cook the roux over low heat for at least 5 to 7 minutes. Add the milk in a steady stream.

Cook the white sauce for 10 minutes and then add the spices, salt, fontina, gouda and white cheddar cheeses until they have melted, about 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta and place into a large 9x13 casserole dish. Pour in the cheese sauce on top. Sprinkle the panko crumbs and parmesan cheese on top and let bake for 10 minutes. Turn on the broiler and let the tops slightly brown the tops for a couple minutes, 3 to 4 minutes.

Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

Review: Cheesy and scrumptious. The magic ingredient here is the white truffle oil. You can easily omit it, but if you like to live dangerous and indulge in the wonder fruit of Italia - you need to invest in a small bottle. You only need a small drizzle of this magic potion because it adds that extra OOMPH wow factor. Trust me. Buy some if you can. Tomorrow, I'll share the simple recipe to do use up the macaroni and cheese leftovers. ;-)

Fun Baby News: Of all the days, I'm taking my 2 hour glucose screening test this fine Monday morning. Let's hope all the tasty foods that I devoured on Superbowl Sunday didn't affect the outcome of my tests. Supposedly the sugary fizzy bubbly will determine if I have gestational diabetes or not. Let's hope for good news. :::Crossing fingers, legs and toes..:::
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Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

The wonderful and awesome weekend has come and go....so very fast. Hurry up Friday and come back, I miss you already.

Eric and I are loving our new Iphones, and we are still figuring out the apps/perks to the phone. Funny story, we were out shopping for our nursery furniture and we were taking a picture of the crib to send to my in-laws when a stranger approached us. He said "oh cool, you are price shopping, too?" We didn't know what he was talking about and he showed us a fun app that lets you scan the bar code and it will find the lowest price for you. (Shop Savvy!) How cool is that?

This dish is perfect for Meatless Mondays and easy enough to prepare at a moment's notice. We had a last minute get together for the football playoffs and I needed something simple for game food. I decided on hard-shell tacos with a beef filling for a group of 8. Tacos are always easy enough to make, but I wanted another tasty option available as well to fill our hungry stomachs. Luckily, I had a container of salsa verde in my freezer from the last time we had carnitas, and I had an abundance of cheeses to use, too. These came together fast and paired nicely with our last minute taco meal.

Fantastic dish to eat by itself or to serve as a side.

Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
Original Krystal recipe
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cup pepper-jack cheese, shredded
1 cup queso seco, crumbled
1/2 cup green onions, diced
1 6 ounce can of green chile peppers, diced
8 to 9 flour tortillas (8 inch)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped finely
Salsa Verde, about 2 1/2 cups

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a large 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray or Misto.


In a large bowl, combine all the cheeses and mix together. Set aside 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture.

In a medium saucepan, warm the salsa verde over medium-low heat. Spread an even layer of the salsa verde on the bottom of the baking dish.

Spoon about 1/3 cup of the cheese mixture onto each tortilla and roll up. Place seam-side down. Repeat until you have used all the cheese and have no more room in your baking dish.

Top with remaining salsa verde, the reserved cheese mixture, diced chile peppers, cilantro and green onions.

Cover with aluminum foil, make sure coat the foil with cooking spray or misto so it doesn't stick to the enchiladas. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Review: Simple and delicious. I had paired this along with the main entree: beef tacos and it was a great addition to the meal. You can taste a little bit of the heat from the salsa verde and diced chile peppers, but the real treat is the mixture of cheeses. Melting and oozing out of the tortilla....sooooo yummy!
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Pasta & White Beans with Broccoli Pesto

Meatless Mondays are back in full swing because I'm trying to stay on track for eating healthy and doing my best to save some extra money. It's the after-Christmas cutback that you practice when you bought yourself that really nice pair of Ugg boots and all those extra little gifts for your nephews, nieces, your extended Cuban-Filipino family, your friends and possibly that wow-factor gift for your special someone. It's budget costing and small sacrifices that you make. I may have bought myself a couple extra outfits every now and then while shopping at the stores, too. Oh well, pregnancy clothes that fit are a RARE find sometimes!

More importantly, most of you are adding more vegetables into your diet because that's what your new years resolution is. Eat healthy, and eat something green. Or you can be sneaking extra veggies into your menu planning when your husband isn't looking either. That's what I did with this meal. Eric and I have a love affair with all things Italian, and my husband instantly recognized that I had made pesto for dinner and happily scurried away to prepare the dinner table. Little did he know that he was in for an extra veggie treat. Although, Eric made a little sour face that this wasn't "Pesto" the typical one made with basil, but he happily ate it anyway.

Simple and delicious!

Pasta & White Beans with Broccoli Pesto
Adapted from Everyday Food: January/February 2012
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
10 ounces short pasta, like penne or fusilli
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra for serving
1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated and the juice from the lemon (1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 to 3 garlic cloves
1 can (15.5 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, boil water and add salt at the boiling point. Blanch the broccoli pieces until tender and bright green (about 4 minutes) and remove instantly with a slotted spoon and place in the food processor. Bring water back to boil and prepare pasta according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups pasta water, drain and return to saucepan.

In the food processor, add extra-virgin olive oil, cheese, lemon zest and juice, parsley and garlic cloves with the broccoli and pulse until smooth. Make sure to scrape down as needed, and transfer the pesto into the saucepan. Stirring to combine and adding some of the reserved pasta water as needed until it reaches your preferred creamy consistency. I like mine slightly chunky and added 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water. Fold in the cannellini beans and cook the pasta until warmed through. Taste for seasonings, add salt and pepper if needed. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings
Nutritional Info: Per Serving: 484 calores, 9 g fat; 22 g protein, 82 g carb; 10 g fiber

Review: Light and refreshing inexpensive meal for Eric and I. The only ingredient I didn't have off-hand was broccoli - having a lemon tree and an abundance of parsley is smart meal planning as well. You can easily add some grilled proteins like chicken, shrimp or Italian sausages to the pasta if you're wanting to add more to the dish.
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Raspberry & Brie Flatbreads

My very first job when I was in my teenage years, I had found myself working at a Dinosaur themed birthday party place. (Almost like Barney.) It was so much fun, and I worked the toys merchandise counter. We hosted private children's birthday parties, the facility had a huge playground for kids and plenty of arcade games. I also dressed up like the purple dinosaur and walked around the facility greeting kids, scaring them back to their parents, and posing for pictures. Oh, and my tail got pulled plenty of times by those little munchkins. Not fun. But it was my first job and it had it’s up or down perks.

One perk that I did love was my free lunch of pizza and soda whenever I worked my shift. Everyone loves good ole cheese or pepperoni pizza - it’s always a crowd pleaser. Plus, it was free – you can never beat free food right? I had my fair share of pizzas at my old stomping ground. It would be fair to say that my palate has changed as the years passed by, and it’s a little more sophisticated than my dinosaur days.

This raspberry and brie flatbread is a fancy pizza with interesting toppings: brie, raspberries and caramelized onions. I don’t miss the cheese or pepperoni needed for a typical pizza. The sweetness of the onions pairs really well with the tangy brie and sweet raspberries. It’s healthy for you and easy to prepare for a weeknight dinner. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to start Meatless Mondays and giggle about my purple dinosaur pizza-filled days.

Raspberry & Brie Flatbreads
Adapted from Clean Eating - August/September 2011
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped finely
1 ½ teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
Fresh ground pepper and salt
Flatbreads or pizza dough
3 ½ ounces brie, thinly sliced
1 ½ cups fresh raspberries
2 tablespoon basil leaves, chopped

Preparation:

In a medium Dutch oven over medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Sauté the onions until they caramelize, slightly brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in rosemary and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Arrange flatbreads on large baking sheet or pizza stone. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of onions on top of the flatbreads. Add the toppings of raspberries and brie.

Bake until cheese melts and bread is slightly crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Yield: 2 flatbread pizzas or 1 large pizza

Review: Sweet and savory. It’s one of my favorite combinations to enjoy in a meal. You can easily make this using regular pizza dough, and cook the pizza dough according to instructions. Then add the additional toppings, and bake it until it’s ready – about 8 to 10 minutes.

Fig & Chevre Panini

Whoa…it’s September. You are too sneaky.

I still can’t fathom that my favorite Fall season is here because most of SoCal weather is still in the high 80s. I will wear my flip flops and tank tops until I see frost…in November. I wasn’t surprised while shopping this past week that I saw Christmas displays – lights, Christmas trees, and the such. Oh my, the holiday madness is slowly upon us.

I will be in denial of the upcoming holiday bonanza and up in my summer cloud as long as I can. I might indulge in a little bit of the pumpkin plethora of recipes that I have saved but thankfully I’m enjoying some simple Farmer’s Market finds. I absolutely love the availability of summer’s fresh figs and hopefully I will enjoy them until the end of October, too. I picked up some freshly baked squaw bread at the Farmer’s Market, too.

I remembered that I had saved this panini from Cate’s blog back in June and I finally got a chance to make it for lunch this past week. It’s madly addicting and so simple to prepare. The combination of sweet and tangy is a great ode to summer.

It’s still summer to me.

Fig & Chevre Panini
Adapted from Cate’s World Kitchen
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
Squaw bread slices
Couple tablespoons of crumbled chevre
1-2 fresh green figs, thinly sliced
Organic Microgreens
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation:

Drizzle a bit of extra-virgin olive oil on both sides of bread and arrange the figs and chevre on one side. Place the microgreens on the other side.

Press the other half of bread on top, and cook in a panini press or a few minutes on each side, pressing with a spatula until cheese and figs are warm (or use a non-stick press).

Review: Simple and delicious. I love the pairing of tangy and creamy goat cheese paired with the sweet and nutty fig.

Tomato Tart

What a beautiful Monday it is. It’s been incredibly hot and humid these past couple days, nothing like the beach and pool-time can’t cure. I’m a couple shades tanner than normal, and loving summertime festivities. I really don’t think Fall weather will be apparent in SoCal until late October and until then I will take full advantage of all the wonderful summer-ish things.

One of my favorite summer foods that I been eating non-stop are tomatoes. My tomato garden has thrived, and has been very bountiful and sadly they are slowly withering away. It’s sad to see them not producing, but we have had our fair share of tomato-based dishes these past couple of months. I have had my eye on this dish since the beginning of summer, and I have neglected to make it earlier. Please make this if you still have tomatoes and you will be oohing in delight.

It’s a perfect Meatless Monday dinner of beautiful heirloom tomatoes on top of a tart with ricotta and mozzarella cheese.

Simple and delicious!

Fresh Tomato Tart with Basil-Garlic Crust

Adapted from Ezra Pound Cake
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 recipe Basil-Garlic Tart Dough (recipe follows)
8 ounces sliced mozzarella
8 ounces ricotta cheese, drained
1 teaspoon fresh Italian Parsley
2 large, ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and cut crosswise into thin slices
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Prepare the dough, and press it into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl combine the drained ricotta cheese and chopped parsley together. Spread a layer of the mixed ricotta on the bottom of the tart shell and then layer the mozzarella.

Arrange the tomatoes over the cheese in a ring around the edge of the tart and a second ring in the center. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has started to brown in spots, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 5 minutes before slicing. (The tart may be covered and kept at room temperature for 6 hours.)

Basil-Garlic Tart Dough

⅓ cup fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 8 to 10 pieces
4-5 tablespoons ice water

Place the basil and garlic in the work bowl of a food processor. Process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until finely chopped. Add flour and salt; pulse to combine.

Add butter. Pulse about 10 times, or until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs.

Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing several times after each addition. After 4 tablespoons water have been added, process the dough for several seconds to see if the mixture forms a ball. If not, add remaining water. Process until dough forms into a ball. Remove dough from processor.

Flatten the dough into a 5-inch disk. Wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The dough can be placed in a zipper-lock plastic bag and refrigerated for several days or frozen for 1 month. If frozen, defrost the dough in the refrigerator.)

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Lay the dough over the tart pan, and press it into the pan. Trim the dough, and proceed with the recipe as directed.

Review: Pure deliciousness and a perfect dinner. I paired this with a simple mixed greens salad. Easy and simple dinners are my favorite thing about summer. How will Fall dishes fare? Luckily, I still have another month or so to change it up!

Tomato, Mozzarella, & Asparagus Salad

Do you ever have those non-stop foodie-filled weekends? Birthday party for your best friend, beer festival with the perfectly beer-paired appetizers, cheap happy hour that turned into a dinner with coworkers, or a foodie adventure around town eating at one OR more of your favorite places. A-hem. I’m not going to lie because sometimes it happens to us. Or maybe all the time.

I always look towards Meatless Mondays as our clean eating detox foodie day because we fall into victim to the pattern of “OMG we ate too much Korean BBQ Mexican food, drank too much wine & beer, can’t believe we did all those shots, went crazy for every cupcake at the bakery and got totally Yogurtland wasted.”  Disclaimer: Stretchy pants might be required after a foodie-filled weekend.

Just saying. I’m keeping it real for everyone out there.

Thank goodness for Kelsey at Apple a Day for posting this delicious recipe. We both love Meatless Mondays and have been making an array of dishes. Her recipe was inspired by a visit to a local café in Charleston, South Carolina. I loved everything about this salad filled with summer bounty of tomatoes, asparagus, and fresh mozzarella topped with a homemade garlic herb dressing. YUM! It definitely was the perfect and healthiest dish to enjoy after a foodie-filled weekend. Plus, you can forget about putting on your stretchy pants after this meal.

Tomato, Mozzarella, and Asparagus Salad
Adapted from Apple a Day
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
3 ounces balsamic vinegar
1 bunch of asparagus spears, blanched
3 to 4 cups of mixed greens
1 red pepper, roasted, skins removed, chopped
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup tomatoes, chopped (grape tomatoes)
½ cup fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly

Preparation:

In a small saucepan, add the extra-virgin olive oil, chopped rosemary, smashed garlic cloves, salt and pepper and warm until slightly fragrant. The lure of garlic will warm over you, that’s when you turn the heat off. Set aside and let cool to room temperature. Whisk in balsamic vinegar and place in your olive oil dispenser, up to one week.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water and place it on the countertop ready to use. Trim the asparagus spears. When water is boiling, blanch asparagus for about 2 to 4 minutes, it will turn a bright green. Remove quickly and place in ice water to stop the cooking process. When cooled, remove, pat dry and cut into two-inch pieces.

In a large serving bowl, add the desired amount of mixed greens. Top with asparagus spears, sliced roasted bell peppers, red onions and tomatoes. Drizzle dressing over the salad and garnish with fresh mozzarella. Add salt and pepper.

Serve immediately.

Review: So fresh and a beautiful salad – I love eating colorful foods – it digests better right? I paired this gorgeous salad with a crusty sourdough bread and butter. Originally Kelsey had her salad with a ham and brie sandwich with green tomato jam (an interesting sandwich – that I’m dreaming about).  Add some grilled chicken if you need some extra protein.

Garbanzo Burgers with Muhammara Sauce

Monday mornings are sometimes blues-y and so-so. It’s probably because you had so much fun over the weekend that you have a slight hangover of how tired you are. Or maybe you are still thinking about all those errands/chores/last-minute stuff that you have to do. Mondays are not blues-y or so-so at all to me because I now look forward to enjoying Meatless Mondays – it’s a nice change on meal planning for the two of us.

I saw this on Cate’s food blog and I knew instantly that it would be perfect for a MM dinner. I’m so in love with Mediterranean flatbreads and have been substituting them as my bread for whenever I make sandwiches. Plus, it helped that I had most of the ingredients - I had a couple cans of garbanzo beans already in the pantry that I was supposed to use for hummus. I knew that hummus would wait another week to be made.

This is one fantastic dish that I absolutely loved to pieces. I loved it so much that I ate it everyday for lunch for an entire week. No joke. The garbanzo burgers had made plenty and I was not tired of it at all because the sweet roasted pepper (muhammara) dip was out of this world. I could have ate the dip by itself! These burgers reminds me of falafels that I had made before but I prefer these garbanzo burgers more – oh so tasty and madly addicting. I topped my garbanzo burgers with romaine lettuce, tomatoes from the garden and feta cheese.

Happy Meatless Monday.

Garbanzo Burgers with Muhammara Sauce
Adapted from Cate’s World Kitchen Burgers & Sauce
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2-15 ounce cans of chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained
4 large eggs
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 onion, chopped
grated zest of one lemon
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fillings: Lettuce, tomatoes, feta cheese, muhammara sauce (definite must - Recipe below)
Flatbreads or pita breads

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper or silpat on a large jelly roll pan.

In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas, eggs and salt until the mixture is similar to a chunky hummus. Pour mixture into a large bowl and stir in the chopped cilantro, onions, and lemon zest.

Stir in the bread crumbs and mix until combined. Let it sit for a couple of minutes so the mixture can absorb the moisture. If needed, add more bread crumbs. Using your hands, form about 20 small burger patties about ½ inch thick and place on prepared pan.

Bake in oven for 15 to 17 minutes, until the slightly crisped.

Muhammara
Ingredients:
1 dried chile de arbol or 1-2 teaspoon chile de arbol
½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted and cooled
¼ cup bread crumbs
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 red bell pepper, roasted until soft, then peeled
juice of 1 lemon
½ cup warm water
salt to taste (usually about ¼ teaspoon)

Combine everything except the water in a blender and pulse until well-mixed. Add the water gradually until the mixture is slightly thinner than hummus (add extra water if needed). Add salt to taste

Prepare your burgers by placing a couple garbanzo patties on a warmed flatbread, add your desired toppings and make sure to add a hefty drizzle of muhammara sauce. ;-)

Review: Muhammara (Moo-HAHM-mer-ah)…it so fun to say outloud, too. Absolutely fantastic, and one of my favorite Meatless Monday meals to date.

Thai Style Noodles

My first exposure to Thai food was back in college. I used to have a resident advisor that was President of the Thai social club. I would love hanging out with her because she always loved to prepare Thai food for events, meetings and just because to feed her residents. I would come over and enjoy some Pad Thai, or drink Thai iced tea and so much more. Besides, it was the best excuse to not do any studying, and just eat Thai food.

I have had a box of Thai Noodles in my pantry for quite some time because I always told myself to make Pad Thai noodles. Yet, I always found myself eating out for them instead.  I really have to thank Claire from Branny Boils Over for posting this recipe because I found a great way to use those noodles without having to buy so many ingredients. I substituted a couple additions of vegetables that I found at Trader Joe’s to up the veggie count, and loved the sweet ketchup sauce. Ketchup is the secret to making everything addicting in my book.

Enjoy!

Thai Style Noodles
Adapted from Branny Boils Over
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
7 ounces rice noodles, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
2 cups sliced bok choy
1 cup Japanese green beans
1 cup sliced red peppers
3 scallions, sliced
2 eggs
¼ cup diced red onion
for the sauce
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Sriracha
½ teaspoon minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced

Preparation

In a small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients. Set aside.

In a large wok or large skillet, sauté the bok choy until slightly tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add sliced green beans, red peppers, red onions to wok and cook for a couple of minutes.

Toss in the soaked rice noodles and add the sauce. Cook until warm, and rice noodles are slightly tender.
In a small skillet, cook the eggs until the yolk is firm. Chop into small pieces in pan, and add to the wok.

Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.

Review: A very tasty Thai-inspired meal…thanks again Claire!! This is a fantastic and quick Meatless Monday dish to make during the work week.

Duo Tomato Pasta

OMG, this summer is flying by! Is it really August, and how did July disappear on me so fast?

I wish I had summer vacations like we used to when we were in school, then I could really enjoy summer activities. Lounging out at the beach, visiting the OC Fair, watching Big Brother all day long or just sleeping in. Things I fantasize about while I’m at my normal day job. Oh well. It’s one of the symptoms of being an adult. You deal with it.

Luckily, one of the great things of summer that I have been able to take advantage of is my wonderful garden. I’ve have eaten my fair share of San Marzano, grape and now Roma tomatoes. I went a little nutty this year and planted two more tomatoes plants, thinking one might die, or really all of them might die. So I wasn’t expecting much. To my surprise, all three tomato plants are thriving. I pick tomatoes off the vine almost everyday and these grape tomatoes are absolutely addicting. At one point, I had about 4 to 5 cups of grape tomatoes.

This is a wonderful spin on an old favorite of mine, Pasta Ponza, mixed with a little caprese and my other favorite tomato, sun-dried tomatoes. I’ve been on a sun-dried tomato kick lately, so this is a happy marriage of the two. The sweetness of the roasted tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes are an explosion of flavors that scream summer pasta. It’s a fantastic Meatless Monday meal that might make you forget about the summer vacation blues.

Duo Tomato Pasta
Inspired from Giada’s Pasta Ponza
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced finely
¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and diced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
½ cup bread crumbs
½ cup panko
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 pound penne pasta, or
1 cup fresh mozzarella, sliced
½ cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a jelly roll pan with cooking spray or misto. Set aside.

In the greased jelly roll pan add the tomatoes, kalamata olives, olive oil, salt and pepper. Carefully toss to coat and sprinkle the panko and bread crumbs over the tomatoes. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning on top.
Drizzle the top with olive oil, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden. Cool for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente about 8 to 10 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon transfer the pasta into a large serving dish. Spoon the tomato mixture with the pasta and mix to combine. Add the shredded cheeses and sun-dried tomatoes and toss well. Taste for seasonings, add salt and pepper if needed.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for an additional 10 minutes to let the cheeses melt.

Serve and garnish with chopped basil.
Review: My favorite tomato pasta meal and best eaten the day it’s prepared. It does make plenty, so if you re-heat the leftovers make sure to add a little bit of extra-virgin olive oil on the top because the pasta might dry out in the microwave.

Veggies Tacos

Meatless Mondays are pretty fantastic.

Meatless Mondays are inexpensive and one of the quickest meals that I make during the work week. By all means I’m not a vegetarian because I do love my meat candy but I do make a conscious and healthy effort to watch my waistline and wallet. Also, it’s part of my secret agenda by feeding my husband and I more vegetables.

If you have a garden full of vegetables like myself, then this recipe will benefit you. These delicious tacos are super simple and you use whatever vegetables you have on-hand or whatever is fresh at the farmers markets. Chop everything up that you would like, add some seasonings and serve them up with your favorite taco toppings.

Healthy and fresh. Who needs meat?

Veggie Tacos
Adapted from Simply Recipes
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of fresh corn (about 2 to 3 ears)
2 or 3 zucchini (about 1 ½ cups)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, minced finely
1 fresh jalapeño chile pepper, seeds and stem discarded, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon Complete Seasoning (Mexican seasoning)
Kosher Salt
1 small to medium tomato, chopped
6 to 8 flour tortillas
½ cup Manchego cheese, grated fine or cotija cheese
handful of cilantro, chopped finely

Preparation:

In a medium Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until they soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add the zucchini, corn, and jalapeño to the pot. Season with the cumin and complete seasoning, stirring occasionally. Let cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables have lightly browned.

Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cilantro, and lower the heat to a simmer. Let gently cook for 5 to 10 minutes while you prepare the tortillas.

Serve with preferred tortillas, toppings like sour cream, sliced avocado and salsa.

Yield: 4 hefty servings of veggies

Review: Easy to prepare, and a sneaky way to eat your serving of veggies.

Thin-Crust Pizza

Confession.

While I was on vacation in Italy, I ate an entire pizza by myself. No joke, and normally I’m a two slice only kinda girl because after that I’m desperately looking for my stretchy pants. Most pizzas that my husband and I typically order around here have a thick crust and you get more dough than toppings. Then the pizza expands in your stomach and you are moaning in your gluttony. However, irresistible and nom-worthy Italian pizzas might make you re-think about limiting your intake.

The secret to eating an entire pizza is…the thin-crust or an empty stomach. Just kidding. Thin-crust pizza has this perfect, crispy texture and it really allows you to savor the toppings of the pizza versus the feeling of eating overstuffed toppings with the bread. If you are a lover of thin-crust pizza like myself, you need to make this recipe.

This recipe is the closest to an Italian wood-fire pizza that I can enjoy at home. The dough is easy to prepare and comes together in the food processor, no kneading really required. Tip: I did purchase a pizza stone, but you don’t need one if you don’t want to spend the money on one.  You can buy a unglazed quarry tile from Home Depot – it will cost less than $2. It’s the cheaper alternative for a fancy pizza stone. The pizza stone or tile is needed because it locks in the heat while the pizza cooks in the oven.

Since I’m still daydreaming about Italy, I have two favorite types that I highly suggest that you try out – Caprese and Quattro Formaggi. Thin-crust pizzas don’t require too many toppings, just spread out a little bit of pizza sauce and a handful of cheeses. Don’t forget the bottle of wine to enjoy with your pizza, too.

Buono Mangiare!

Thin-Crust Pizza
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated Jan/Feb 2011
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra
1 ⅓ cups (10 ½ ounces) ice water
½ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
3 cups (16 ½ ounces) bread flour, plus extra

Sauce
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Toppings:
Quatto Formaggi - Fresh mozzarella, sliced; Italian Fontina cheese, Scarmorza cheese, & blue cheese
Caprese - Sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil
Cornmeal (optional)

Preparation:

At least 24 Hours before prepare the dough: In a food processor, process the flour, sugar, and yeast until combined. With the machine running, slowly add ice water through the feed tube, process until the dough is combined and no dry flour remains. Let dough stand for 10 minutes.

Add oil and salt and process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball - about 30 to 60 seconds. Remove dough from bowl, knead briefly on lightly oiled work area until smooth, about 1 minute.

Transfer to a lightly oiled container, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

One hour before baking the pizza, adjust the oven rack to the second highest position and place a baking stone on the rack to preheat. Preheat the oven to 500˚ degrees.

Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator and divide in half. Form each half into a ball and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet, with at least 3 to 5 inches apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Coat 1 ball of dough generously with flour, and place on a well-floured countertop. Using fingertips, gently flatten into 8-inch disk or toss it up in the air and give it a couple whirls like the pizzeria’s. Leave 1 inch of the outer edge thicker, and gently stretch into 12-inch round if possible. Lay out parchment paper and spread a handful of cornmeal on the paper and place the dough on the paper.

Spread ½ cup tomato sauce over pizza, add a couple handfuls of cheese, garnish with a little bit of kosher salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Carefully lift the parchment paper with pizza on-top and place carefully onto stone and bake until the crust is well-browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove pizza and place on wire rack for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Repeat step to bake pizza, top and bake second pizza.

Review: It’s like having a taste of Italy at home…soooo perfect. It’s crisp in texture, and depending on your toppings – it melts in your mouth like butter. Seriously, this recipe definitely hit my Italian sweet spot and brought me back to to my favorite Italian pizzerias.

Ratatouille: Confit Byaldi

Navigating myself in my kitchen after a couple weeks away is like missing your favorite TV show. I couldn’t wait to start cooking again and make some tasty dishes, and I have been inspired by the Italian lifestyle to eat less. Rather than reaching for something hearty like steak or hamburger, my stomach was yearning for beautiful roasted vegetables.

When I was grocery shopping this past week, I didn’t realize that I randomly bought two different colored squashes and eggplant. It somehow made it into my shopping cart because I probably wanted to make a stir-fry of veggies. My girlfriend was coming over for belated birthday celebration dinner and requested the menu be wheat and grain-free. I really wanted to prepare a simple pasta dish inspired from my Italy vacation but I will save it for another day when her diet restrictions are over.

Luckily, I had some chicken breasts and these veggies that I could easily prepare for Ratatouille. I could have made a simple dinner of grilled chicken and salad, but I wanted something a little festive and special for my girlfriend. Ratatouille is a simple peasant dish (usually served as a side dish or can be a main dish) with roasted tomatoes and bell peppers, onions, sliced up squash and eggplant, and some spices from the garden.  The combination of the stewed tomatoes, slow-roasted bell peppers and spices is like explosion of fresh garden flavors - incredibly hearty and delicious. Add a touch of freshly grated pecorino cheese on top and it’s a perfect meal all by itself.

Happy Birthday Arminda…next month we’ll make your birthday cake.

Ratatouille aka Confit Byaldi
Adapted from Thomas Keller

Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
For the Piperade (bottom layer):
1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1 green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 cup white onions, diced
3 to 4 vine-ripe tomatoes (about 12 ounces total weight), peeled, seeded and finely diced, juices reserved
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt
For the Vegetables:
1 medium yellow squash (4 to 5 ounces) sliced in 1/16-inch-thick rounds
1 medium green squash (4 to 5 ounces) sliced in 1/16-inch-thick rounds
1 eggplant (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch-thick rounds
½ teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
⅛ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Assorted fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, and basil)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Reserved piperade

Preparation:

Prepare the bottom (piperade) - preheat oven to 450 degrees.Place the bell pepper halves on a lined baking sheet with foil, cut side down. Roast the peppers until the skin loosens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Discard the skins and chop finely. Set aside. Lower the heat of the oven to 275 degrees.

In a medium Dutch oven over low heat, add the oil, garlic and onions and cook until translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes & juices, chopped herbs and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, until the liquid has reduced. Add the chopped peppers. Taste for seasonings, and add salt and pepper. Reserve a cup of the mixture to spread on the bottom of the casserole pan.

Arrange the veggies in a round pie dish or casserole pan. Place the reserved piperade on the bottom of the pan, and arrange the vegetables in a circular manner (eggplant, yellow and green squash) and continue until you have no more room. You may not use all the vegetables.

In a small bowl, combine the chopped garlic, and oil. Drizzle over the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Add a couple sprigs of thyme on top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the vegetables are tender, about 90 minutes to 120 minutes. Uncover the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Make the vinaigrette, mix the reserved piperade, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper in a bowl.

To serve, place a cup of the mixture of the vinaigrette on the bottom of the plate, slice in quarters the vegetables and lift carefully on the plate and place it on top of the piperade and fan it out. Garnish with fresh chopped basil.

 

Review: One of my favorite meals that I can’t wait to make again and it’s from one of my favorite Disney movies as well. Ratatouille always brings a smile to my face - inspiring me to cook, and eating something hearty and fresh on a plate. Like the adorable wannabe chef/rat “Remy” had said in the movie “If you are what you eat, then I only want to eat the good stuff.” Yes, I agree with you Remy – I want all the good stuff on a plate, too.

Chile Rellenos

One of my favorite college roomie memories comes from my sophomore year where I lived in a on-campus apartment. I had met my roommate, Gabby, during my first year of college at UCI in the dorm rooms. We were over the dorm life: the boring and typical dorm food, waking up at 3am to fire alarms set off by a future roomie, the never-ending pranks the boys played on the girls and mostly sharing a bathroom with 12 other girls. Dorm life was non-stop fun, but it had its unbearable moments, too.

Having our own apartment was a little step forward of grown-up life, too. It also meant cooking for yourself and eating whatever you wanted. One of the go-to meals that I remember Gabby prepared most often were her chile rellenos. I remember sitting at the kitchen table watching her char the chilies on the stove, and although I sometimes feared that she might set the fire alarm off – it never happened. Battered and lightly fried peppers stuffed with lots of cheese, always gooey and crispy from the egg batter. They were scrumptious in each bite, and more importantly it was one of the perfect inexpensive meals for us aka college students.

Although, I never got the original recipe from Gabby – I did find this one from my recent copy of Food Network magazine. It was pretty straight-forward to make, and included a foolproof step-by-step visual to help.  I knew that I had to make the dish for Eric and I for our Meatless Monday dinners and also relish in those wonderful college memories, too. This would be a perfect dish to make for a Cinco de Mayo fiesta, have a batch of margaritas, side dish of lime-cilantro rice and a big bowl of guacamole and chips – simply delicious.

Chile Rellenos
Adapted from Food Network Magazine May 2011 - Marcela Valladolid
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups Monterey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped finely
3 large egg whites plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
6 Poblano chile peppers
5 plum tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
½ small white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Preparation:

Char the chilies on the gas burner on medium high heat until blackened all over. You will hear small sparks of peppers popping. Or you can char the chilies under the broiler. Place the chilies in a large Ziploc bag and close shut. Let stand for 10 minutes. This will let the chilies soften and become very easy to peel.

Place the chilies on a cutting board and gently rub the skin off using paper towels. Using a paring knife, make a slit across the top of the chile just below the stem, leaving the stem intact. Slice lengthwise down from the top to the bottom of the pepper. Open the chile and remove the seeds and inner membranes, use the paring knife if needed to loosen the seedpods. Repeat with remaining chilies.

In a blender, puree the tomatoes, onions, and garlic until smooth. In a small saucepan, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the tomato puree and simmer for 5 minutes, taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper if needed. Keep warm.

In a small bowl, mix the shredded cheese and chopped fresh oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Fill each chile with ¼ cup cheese mixture, and gently fold the sides over and thread 2 toothpicks to form an X. If needed, add additional toothpicks to secure the filling. In the bowl of the stand mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the egg yolk and beat for 3 minutes.

In a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, heat about 1 inch vegetable oil until ready (about 375 degrees). Place flour in a shallow dish, season with salt and pepper. Place bowl of egg mixture next to dish. Dredge each chile pepper in the flour, and dip into the egg mixture to cover completely. Let excess batter fall off. Add the chilies to the pan and cook 1 to 2 at a time, flipping once until golden. Spoon hot oil over chilies for even browning. Remove chilies and place on a pepper towel to remove excess oil. Repeat with chilies.

Spoon tomato mixture onto place, and place a fried chile on top. Serve immediately.

Review: It’s a slightly tricky recipe to master because you have to be careful to not overcut the slits of the chile pepper or you can not seal it properly. I had 4 out of 6 decent chile peppers come out decent. The flour dipping and whipped egg batter process was a little bit messy, but the whipped egg batter is crucial to the crispiness of the chile. It needs that extra crunch and texture for this tasteful dish. I paired the chile rellenos with some veggies and lime-cilantro rice on the side.

Pasta Ponza

Occasionally I'll watch a few Giada at Home cooking shows to pass the time, and I fell in love when I came across this episode. I love cherry tomatoes and sometimes I'll eat them all by themselves like candy. She had made these dessert raviolis with orange-mint dipping sauce and those suckers looked amazing, too. Giada had explained that Ponza is a little Island off the west coast of Italy where her and her aunt first experienced this sweet and savory dish. I knew that I had to make the dish as well. This is a perfect pasta meal for meatless Mondays or you can add some proteins like spicy Italian sausages to the dish, too.

I absolutely loved the smell of the kitchen from the slow roasting tomatoes mixed in with the salty capers. I had a difficult time not eating the tomatoes by the spoonful after I took them out of the oven. (I had to have myself a sampling of tomato-goodness!) This dish is so delectable with the pecorino cheese, tangy capers, flavor popping grape tomatoes, and it is an instant reminder of summer gardens. This dish made me miss my tomato plants because it's so barren in my garden. But I know what I want to plant for next year, another round of San Marzano and cherry tomatoes - so I'll be making this all summer long! I served this with warm goat cheese salad and a side of garlic bread -a great meal to be shared with friends. Enjoy!

Pasta Ponza
Adapted from Giada at Home
Ingredients:
Unsalted butter for greasing
2 cups (12 ounces) red cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups (12 ounces) yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup panko
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 pound ziti or other short tube-shaped pasta
1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preparation:

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a jelly roll pan with cooking spray or your misto. Set aside.

In the greased jelly roll pan add the tomatoes, capers, olive oil, salt and pepper. Carefully toss to coat and sprinkle the panko and bread crumbs over the tomatoes. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning on top. Drizzle the top with olive oil, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden. Cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente about 8 to 10 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon transfer the pasta into a large serving dish. Spoon the tomato mixture with the pasta and mix to combine. Add the shredded cheese and toss well. Taste for seasonings, add  salt and pepper. Garnish with the chopped parsley, and serve immediately.

Review: Easy to prepare and so delicious. If you have a problem finding yellow cherry tomatoes, you can make this with red cherry tomatoes - it tastes just as good. I love how beautiful this simple pasta looks - the vivid yellow and red cherry tomatoes and it tastes as good as it looks, too!

Indian Naan Pizza

My fave food trend at the moment is fusion food where you incorporate two cultures into one dish. Taking the best of both cultures and combining into one plate - it sounds pretty tasty right? We are a melting pot, and our dishes definitely reflect it. For Meatless Mondays, I've been discovering alot of vegetarian dishes that are heavily influenced by Indian dishes. I have been craving to make an Indian-inspired dish even more so when I had a bite of Paneer curry at the recent Indian wedding that I attended. I can't stop thinking about the wonderful flavors that I had from one bite!
Luckily for me, our Costco recently started carrying Naan bread and it's great all by itself, for soups, salads but I wanted it as the base of my pizza. (I really wanted garlic naan, but I'll save that for another time). I've been in love with the exotic spices of India and I always enjoy a nice slice of pizza - so combining these two cultures into one - seemed like a perfect fit. I have to thank Jessica of The Novice Chef for posting this recipe, and good luck to her on the path to be The Next Food Blog Star. There's nothing like enjoying a slice of comfort food like pizza and I loved how the tikka Paneer had a touch of rich and creamy flavor and wasn't overly cheesy like typical cheeses. The combination of pizza sauce with the mango chutney gave a nice sweet and sour sauce. Overall, a nice change-up from our go-to pizza selections and it was a great vegetarian meal for our Meatless Mondays. Enjoy!

Indian Naan Pizza
Adapted from The Novice Chef & Aarti Sequeria
Ingredients:
1 cup Paneer cheese, diced (or make it yourself)
6 oz fat free Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons tandoori sauce (or 1 teaspoon tandoori paste)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon ginger, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 cup mango chutney (recommend Major Grey’s brand)
4 pieces of naan
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
handful cilantro, chopped
parmesan cheese, shavings

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, tandoori sauce, garlic, ginger, lime juice and salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Add in the diced Paneer and cover with plastic wrap and let it marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the pizza sauce and mango chutney and spread evenly on top of naan. Top naan with mozzarella.

Remove Paneer mixture from refrigerator, and saute on medium-high heat until liquid reduces. Scoop Paneer on top of pizzas.

Cook pizzas in oven for 10 minutes, or until mozzarella has melted (the Paneer will not melt).

Garnish pizzas with cilantro and shaved Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Review: Spicy and sweet all mixed into a thick slice of pizza naan. If you like food with lots of flavors and spices, this is a great dish to try. We paired this with a simple green salad and it was very filling. The naan is a little bit denser that an average thick crust of pizza, so one naan pizza a piece for Eric and I was a perfect meal. If you need a little bit of protein, try adding a couple slices of prosciutto or bacon on the pizza - it will be fantastic, too.

Baked Israeli Falafel

Meatless Mondays (aka MMs) is one day where we cut out meat for the week. It is a great way for Eric and I to mix up our dinner selections. MMs are a great way for us to incorporate more non-protein foods and enjoy another healthy meal at home. It keeps our food budget low because we are saving money by buying less meat for one day, too. (Saving $$$ is always a plus in my wallet.) Normally, pasta would be an easy fallback choice for non-proteins, but I like exploring culture through food.

Since I have been on a world fare food kick, I wanted to try falafels. They were something that I have never had never tried and sounded easy enough to prepare. I came across this recipe on one of my go-to recipe sites that I love Epicurious. Falafels are typically fried chickpeas and served in a pita paired with pickled vegetables, hot sauce and hummus. (Hmmm, sounds like my kind of food.) It had reminded me of a meatball sandwich without the meat! My baked falafels were very flavorful and parsley packed on top of a fluffy naan, topped with veggies, filled with store-bought roasted garlic hummus and feta cheese. Coincidentally this paired perfectly with the quinoa veggie salad that I had made, too. Cheap, fresh, delicious and healthy for ya! (WINNER!!)

Baked Israeli Falafel
Adapted from Epicurious
Makes about 20 balls
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained or use 1 pound chickapeas soaked overnight
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Place garbanzo beans and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until completely combined. Shape into small balls, about golf sized and slightly flatten. Place onto an oiled baking sheet.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until nicely browned (since it’s baked, only the part actually touching the pan will be browned and crispy).

Serve with pita bread or naan, hummus, feta cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and/or cucumber.

Review: This was a great vegetarian meal for our meatless Monday selection. The colors on my plate were pretty as a rainbow, and this was a very filling meal. The baked israeli falafels were quite flavorful and earthy and fit perfectly as a falafel pita'wich. I bet the fried version are out of this world, but I'll pass on the heart attack for another time. ;-)