Pastafarian, mon.

So I haven't posted in quite some time. I've just been horribly busy with school, work, kid, etc. If I've cooked anything it hasn't been worthy of the blog, or if it has been I've forgotten to take pictures. But tonight I cooked something stellar so I thought I would share. I give you vegan marinara penne:

Ingredients*:

5 carrots - whole, washed, un-peeled

1 onion - spanish or yellow

5 cups fresh spinach

2 cans diced tomatoes - I prefer the yummy fire roasted kind as they add a nice smokiness to the sauce

1 can beans - I used Aduki beans here, but you could easily sub in red beans, kidneys, etc. Drain and rinse

1 head of garlic - more or less depending on tastes, but this makes quite a bit of sauce so it's not too overwhelming

4-6 tbsp balsalmic vinegar

olive oil

salt, pepper, oregano, cayenne pepper - all to taste

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add onions, carrots and garlic. Sauté until onions are transparent and carrots are soft. Add spinach and sauté until wilted. Add beans, tomatoes, and spices. Turn heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Boil pasta, drain, and serve.

*This makes a ton of sauce. It freezes well, but you can cut the ingredients in half if you'd like.

Please to enjoy!

Soup-er easy!

I love scallops. Well, as a general rule, I love seafood, but scallops have a special place in my heart. This soup is delicious, low fat, and very, very easy to make.

Scallops - 1 pkg - frozen

Fresh spinach - 2 cups

grape tomatoes - halved, 1 cup

red wine vinegar ~ 2 tsp

garlic - minced -the more the merrier!

salt/ pepper

olive oil - 1 tsp

Heat oil in a deep sauté pan over medium heat and add all ingredients. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes (serves 2). That's it! Enjoy.

I love quiche.

I love quiche. It's versatile, cheap, delicious, and quite pretty. Quiche is typically a higher fat food especially when using whole eggs and a truck load of cheese, but even this can be tailored to fit any dietary restrictions to create a delicious and low fat meal. The glory of quiche is that the "toppings" can be what ever you want! Ham or sausage and cheese, roasted eggplant and garlic, etc. This particular quiche has assorted heirloom tomatoes, spinach and feta cheese.

1 pie crust - thawed

7 whole eggs or 10 egg whites

3/4 cup milk - 2% or skim

toppings - experiment!

Bake at 350º for ~ 45 minutes. Test by sticking a knife or toothpick in the center. When it comes out clean your quiche is done! enjoy!

'Cause baby it's cold outside.

It's been absolutely freezing here lately. This can only lead to two things. Boiled peanuts and chili. I pride myself on my chili recipe. I have spent years perfecting it and I'll be darned if it's not the best chili I've ever had. As stated in an earlier post, I really love cheese and I can't think of a better vehicle for it than piping hot chili.

2 cans each: diced tomatoes, black beans (drained), large dark red kidney beans (drained), sweet corn (drained)

1 can tomato paste

1 minced poblano pepper (de-skinned and seeded)
1 minced jalapeño pepper (seeded) - 2 if you're feelin' sassy
5 minced garlic gloves
1 minced purple onion
1 lb ground turkey - brown in frying pan before adding
1 mexican beer
1 cup water
2 bay leaves
2 tsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp each black pepper, salt

Throw all of that in a crock pot and let it cook on High for ~4 hours. If you are sans crockery, bring ingredients to a boil in a large pot, simmer for ~2 hours.

Stay warm and enjoy!

I would do anything for meatloaf.

'Tis the season where it is quite cold outside and my mind starts to wander to the land of heavy, protein rich meals. Yesterday was freezing here and all I could think about was delicious, delicious meatloaf. The first thing that you should know about me is that I rarely measure things when I cook but, for the sake of this blog, I will do my best to give accurate measurements. The second thing you should know is that I love cheese. That said, italian turkey meatloaf is on the menu:

Ingredients:

1lb ground turkey

1.5 cups chopped baby portobello mushrooms

5 garlic cloves minced

3/4 cup shaved parmesan

1 egg

1/2 cup italian bread crumbs

1/4 cup ketchup

1.5 tsp italian seasoning blend (oregano, rosemary, crushed red pepper flakes)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt, pepper

Additional ketchup for coating on the top

Several things should be noted: I used the 97% fat-free turkey here. It makes me feel less guilty about adding so much cheese. That said, a slightly higher fat turkey, say, 85% fat-free would have a bit higher binding capacity but, I've found with the addition of the egg and just the right amount of bread crumbs that nothing is lacking in that department. Also, limit the ketchup to just 1/4 cup for the same reason. Meat soup is nothing to mess with.

I also prefer to used shaved parmesan rather than grated. I've found that this allows for little cheese-pocket-surprises™ to appear. It also makes for a juicier product when using the low fat meat. On to preparation!

And you guessed it! Throw everything in a bowl and mix it together thoroughly. Form a loaf (or what ever shape you'd like as long as the thickness is even throughout) and place it in a slightly greased baking pan. At this point I like to top the meatloaf with a hearty sprinkling of spices. This forms a delicious crust when baking. Bake at 375ºF for approximately 40 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165º. About 10 minutes before it is done, top with additional ketchup, spreading evenly.

Voila!

Can't be bothered...

Sometimes I'm lazy, but all the time I like delicious things. For example, I couldn't even be bothered to cook anything for this lunch.

1 mango, chunked
1 avocado, chunked
handful of cilantro, chopped
flax seeds
sriracha, drizzled

put it on a multi-grain tortilla if you feel like it.

LUNCH!

You say faheetah, I say fahightah.

Veggie fajitas are delicious. There really is no point in arguing with me. Super cheap, colorful, fast, and it sticks with my motto of "throw some stuff in a pan and cook it". I am aware that grilling season is beyond us, but this is something that you could do on a grill pan inside if you're so inclined (and you will be inclined). Forgive the photos, I took these before I got my snazzy new camera.

Procure the following items:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 each type of pepper: red bell, yellow bell, orange bell, poblano, anaheim, and jalapeno

1 spanish onion

1 package baby portobello mushrooms

1 small eggplant (some people don't like eggplant, if you are some people then fine, but when eggplant is grilled it provides a nice meaty texture that you won't get if you leave it out)

salt and pepper

* Clean and cut all ingredients into strips.

* toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and place into a fajita pan on the grill over medium-high heat

* stir occasionally until onions are transparent.

* Place onto a small flour or corn tortilla and enjoy!

NOM NOM NOM.