Category: Vegetarian

Cherry-Arugula Salad With Almonds & Tarragon


 Cherries and almonds are a classic pair and make a delicious salad combination with tart arugula and fragrant tarragon.

Ingredients

  •  2 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 small shallot, chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 6 tbsp slivered almonds, divided
  • 1/2 pound cherries (about 2 cups), pitted and halved, divided
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
  • 5 oz baby arugula
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked whole grains (e.g. barley, farro, wheat berries, wild rice, or even quinoa)

Directions

  1. In a blender, combine vinegar, shallot, mustard, water, 3 tbsp of the almonds and 1/4 cup of the pitted cherries.
  2. Blend until very smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in tarragon.
  3. Combine arugula, cooked grains and remaining cherries in a large bowl.
  4. Toss with the dressing and garnish with the remaining 3 tbsp almonds.

Cauliflower Goat Cheese Mash


This is a lovely side dish that not only tastes great, but is very low in carbs.

Cauliflower Goat Cheese Mash

Ingredients

  • 1/2 large head cauliflower, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 Tbsp. whipping cream
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 Tbsp. goat’s cheese (I recommend herb-coated)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Cook the cauliflower over medium heat in a large pot of lightly salted water until completely tender, 20-30 minutes.
  2. Drain the cauliflower into a colander. With a bowl or small plate, press on the cauliflower to remove all the water. Toss the cauliflower and continue pressing. This step is very important to the texture of the dish.
  3. Transfer the cauliflower to a food processor (or blender).
  4. Add the cream and puree until completely smooth. If you like a chunkier texture, mash by hand, adding the cream after the cauliflower is mashed.
  5.  Return to the pot. When you are ready to serve the puree, heat over low heat, stirring constantly.
  6. Add the butter, Parmesan and goat’s cheese. Stir until incorporated and season with salt if necessary.
  7. Serve immediately.

Note: Feel free to add 1 tsp minced garlic and/or 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives for additional flavor.

Noodles & Tofu in Basil With Mint Dressing


Heart whole-wheat angel hair pasta cooks in just four minutes and makes this Asian-flavored dish much more satisfying than the standard rice noodle due to its filling whole grains and fiber. And, basil isn’t just for Italian food-paired with mint, it takes on an exotic spiciness.

 Ingredients

  • 16 oz extra-firm water-packed tofu (not silken)
  • 12 oz whole-wheat angel hair pasta
  • 4 tsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 4 tsp raw honey
  • 2 tsp dark sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, shredded
  • 2 tbsp fresh spearmint, shredded
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper

Directions

  1. Drain tofu, then wrap in a kitchen towel. Put on a cutting board, place weight on top, such as a heavy pot, and let drain for 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain well.
  3. Cut tofu into 1/2 inch cubes.
  4. In a medium bowl, mix ginger, honey, oil, soy sauce, basil and spearmint. Add tofu & pepper, tossing to coat.
  5. Add pasta to bowl with tofu mixture and toss gently to coat pasta with dressing.
  6. Serve at room temperature or cover & chill in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Cilantro-Lime Aioli


This aioli goes with the Mini Crab Cakes, but is a lovely addition to seafood, and can also be used in sandwiches or over grilled chicken.

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • Juice of half a lime
  • 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard (not coarse grained)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 bunch cilantro, washed, trimmed of the stem bottoms, and patted dry
  • Kosher salt

Directions

  1. Add the egg yolk to the bowl of your food processor with the blade attachment. Whisk in lime juice and mustard.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the oils and then add the oil mixture in a slow steady trickle through the opening in your processor while the blade is whisking constantly.
  3. Continue until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture has emulsified (thickened to a creamy consistency).
  4. Add the garlic cloves and cilantro in small bunches, allowing it all to be processed and incorporated.
  5. Season with kosher salt to taste.
  6. Chill, covered, until ready to use.

Top ↑

Cupcakes!


For those of you that don’t know me personally, I’ll fill you in on one of my passions… cupcakes. Specifically, mini-cupcakes (aka little cakes). I love making them about as much as I enjoy eating them. I recently made these marble cupcakes, which basically just consists of devil’s food cake and yellow cake, swirled. Since time was a factor, I “cheated” and used two cake mixes and two containers of frosting (one chocolate and one vanilla), instead of making them from scratch.

Ingredients

  • 1 box Betty Crocker Devil’s Food cake mix
  • 1 box Betty Crocker Yellow cake mix
  • 6 eggs
  • 2/3 cup oil
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1 container Betty Crocker Chocolate frosting
  • 1 container Betty Crocker Vanilla frosting

Directions

  1. Follow directions on cake mix, which includes oven temp and baking time.
  2. Cool cupcakes completely.
  3. Frost using a mix of chocolate and vanilla frosting. I used a decorator’s bag and tip to get a unique blend of the two frostings and the grooved design pictured above. Of course, you can simply use a knife and just use a little bit of both frostings.

Healthy Snacks


I want to talk about snacks and give you some low-calorie options for when hunger strikes in-between meals. It’s a good idea to have a snack to keep your metabolism going and the ones listed here, are only about 150 calories each! So, whether you’re watching your weight or just need a little something to hold you over ’til lunch or dinner, these are all guilt-free and pretty tasty.

  • 1 oz. healthy nuts (47 pistachios or 24 almonds or peanuts)
  • 2 whole-grain crackers with 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 cup baby carrots with 1/2 cup hummus
  • 6 oz. nonfat yogurt with 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
  • 3 cups popcorn (popped in 2 tsp canola oil)
  • 3/4 cup fresh pineapple with 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese
  • 1 cup fresh fruit with 1 part-skim string cheese
  • 1 cup whole-grain cereal (such as Cheerios) with 1/2 cup skim or 1% milk & 1/2 cup slice strawberries
  • English muffin pizza: 1/2 whole-grain English muffin with 1 tbsp tomato sauce & 1/2 oz low-fat mozzarella cheese (add green pepper and onion slices on top if you’d like)
  • 1 apple with 1 tbsp almond butter
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal with sliced almonds (about 5) and 1/2 cup skim or 1% milk
  • 1 oz. low-fat cheese with 3 whole-wheat crackers
  • 1/2 small whole-wheat tortilla with 2 slices turkey (or tofurkey), 1 slice tomato and 1 small slice avocado
  • 12 whole-grain corn chips and 1/2 cup salsa
  • Fruit smoothie: 1 cup skim or 1% milk blended with 3/4 cup berries

Nectarines Poached in Lavender-Honey Syrup


Are you aware of the difference between nectarines and peaches? If not, here’s a little intel on them: Nectarines can be used in the same way as peaches, and may be considered as substitutes for peaches. The only difference between peaches and nectarines is the lack of fuzz on the nectarine skin. Nectarines tend to be smaller and more aromatic than peaches and have more red color on the fruit surface. Fresh peaches provide respectable amounts of the antioxidant vitamins A and C, in addition to potassium and fiber. Nectarines provide twice the vitamin A, slightly more vitamin C, and much more potassium than peaches.

With that being said, this dessert is amazingly tasty and one you should try!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups water
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 2 tsp dried lavender buds
  • 6 nectarines, halved & pitted (about 1 1/2 lbs)
  • 6 cups vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt
  • Fresh lavender sprigs (optional)

Directions

  1. Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven, stirring to dissolve sugar.
  2. Stir in lavender buds.
  3. Add nectarines. Reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes or until nectarines are just tender (do not overcook).
  4. Remove nectarines from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving liquid in pan. Bring liquid to a boil, and cook until reduced to 3 cups (about 10 minutes). Cool slightly.
  5. Serve syrup with nectarines and yogurt.
  6. Garnish with fresh lavender, if desired.
Source: Cooking Light

Banana French Toast


If you like bananas, then you’ll love this recipe that’s just a slight variation from the traditional French Toast, as it contains bananas and cream in the batter.

Ingredients

  • 2 pieces of bread (I prefer whole grain or wheat)
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 2 eggs (or 1 egg, 1 egg white)
  • 1/8 cup whipping cream (or milk)
  • Cinnamon
  • Cooking spray

Directions

  1. Put eggs, 1/2 banana, cream and a dash of cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
  2. Mix using hand mixer (or blender) until smooth.
  3. Heat large skillet over medium-low with cooking spray.
  4. Soak each piece of bread in egg mixture just long enough to make sure it’s saturated.
  5. Transfer to skillet and cook until lightly browned on each side.
  6. Remove from heat and serve with other 1/2 banana, cut into slices, a sprinkle of powdered sugar and syrup.

Tortilla Pizza


This next recipe is one of my favorites that I created, Tortilla Pizza. One day, I was craving some pizza, but didn’t want to order one, so, as I usually have flour tortillas on hand, I decided I’d just throw some sauce and toppings on one and toss it in the oven. I had to play around with the temperature and timing to get it just the way I like (crispy), but now, it’s a staple in my kitchen. I love the fact that it’s obviously very low in carbs and can be made any way that you like, with very few or lots of toppings. It’s amazingly simple and a really nice, quick meal! The one pictured below is simply my pizza sauce, a few different cheeses, sliced tomatoes and caramalized onions (or onion marmalade).

Ingredients

  • 1 flour tortilla (I use medium size)
  • Pizza/pasta sauce to cover tortilla (use according to personal preference)
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese mix
  • 1 Roma tomato, sliced thin
  • Caramelized onions 
  • Parmesean cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Put tortilla on baking sheet.
  3. Spread sauce over tortilla, getting close to the sides.
  4. Sprinkle shredded cheese blend over sauce.
  5. Put tomato slices on top on top of cheese.
  6. Add caramelized onions, using as little or as much as you like.
  7. Sprinkle parmesean cheese over entire pizza.
  8. Bake about 20 minutes, a little longer for crispier crust.

As I mentioned, you can use whatever toppings that suit your fancy. Another favorite combination that I like is using pieces of goat cheese, some sundried tomatoes, fresh mint and fresh basil. Oh so good!

Enjoy!

Honey Ginger Teriyaki


I could talk about sauce/marinade all day, and personally, I tend to favor them more on the sweet side than the spicy. Here’s an easy recipe that can be whipped up in no time and add quite a nice flavor to fish, meat, vegetables and chicken.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger (use garlic press)
  • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp powdered onion
  • 1 tbsp ketchup
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
  2. Refrigerate in an air-tight container.

If you want an amazing store-bought teriyaki, I highly recommend East-West Specialty Sauces. My personal favorite, Sweet Ginger Teriyaki  🙂 They have some great sauce recipes on their site, so check ’em out.