Capellini with Lemon Basil Summer Squash

This is a delicious light and summery dish that can be made fairly quickly. When summer squash is unavailable, I will use zucchini.

Ingredients
1 pound summer squash, washed and gently patted dry
1 pound capellini, or angel hair pasta
6 large cloves garlic, crushed
4 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
6 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat the oil and butter in a small pan.

3. Add the zucchini or summer squash with garlic and cook until almost tender (about 2-3 minutes).

4. Add the lemon juice until heated.

5. Remove from heat and at the last moment add the basil.

6. Season with salt and pepper and serve over the hot pasta.

Serves 6

Spiced Chick'n with Avocado Grapefruit Relish

Citrus season is winding down here in Florida, and friends and neighbors have been giving us generous amounts of grapefruit. After getting tired of eating them plain and consuming large amounts of fruit salad with grapefruit, I had to find something new. 

I found this recipe on EatingWell.com. It nicely contrasts the spicy chili powder with cool avocado and refreshing grapefruit. It is one of my new favorite recipes and I'll be making this every citrus season from now on.

To section the grapefruit, cut off both ends with a knife. Place the grapefruit on the flat end and peel from top to bottom following the curvature of the fruit with the knife, removing all of the white pith as you go. Cut down along fruit section to the center, then turn knife to loosen section and lift out. 

Avocado Grapefruit Relish
1 large seedless grapefruit
1/2 small avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey.

Remove the peel and white pith from grapefruit with a sharp knife and discard. Cut the grapefruit segments from the surrounding membrane, letting them drop into a small bowl. Squeeze out remaining juice into the bowl and discard membrane. Add avocado, shallot, cilantro, vinegar and honey. Toss well to combine.

Spiced Chick'n
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder, (see Note)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 turkey cutlets, (8 ounces)
1 tablespoon canola oil

1. Combine chili powder, five-spice powder and salt on a plate. Dredge the Chick'n in the spice mixture.
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Chick'n and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve the Chick'n with the avocado-grapefruit relish.

Makes 2 servings

Sage Tortellini with Asparagus

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables, and this is a quick and easy way to incorporate it into a main dish. 

Ingredients
1 pound fresh asparagus
1 pound cheese tortellini
1/2 packed cup finely chopped sage
6 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Prepare the tortellini as directed on the package. 
2. While the tortellini is cooking, heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan. When hot, add the sage and cook over medium heat until the sage is crispy.
3. Drain the tortellini and toss in the sage olive oil.
4. Gently snap off the woody ends from the asparagus. If you have a steamer basket, place the asparagus in it, taking care not to overlap them. Otherwise, add about 1/2-inch of water to the sauce pan and place the asparagus stem-side down, with the tips pointing up, out of the water. Cover the sauce pan with a lid and let the water simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to overcook them. Remove them immediately from the steamer basket or water.
5. Carefully chop the asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces and gently toss in with the pasta.
6. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Vegetarian Lentil Meatloaf

My friend Angie is the one that inspired this blog, and this is a recipe from her. You can visit her blog here: Zozzobra's Recipes. If you can, check out her recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip. She makes a vegetarian version using vegetarian chicken that is making my mouth water just thinking about it.

Ingredients
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup lentils (or canned lentils)
1 small onion, diced
1 cup quick-cooking oat
3/4 cup grated cheese (cheddar, swiss, jack or american)
1 egg, beaten
4 1/2 ounces spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
1. Add salt to water and boil in a saucepan.
2. Add lentils and simmer covered 25-30 minutes, until lentils are soft and most of water is evaporated.
3. Remove from fire.
4. Drain and partially mash lentils.
5. Scrape into mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.
6. Stir in onion, oats and cheese until mixed.
7. Add egg, tomato sauce, garlic, basil, parsley, seasoning salt and pepper.
8. Mix well.
9. Spoon into loaf pan that has been generously sprayed with Pam (non-stick cooking spray) or well-greased.
10. Smooth top with back of spoon.
11. Bake at 350 degrees for 30- 45 minutes until top of loaf is dry, firm and golden brown.
12. Cool in pan on rack for about 10 minutes.
13. Run a sharp knife around edges of pan then turn out loaf onto serving platter.

Serves 4-6

Chickpea & Feta Veggie Burgers with Cilantro Garlic Yogurt Sauce

My friend and fellow foodie, Jeff came across this recipe and shared it with me a few months ago. I wasn't able to make it until I got a blender, but ideally this would be made in a food processor. It is reminiscent of falafels, one of my favorite foods. 

If you are in the cilantro hating camp, this sauce is not the one for you. But, if you love cilantro, I highly recommend trying this. It is not as garlicky as tzatziki sauce, but it has a more complex taste to it, probably from the mint and cayenne.

Adapted from RecipeZaar and Epicurious

Chickpea & Feta Veggie Burgers

2 scallions, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 large sweet onion, coarsely chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (3 cups)
1/4 cup tahini
3 eggs
1 medium carrot, chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil (to taste)

1. Set the oven at 300 degrees. In a food processor, combine the scallions, garlic, onion, chickpeas, tahini, eggs, carrot, feta, Parmesan, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Pulse the mixture until well blended. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the bread crumbs.
2. Shape the chick pea mixture into 8 patties. Set the oven at 300 degrees. Have on hand a rimmed baking sheet.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Working in two batches, cook 4 patties for 6 minutes or until browned on the bottom. Turn and cook for 5 to 6 minutes more or until the patties are brown on the bottom and hot in the center.
4. Place the burgers on a baking sheet; keep warm in the oven. Cook the remaining patties in the same way.
5. Serve in halved pita pockets with a dollop of cilantro garlic yogurt sauce.

Makes 8 large burgers

Cilantro Garlic Yogurt Sauce

1 1/2 cups plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt
3/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
4 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
3/4 teaspoon cayenne

Stir together all ingredients with 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste), then chill, covered, at least 30 minutes (for flavors to blend). Bring to room temperature before serving.

Makes 2 cups of sauce

Note: If you can't find Greek-style yogurt, you can thicken 3 cups regular plain whole-milk yogurt by draining it in a paper-towel-lined sieve, chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Sauce can be chilled up to 6 hours

Capellini with Tomatoes and Basil

This is a really simple and quick dish that is great for weeknights.

A quick tip for julienning basil: Stack the basil leaves on top of each other then roll them up like you would roll up a cigar. Slice the basil "cigar" from one end to the other, and when it is unfurled, you will have nicely julienned basil!

Ingredients
1 pound dried capellini or angel hair pasta
½ cup good extra-virgin olive oil
4-5 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
18 large basil leaves, julienned
1½ cups freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper, and stir until blended. Set aside.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta, add it to the tomato sauce and toss to mix. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Divide the pasta among individual bowls, top with parmesan and serve immediately. 

Makes 6 servings

Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini Stacks

The condo that we live in does not allow for us to have a grill on our patio. I love grilled vegetables, so for years I was always bitter when I came across a recipe that called for grilled vegetables. My sister-in-law was kind enough to give me a La Creuset Grill Pan for my birthday. From November on, I pretty much grilled anything that came into our kitchen. 

A few years ago, our friend Josh served us a dish of grilled eggplants with a balsamic-tomato relish. Inspired by this, I scoured the internet for a similar recipe, and settled on making something close to this one from Cooking Light. I didn't want to have the balsamic reduction incorporated into the vegetables, because the star of Josh's recipe was the relish, so here is the modified recipe:

Ingredients
Eggplant Stacks
1 large eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, part of the skin removed
2 medium zucchini or summer squash, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
1/2 cup goat cheese
2 tablespoon  chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoon  chopped fresh oregano
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil

Tomato-Balsamic Relish
1 cup diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Start with the tomato-balsamic relish: Place the diced tomatoes in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, and set aside a room temperature to let the flavors blend.
2. Place eggplant slices in a colander. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well. Let stand 10 minutes. Rinse slices thoroughly; dry with paper towels.
3. Brush eggplant and zucchini with oil; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Place them onto a hot grill for about 8 minutes or until tender, turning once.
4. Meanwhile, combine cheese, basil, and oregano.
5. To assemble stack, place 1 eggplant slice on a plate; top with one-fourth of cheese mixture. Lay two strips of zucchini side by side; top with one-fourth of the cheese mixture, and repeat, ending with a slice of eggplant. Let stand 5 minutes.
6. To serve, place a spoonful of relish on top of each eggplant stack.

Makes 4 servings

Zucchini and Swiss Chard Tart

A little while ago, I stumbled across David Lebovitz's blog and found the craziest recipe for tart crust ever. Pie and tart crusts are something that always intimidated me. Anyone can make a crust, but not many people can make a good flaky pie crust. This recipe doesn't call for the typical cold butter worked into flour *just so* with ice cold water. You basically dump a whole bunch of stuff into bubbling hot butter, and voila - a buttery, flaky crust. It's so easy to make, so I went on a pie and tart making bender.

This is one of the recipes that I made after going to the Farmer's Market in Neptune beach. Twinn Bridges had some beautiful Swiss chard that I had to use. The beauty of this recipe is that you don't have a top crust that will hide the pretty Swiss chard.

Adapted from New York Times

Ingredients
French Tart Dough
1 pound Swiss chard
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 pounds zucchini, cut in small dice (1/4 to 1/3 inch)
2 to 3 large garlic cloves (to taste), minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (to taste)
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup, tightly packed)
3 large eggs, beaten
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem the greens, and wash them thoroughly in several rinses of water. If the ribs are wide, wash and dice them, then set aside. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water reaches a rolling boil, add a generous amount of salt and the chard leaves. Blanch for one minute, until just tender. Using a slotted spoon or deep-fry skimmer, transfer to the ice water, then drain. Squeeze out excess water and chop. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet, and add the onion and diced chard stems, if using. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the zucchini. Season to taste with salt, and cook, stirring, until just tender and still bright green, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme and rosemary, and cook with the zucchini and onion until the garlic is fragrant, about one or two minutes. Stir in the greens, toss everything together, and remove from the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste), the zucchini mixture, and the Gruyère. Mix everything together, add pepper, taste once more and adjust seasoning.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 10-inch tart pan. Roll out two-thirds of the dough and line the pan, with the edges of the dough overhanging. Freeze the remaining dough. Fill the lined pan with the zucchini mixture. Pinch the edges of the dough along the rim of the pan. Place in the oven and bake 50 minutes, until set and beginning to color. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving (preferably longer). This can also be served at room temperature.

Hearty Vegetable Garlic Lasagna

This recipe was inspired by a woman that I met in Nova Scotia. I was still eating meat, and it was the first time that I tried a vegetarian lasagna. It was so flavorful and cheesy that I didn't miss the meat at all. After some experimentation, I managed to come up with a recipe that my husband and I were happy with.

With the exception of the onion and garilc, I usually mix it up depending on what vegetables we have on hand, but I am consistent with everything else each time I make this. To make life easier on myself, I use oven ready l lasagna noodles. One day when I have time, I will use fresh noodles ;).

When it comes to the cheese, I try to go with the freshest and purest ingredients that I can find. For the mozzarella, I prefer to use fresh. To make it easier to grate, I put it in the freezer for a little while. When it's partially frozen, I take it out and grate it right away. For the ricotta, I was surprised to find that most brands add stabilizers to prolong shelf-life, and/or emulsifiers for texture. For the best flavor, try to find one that doesn't add any of these nasty things.

Ingredients
1/2 package (about 8 ounces) lasagna noodles
1 medium carrot, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
1-26 ounce jar pasta sauce
4 large leaves basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 pint ricotta cheese
2 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan Reggianno cheese
1 egg

Directions
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small pot. Add half the garlic and saute until golden brown. Add the pasta sauce and oregano, mix well and bring to a boil. Simmer fo 20 minutes. If making this ahead of time, refrigerate for up to one day. Otherwise, set it aside.
2. If you are not using oven-ready noodles, cook the noodles in a large pot and drain them.
3. Saute the remaining garlic, onions and carrots for a few minutes. Add the red pepper and continue sauteeing until the carrots are soft.
4. Add the pasta sauce to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the basil and remove from heat.
5. Mix together ricotta, 2 cups of mozzarella, and egg.
6. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish. Layer 1/2 each, lasagna noodles, cheese mix, sauce, and parmesan. Repeat layering and top with the rest of the mozzarella and any remaining parmesan.
7. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Let it stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 large servings