Tag Archives: vegetarian

Mar14

Pizza!

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I have been craving pizza for weeks, and we picked up some burrata at the farmer’s market on Sunday, so we had to make pizza with it.

For the dough, you can buy some pre-made from the store.  We used The Pioneer Woman’s recipe. I have tried others before, but they did not rise as successfully.

To make the sauce, I simmered half of an onion (diced), 3 cloves of garlic, 1 large can of whole peeled tomatoes (pureed in the food processor), a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, oregano, olive oil, and butter, for an hour.  You can also use a jarred marinara.

We made a few different types of pizza, using a mix of the following toppings:

  • Burrata
  • Shredded mozzarella
  • Jalapeno-infused olive oil, jalapenos
  • Sweet Italian chicken sausage
  • Salami
  • Mushrooms
  • Red onion
  • Fresh basil

They were delicious!  We love thin-crust pizza, so we baked them at 500 degrees for 12 minutes and they were crisp and delightful.  If you are making yours thin-crust, resist the urge to use a ton of sauce, cheese, and toppings.  You will end up with soggy pizza!

Feb23

Grilled sweet potato salad

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On President’s Day, we decided to have a last-minute barbeque. Paco made ribs, and I made a grilled sweet potato salad and a broccoli salad.

When choosing sweet potatoes for this recipe, choose big fat ones. If you slice the smaller ones, they will fall through the slots in the grill. I followed the original recipe pretty closely, except I skipped par-cooking the sweet potatoes, and I added red pepper flakes for a little heat.

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad
Adapted from Bobby Flay

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
8 scallions
3/4 c olive oil
kosher salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 T dijon mustard
1/2 c cider vinegar
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Put the sweet potatoes into a large mixing bowl, then toss with 1/4 c of olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes. Grill for a few minutes on each side, until they are fork tender.

Brush or spray the scallions with a little bit of olive oil, then grill until they have grill marks. Remove from the grill and slice.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the 1/2 c of olive oil, the apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and honey.

Combine the sweet potatoes, scallions, and dressing in a large bowl and toss to combine. Garnish with parsley and serve while still warm. (You could serve this cold, as well, but make sure to combine the ingredients while they’re still warm so that the potatoes absorb the dressing.)

Feb17

Roasted red pepper dip

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I bought a bunch of red bell peppers on a whim because they were three for a dollar at Sprouts. I roasted all of them, then use some to make a simple dip.

Roasting peppers is easy. Just place the whole peppers on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees F for an hour, turning every 15 minutes.

Once they are charred on all sides, put them in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. The steam will help you to remove the skins from the peppers. After the peppers have cooled down, remove the plastic wrap, then remove the skin and seeds from the peppers. Slice to the desired size, and add olive oil, salt, and pepper.

To make the dip, I googled a few recipes and decided on Ellie Krieger’s recipe.  It surpassed my expectations in terms of deliciousness!

Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Adapted from Ellie Krieger

3 roasted red bell peppers
1/3 c toasted almonds
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T red onion, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 T olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper

Grind the almonds in a food processor. Add the bell peppers, vinegar, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes and process until smooth. Drizzle the olive oil into the processor while it’s running, then season with salt and pepper.

Serve with pita chips (I used garlic and parmesan kind).

Feb8

Vegetable hand rolls

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Paco was in Phoenix yesterday, so that gave me the excuse to eat something that he would never eat.  Whenever he catches me eating hand rolls, he calls them “vegetables and air.”

You can make these out of whatever you want.  Today I used omelet, avocado, cucumber, and scallions.

Vegetable hand rolls

1 c rice (sushi rice is ideal but if you don’t have it regular rice is fine too)
water
salt
rice vinegar
2 eggs
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. vegetable oil
dried seaweed sheets
avocado, sliced
cucumber, cut into two-inch strips
scallions, cut into two-inch strips
soy sauce
wasabi

First prepare the rice. Rinse the rice thoroughly and place it in a small pot. Add 1 cup of water to the pot, a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat to low. Allow to steam for 20 minutes. (Or use a rice cooker!) When the rice is done, add a couple of tablespoons of rice vinegar to the rice and stir to combine.

To prepare the omelet, beat two eggs with the sugar. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the eggs, lifting the sides of the omelet as it cooks to allow the raw egg to seep underneath and cook. When the omelet is almost fully cooked, flip it over and finish cooking the other side. Remove from the pan and slice into strips.

To make the hand rolls, cut a sheet of seaweed in half. Add a little bit of rice, omelet, and each of the vegetables, then roll into a cone or cylinder. Seal the edges with a little bit of water. OR, do what I do, and cut each sheet of seaweed into six pieces, then make individual, tiny hand rolls as you go.

Serve with soy sauce and wasabi, if desired.

Jan27

Steak dinner with sauteed mushrooms

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For Thanksgiving, I made a sautéed medley of wild mushrooms, and it was the surprise hit of the side dishes. I used Ina Garten’s recipe, and a mix of crimini, shiitake, portobello, and oyster mushrooms. (This picture is from last night, not Thanksgiving.)

Last night I made modified version with only crimini and oyster mushrooms, to go with a steak dinner. You could also add a little bit of cream at the end and turn it into a mushroom sauce for steak.

Sauteed Mushrooms with Brandy and Chives
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

1 lb mushrooms, preferably a mixture
1 1/2 T butter
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 shallot
kosher salt
pepper
3 cloves of garlic
2 shots of brandy
1/4 c chives

Clean the mushrooms by brushing them off with a damp paper towel. Cut them into thick slices, or quarter round mushrooms, like crimini or white button.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil, then add the shallot. Saute until the shallot is soft.

Add the mushrooms, and saute until they have cooked down a little bit (8-10 minutes).

Add the garlic, salt, and pepper (to taste) and stir to combine. Allow to cook for a couple more minutes, then pour in the brandy. Once the brandy has cooked off, turn off the heat and garnish with chives.

(Optional) After dinner, take nap.