Quick and Easy Raw Sauce

- One pound of your choice of pasta, boiled aldente
- Large handful of fresh basil, chopped
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped green Italian olives
- Shredded Mozzarella cheese Organic raw goat cheese cheddar (SO much tastier!)

Toss all ingredients together and enjoy!

"Sausage" and Broccoli over Greens

• 1 head of bibb lettuce
• 1 Boca sausage link sliced and sauteed in olive oil
• 1 crown of broccoli, steamed
• Two tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• Two tbsp of balsamic vinegar
• Two tbsp (or more) of crumbled feta cheese
• Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a large bowl, mix lettuce, sausage link, broccoli, feta cheese, spices and dressing.
   
2. Eat.
3. Love.
   

Finally

One thing I really loved as a meat eater was a hot dog. I gotta admit it, I LOVED them. And while my hubby would sometimes grill me a soy dog on the BBQ or I would cook one in a pan, it was never the same.

Until I read the package and saw that the suggested way to cook these doggies is in a microwave. Cut a few diagonal slits and microwave for 30 seconds per dog. Put em' on a bun, add some ketchup and mustard and oh my god savor every bite!

Another tip? Put a slice of your favorite cheese on a hot dog bun and put the dog on top and then microwave it. Add ketchup and mustard. And try to just have one! Seriously, this has become my favorite dinner lately. And it takes 30 seconds!!! Beat that.

(Click on picture for nutritional information. So good for you and un-fattening too!)

WOW WOW WOW

No need to say much more. Try these. Over salad, on a roll, whatever--just get them.

Thai Green Curry and Veggies

I order this dish every time I go to a Thai restaurant. But I had no idea it was so easy to make at home!

• Green curry paste (2 1/2 tablespoons)
• 1 can of Coconut Milk (I use Lite)
• Small brown potatoes, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup of onions, diced
• 1 package of mushrooms, diced
• 2 cups of arugula and spinach mixture
• Add any other vegetables you might like
• Olive oil
• salt

1. In a rice cooker, cook two cups of jasmine or sticky white rice
2. Heat large skillet and add some olive oil
3. Add green curry paste and a half a cup of coconut milk; stir to combine
4. Add potatoes first because they will need the longest time to cook. Cook for 4 minutes on medium heat
5. Add veggies (mushrooms, arugula, spinach and whatever else you want.)
6. Add the rest of the coconut milk and about a half a cup of water
7. Cook until potatoes are soft and serve over white rice

Next time I think I will add some extra firm tofu too.

Vegetable Soup

I like to buy those bags of soup veggies at the grocery store for this soup. It's quick, it's easy and it's ridiculously tasty.

• At my grocery store (Wegmans of course!), there are different types of bagged vegetables for soup. I buy one that has kale, a parsnip, a turnip, carrots, celery and dill
• The other bag includes more kale, chopped onions and chopped potatoes (the more kale the better!)
• I also throw in very large handful of fresh dill and parsley
• One carton of organic mushroom broth
• One carton of organic vegetable broth
• One package of sliced and pre-cleaned muschrooms
• Salt & Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Exotica Salt
• Shredded parmesan cheese
• Extra firm tofu, chopped
• 1/2 cup marsala or sherry wine (or any wine you have in the house)
• Some extra virgin olive oil

1. Put all of the ingredients in to a large pot and heat. Add water so that the pot is almost filled to the top.
2. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and Exotica Salt (salt, coriander, mustard, cayenne, garlic, paprika and turmeric) and parmesan cheese to taste
3. Cook for as long as you like, the more the ingredients simmer in the pot, the more flavorful it is!

Masala Frittata

I LOVE Indian food. And obviously (from this blog) you know I love making frittatas. So I decided to combine the two.

• 2 medium red potatoes diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup of chopped up baby portabello mushrooms
• 1/4 can of Jyoti Masala sauce
• 4 whole eggs, 2 egg whites beaten (Be sure to add a pinch of salt before beating the eggs so they get frothy)
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
• Fresh parsley, chopped

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
   
2. In a large skillet, saute the potatoes in some olive oil on medium heat
   
3. After the potatoes are brown on both sides, add the onions and mushrooms
   
4. Add two tablespoons of the Masala sauce and add to the potatoes and onions and mix so the sauce is distributed evenly
   
5. Add an additional 2 tablespoons of the sauce to the beaten eggs and stir
   
6. After onions are soft, add the egg mixture to the potatoes and onions.
   
7. Add the red onions last as I like them to be a little crunchy.
   
8. Cook for a few minutes and add shredded cheese (do not stir)
   
9. Put the (oven safe) skillet in to the oven and cook for ten minutes
   
10. Broil for three extra minutes
    
11. Sprinkle some fresh or dried parsley on top
    * Don't add salt until you taste this as Masala sauce tends to be salty.

Brown Rice with Green Tea with Brown Rice

If you read my blog, you know that one of my new obsessions is Green Tea with Brown Rice or Genmaicha.




Today I have ridiculous menstrual cramps and wanted something soothing for my stomach. Brown rice came to mind. But then I had an idea. Why not use Genmaicha to cook the brown rice?

So I brewed the amount of water I needed for my rice cooker with one teaspoon of loose Bancha (loose toasted green tea) and one teabag of Genmaicha and added some spices. It's delicious.

• Green Genmaicha Tea and/or Bancha Tea (amount needed for your rice cooker or for boiling your rice)
• Brown Rice (about two cups worth)
• 1 small can of imported Italian lentils
• Garlic Powder
• Exotica Spice (mixture of coriander, cayenne, salt & pepper)
• Pecorino Romano cheese

1. Cook the brown rice in the hot green tea
2. Add the lentils after rice is cooked
3. Spinkle in garlic powder (eyeball it), spice and some grated cheese
4. Relax and enjoy it

Wine & Cheese pasta

I created this by accident and loved the taste.

• 1/2 onion
• handful Italian parsley
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Olive Oil
• 1/2 pino grigio
• 1/2 cup Chianti
• 1/2 cup sherry
• I can of tomato sauce (I love organic roasted garlic made by Wegman's)
• 1 can of stewed tomatoes
• Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup goat cheese
• Sprinkle crushed hot pepper if you like it hot

1. Sautee onion, parsley and garlic in olive oil and pino grigio
2. Add tomato sauce and tomatoes
3. Add wines and cheeses

Serve with pasta of your choice. I like whole wheat linguine. This sauce has a big kick and literally tastes like a sip of wine and a slice of cheese in one bite.

My Favorite Stir-Fry

I could eat this every day and never tire of it.

• handful of flat Italian parsley, chopped


• one or two medium sized red potatoes, diced in small pieces


• Olive Oil


• 1-2 bags of spinach (as much as you like)


• 1-2 tubs of mushrooms, finely chopped


• 1 lb (or so) of brown rice


• Sherry Wine


• Parmesan cheese


• Salt & Pepper

1. If you have a rice cooker, cook about a lb of brown rice with some water and sherry wine. I use about 1/3 sherry wine. I also add some shredded Parmesan cheese to the rice before cooking it.


2. In a large skillet, cook diced red potato and parsley in olive oil


3. Once potato begins to brown, add spinach gradually


4. Add mushrooms after spinach is wilted


5. Salt and Pepper to taste


6. Prepare a bowl of brown rice, add the stir fry and mix


7. Devour