White Chickenless Chili (with or without chicken)

December 30th is my little Olivia's birthday. This year she turned two. I decided not to make a huge deal out of the day, with Christmas and New Years and all that jazz, so instead I made a big pot of this chili and invited people over to celebrate, last minute. It wasn't necessarily a party, but there were pink heart balloons and carrot cake with rainbow sprinkles and this chili with all the fixings, so I think we did a job well done, considering. Next year we will do it up right for my girl, but this year was so busy and so cold and so snowy that a low key stick-to-your-ribs chili dinner seemed appropriate.

I originally got the base for this recipe from my Aunt Jenny. It's good and calls for all the right stuff like cumin and onions, beans and lime, which I think of as truly Southwest. I tweaked a few things, added garlic and thickened it up a bit. My Aunt's was always really good and flavorful, but it was also really thin. Think beans in broth that sunk to the bottom. It needed to be thicker and it needed a little more salt. In the end, I added to the recipe rather than change it and it's better than ever. Honestly, this chili could proudly be served in any restaurant due to it's rich depth of flavor and I mean that.

Over here at the MacGray house we don't really eat meat, so I make this vegetarian. If you like it that way too, just tweak the recipe by adding 2 more cans of beans and no chicken. Also you can substitute vegetable broth for the chicken. It's delicious and honestly, we don't miss a thing. The vast array of toppings make it hearty and satisfying. We top ours with chunks of avocado, jack cheese, cilantro, sour cream, corn chips and fresh lime juice.

White Chicken Chili

serves 4

4 cups chicken stock

2 fat garlic coves, minced

4 tablespoons flour

1 small chopped onion

1 small can diced green chilies

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 pinch fresh nutmeg

1 teaspoon kosher salt

juice from 1/2 a medium lime, or to taste

2-15 oz. cans great northern beans and/or navy beans, drained

1 15-oz. can white kidney beans, drained

3 cups cooked shredded chicken (When I use it, I buy a rotisserie chicken. Grilled works too)

olive oil

Toppings: Chopped cilantro, grated jack cheese, sour cream, avocado chunks, corn chips and lime wedges

Heat a soup pot over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion and garlic and saute until onion is translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, salt, nutmeg and flour and cook, stirring, for another minute (this is to cook the floury taste away). Add the can of green chilies, the beans, and chicken stock and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down to a simmer and add the chicken and lime juice, stir and check for seasonings. Serve hot with all the toppings. Squeeze additional lime juice on your bowl of soup, if desired.

Notes: to make your soup thinner, add more chicken stock. If after adding the flour and adding your stock you want it thicker, still, make a roux. In a small saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir together for 2 minutes, then add it to your chili pot while simmering, one tablespoon at a time until thickened to your desired consistency.

This chili thickens up more if refrigerated, so if you have leftovers you may need to add a bit more chicken stock to thin it out.

We are headed to an annual sledding party out at my friends parents ranch. They have it every New Years Day. Everyone is supposed to bring a dish and I lucked out this year because I have lots of leftover chili to take. Perfect really, since it's currently -14 out and we will all be wanting something hot!

Udon with Shiitake Mushrooms and Kale in Miso Broth

I was little nervous about making this being that it has Chinese roots and all but I have to admit it was really easy, really healthy, and really good. All things we like at this time of year. I got this recipe from a vegan cookbook which I think I kind of love (thanks for the Christmas gift, Craig).

I don't know about you but I'm watching my waistline after all the abuse I've given it this holiday season. I'm not talking about a diet, but rather, just feeding my body foods that help it recover and refuel with the good stuff without feeling like I am depriving myself. Udon soup with healthy greens and veggies, check! The broth tastes just like miso soup with the volume kicked up from the mirin and soy sauce. It's mild but flavorful and just what I'm craving this night. Too often, brothy-veggie based dishes are boring and bland. Not the case here. Super-simple ingredients result in super-flavorful returns.

Speaking of that, it's beautiful out tonight. I guess you could call it the calm before the storm since we are expecting a whopper tomorrow. The photos were taken off my back deck this evening. That view always reminds me of the "little town of Bethlehem". I'm not sure why as I have never seen Bethlehem, but it's a soothing sight so maybe that's why I associate it to that. Whatever the reason it makes me happy. I love the lights of the town and the little valley I live in nestled between majestic mountains. It's breathtaking, really. Come visit. You should experience it.

These noodles are supposed to be swimming in a little broth when you serve it, but I left my mine in the broth a little too long because, as luck would have it, my husband and I were having a riveting conversation and by the time we were done the noodles had soaked all the broth up! It was still delicious.

Udon with Shiitake Mushrooms and Kale in Miso Broth

adapted from "Veganomicon"

serves 3-4

1/2 pound fresh udon noodles or dried udon noodles

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium sized red onion, sliced into thin half-moons

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ginger, minced

2 tablespoons mirin (optional)

2 1/2 cups water

3 tablespoons miso (see tip)

4 cups chopped kale (see tip)

2 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce, or to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the udon according to the package directions, about 10 minutes. When done, drain and rinse with cool water until read to use.

Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and mushrooms in the oil for 5 to 7 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and the onions are softened but still have some crunch. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for another minute.

Add the mirin, water, and miso, and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and add kale. Toss the mixture around with tongs until the kale had wilted. Add the noodles and use a pasta spoon to stir them into the broth for about 2 minutes.

Divide the udon and vegetables among bowls and spoon some broth over each serving.

Did you know it was good luck to eat noodles on New Years Day? It is! Go ahead and slurp away! Also, just a note, I couldn't find straight miso, so I used a miso and tofu soup mix. It was basically the same thing. TIP: The recipe is based on a strong, dark miso; if you are using a light, mellow miso, you may want to add another tablespoon or so.

TIP: I separate the leaves of kale off either ends of the tough stem so I only have tender leaf pieces. Then I soak the leaves in a bowl of water for a couple minutes to rinse off any dirt. I then remove the leaves from the water, squeezing them out as I go and placing them on a paper towel to drain, and finally, discard the water with all the grit.

Also I am trying to verify my blog with another and I need to publish this code to do it:E547BAH78JAP Please ignore, or don't. Whatever.

Panamanian Pinto Beans with Ham and Rice with Coconut Milk

note: this recipe is vegetarian, better yet, vegan if made without the pork.

My friend Becca wrote that she was making this for dinner last week on good ole Facebook. I wrote back something like"Um...YUM! I need the recipe". She was good enough to oblige and now I have a solid introduction to Panama cuisine that I can share with you guys!

Becca got this recipe from her Au Pair a few years back. She was Panamanian and it is a staple out there. The kind of food you make over and over through the generations..."no big deal" food, which is my favorite, especially when it's ethnic. She says it's usually served with these small red beans which we can't get in the states (or not that she knows of anyway) so she uses pinto beans. When you cook the rice with the coconut milk it get's thicker, not unlike rice pudding. Glorious things happen in this bowl!

Panamanian Pinto Beans with Ham and Rice with Coconut Milk

serves 4-5

1 package dried pinto beans

2 cups brown or white rice (or whatever you need to serve 4)

1 can coconut milk

sea salt

1 package of salt pork or ham hock (you can skip this and make it vegetarian)

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 tbsp chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin

Sea salt, to taste (about 2-3 teaspoons, at least)

a few handfuls of cilantro, chopped

lime wedges for squeezing over top

For the rice:

Make rice according to package instructions substituting 1 can of coconut milk for part of the amount of water called for and adding 1 teaspoon of sea salt. (I made 2 cups of rice. The coconut milk measured out to about 1 1/2 cups and I filled the rest of the liquid called for with water. (I needed to add more water towards the end because my rice was not cooked through and all the liquid was absorbed. My pot boiled over twice though, so, If need be, you can do that too.)

For the beans:

Place a bag of dried pinto beans in a large stockpot with enough water to cover the beans by 2-3 inches. Place the pot on a stove and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, place the lid on and take off the heat. Let it sit for 1 1/2 hours. Alternately, you can soak the beans overnight in room temperature water before using.

Drain the beans, then fill the pot with enough fresh water to cover the beans by two and a half inches if using a wide large pot, three inches if using a smaller to medium sized pot. The beans will soak up more water and also evaporate some during the cooking process. Add the salt pork, bay leaf and 2 garlic cloves. (It is very important not to add salt to the beans until they have cooked through. It will make them tough). Simmer, covered all day (5-7 hours) until tender. Remove and discard the pork. At this point, the beans should be swimming in the water with maybe about a 1/2" of water covering them (less than that is okay). If you have more, remove some of the water. Add the chili powder, garlic salt, garlic powder, cumin, sea salt to taste, and stir. Taste the broth and adjust seasonings as necessary. It will probably need more salt. Let the beans simmer with the newly added spices for five minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary (important to taste since you will have varying amounts of water in your pot to season). 

Serve beans with a bit of their juices on top of the coconut rice and top with a generous amount of cilantro and fresh lime juice.

This is a meal within itself. I wrote the recipe with the amounts of spices I used when making this. Becca's original directions were much more relaxed. It sounded something like this: you just replace the water for the rice with a can of coconut milk, adding more water if you have to make whatever amount of liquid necessary. You will want to add sea salt. I cook the beans on the stove all day long and season them well with chili powder, cumin, and fresh garlic and serve the beans over the rice with fresh squeezed lime and cilantro.

My point in saying that is if you are comfortable, take Becca's directions and wing it. I am more comfortable following directions so that is why I included measurements here.

Chipotle Kissed Red Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

I bought a cookbook last summer called "Fresh From The Vegetarian Slow Cooker" and have made this recipe from it three times. I have not made any other recipe from that book. I guess I need to branch out, but this chili is so original and so fun I can't pass it up when I open the book. The texture varies a bit each time I make it only because I'm working with sweet potatoes. The longer it does it's thing in the slow cooker, the thicker it will be, like in this picture. If you cook this for only 4-5 hours it will be a bit thinner and the food will be more defined, Which is more ascetically pleasing to the eye. Whether you like it thick or thin, the taste is the same. People who don't usually like sweet potatoes will like them in this because as with any chili, the whole dish takes on it's own flavor and everything tastes like everything else. It's a beautiful thing.

"Vegan Craig" Is staying with us for a couple days. He was never "Vegan Craig" but rather, just Craig until a few days ago when his wife called him by that name in a text and I laughed so hard, I've been calling him it ever since. You see, Craig is vegan now. He used to be rather large and eat a block of cheese a night. Before dinner. Now he is svelte, healthy and well...vegan. This chili, coincidentally is vegan, so it was only fitting that I make this for him while he was here. He left this morning sadly. Craig is a great guest. My husband and Craig have been friends forever and he and Sally, his wife, used to live here but alas, they moved a couple months ago. Luckily they are the traveling type so we will be seeing them from time to time for sure.

I don't like to label things as being "vegan" up front, or like in the title, because I feel it turns people who are not vegan off. I like lots of dishes that happen to be vegan, but probably wouldn't have tried them out had they been labeled "vegan". You know what I mean? Maybe I am the only one with this fear.

Chipotle Kissed Red Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

adapted from "Fresh From The Vegetarian Slow Cooker" by Robin Robertson

serves 4-6

1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped

1 medium-sized red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder, or more to taste

3 small sweet potatoes, (1 1/2 lbs) peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

One 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 (15.5-ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups water (more if necessary. You need to just cover all the ingredients with it)

1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, or to taste

cilantro, fresh tomato, red onion for topping (optional)

Add all ingredients except the chipotle chiles, into the slow cooker. Make sure you add enough water to just cover the top of all the ingredients. You can add more than the 2 cups of water if necessary.

Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. When ready to serve add the chipotle chilies to the slow cooker and taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.

Serve and top with chopped cilantro, fresh diced tomatoes and red onion.

Keep in mind the chipotle chiles in adobo are pretty spicy. My kids can eat this with the 1 tablespoon recommended but they like spicy things. If you are sensitive, try adding 1/2 tablespoon first (about 1/2 a pepper) and tasting before adding more. The chipotles are what give this a pleasing smokey flavor so don't leave them out all together.

Summer Squash Risotto with Parmesan and Sage

As I write this post, I will be leaving every couple minutes to stir this risotto, which is happily simmering on my stove this very minute. Lucky us. It smells like a bona fide restaurant in here, I kid you not. Every time I make something by Tyler Florence, as this dish happens to be, it smells like that. The man does not disappoint. His measurements are off sometimes, but if you are a seasoned enough cook, you can remedy them pretty easily. (stir count so far since writing started: 2) But I've already stirred it about 10 times.

I have had a super productive day. So far I have baked 3 cakes (without frosting), done the dishes, 2 loads of laundry, tidied up the house, taken care of my 3 kids, visited with my friend, and now I'm making this stellar dinner. I feel quite accomplished and deserving of my glass of wine. That's the best part about risotto, in my opinion. Most of the (good) recipes call for wine to be added to the rice and it's a perfectly good time to pour yourself a glass, turn the music up and stir, stir, stir, baby! (stir count: 4)

Risotto has a bad rap. Most people think it is labor intensive and in need of babysitting. Both are true, but not bad. You just have to be in or around the kitchen, then add a little liquid and stir every few minutes. It's not hard or bad. It's actually enjoyable and the vegetables roast while the risotto is cooking and honestly it's a cinch to make. It's impressive though with a wonderful wine-y, parmesan-y depth of flavor, so make it when you want to impress. Or for casual Friday night dinner like me. It can go either way. If you make risotto once, you'll make it over and over. (stir count: 6)

Summer Squash Risotto with Parmesan and Sage

adapted from Dinner At My Place by Tyler Florence

serves 4 to 6

4 small summer squash

4 small zucchini

4 pattypan squash

1 large onion, sliced

1/4 bunch fresh thyme sprigs (4 sprigs), leaves only

extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Risotto:

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 bunch fresh sage springs, leaves only

1 medium onion

2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 750-mililiter bottle dry white wine

2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock

1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into thirds

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Riggiano cheese

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash, zucchini, and pattypan squash into circles and slice onion. Set out on a roasting tray and scatter thyme leaves over the top. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant (It took my veggies about 45-50 minutes to cook through, so the cooking time could vary drastically depending on your oven. If you know your oven runs a bit cooler, like mine, bump the temperature up to 375 degrees and roast until vegetable are tender).

While the vegetables roast, start the risotto. Set a large heavy-based pot over medium heat. Pour a 3-count of oil (about 3 tablespoons) into the pot and fry the sage leaves until they are crispy and crackly. Drain leaves on paper towels and set aside. Add onion to the pot and saute until fragrant and slightly translucent. Add rice and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat as you stir with a wooden spoon. Add the wine; cook until mostly evaporated. Begin adding broth, a little at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the broth each time before adding more. Continue to do this until the rice is tender but still has a little bite. (add water if necessary, if you use all the broth before the rice is done.) To finish, add butter and Parmigiano-Riggiano and stir to combine. Serve risotto with roasted vegetables on top.

This recipe adapts well to your preferences. Don't love zucchini? Roast butternut squash, onion and sweet potato with some spinach. Or eggplant and tomato. The possibilities are endless. Can't cook with alcohol? First of all I feel SO sorry for you, but just substitute the total amount of wine called for with more vegetable or chicken broth. It won't be AS flavorful, but you'll still rock it. Here's a little tip; you don't have to add the liquid in such small amounts. You can add about a cup at a time which will cut down the cooking time, but you will have to sit and stir the whole time, so I leave you to pick your method.

Roasted Potato Leek Soup

When the weather starts to get chilly I undoubtedly turn to my good friends, soup and stew to help bring me comfort. I make all different kinds and am always trying new recipes. I love potato soup and I make three different versions of it regularly in the cold months. The three versions I make fall into different categories: humble and casual (the usual suspects, potato, onion and bacon boiled to together) the crowd pleaser (a baked potato variety with skin and all the fixings) and a fancy schmancy pureed one with leeks, wine and lots of cream. That's the one I'm talking about today.

I didn't know potato soup could be elevated to such a high place. This version is without a doubt the most flavorful, complex, restaurant quality one that I've made. It does require a few extra steps, such as roasting the potato and leeks in the oven before pureeing and finishing it off, but trust me, it's simple and well worth it. It does take some time though, so make sure you start dinner at least an hour before you want to serve. Then, as the potatoes are roasting measure out all the other ingredients so they are ready to go when you are. I don't know about you but I hate having to stop and grate 1/4 cup of cheese while my soup is bubbling away waiting for me to hurry up already. You can also make the optional fried shallots to garnish while the potatoes are roasting. If you prepare ahead of time, you can be done in just over an hour from start to finish. Most of that time is to allow the potatoes to cook through.

This soup calls for a strange ingredient as far as potato soup is concerned: arugula. I'm not sure why, other than it adds pretty little green flecks throughout, that people will probably mistake for leeks. It does look gorgeous, while adding to the nutritional value so I always use it. You can't taste it at all, and like I said, people will take them for leeks so if you need to sneak some veggies into certain people in your family this is an ingenious way! Win-win!

Roasted Potato Leek Soup

adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

serves 6 to 8

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned of all sand (4 leeks)

1/4 cup good olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 cups baby arugula, lightly packed

1/2 cup dry white wine, plus extra for serving

6 to 7 cups chicken stock

3/4 cup heavy cream

8 ounces creme fraiche (or sour cream)

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish

Crispy shallots, optional, for garnish (recipe to follow)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Combine the potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking, until very tender. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 4 to 5 more minutes, until the arugula is wilted. Remove the pan from the oven and place over two burners. Stir in the wine and 1 cup of the chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.

in batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor (*see note) fitted with the steel blade, adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a puree. Pour the puree into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to puree the vegetables in batches until they're all done and combined in the large pot. Add enough of the remaining 1 to 2 cups of stock to make a thick soup. Add the cream, creme fraiche (or sour cream), 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and check the seasonings.

When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in 2 tablespoons white wine and the parmesan cheese. Serve hot with an extra grating of parmesan cheese and crispy shallots, if using.

* be sure to use a food processor to blend the soup. If you use a blender it will cause the potatoes to get gummy. They are fickle things!

Crispy Shallots

1 1/2 cups olive oil or vegetable oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 to 6 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings

Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer (or until hot)

Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until they are a rich golden brown. the temperature should stay below 260 degrees. Stir the shallots occasionally to make sure they brown evenly. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon, drain well, and spread out to cool on paper towels. Once they have fried and crisped, they can be stored at room temperature, covered for several days, if not using right away.

So, the recipe calls for creme fraiche, as you can see, but I have made it both that way and using sour cream to substitute. There is no big difference, so use the sour cream if budget is a concern to you (and who isn't it a concern to?) But, there's no doubt that creme fraiche is special so use that if you are feeling fancy.

Pineapple-Black Bean Enchiladas

This is not something I would usually make. I say that because the recipe is written from a convenience perspective and uses a lot of pre-made products, such as canned enchilada sauce and canned pineapple. When I first read the recipe I had full intentions of tweaking it, using fresh pineapple, and my own homemade enchilada sauce, which would have be delicious, but not fast. Also, although I make my own enchilada sauce, I realize not everybody does this, so I didn't want to post a complicated recipe when, originally it was meant to be simple. So I decided to try this recipe exactly as written and guess what? I really liked it. Everyone in my family liked it and I have made it twice since stumbling upon it about a month ago. This must be serious because I rarely repeat dishes in the same season. Fresh pineapple is my preference if it's available, though.

My very pregnant cousin Camryn posted a Facebook post about making these enchiladas for dinner. She quickly got a mixed reaction. A few people, including myself wanted the recipe and said they sounded delicious. Another group of people told her she must be pregnant because that combination sounded awful to them. That group must be from the mid-west. No offense or anything but the midwest is not known to be very daring or adventurous or original with their cooking. Any Latin girl would probably know that black beans and pineapple are perfect partners! I'm a quarter Spanish, does that count? Because I knew. And I was right.

These enchiladas are different from other recipes in that they use a soft whole wheat flour tortilla instead of a fried corn one. Upping the fiber? A plus in my book! You can even use Ezekiel tortillas for this which would make them even better for you. Yes, it uses a few canned items, but you can easily substitute for fresh if you want to carve the pineapple and seeding peppers for sauce, but there were plenty of fresh ingredients in the original recipe to make me turn a blind eye. Just as a warning. The enchilada sauce is very thin. It doesn't stay on top of the tortillas like regular enchiladas. It's strange, but it tastes good. If you use a different brand of sauce, let me know how it turns out!

Pineapple-Black Beans Enchiladas

adapted from the Pillsbury website...no really, it was.

Makes 8 servings (2 enchiladas per person)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 medium bell pepper, chopped

1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits in juice, drained, 1/3 cup juice reserved (or 1 1/4 cups fresh pineapple chunks, no juice reserved)

2 cans (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed

1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso chopped green chilies

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, some reserved for garnish

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used less. About 1/2 cup overall)

2 cans (10 oz) Old El Paso mild enchilada sauce

16 whole wheat flour tortillas (8 or 9 inch) or Ezekiel tortillas

1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream, for garnish, (optional)

sliced avocado, for garnish and serving, (optional)

Shredded lettuce, for serving, (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dishes with cooking spray. In a large non stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pineapple, beans, green chilies and salt. Cook and stir until throughly heated. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro and 1/2 cup of cheese.

Spoon the filling generously into the flour tortillas and fold like a burrito to keep the filling from falling out when you transfer them to the dish and lay them seam side down. Line the filled tortillas right up next to each other until they can't fit into the pan anymore.

In a small bowl, mix the reserved 1/3 cup pineapple juice and remaining enchilada sauce (skip this step if using fresh pineapple); pour over entire surface of the enchiladas in dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Spray sheet of foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray; place sprayed side down over baking dish and seal tightly. ( I forgot to do this both times I made it and it was still yummy. The tortillas got crunchy on top. So if you like that, skip the foil step. I imagine they would be scrumptious and soft if I had covered it though.)

Bake 35 to 40 minutes, removing foil during the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Top each baked enchilada with 1 tablespoon sour cream or Greek yogurt and 1 teaspoon cilantro and chunks of avocado, and shredded lettuce if desired.

This recipe feeds a crowd! The only way to cut the recipe in half would be to use half cans of various ingredients and I hate using only half a can of anything so I make the whole batch. They are good for leftovers and lunch the next day, anyway. Obviously, feel free to cut it in half if your family is smaller. Your gonna like this one. I can feel it. Whip up a batch of frozen margaritas or mojitos, cook some Spanish rice and have a fiesta on a Wednesday night! Or Thursday. Any day is a good day for a margarita.

You-Won't-Be-Single-For-Long Vodka Cream Pasta

Yes, "You-Won't-Be-Single-For-Long Vodka Cream Pasta" is the actually name of this dish. It originates from Rachael Ray if that's any explanation. I know you noticed the bottled, Parmesan cheese in the background too (don't act like you didn't) and for that I don't happen to have a good explanation. The truth is I was out of the good stuff and I had this left over from a SK8 church dinner.

I've begun to notice a few things since I started this blog. One of them is that it takes me about 5-7 tries with the camera before I get a good picture of the food that I can use for this blog. I shift the angle, I adjust the light, I move what's in the background until I find a suitable picture. This particular night, I had 7 faces at the table staring, anxiously waiting for me to be done so they could eat already. So, alas, this is the picture you get, with fake Parmesan cheese in the background and half of Shawn's corona on the side. Actually, after all my complaining, I find it rather charming and real. Another, is that I like to make pasta. A lot, apparently. And this pasta? It's good.

I compared other pasta vodka recipes and decided on this one for it's complexity. It wasn't hard, it just had more going on than the other recipes. It incorporated chicken stock, shallots and fresh basil to beef up the flavor, along with a hefty cup of vodka added to the sauce. In the end it was comfort food done extremely well. The sauce is a bit on the thin side, so allow the pasta to sit in the pan and absorb it some before serving. It all comes together in about 30 minutes, true to Rachael's word.

You-Won't-Be-Single-For-Long Vodka Cream Pasta

adapted from Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals 2

serves 4

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup vodka

1 cup chicken stock

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup heavy cream

12 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate

20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

crusty bread (optional)

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute garlic and shallots, 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka and reduce by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and tomatoes. bring sauce to a bubble, then reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, a bit firm to the bite. While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.

Stir cream into the vodka sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Serve immediately, along with crusty bread.

Rachael says that she originally published this recipe in her first cookbook, but let it have a come back in her second for a reason: a fan of the show wrote to say that she made this menu for her boyfriend who had seconds just before he proposed. Really. He said it was the second helping that did it. Hence the cutsey name. Although, my friend Deb over at the Smitten Kitchen website made this for her then boyfriend who then proposed not long after and is now her husband...Cue up the Twilight Zone music. Let me know if it works for you!

Gruyere-Zucchini Sandwiches with Smokey Pesto

I made this sandwich a while ago actually, maybe in late July. I have been wanting to blog about it ever since but around that time I was up to my ears in food I wanted to talk about so alas, it got pushed to the back of the pile. It's not because it wasn't delicious, it was. It was just one of those oversight things.

I made this one afternoon at lunch for my friend Danielle and me. We ate it under my pergola with some mint iced tea. Twas a fine day.

Theres a couple of things you should know about this sandwich. 1) It's kind-of a lot of prep for a sandwich. You have to make the pesto (which you could do in advance) then grill the zucchini, then finally assemble the sandwich. 2) It's not that big a deal and it's totally worth it. My grill wasn't working that day so I just cooked my zucchini in a little olive oil in a skillet until it was soft and done. Either way works, but grilling would impart a better flavor. The bread is crucial to this sandwich. It will make the difference of it being good or fantastic. Make sure you choose a crusty hearty bread. I used a hearty 9 grain from my local farmers market. The original recipe actually calls for an english muffin, which would be fine, but in my opinion a hearty bread, ciabatta or focaccia might be better. I used a magic bullet to make my pesto and it was wonderful to not have a big mess. If you don't have one, you should consider buying it.

Grilled Gruyere and Zucchini Sandwiches with Smokey Pesto

adapted from Food & Wine magazine, June 2009

4 generous servings

1 cup packed basil leaves

1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

salt

2-3 zucchini, cut into rounds, or if small, lengthwise slices

8 slices of hearty bread of 4 english muffins, split

4 ounces Gruyere or Appenzeller cheese, cut into thin slices (I used a little more)

In a mini food processor (or magic bullet) combine the basil, garlic and paprika and process until finely chopped. With the machine on, gradually pour in the 3 tablespoons of olive oil until blended. (If you are using the magic bullet, just add the oil in and blend to combine.) Season the pesto with plenty of salt, to taste.

Light a grill. brush the zucchini slices with olive oil and season with salt. Grill over high heat until nicely charred and just tender, about 2 minutes per side. Cut each zucchini to fit the sandwich, if necessary.

If using english muffins: grill cut side down over low heat, until just soft, about 30 seconds. turn and grill until the muffins start to brown, about minute. Spread the cut sides of the muffins with the pesto. Layer some cheese, zucchini pieces and more cheese on top. Close the sandwiches and brush the tops and bottoms with olive oil. grill the sandwiches over low heat, turning, until they're crisp on the outside and the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes total. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve right away. If you don;t want to grill these, see another method down below.

If using another type of bread: You can use the grilling method above, but I feel it's much simpler to assemble the sandwiches with the pesto, cheese and zucchini, making sure cheese is both on the top and bottom of the sandwich, not brushing them with oil (I prefer a dry sandwich), and pressing them in a panini press until melty. If you don't own a panini press, you could also cook them a' la grilled cheese style, in a skillet.

If I were you I wouldn't leave the smoked paprika out in the pesto. It's what carries the flavors in the sandwich and makes it so appealing with it's smokiness. Even if you just buy it to make these sandwiches, the $4.00 purchase is worth it.

Anything herby or vegetabley is usually great with Sauvignon Blanc, so if you are serving this sandwich for dinner (with maybe a little tomato soup? or a great salad?) drink that.

Penne with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella

We love this pasta at our house. I make it a couple times a year, usually from about August-April when it is cool in the evenings. I like it best in the fall because It's comforting and warming on crisp nights. And I don't know about your neck of the woods, but up here the weather is already starting to act fall-esque. I'm not complaining. Fall is the best with it's warm days and cool mornings and nights. It is arguably the most beautiful of all the seasons as well, especially if you live in a place where the leaves get out of control gorgeous like they do up here. They paint the mountains shades of yellow, red and orange and berries start to appear on every shrub and the air smells clean. All I want to do that time of year is take long walks by day to soak in the beauty and eat eggplant pasta by night.

Eggplant is such a versatile vegetable, which blends so well with the heartiness of the pasta and the richness of a full-flavored tomato sauce. I'd venture to say you should feed this to people who think they don't like eggplant and see if they don't change their minds. It's that good. Simple, as almost all authentic Italian cooking is, and soul-soothing. That's what sums up this dinner in a nut shell. It's actually Sicilian in origin, but served all throughout Italy in small trattorias. This is what I sent out for my families Christmas recipe exchange last year. Or was it the year before that? Oh well, now I can't remember but this recipe did indeed go out. It was worthy.

Penne with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella

adapted from Patricia Wells "Trattoria"

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 small onion, minced

2 plump fresh garlic cloves, minced

sea salt or kosher salt

one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in puree

1 firm medium eggplant (1 pound) cubed (do not peel)

1 pound dried Italian tubular pasta such as penne, gemelli, ziti or fusili

2 cups cubed whole-milk mozzarella

In a large deep skillet, (large enough to hold the pasta later on) heat 1/2 cup olive oil over moderately high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the eggplant and cook until lightly colored, about 5 minutes. (the eggplant will soak up the oil immediately, but allow it to cook without added oil, keeping the pan moving to avoid scorching.) Season generously with salt. Remove the eggplant from the pan and onto a plate and set aside. Allow the pan to cool off while you cut the onions and garlic.

In the same skillet used for the eggplant, (which should be relatively cool at this point) combine the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt, stirring to coat with the oil. Cook over moderate heat just until the garlic turns golden but does not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the can of crushed tomatoes and stir to blend, and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add 3 tablespoons salt and the pasta, stirring to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook until tender but firm to the bite. Drain thoroughly.

Add the eggplant and pasta into the pan with the tomato sauce. Toss to blend. Cover and let rest off the heat for 1-2 minutes to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce. transfer the pasta to warmed shallow bowls and sprinkle each serving with cubed mozzarella. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Sometimes I use 2 eggplants instead of one because I love it so much. Make sure to buy the real deal mozzarella (it should be soft) because it's much better than the string cheese like processed stuff. I also add the eggplant back into the sauce before I add the pasta in, although you don't have to do that. I just think the eggplant absorbs the sauce and tastes better if you let it sit a few minutes and allow the flavors to mingle.

Soba Noodles with Shiitakes

It's no secret that I love to cook. However, I have had my share of flops in the kitchen and 8 times out of ten the culprit is Chinese/Asian food. I love and adore this kind of food and crave it on regular basis. When we are in Denver we make it a point to either go to PF Changs or Pei Wei (or Tokoyo Joes) if not both, multiple times. Now I know they are chain restaurants people, and there are probably so many other, better more authentic choices out there, but I don't know about them. So, if you know the Denver area well and like this type of food, please send me a shout-out!

While this type of cuisine is delicious it tends to be daunting in the kitchen. That whole balancing perfectly the salty, sour, sweet, spicy thing just messes me up. I have made decent Pad Thai, but it wasn't great or anything. I have made good cold Asian cucumber salads, but come on, not too many people could screw that up. I did make good orange shrimp once, come to think about it...hmmm, I might have to dig that recipe out and test it again. OK, but my stir-fry's are pathetic and most of the time taste like burnt soy sauce and just the other week I made an atrocious (and I mean that) Asian salmon noodle bowl. It was foul. I don't even know how I could mess it up that badly. Well, in my defense, the recipe itself was messed up first, but I did absolutely nothing to save it. I managed to make it worse, actually.

Anyway, given my track record, I was shocked I tell you, when I made this (which is Chinese-ish) and it tasted really good. Dang good actually. It wasn't especially complex and maybe that is why I succeeded. Whatever the reason, I am feeling victorious! And after you make this, you will too.

It's light but hearty. It's a great summer dish but would be equally good in cold weather and just take note; it tastes better if you eat it with chop sticks. I admit, I steal a couple wooden ones whenever I am at Pei Wei. I know, its horrible. Please don't think less of me. The only thing is I would have liked something else to go with this. My husband thought it was great on its own so it's not a must, but a little cold Asian cucumber salad would have been nice. Or dessert. I guess if I had had dessert after I might not have felt this way. You make the call!

Soba noodles with Shiitakes and Cabbage

adapted from Gourmet Magazine August 2007

For the sauce:

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 teaspoons korean hot-pepper paste (or sriracha, which is what I used)

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

For Noodles:

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger ( I omitted this b/c I don't enjoy ginger)

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

10 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced

6-8 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced

6 scallions, thinly sliced

8 to 9 ounces soba noodles (buckwheat noodles)

1 cup frozen or fresh shelled edamame

Stir together all sauce ingredients until brown sugar is dissolved, then set aside.

Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat, stirring until pale golden, then transfer to a small bowl.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then saute ginger and garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shiitakes and saute, stirring frequently, until tender and starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, then add cabbage and most of the scallions (reserve some for garnish) and cook stirring occasionally, until cabbage is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add sauce and simmer 2 minutes.

While cabbage is cooking, cook soba and edamame together in a pasta pot of boiling, salted water until noodles are just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking and remove excess starch, then drain well again. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with vegetable mixture. Serve sprinkled with reserved scallions and sesame seeds.

*If you aren't able to find Korean hot-pepper paste (or sriracha) substitute 3/4 teaspoon chinese chili paste and reduce the amount of soy sauce to 1/4 cup.

Serves 4

I didn't feel like spending $18 for all the fresh shiitakes called for in this recipe. If you don't either, just buy one carton (usually 3-4oz) of fresh shiitakes and one pouch of dried shiitakes. Reconstitute the dried shiitakes in a small bowl of very warm water for about 45 minutes. Save some of the water you soaked the mushrooms in for the 1/3 cup water called for in the sauce. it will add more flavor. Just make sure to only use the first third of the liquid so you don't get any of the grit at the bottom that have fallen off the mushrooms. Then slice up all the mushrooms and saute as directed, except them remove them from the pan and set aside. That way, you can sprinkle the mushrooms on top of every ones dish rather than them being randomly mixed in. Then, you can make sure everyone has a nice portion.

Did I mention how healthy this is for you? Buckwheat is actually a vegetable and that is what soba noodles are made from. It's awesome.

Zucchini Ribbon Pasta with Basil Oil

Your first bite with all it's long and ribbony strands of zucchini just barely cooked and still deliciously fresh is just that. Delicious. Running through whole wheat al dente pasta that tastes faintly of basil and garlic and all tied together with salty parmesan cheese and a light dressing of oil. It's light but substantial and a perfect summertime dinner for anybody.

See my note down below to make this dish vegan.

I have the obvious suggestions like make sure you only make this dish when zucchini are in season and to use freshly grated parmesan cheese. When you have a meal like this that uses only a few choice ingredients, it's important that they be of high quality. It sometimes can mean the difference between a good meal and a great one.

I'm not sure who to credit this dish to. I suppose Michael Chiarello. I saw him make it a long time ago on food network and had seen it in one of his cookbooks at my friends house and had wanted to make it but never got around to it. Isn't that always the way? Then, while perusing that wonderful Smitten Kitchen blog I saw she had made it and brought it to my attention once again. So here it is, probably changed a bit from the original as Smitten tweaked it and then I tweaked it a little bit more. Well, thats not really true since all I did was change the way you cut the zucchini. The original recipe calls for a mandoline so you can cut the zucchini with the fine french fry cutter to make long, thin matchstick strands that resemble spaghetti. This makes total sense and would be easy to eat it that way with the pasta and all but I don't own a mandoline. So, I shaved zucchini into long ribbons by using a standard vegetable peeler and it worked out very well. The point is to have the zucchini very thin so that there is no need to cook it. You just add it into the hot pasta and it slightly wilts and becomes absolutely perfect.

Zucchini Ribbon Pasta with Basil Oil

adapted from Michael Chiarello

3/4 pound whole-wheat dried spaghetti

3/4 pound zucchini

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons coarsley chopped basil leaves

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

basil oil (or your favorite store bought flavored oil)

Basil Oil:

makes 1 1/3 cup

4 cups packed basil leaves

2 cups good olive oil

For the oil: In a blender, puree the herbs and oil together until completely smooth. Put the mixture in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over moderate heat. Simmer for 45 seconds, then pour through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Don't press on the mixture, but you can tap the strainer against your and to get the oil through faster.

Note: fresh herb oils are better to toss into pasta at the end rather than cook with, so the oil keeps it's fresh, uncooked taste.

For the pasta:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt (at least 2-3 tablespoons. You want it salty to flavor the pasta) Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.

While the water comes to a boil and the pasta cooks, run a vegetable peeler over the zucchini to create long, thin ribbons. Or, cut with a mandoline or by hand into the longest and finest juilenne you can manage. Assuming you zucchini is very finely cut it does not need to be cooked. Otherwise place it into the pot of water with the pasta for the last minute of cooking and drain with the pasta. The zucchini should still be slightly crunchy.

heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the garlic and saute briefly until light brown. Add the red pepper flakes. Quickly mix in the basil and remove from the heat. When the pasta is al dente, drain through a colander, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Pour the pasta into a warm serving bowl; add the zucchini, basil oil (recipe above) the garlic mixture, and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Toss well, adding cooking water as needed to make a smooth sauce. taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Grate about 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese over top and serve at once

My kids ate this up like it was candy, so it's a winner all around. I have to admit that I didn't use the basil oil for this recipe as written. I have made this oil before and it is incredible but my Grandma just brought me back fresh tuscan herb olive oil from the wine country a week ago and I used that. It, was also incredible. If you have flavored oil on hand by all means use it too.

You could make this vegan by omitting the parmesan cheese. It has so much flavor that it would be equally delicious.

Spanakopita (Greek style spinach triangles)

I love spanakopita! With spinach and feta and phyllo, oh my! Ina Garten had the right idea when she took these traditionally small cocktail snacks and super sized them to make a main course for dinner. I didn't do this with the recipe because I'm bringing these to a brunch, but I mention it because it would be a fabulous idea! I will include instructions on how do either in the recipe section.

It was my friend Danielle's birthday this past Monday and so a couple of the girls are getting together for a brunch in her honor at her house. I don't know a lot of the people coming very well so thankfully there will be mimosas and really good food! If you don't know this about me already, I will just come out and admit that I can be a little socially awkward with people I'm not close with. Not all the time, but sometimes, and a good mimosa will go a long way to counter act it!

For the brunch I will be serving these adorable spanakopita triangles, fruit salad with honey dressing, a raspberry danish braid, blueberry crumb cakes and Angie will be bringing a bacon and goat cheese crust less quiche. Talk about a line up! Iced coffee and mimosas to round everything out and I'd say we have ourselves a par-tay! The menu is a little eclectic, I'll admit but Danielle likes it that way with samplings of different bites...and the day is all about her anyway.

Spanakopita

adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

1/4 cup good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

5 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Plain dry bread crumbs

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups small-diced feta cheese (12 ounces)

3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts ( I didn't use these)

24 sheets frozen phyllo dough, defrosted (note: you will need two packages)

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

flaked sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Heat the oil in a medium saute pan , add onion, and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, gently squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a large bowl.

When the onions are done, add them to the spinach. Mix in the eggs, Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Gently fold in the feta and pine nuts.

Place one sheet of phylllo dough flat on a work surface with the long end in front of you. Brush the dough lightly with butter and sprinkle it with a teaspoon of bread crumbs. working quickly, slide another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first, brush it with butter, and sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs. (use just enough bread crumbs so the layers of phyllo don't stick together.) pile 4 layers total on top of each other this way, brushing each with butter and sprinkling with bread crumbs.

FOR DINNER SIZED SPANAKOPITA: cut the sheets of phyllo in half lengthwise. Place 1/3 cup spinach filling on the shorter end and roll the phyllo dough up diagonally as if folding a flag. Then fold the triangle of phillo over straight and then diagonally again. Continue folding first diagonally and then straight until you reach the end of the sheet.

FOR APPETIZER SIZED SPANAKOPITA: cut the sheets of phyllo into five, long ways so you have 5 long strips of dough. Place a teaspoon or so filling on the shorter end and roll the phyllo the same as directed above. 1 box of (18 sheets) of phyllo dough only makes about 20 appetizer triangles and leaves a lot of the filling left over. If you plan to only make this much, half the filling recipe above. Or use the left over filling in eggs, a quiche, a pizza pocket, etc.

The filling should be totally enclosed. Continue assembling phyllo layers and folding the filling until all of the filling is used. Place on a sheet pan, seam side down. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with flaked sea salt and bake for 30 minutes for dinner size and 15 minutes for appetizer size or until the phyllo is browned and crisp. Serve hot.

Serves 12 dinner sized spanakopita or 20 appetizer spanakopita, if using half the filling recipe. 40 if you use all the filling and 2 packages of phyllo dough.

You can also refrigerate or freeze these, assembled and unbaked in a Ziploc freezer bag and just bake as directed when ready for them. They are so good! I hope you try them out. They are labor intensive but not hard to make at all. Persevere and be rewarded!

Zucchini, Basil, Tomato Saute

This is a side dish that they serve at a restaurant here in Steamboat called "Three Peaks Grill". No, it's not actually their recipe but the owner did tell me what went into it and I couldn't be more thrilled. I have actually made a mock version of this before using all the same stuff as it's not hard to tell what the ingredients are. It's very straight forward, but also, for some reason extra yummy. Maybe its the way you cut the zucchini into pretty little strips, or the way that all the ingredients come together and just mesh. What ever the reason, it's fresh, pure and simple with pops of fresh basil and tangy fresh lemon. It really tastes like Summer on a plate.

I made this a couple days ago on Thursday for our family dinner. My Aunt was in town and we had a little get together. This side dish went really well with our grilled salmon but I really like it with seared tuna, normally. I only recommend you make this when zucchini and tomatoes are in peak season. There's nothing worse to me than a mealy tomato. Ugh, the mere thought of it makes me shudder.

Zucchini, Basil, Tomato Saute

adapted from "Three Peaks Grill"

Olive Oil

4 medium zucchini, cut into a large julianne

2 medium tomatoes, cut into medium dice

15 leaves fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade

juice from 1 lemon

kosher salt

pepper

Serves 6-8

For the zucchini; cut each zucchini into quarter inch rounds, then cut those rounds 3 or 4 times across so you end up with small strips of zucchini.

Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add the zucchini and stir occasionally until it is starting to wilt then add the tomato chunks and saute everything together until almost cooked through. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste (you need quite a lot to bring the flavors out) and cook for another minute. Finally, take the vegetables off the heat and add the basil. Stir to combine and serve immediately.

I know it's kind of cheating when I blog about something like this. I find that sometimes I get really wrapped up in more complicated dishes that I forget about the less complicated and let's face it, simpler is sometimes better.

Radicchio Pizza with White Truffle Oil

note: cheese is optional. If you leave it off, it is vegan

OK, this is seriously good. We went to a BBQ at my in laws for Memorial Day and it was one of those deals where you bring your meat, or whatever it is you want to grill and a side dish or appetizer to share. Danielle, my friend thankfully brought this. It's not so much a "pizza" as it is like whole wheat pita bread with spread on top, even though, I'm pretty sure she used whole wheat pizza dough. Whatever it was, it was delicious and easy and you could pretty much put this topping on anything (crusty bread anyone?) and it would be fabulous. As for me, I brought an arugula, watermelon and feta salad that I was planning on blogging about originally, but it fell short. I think it needed more mint mixed in with the greens and balsamic instead of the citrus based dressing I used, and besides, after one bite of this pizza I knew that this would have to be what I wrote about and nothing else. Want to hear the crazy part? It was vegan until Danielle put the Parmesan cheese on top, which I do recommend because it adds a great salty bite. It could easily be an appetizer, cut into squares instead of wedges, or a healthy dinner, take your pick. Let's just face it, anything with white truffle oil tastes good so why not give this one a try?

Radicchio Pizza with White Truffle Oil

adapted from The Kind Diet, Alicia Silverstone

1 large head radicchio

olive oil

fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

white truffle oil, to taste (Danielle said she used the littlest bit)

1 fresh pizza crust (preferably a healthy, whole grain variety

freshly shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 415 degrees

Cut the radicchio in half, then slice each half crosswise into thin ribbons (as thin as possible). Dress with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a few dashes of white truffle oil to taste.

Toast the pizza crust in the oven for 7 minutes or until it is heated through and slightly golden but not crunchy.

Scatter the dressed radicchio over the pizza crust and return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes, until the radicchio is warm and starting to wilt. Top with Parmesan cheese shavings and serve immediately.

I love recipes like this. Ones that take all of 5 minutes, dirties 1 bowl and taste stellar. Danielle added some spinach to the radicchio mix and thats why you can see green in the picture. Feel free to do so yourself if you have some. By the way, you don't have to serve this hot. The wedge I ate was room temperature and look how I have raved. I can only imagine what it is like hot and fresh out of the oven. I couldn't even really eat the pizza crust because my cleanse is on going, although I did indulge in the cheese on top (you can't win them all and honestly I have been so good up until this last week...sigh) and still it was THAT good. Jeremy thinks, and I agree, that I have a way of going on and on about things, especially food, when I get excited about it and so I end up ruining it. I'm sorry if I talk things up. I try to be conscious of it. I just can't help it sometimes. :)

Quinoa with Red Peppers, Avocado and toasted Pine Nuts

Well guys, I'm up to my ears in cake. Literally. I think I might have made more cakes in the last 2 weeks than In my entire life, and that's saying a lot. I'm happy though because I've found a few winner recipes! What I have not been making a whole lot of, are dinners. I mean, we still eat but it's mostly tacos/tostadas and soups and a white chicken chili, sans chicken, that I have already told you about. The other thing we have had like 3 times already is this quinoa recipe. It's the simplest of recipes but it's still really, really good and fast. I think it's the toppings that make it most special. It's basically some sauteed leeks and red bell pepper that you add quinoa to, directly into the saute pan, add veggie stock and some salt and cover. Then you let it simmer away for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. When it's done you put a mound in your dish and top it with a fair amount of fresh chunks of avocado, toasted pine nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and voila! It's a casual dish that we just took up a notch, that's all, not to mention how healthy it is for you. You could play around forever with this recipe. Don't have leeks? use onions. Have left over zucchini? Saute it up with the onions, you really can't go wrong. If you are really hungry, serve this as a side dish along with grilled salmon or chicken, although this dish is substantial enough to stand alone in my family as long as there is plenty of avocado to go around!

Quinoa with Roasted Peppers, Avocado and toasted Pine Nuts

2 bell pepper, chopped into small dice
2 leeks, chopped, white and green parts only
olive oil
sea salt or kosher salt
2 cups quinoa, rinsed in the sink with a mesh strainer
4 cups vegetable stock (or 1 box)
1/3 cup pine nuts toasted (put them in the oven at 350 for 8-10 minutes)
3 avocados, chunked

saute the bell pepper with the leeks in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil until soft, but not cooked all the way through, about 3 minutes. Add in the quinoa, the vegetable stock and a hearty pinch or two or salt. Bring the pan up to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium low, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes. When liquid is almost totally absorbed, the quinoa is cooked. Mound into the center of shallow bowls and top with chucks from half and avocado per person, a palm full of toasted pine nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Serves 6

For those of you who are not familiar with quinoa, it's crucial that you rinse the grain under cold running water before you use it. Just sort of rinse it off like it was dirty for about 20 seconds or so. It helps so it won't have a bitter after taste. this meal come together in 30 minutes from start to finish although I imagine some people are faster than me and it could be cooked sooner than that. OK, now I must leave you to focus on what else? Cake. I baked a Butter Pecan Cake today, now it's time to test Chocolate Mocha Cake! I hope I can get it done before we head to the carnival with the kids tonight. Fun times, fun times.

Potato Gratin

This is a definitely one of my go to recipes. It's no wonder then, that I turn to this very recipe when I needed it most. You see, on Thursday it's my turn to make my monthly dinner for sk8 church. Not just any dinner, but an Easter dinner. They didn't ask me to do it, but my day (the first Thursday of every month) happens to fall 3 days before Easter this year and I just had to make them a meal to celebrate it. Who knows, for some of them it might be their only Easter meal. When you are making a meal for 60-70 or so people there are lots of variables to consider. The main dish was easy. Ham is what you eat on Easter, It's traditional. Plus it comes fully cooked and when you order honeybaked hams, like me, it's even easier since they are best served at room temperature. No prep and No oven space needed, which is awesome because then I can make something like Potato Gratin, which does need the oven.

Potato gratin might not seem like a logical first choice when trying to make it for lots of people, but I beg to differ. I would argue that it's much easier than say- mashed potatoes. For mashed potatoes I would have had to peel an incredible number of potatoes and dice them all up--In batches, like 6 or 7 batches, I might add--and boil them all and them mash them all and season them all. Did I mention I would have to do that 6 or 7 times?!?!? Then there would be the issue of keeping them warm. You can't re-heat mashers with a lot of success so it's not something that can be made ahead. Potato gratin on the other hand can.

Sure, I will still have to make it in batches, but it won't be half as much a pain. You are "supposed" to peel the potatoes when you are making a gratin, but I think it would be absolutely fine to skip this step. I own a food processor so I can slice those un-skinned potaotes razor thin in about 30 seconds flat. Then You just toss those with cream and cheese and bake. And since it re-heats like a charm I can make and bake this the day before the dinner and reheat. Now, that's what I'm talking about!!

Potato Gratin
adapted loosely from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
5 large russet potatoes
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 1/2 cups grated gruyere cheese (1/2 pound)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Butter the inside of a 10 cup baking dish. Saute the onion in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender.

Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice them by hand or with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyere, salt and pepper. Add the sauteed onion and mix well.

Pour the potato mixtur ein the buttered baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons cream and the 1/2 cup of gruyere and sprinkle on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes at room temperature and serve.

Serves 10
This gratin can be made days before and reheated at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

This recipe is originally called "Potato Fennel Gratin" and calls for 2 fennel bulbs to be sliced thinly and sauteed with the onions and then added to the potatoes. I have never done it that way though. I love fennel, I just have never tried it, is all. It would be delicious. If you try it let me know how it turns out!

I love this particular gratin mostly because the cheese is perfect. Gruyere is the quintessential gratin cheese. To me there is no substitute. It is so warm and gooey and nutty. Spectacular. It's also the only cheese I will put on top of my French onion soup. If you have never used it before, consider it a definite must.

Like I mentioned above, the ham is fully seasoned and cooked and spiral cut. The rolls are pre made. Once I have the potato gratin ready, all that will be left to do the day of is to assemble the spinach and strawberry salad. I feel triumphant!