Recipe: Arugula-Cashew Spread

Week 2 of my class on healthy living and whole food, we're talking about getting more greens and plants into our diet.  This is a a lot like pesto but it doesn't have any cheese, and when you taste it you won't even miss it.  We also made home made hummus, with garbanzo beans that we'd soaked and cooked until tender.  This is a link to the recipe I've posted before.  

One day last summer we went to a restaurant in Irvine called Native Foods Cafe for a cooking demonstration, this recipe was one of the things they served.  They called it a crudité but it’s really more of a spread or pesto.  I’ve made it a few times and it’s excellent as a pesto on spaghetti squash or pasta or as a dip for crackers or vegetables.

 

Arugula-Cashew Spread

Ingredients:
3 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (I used Braggs)
2 cloves of garlic
6 cups of arugula or baby spinach or a combination of both
1/2 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
dash of fresh ground pepper
dash of red chili pepper (optional)
Directions:
In a food processor, pulse the cashews, nutritional yeast and garlic, so that the ingredients are mixed but the cashews are still crunchy. Empty into a medium sized bowl and set aside. In the food processor, add the olive oil and lemon juice first, then add the greens. Pulse to blend well. Mix the two together and add salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Serve with vegetables, crackers, or flat bread. Enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Moroccan Chicken Salad

I'm a big fan of California Pizza Kitchen, I've been eating there since the late 80's when they first opened in Beverly Hills.  I lived by the one in Marina del Rey when I was first married and it and The Cheesecake Factory were our go to places for dates.  One of my favorite items on their menu is the Moroccan chicken salad, it's full of rich flavors and hearty vegetables and very easy and affordable to make at home.  I used left over chicken tonight but if I were to make some for this I'd grill or bake 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts seasoned with some Moroccan spices.  Or I'd use a little olive oil, coriander, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.  Just make sure the chicken is cooled off a bit when you add to the salad so it doesn't wilt.  I added the chicken and hard boiled egg after I served a plate to my hubby since he doesn't eat those....this is one of those recipes that's easy enough to modify for a vegetarian or a vegan.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

1 bag of mixed organic salad greens (most bags are 8oz)
1 large head of romaine, chopped
16 oz or 2 cups butternut squash, diced and roasted
2 -3 large beets, diced and roasted (or 1 can of beets drained and diced)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 to 2 avocados, diced (depending on size)
1 large carrot shredded
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
4-6 large dates chopped depending on size
1/3 cup toasted almonds
2 hard boiled eggs diced
2 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts

For the dressing:
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper



Toss everything (minus the chicken and egg if you're making it vegan) in a very large bowl.  In a small bowl add the vinegar, mustard, and honey, drizzle in the oil add salt and pepper to taste.  Once the salad is toss you can add the dressing and toss or dress on your individual salads, that's what I usually do in case I have leftovers....I don't want it soggy.

Recipe of the week: Homemade apple chips

Panera Bread has a salad called the fuji apple chicken salad and I love it.  On the top it has fuji apple chips and it makes the salad.  Unfortunately most apple chips have sulfur dioxide, corn syrup, and some kind of oil in them.  Trust me, I've read all the labels.  So after the last time I had this lovely salad and Panera, I came home and tried making apple chips, they came out pretty good (they must have if they were gone in less the 24 hours).  The key to getting them crisp is slicing them really thin.  I have a mandolin slicer and set it to the thinnest setting.  Be careful with these, they are wicked sharp!  You could sprinkle a little sugar or drizzle a little honey on the apples if you like, I didn't and they were plenty sweet for me.  You can use any kind of apple you like, I used a couple of red delicious, granny smith, and fuji.  I sprayed my cookie sheets with coconut oil spray (available at Trader Joe's). Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.

4-6 apples of your choice thinly sliced
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 Tbsp sugar (optional)

In a large bowl toss the apples with lemon juice and cinnamon (sugar if you're using it).  Arrange the apple slices on cookie sheets without over lapping.  I used 2 cookie sheets, bake for one hour.  Flip the apples over and switch the cookie sheets so the top one is now on the bottom and the bottom one is on the top.  Bake for another hour.  Turn the oven off and let them cool in the oven, they will crisp up faster that at room temperature.  Take the apple chips off the cookie sheets and store in an airtight container (if they make it that far!)  Enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Quinoa Tabouli

I've been craving Mediterranean food, I love it, it's just a little heavy on the wheat.  So I had some left over quinoa and decided I'd use that in my tabouli.  Quinoa is actually part of the seed family, it's high in protein and fiber and gluten free, I've been eating it for over 20 years, it's also one of two "grains" that are on the alkaline food scale (millet is the other).   I added some olives this time too.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

1 to 2 bunch(s) of parsley with the stems removed
3-4 tomatoes diced or 1 can of petite tomatoes, juice removed
1-2 cucumbers peeled and diced, depending on the size of the cucumber
3 green onions chopped (any onion will work)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 can olives drained
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (you want it room temp or cold)
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

In a large bowl add all of the vegetables, parsley, olives, and quinoa.  In a separate small bowl mix the lemon and olive oil, pour over and toss well.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate or let it sit for about 30 minutes before serving so the flavors meld.   Eat by it self or serve with pita bread.  Enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Lemony vegetable salad

I realize I've neglected my blog for the past couple of months.  I've been really busy and it's been a hard couple of months.  My daughter's best friend past away the end of April and we have all been devastated, plus it was the end of the school year and we moved.  Whew, finally trying to catch my breath here.  Anyway, I made this the other night, and it came out great.  It would make an easy and refreshing addition to your 4th of July celebration.  A Votre Sante!

1-2 peeled and thinly sliced cucumbers
1 zucchini thinly sliced (use 2 if yours is small)
2-3 thinly sliced tomatoes
2 thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 large basil leaves cut into tiny strips (Chiffonade)
salt
pepper

I used a mandolin slicer for the vegetables so they would all be the same thickness.  For a 1/2 cup of lemon juice I needed 3 lemons.  I put all the vegetables in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl stir the olive oil and lemon juice together, add salt, pepper, and basil.  Pour over vegetables and toss well.  The longer it sits the better it tastes.  Mine only sat about 30 minutes before we ate it.  Enjoy.

How coffee and hot cocoa can improve your health

Let me start off by saying I don't want to necessarily talk about the benefits of coffee or chocolate (there are plenty, I'll let you look that up on your own).  I want to talk about using coffee or hot cocoa as a delivery system for an amazing supplement called Ganoderma Lucidum.

Ganoderma Lucidum is a rare red mushroom that has been used for centuries with all kinds of amazing properties.  There is a ton of research proving that Ganoderma Lucidum supports the immune system, oxygenates the body, boosts energy (who doesn't need that!), supports blood circulation.  Ganoderma provides more than 200 phytonutrients, 150 of which are antioxidants, it promotes cell rejuvenation, detoxifies the body and also promotes restful sleep.

Back in March a good friend of mine invited me to an event out in Ontario.  It was the launch party of a company called GanoLife.  GanoLife has come up with a line of coffees and hot cocoa that are enriched by Ganoderma.  These beverages are all delicious and are a fraction of the cost of Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf or whatever your favorite place is.

Did you know that coffee is second only to water as the most consumed beverage on the planet.  (Something like 2 Billion cups of coffee are consumed every day!)  It's also second only to oil as the most traded commodity.

I know that there are other coffee companies out there, why is this one different?  GanoLife is 100% pesticide free, certified Kosher, and 100% USDA Organic (certified).  GanoLife is also in complete control of all manufacturing, has an in-house distribution process and has total vertical integration.  Since the launch my husband and I visited the home office and were taken on a private tour of the facilities and we were both very impressed.  Erskien has never been a coffee drinker and even he loves these products, you can read his experience here.

I have a new website www.coffeenculture.com you can order products to try there or if you're in the area I'd love to have you over to sample the coffees.  We're looking for people who want to get healthy, save money, make friends, and make a fantastic living, all while drinking coffee, let me know if I can help you with any of those things.

Until next time, Ciao!

Recipe of the week: Lemon Charred Edamame

I don't eat much in the way of soy, but once in awhile I like edamame.  There's a restaurant here in Corona called Citrus City Grille, they serve a charred edamame with citrus salt, this is my version of theirs.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

1 lb organic edamame
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
the zest of one lemon
fresh ground pepper
kosher salt


In a skillet heat the olive oil, add the edamame, let it get slightly browned on one side before stirring.  Once the edamame is browned on both sides, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and pepper and salt to taste, enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Sun-dried tomato and avocado pasta

Avocados are a staple year round at our house.  I ended up with 3 that are perfectly ripe, normally I'd make guacamole but I wasn't in the mood for mexican food so I made this instead.  I would be really good with artichoke hearts too but I didn't have any.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Sun-dried tomato and avocado pasta.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb. cooked pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 orange or yellow pepper, diced
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 large avocado, diced
1/4 balsamic vinegar
salt, pepper, basil, Parmesan cheese to taste

Cook pasta according to package.  (You could always use gluten free pasta, I didn't this time.)  While the pasta is cooking saute the onions, shallot, and pepper in olive oil until tender.  Add sun-dried tomatoes, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and basil.  Pour over cooked pasta and top with diced avocado, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Southwest Bean Soup

For over a year now I've been trying to come up with a vegan chili recipe, this is close but I don't know if it qualifies as chili.  I used what I had and was really happy with the result.  I had it for dinner with avocado and cheese (not pictured).  You could use bell peppers but I didn't have any and didn't feel like running to the store.  I did not use the seasoning package that came with the soup, I threw that away, it had all kinds of junk in it.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

1 package 16 bean soup mix
2Tbsp olive oil
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 shallot minced
1 onion chopped
3 med-large carrots chopped
1/2 packet of taco seasoning
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder


In a large pot add the beans and 2 inches of water.  I followed the directions on the package for the quick soak, then rinsed the beans and simmered for an hour with 1 cup of water before I added the vegetables.

In a separate pan saute the shallot, onion, and carrot in the olive oil, once the onion is soft, add to the beans, add the can of tomatoes.  Bring up to a boil, then turn it down to simmer for about an hour, maybe a little longer depending on how soft you want your beans.  Serve with avocado, cheese, sour cream, or whatever you like.  Enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Grain Free Almond Bread

For Lent I gave up gluten and it's been harder than I thought.  I've been tweeking this recipe for a few weeks now and I think I've finally got a good one.  Be aware that the texture isn't exactly like bread, it's a bit more spongey because of the eggs.  You can use melted coconut oil instead of the olive oil if you like, I tried it that way and didn't care for it.  You can also add herbs or seeds, I've made it once with Italian seasoning and once with flaxseeds, poppyseeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds....one Tbsp of each.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Grain Free Almond Bread
1 ½ cups almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
4 eggs
¼ cup olive oil
2 tsp honey, optional
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a standard loaf pan.  Set aside.
Mix almond flour, coconut flour, flax meal of salt, baking soda in a bowl, set aside.  Add in eggs, oil, honey, and vinegar.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Pesto & Vegetable Stuffed Portobellas

I really like mushrooms, portobellas and baby portobellas in particular.  I found some that were larger than I normally see and I thought they would be great stuffed, and they were.  If your mushrooms are smaller, you'll be able to fill more than six mushrooms, if you have left over filling you can always use it on a sandwich or in an omelette.  I used prepared pesto, canned artichoke hearts (in water), and fresh spinach for mine.  You could use frozen spinach and artichoke hearts, you would just need to thaw and drain them.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!


6 large mushrooms, cleaned, dried, and stems set aside
2 cups spinach leaves, torn into small pieces
2 Tbsp pesto
3 artichoke hearts quartered and chopped
2 Tbsp sun dried tomatoes chopped
Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Remove the stems of the mushrooms and set aside.  Rinse the tops and dry, then bake on a baking sheet for 5 minutes.  Chop stems of mushrooms and set aside.  In a bowl add spinach, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, mushroom stems, add pesto and toss until the vegetables are lightly coated.  Remove mushrooms from oven and add filling.  Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes (until the mushrooms are tender).  Remove from oven and add a sprinkle of Parmesan and a little fresh basil, bake for 2 more minutes.  Remove from oven and serve, enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Blood Orange and Beet Salad

I've seen a couple of beet and orange salad recipes lately so I decided to come up with my own.  I'm not a big fan of raw onions but if you are, red onions might be nice in this.  I blanched my beets but you could also roast them like I did here.  If you can't find blood oranges you can always use regular ones or tangerines.  I made my own dressing but you can easily use any prepared dressing you like.  This salad had a hearty feeling to it but was also light and refreshing if that makes sense.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Blood Orange and Beet Salad

1 medium to large bowl of spinach and mixed greens

1 beets, blanched and sliced

2-3 blood oranges, depending on the size

2-3 sprigs of fresh parsley

1 Tbsp honey mustard

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

freshly ground pepper

In a pan with a steamer basket, steam beets for 4-5 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water (that will stop them from continuing to cook).  While the beets are cooking, remove the stems from the spinach leaves,   peel and section the oranges, set aside.  Slice the beets.  In a small bowl add your honey mustard, olive oil, and vinegar, whisk together, add freshly ground pepper to taste.  Add oranges, beets, and parsley to your greens and toss.  Drizzle with dressing and serve.  If you're not serving it right away, wait on the dressing, no one likes soggy salad.  Enjoy.  

Recipe of the week: Buttermilk Pancakes

It's hard to believe it's been 2 weeks since I posted here....it's been a very long two weeks.  First, it was my daughter's 21st birthday and we celebrated a few times.  Then, we had tragedy strike in our community and no one has really wanted do anything or go anywhere.  So, just like that it's Fat Tuesday/Shrove Tueday/Mardi Gras.  I decided to make pancakes tonight to try to make everything right with the world...I'm sure nothing has changed but at least we were comforted for a bit.  You can easily make this gluten free by using coconut or almond flour and dairy free by using coconut or almond milk.  I doubled this batched and made half with chocolate chips and half with blueberries and a smashed banana.  Both were amazing!  Let me know what you think.  (I used about 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips for the first one and one banana and 3/4 cup blueberries for the other.)
A Vorte Sante!


1 1/2 cups flour (of choice)
2 Tbsp sugar (of choice)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg slightly beaten
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 Tbsp oil of choice

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients.  In another bowl stir together wet ingredients, whisk together until just slightly lumpy.  Cook about 1/4 cup of batter on medium heat until golden brown, flip and repeat until all the batter is gone.  Enjoy!

*Add fruit or chocolate chips once the batter is mixed.  If you don't have buttermilk add 1Tbsp of vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar) to the milk, let sit for 10 minutes and voila, you've got buttermilk!

Recipe of the week: Triple Layer Brownies

These are by far the most decadent thing I make, therefore I don't make them very often.  I've been making this for several years now, and over time have modified the recipe a bit.  

The original recipe called for unsalted butter in the brownie layer, but as you may recall, I'm a big fan of the sweet and salty thing, I use regular butter.  If you use unsalted, you'll need to add 1/4 tsp of salt.  Since there is only 1 cup of flour you could easily make these gluten free by using almond or coconut flour, or whatever else you might use.  I also reduced the amount of unsweetened chocolate in the glaze to just 2 oz instead of 4.  (You can use the 4 oz if you like, or even try semi sweet.) 

I made these today for my oldest daughter's 21st birthday.  We will probably have them with some vanilla bean ice cream, if I get to the store.  These also go well with coffee or an after dinner coffee cocktail.  Cut them into small pieces, I'm often told these are too rich....which there is no such thing, in my book, haha!   Let me know what you think....even though these aren't healthy.  A Votre Sante!

Triple Layer Brownies

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter + 3 Tbsp

8 oz unsweetened chocolate

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs
1 cup flour

3 tsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half

For the 1st layer:

(Preheat oven to 300 degrees)

Melt together (in a double boiler or the microwave):

1/2 cup butter

6 oz unsweetened chocolate, set aside and let cool slightly

Beat together for 8 minutes (you want this fluffy) on medium-med/high speed:

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

Fold chocolate mixture into egg mixture.  Add by folding 1 cup of flour and 1 tsp vanilla.  Bake in a greased 9x13 pan for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool completely before frosting.  (You can always do this the night before.)

Frosting:

Melt until a caramel color, approximately 7-8 minutes on medium low heat:

1/2 cup butter

Beat the butter with 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 heavy cream and the remaining 2 tsp of vanilla.  Frost brownies while the frosting is still warm then cool to room temperature.

Glaze:

2 oz unsweetened chocolate

3 Tbsp butter

Melt together and pour over frosting.  You can serve them as is or cold.  I usually serve them cold, they're a little easier to cut when cold.  They freeze nicely.  Enjoy with ice cream, coffee, or a coffee cocktail!

Recipe of the week: Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love tortilla soup and have for years, I think the first time I had it I was in high school and I've been trying to perfect the recipe ever since.  You can very easily make this vegan, which I sometimes do for my husband....instead of the chicken I will use more beans and more corn (1 can of kidney beans, 1 can of pinto beans, and the entire bag of corn and obviously vegetable broth).  I use Trader Joe's taco seasoning because there's no MSG or junk in it.  I have a friend who hates beans so she uses zucchini and yellow squash instead, if you want to do that, you just need to add them towards end so they don't get mushy.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!



Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
32oz/1qt chicken or vegetable broth
1 onion diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 carrots chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
2-3 small zucchini chopped
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 bag of frozen corn
1/2 package taco seasoning
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 bunch cilantro

Toppings:
cheese
lime
sour cream
avocado
salsa
tortilla chips

Cut chicken into small pieces. In a large soup pot, saute with onion, carrots, and garlic until almost done.  Add broth, tomatoes, black beans, taco seasoning, salt, sugar, pepper, and corn.  Bring to a boil and turn down to very low, after about 10 minutes and add zucchini and cilantro.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, serve with your choice of toppings.  Enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Homemade Salted Caramel Mocha

I'm a fan of most things sweet and salty.  Dark chocolate covered pretzels, dark chocolate with sea salt, salted caramel hot chocolate, fleur de sel caramel, kettle corn...you get the picture.  I'm sure it goes back to going to the drive in when I was a kid and having popcorn and Milk-duds.  My tastes are a little more sophisticated now, I mostly eat dark chocolate, the darker the better.

I don't go out for coffee very often but when I do I like the salted caramel mocha from Starbucks, I don't however like the calories or how much sugar is in it (47 grams in a tall!), even if you only do 1 pump of each flavor it's still a lot of sugar.  I've made this several times, without the coffee, you've salted caramel hot cocoa, which my girls love.  This is for one serving, when I'm making more I just double or triple everything.  Start out with a little bit of sugar and salt and adjust to your taste, you might like it saltier or sweeter.  Sometimes instead of adding more sugar I'll use some stevia once I've poured in the coffee.  You don't have to use sugar, you could use maple syrup or agave.  You can also use your choice of milk, I've made it with 2% and I've made it with almond milk, both were delicious.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Salted Caramel Mocha

1/2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
2-4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
dash of salt
coffee

Brew your coffee as you normally would.  In a sauce pan melt butter, add vanilla, stir with a whisk and add sugar.  Once combined add milk and dash of salt.  Add cocoa and whisk until completely combined, taste and adjust salt and sugar.  Pour into mug, add coffee and enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Balsamic Roasted Beets

I haven't made a new recipe in a while because I've been busy.  With football season going until December 15th and working a lot during the holidays I just haven't had the time.  I even baked cookies from a mix for Santa on Christmas Eve!  (Hey it was after 8pm, who wants to make cookie dough at that hour?!)  The other day I made these beets and they were a hit, easy and only 5 ingredients.  You could definitely double or triple this easily but I only had the 2 beets, so I used what I had.  Let me know what you think.  A Vorte Sante!

2 large beets halved and sliced
2 Tbsp butter
2-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.  Slice beets that you've rinsed, removed the tops of and halved (save the tops for juicing).  You'll need an oven proof pan for this.  In your pan, melt your butter on the stove, then add your beets and 2 Tbsp of the vinegar, I used about 1/2 tsp salt and a few turns of my pepper mill.  Stir and place in your preheated oven.  Bake until the beets are tender with a fork or knife.  Mine took about 6 minutes.  Remove from the oven and add another splash of balsamic vinegar.  Serve warm.  Enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Braised Brussels Sprouts with Shallots

A few weeks ago, a friend made this for a work party, they were amazing!  She didn't have the exact amounts of what she used (come to find out her boy friend who is a chef at The Salted Pig in Riverside helped her a bit), so I played with the ingredients a few times and the last time I nailed it.  People ate these that don't even like Brussels sprouts!  These are a bit on the Asian side but go well with most things.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts
2 shallots finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
1 bunch green onions finely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

First, cut Brussels sprouts in half, then finely chop or mince the rest of your vegetables.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add Brussels sprouts flat side down.  Once they start to brown, about 5-8 minutes add the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, coating the sprouts.  Add the shallots, green onions, and garlic, sauteing until translucent, (about another 5 minutes) add red chili flakes.  Pour into bowl and serve, enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Spinach Artichoke Pasta

I was reading this blog the other day and thought hmm, why didn't I ever of that!  My family loves my spinach artichoke dip found here.  I'm always looking for stuff I can do ahead of time or in the crock pot since I never know when football practice is going to end and how much time I'll have to fix dinner.  Let me know what you think of my version.  A Votre Sante!

I lightened up mine a bit, plus made a smaller amount, here's what I did different:

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

2 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups of 2% milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 can artichoke hearts quarted
1 bag baby spinach
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3 oz mozzarella
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 lb Mostaccioli (it's like Penne only not ribbed, my nana always used it, Barilla makes it)


Cook Mostaccioli according to package, al dente.  Drain and set aside, covered.
Over medium heat melt butter, add garlic.  Once browned add flour to make a roux.  Add milk, wisk until smooth, keep stirring once it's bubbly turn down to simmer and add Parmesan cheese and vegetable broth.  Minus the vegetable broth and you have an Alfredo sauce...keep going if you want more.  Add the mozzarella, artichoke hearts and 1/2 of the spinach.  Once the pasta is drained and back in its pot you can pour the mixture on top.  You can stop there if you want, otherwise get out a 9X13 pan.  Pour the pasta/sauce mixture, stir in the rest of the bag of spinach.  Top with an addition sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.   Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Roasted Eggplant Soup

Recipe of the week:  Roasted Eggplant Soup


We had our first fall rain yesterday, and it's chilly today so I decided to make soup.  Sadly, this lovely fall weather isn't supposed to last, it's going to be in the upper 80's again next week.  Jade and I had a soup similar to this in Seattle a couple of years ago, it's a little like eggplant Parmigiana in a bowl, serve with some bread, cheese, and a salad and you've got lunch or dinner.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

2 small eggplants chopped into about 1 inch pieces
3 small or 2 medium zucchini chopped slightly smaller than the eggplant
1 onion sliced
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tsp sugar
fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil (or 1 tsp dried)
4 cups vegetable broth

Put the chopped vegetables in a 9X13 pan.  Add olive oil, red pepper, black pepper, and garlic.  Roast in a 375 degree oven for about 35 minutes, or until eggplant is tender.

Transfer roasted vegetables to a soup pot, add tomatoes, broth, sugar, basil, and add a little more salt, pepper, and red pepper if you want to.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer for about 20 minutes.  You can stop right here if you want your soup really chunky.  I put mine in the blender on chop in batches until it was in very small chunks.  That's it, serve with some more basil and Parmesan cheese if you like.  Enjoy!