The Ultimate Baked Potato

Comfort food at its very best...

2 medium Idaho potatoes
1 small onion, diced
4 baby bella mushrooms, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small head of broccoli, chopped
1 small ear of corn, boiled and corn cut off
1/2 C grated cheddar cheese
1 C cottage cheese
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
handful fresh parsley, chopped
cooking spray

Garnish with:
dollop of sour cream
scallions, minced

Prick potatoes all over with a fork and either bake in the oven or microwave on the baked potato setting until tender. Meanwhile, spray a non-stick pan with a bit of cooking spray and saute onions, mushrooms, and garlic until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add broccoli and corn and continue to saute, stirring frequently, until broccoli is tender. Add in cheddar and cottage cheese and mix well until cheeses melt, about one minute. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, and chopped parsley.

Slice open potatoes, use fork to fluff the centers, and smother with the veggie/cheese mixture. Top each with a dollop of sour cream and some minced scallions. Serves 2.

(If you use non-fat cottage cheese and sour cream, and low-fat cheddar, I promise you won't taste the difference AND the dish becomes surprisingly good for you!!)

Roasted Corn and Zucchini Salad

Farmer's market veggies are muy importante for this recipe.

2 small-to-medium zucchinis, chopped
kernels from 2 ears of corn
1-2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
handful of chopped herbs: I use a combination of basil, parsley, chives, and oregano, but you can experiment :)

Toss the veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast in a 425-degree oven until the zucchini starts to brown and smell yummy (about 20-30 minutes or so). Give it a stir halfway through so the corn doesn't burn.

Let cool for a bit, then toss with the herbs. Tastes like summer!

Kung Pao Tempeh

My new favorite tempeh recipe, courtesy of Amanda and "The Whole Soy Cookbook." Peanut-ey and rich, but not overwhelming. It comes together really quickly, despite the long ingredient list.

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 1/3 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons honey
1 pound tempeh
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
3 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup soy milk
vegetable of choice; swiss chard was super-yummy, but broccoli or asparagus would probably be great too

1. Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, 1/4 cup sherry, stock, honey, and set aside.
2. Cut tempeh into small squares and, in a steamer basket set over boiling water, steam for 5 minutes.
3 In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup sherry, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and sesame oil. Add the tempeh and let marinate while sauteing the remaining ingredients.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat; add garlic and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds.
5. Stir in the peanut butter, soy milk and soy sauce mixture. Add the tempeh along with its marindae and simmer over very low heat for 10 minutes. Add the veggie at some point, depending on how crisp you'd like them to be.

Service over brown rice.

za'atar pita

I got seriously addicted to this while in Israel . . .

ingredients:
pita bread
za'atar (I haven't been able to find it here, so the recipe is below)
olive oil
sea salt

for za'atar, combine:
1/2 cup thyme
1/4 cup sumac
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

mix 1-2 tablespoons za'atar with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and spread on warm pita bread. sprinkle with sea salt. so good! also yummy with a little yogurt on top :)

Cabbage Curry- South Indian style

Welcome Cabbage (wannabe) lovers,
Here is a favorite recipe of mine with cabbage made the traditional South Indian way.

1 cabbage (shredded as thinly as possible)
Handful unsweetened shredded coconut
Salt

For Seasoning,
2-3 TBSP canola/ corn oil,
1/2 TBSP mustard seeds,
1/4 TBSP cumin seeds,
a pinch of asafoetida powder,
2 Indian or Thai green chilli, finely diced (can de-seed them if you are avoiding spice)
Curry leaves (2-4 nos)

A one-stop-shop for all these ingredients will be your local Indian grocery store.

Preparation:
Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
Add the above seasoning ingredients in the order mentioned and fry for a minute. Then add the shredded cabbage, some unsweetened shredded coconut (which you can get at the baking aisle), salt (according to taste) and cook for 10 minutes (take care to not stir too much while cooking to avoid making it mushy).
Sprinkle some chopped cilantro leaves and voila! You have some absolutely delicious cabbage.
Can be had with tortillas, rice, or just plain yogurt.

Chickpea and Brown Rice Burgers

Easy to make and totally delicious. I tried these first as burgers, and then a couple days later made them again but formed little 1 inch cubes instead (for a cube-themed meal!). I served the cubes with a yogurt-cucumber-lime sauce that was pretty awesome too if you're looking for a different option... Enjoy!

Burgers:
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2/3 C cooked brown rice
2 TBSP oats, chopped finely
1 medium carrot, grated
2 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
2 TBSP fresh cilantro, chopped
2 medium scallions, minced
2 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp lemon or lime zest
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 large egg, beaten

Salad:
1/2 C cucumber, diced
2 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 avocado, chopped
1/4 small red onion, slivered
2 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
juice from 1/2 lemon or lime
1 TBSP olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

In a medium bowl, mash chickpeas until a course texture is reached. Add brown rice and mash until well combined. Add oats, carrots, parsley, scallions, cilantro, garlic, lemon/lime zest, coriander, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add egg, mix until combined, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

In a separate small bowl, add all salad ingredients and toss gently. Set aside.

Set oven to 400 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray, form burger mixture into 5 patties and arrange on sheet. Lightly coat tops of burgers with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, flip burgers to second side, and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Serve burgers topped with salad. Yum!

Miso Soup

8 C water
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 TBSP grated fresh ginger
3 TBSP dried wakame seaweed
1 lb soft tofu, cubed
4 scallions, white and green parts sliced thinly
3 TBSP miso (or more, depending on flavor)
Fistful of buckwheat soba noodles, cooked according to directions on package

Mix garlic, ginger, and seaweed into the water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes until seaweed is tender. Add tofu and scallions and simmer 2 minutes. Remove about one cup of liquid to a small bowl and dissolve miso into the broth. Add back to soup and mix well. Add soba noodles, simmer another 2 minutes, and serve hot.

Black Bean, Avocado, Corn Salad

Spinach or mixed greens, washed thoroughly
1 medium sweet potato, thinly sliced
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 can black beans
2 ears corn, boiled and cut off the cob
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
2 scallions, white and green parts sliced thinly
1/2 mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 C cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
handful of fresh parsley and/or cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
juice from 1 lime
1/4 C olive oil
2 TBSP cidar vinegar
1 TBSP honey
salt and pepper to taste

Arrange sweet potatoes in a small baking dish and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, layer all remaining salad ingredients on top of mixed greens in a large bowl. In a small jar with a lid, add all dressing ingredients, cap, and shake thoroughly. Dress the salad, toss, and serve with tortilla chips or crusty bread.

Raw Zucchini Salad

With this salad, farmer's market fresh zucchini and summer squash makes all the difference...

4-5 small/medium-sized zucchini/summer squash
juice from 1 large lemon
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Slice zucchini and squash very thinly down the long axis - one of those hard cheese slicers works really well for this. Slices should be around 1mm thick. Fold slices in layers on a plate and drizzle lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper on top. Yummy!

Raw Beet Salad

A delicious, refreshing, and beautifully hued summer salad... (Mom's been making this for a couple years now, and it's a serious favorite!!)

2-3 large beets, peeled
juice from 2 limes
drizzle of olive oil
handful of fresh parsley and/or cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Grate peeled beets, either by hand or with a food processor (so much easier!!!). In a medium sized bowl, mix the beets with the lime juice, olive oil, parsley, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Serve chilled!

Dilly Lemon Yogurt Dressing

A nice alternative to your standard vinagrette - also excellent if you're serving anything spicy!

2/3 C plain yogurt
2-3 TBSP honey
1 TBSP tahini
2-3 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP rice vinegar
juice from 1/2 lemon
1-2 tsp fresh dill, minced
1 TBSP fresh parsley, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a jar, cap tightly and shake until thoroughly combined. Enjoy over a big green salad! (Would also be excellent over cabbage or carrot slaw!)

Not-Your-Average Potato Salad

This has been the summer of the salad in my apartment, due as much to the obscene heat and humidity as to the abundance of fresh produce. I'll try and start posting some of my favorite veggie/bean/cheese/tofu salad combinations. Meanwhile enjoy this yummy potato salad recipe! I've made it a couple of times this summer and it's been a definite hit. All measurements are an approximation - feel free to edit as needed!!

3-5 pounds of potatoes, depending on the size of your group - the little red fingerlings are nice
2 ears corn, husked and snapped in half
1 small red onion, diced
1 small cucumber, diced
3/4 C capers
handful of fresh parsley, minced

Dressing:
1 C yogurt, mayonnaise, or a combination of the two (I prefer mostly yogurt with a few TBSP mayo)
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
2 TBSP spicy mustard
splash of juice from jar of capers
handful of fresh dill, minced
small amount of fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
black pepper to taste

Clean potatoes thoroughly and chop into bite sized pieces. (I like to leave the skins on!) In a large pot, boil potatoes in enough water to cover until they are tender - don't boil too long or your skins will fall off. During the last few minutes, add your corn. Remove from heat and drain well. While potatoes cool, rinse corn in cold water until it can be handled comfortably. Use a sharp knife to cut corn off ear. In a large bowl, gently mix together potatoes, corn, cucumber, capers, and parsley. In a separate jar with a lid, add together all dressing ingredients, cap tightly and shake until completely mixed. Pour over potatoes and gently mix all together. Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to serve it!