Black Truffle Pork Roast

This is another new balsamic we got in. Black Truffle!

I know how well truffles go with cheesy sauces so I served this up with some Alfredo noodles, because I love how a good meal comes together!

Truffle Pork Roast 

1 pork loin, 2 1/2lbs
1 tsp Oregano
2 tbsp Black Truffle Balsamic + 1 tsp
1 tbsp Rosemary Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a casserole dish with foil.

Mix the balsamic, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper together. Rub the pork loin with the olive oil and spread the balsamic mixture on top.

Roast 30 minutes. Brush on the remaining balsamic. Roast an additional 25-30 minutes.


Veggie Alfredo

1 lb pasta, cooked and set aside
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
1/3 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups soft shredded cheese (mozzarella is great)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup hard shredded cheese (cheddar or Asiago)
1-2 cups frozen mixed veggies, thawed

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the oil and flour, whisking until smooth. Cook until fully incorporated. Slowly whisk in the milk, making sure that everything is smooth. Cook on medium high heat about 2 minutes or until thickened.

Sprinkle in the shredded cheeses and stir until mostly melted. Spoon in the sour cream and stir until incorporated.

In a large pan, combine the noodles with the sauce and veggies. Cook until the veggies are warm all the way through. Serve.

Mexi Fried Rice

Rice is something I always have on hand. I love it's fluffy texture and ability to take on so many flavors. And lets face it, when you order Chinese food, there is always a bin of the stuff left. I use it for desserts, breakfasts, dinners and sides. One of my all time favorite things to make is fried rice.

Asian style fried rice always has a home in my fridge, but once you have the basics down, fried rice can be anything. The difference is oils and add-ins. The best advice I can give you is to start with cold rice, ideally made at least a day ahead.

Unlike traditional Mexican Rice dishes, this doesn't involve a can of tomatoes and sauce. The tomatoes here are just used for topping. The color comes from the spices!

Mexi Fried Rice

4 cups cooked rice, cold
1/2 cup sweet corn kernels
1/2 cup pigeon peas (or regular)
1/2 cup mixed bell pepper strips
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion (aprox 1/2 small onion)
3 roasted red peppers, diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp turmeric
1 dried chili*
1 small tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
Garlic Cilantro Balsamic
2 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
1 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Heat the oils in a large pan to medium high. Add the onions and saute until just translucent, 1-3 minutes. Add the dried chili and the pigeon peas and cook for one more minute.

Add a pinch of salt and the bell pepper strips and stir well. Add the rice and mix together. Cover and let cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the spices over everything and give it a good toss. Cook stirring occasionally another 5 minutes. Remove the chili.

Stir in the sweet corn and roasted peppers and stir until heated all the way through. Serve with a small mound of diced avocado and tomatoes on each portion and a drizzle of Garlic Cilantro Balsamic on each.

* If you want it spicier, leave in the seeds. For less spice, take them out.  For no spice, leave it out entirely and use all Garlic Oil.

Thai Stir Fry (Pad See Ew)

I really wanted Chinese food...but I really didn't want to eat out either. So.... Here we are.

Lots of people think Thai food is always spicy, and that's simply not true. I adapted this recipe from an old Thai cookbook I found at a thrift store.

Thai Stir Fry (Pad See Ew)

4 tbsp Traditional Balsamic
4 tbsp Oyster Sauce
4 tsp soy sauce
4 tbsp chicken or vegetable stock
     or, dry white wine
2 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
1 bunch basil leaves, torn
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1lb chicken breasts, very thinly sliced
1 pkg wide noodles
4 cups leafy greens, Chinese broccoli, bok choy, or spinach

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Flat rice sticks are traditional, I used wide egg noodles. Rinse and keep warm.

Stir together the first 4 ingredients and set aside.

In a wok or large shallow skillet heat the olive oil to a high heat. Add the ginger paste and the chicken. Cook, stirring constantly. When cooked through, add the basil and greens. Stir to wilt and reduce the heat to a medium.

Dump in the noodles and stir to combine. Then add the sauce and let simmer for 3-4 minutes. Toss the ingredients to make sure everything is well coated with sauce.

Serve.

Beef Stoganoff

My last post about the steak was fun. I've really missed posting food. It stinks that the weather keeps so many people away from town, but it does give me time to catch up here. So hello!

This is actually a leftovers recipe. That steak was fun, but I made a couple too many. So, I had to do something fun with the leftovers. And this sure was fun!

It's not a traditional stroganoff, but with the sour cream sauce, it's the closest thing. I enjoyed it anyway.

Beef Stroganoff

1 cup precooked beef strips
1 lb pappardelle pasta
2 cups mixed mushrooms, shitake, portobello, button
1/3 cup beef or vegetable broth
black pepper
1 tsp cumin
8 oz sour cream
1/4 cup cream or milk
2 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
Himalayan Pink Salt
1 tsp Espresso Balsamic

Toss the mushrooms with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and cumin. Saute in a very large pan over medium low heat until they are reduced by at least half. Increase the heat to medium high and add the beef strips, Balsamic, black pepper to taste and the broth.

Cook the pasta to al dente, rinse and drain. Slowly pour into the pan with the beef and mushrooms.

Stir in the sour cream adding the cream if it is too thick.

Cheesy Pasta with Mushrooms

I needed a quick meal the other night. This was great and provided enough leftovers for the whole week!

Cheesy Pasta with Mushrooms

1/2 lb curly pasta
2 pints mushrooms, sliced
1 bag, 16oz shredded cheddar
1/4 cup milk
2-4 tbsp sour cream
4 diced plum tomatoes, or 2 medium regular tomatoes
4 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
good pinch Himalayan Pink Salt

Pour the olive oil and the mushrooms into a saute pan and heat over medium heat. Sprinkle with a bit of the salt. Cook slowly about 10 minutes, stirring often. The mushrooms should be reduced by at least half. Set aside.

Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and put back in the pan over low heat. Stir in the mushrooms and the milk. Slowly add in the shredded cheese. Add in two tablespoons of the sour cream and stir. If you like the consistency, leave it be, if you want it thinner, add in the extra 2 tbsps of sour cream.

Red Beans and Rice

While red beans and rice is a very traditionally creole/New Orleans type of food, beans and rice are found all over the world in combination. I needed a side to go along with some tacos, so I added a little tex-mex flavor to a basically creole recipe. I think it worked out beautifully. And I'm having the leftovers for lunch today. Yay!

Day old rice is important here. Nice fresh fluffy rice soaks up more oil and sauce, making the final product stickier and tending towards the soggy side. If you don't have day old rice, make some fresh, spread it out on a large platter and stick it in the fridge to cool and dry out a bit.

Red Beans and Rice

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 16oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups day old white or brown rice
2 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
2 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt
a pinch of cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
     or 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 medium onion, finely diced

Heat the Garlic Olive Oil to medium in a large saute pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring often until the onion is translucent. Four to five minutes. Add in the rice, salt, spices and the tomatoes.

Stir well. Cook, stirring often for another 3-5 minutes. If the rice starts to stick, add in the Persian Lime Oil. Add in the kidney beans and the rest of the oil. Stir to combine and cover. Let cook 1-2 minutes more, or until everything is heated through.

Skordalia

For the potato cakes recipe, I made quite a lot of mashed potatoes. I really did. Bunches and bunches. I really like mashed potatoes, but this was going a bit far...

I made a bunch of potato cakes. We ate those. I served them with my last chicken post. We ate that. But I still had about 4 cups of mashed potatoes left over. What was I supposed to do with that?!

Ah. The internet. Thank you internet.

Skordalia. A Greek dip made with loads of garlic, and mostly, potatoes. Oh, and a TON of olive oil. What could be more perfect? Oh, if you don't have Garlic Olive Oil, I would suggest using Greek Olive Oil, like our Salonika, and 3-4 extra garlic cloves. Or more. This is a garlic dip after all. One recipe I saw called for 16 cloves. That may be too much. Use your own best judgement there.

As I already had the mashed potatoes, I didn't have to go through the trouble of cooking more, but here is the full recipe, because, unlike me, you do not have an insane amount of mashed potatoes in your fridge. Unless you do, then we can be best friends.

Skordalia

1 lb russet potatoes
2-6 cloves garlic
3/4 cup Garlic Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
crushed and toasted walnuts or almonds, optional
fresh herbs to toss in, not traditional, but awesome

Boil the potatoes in their skins in salted water until they are cooked through. You should be able to slide a knife or fork into them with no resistance.

Mash them really finely. They should be very smooth.

Crush the garlic and salt together and mix into the potatoes. Beat in the olive oil and the lemon juice. The mixture should be as thin, or a little thinner than hummus. Taste for salt and pepper.

Add the herbs and stir through if you are using them. And sprinkle with nuts, if you are using those. (I did not)

Serve with chips, veggies, a spoon...

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

It has been quite a week. My power has been out for 3 days now, so it is a bit hard to cook on my electric stove-top (they promise power by tonight!). I grabbed a few things yesterday and my food processor and came to the store to use our power. Hope that everyone else is making out better than me!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 15oz can chickpeas, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
3 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil

Put the chickpeas, garlic, tahini and lemon juice in the food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the roasted red peppers and mix slowly, adding the olive oil in a steady stream until everything is incorporated and well blended.

If your power is still out, grab a tub of prepared hummus, a jar of roasted red peppers and some Garlic Olive Oil. Mince the peppers and stir well with the hummus and a drizzle of the olive oil.

Slow Cooked: Pork Chops and Spinach

I've cooked a pork loin in the crock pot before, but I never even thought about it for pork chops until my sister-in-law gave me this recipe. Thank you!

The best thing about this, is the leftovers. For 4-6 pork chops, there is still way more spinach and broth than you need to serve with this. Don't throw it out, don't even take it out of the crock pot. There is a recipe below that will give you the easiest overnight soup ever, and my lunch today. Go leftovers!

Slow Cooked: Pork Chops and Spinach

4-6 pork chops, thick
1 10oz package frozen spinach
2 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
2 cups vegetable broth
1 apple, peeled and minced
2 onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup flour

Pour the flour into a shallow plate or wide bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the pork chops and dredge them in the flour.

Add the broth, apple, and onions to the crock pot. Lay the pork chops on top and cover. Cook for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.

When you turn the slow cooker on in the morning, set the package of spinach out to thaw. At the end of the cooking time remove the pork chops to a plate. Break open the spinach and stir it it to the crock pot. Let it cook for about 5-10 minutes so that it is fully heated through.

Serve the pork chops with a few spoonfuls of the spinach mixture over it.

Leftover: Spinach and Potato Soup

2 cups vegetable broth

10 chopped small potatoes

Leftover spinach broth

Add the vegetable broth and potatoes to the leftover spinach broth from above. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low. 

Put it in some jars and you have your lunch! Add another swirl of Garlic Olive Oil to really punch it up.

Lemon Onion Chicken

I love the Zesty Lemon Balsamic on roast chicken. I thought it would be just as good on a slow cooked chicken. And it is! It just needs a little bit of something else. I thought why not mint!

Lemon Onion Chicken

6 boneless chicken thighs
3 tbsp Zesty Lemon Balsamic
2 medium onions, quartered
1 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp fresh chopped mint
     or 1 tsp dried
1/2 medium lemon
1 tbsp Basiks Hunter's Blend

Add the chicken broth and the onions to the slow cooker. Rub the chicken with the olive oil and sprinkle with the Hunter's Blend and mint. Spread any extra spices around with the onions. Juice the 1/2 lemon and stir it in as well, but don't throw out the rest of the lemon! Nestle it down at the very bottom of the pot.

Put the chicken in with the onions and mix it all up. Coat everything with a layer of balsamic. Use a pastry brush for the best coverage, or just drizzle it in and stir well.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Wheatberry Risotto

Sorry for my absence this week. I got more than leftovers from our little family on Thanksgiving. ::Sniff Sniff::

But the upshot is that even though this recipe is late, I took all the leftovers of it from last week and turned it into something I really needed this week. Soup. That will come tomorrow.

Risotto is typically made with rice. But you can use pretty much any kind of grain you want to. Wheat-berries take a little bit longer to cook than regular rice and they retain this kind of al dente bite even after they are done that I really love. They also have this great nutty flavor that I have amped up with some walnuts. But you could leave those out if you want. Feel free to change up the herbs. If you only have dried, use only a teaspoon at most of each.

As this was part of my vegan offerings for Thanksgiving, it is lacking the cheese that is so customary for risotto. I didn't miss it. But go ahead and add it in if the mood takes you. It ususally uses a half cup of Parmesan cheese.

Wheat-berry Risotto with Mushrooms

1/4 cup Garlic Olive Oil
1 cup hard wheat-berries
1/2 onion, diced
2 pints mushrooms, rough chopped
1 1/2 boxes of low-sodium vegetable stock (quart size)
3/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)
pinch of salt
sprinkle of Porcini Sea Salt, to finish each plate

The stock should be warm when you add it. Either warm it in a pan on the stove or microwave it a little bit before you need it.

In a large pan with high sides, add the olive oil and turn the heat to medium. Put in all the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften. Add in the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook about 2-3 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to release some of their juices.

Stir in the wheat-berries and about 1/2 cup of the stock. Stir and cook until the pan is almost dry. Then work in 1 cup increments until the wheat-berries soften up. It should take about an hour, but you don't have to stir this constantly like a regular rice risotto. Walking away from it for a few minutes is okay.

It is ready when the wheat-berries are soft, but still a little al dente. Add in all the herbs and the walnuts and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with a sprinkle of Porcini Sea Salt on top.

Asparagus and Tomato with Mushroom Sauce

I promise, I am working on the Thanksgiving recipes! Promise!

It is a light Thanksgiving for my kitchen this year. My sister in law just redid her whole dining room and kitchen, so we are going to take advantage of that this year and go to her place. But my husband has a few days off while I work, so I'm prepping some things so he doesn't feel left out of the left-over-palooza that is coming.

You could serve this with rice or pasta. Or you can just eat it. Just eat it. It's good for you. All veggies. You could even make a double batch and use it as a side for Thanksgiving. Ha! I might just do that. I need something to bring to work with me.

Asparagus and Tomato with Mushroom Sauce

1 lb asparagus

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup Cream of Porcini 

Himalayan Pink Salt

2 Tbsp Garlic Olive Oil

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan to medium. Trim the asparagus of it's woody ends and slice on the diagonal into bite-sized pieces. Halve the cherry tomatoes.

Add the asparagus to the pan and saute, stirring often for 3-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and a sprinkle of the salt. Cook for about 2-3 minutes more. The tomato juices should be running around the pan and everything should start smelling amazing.

Now it is time for the Cream of Porcini. Add it in a tablespoon at a time stirring until you have it all incorporated. 

Chicken with Fried Caperberries

I have long wondered what to do with these caperberries. They are a funny little food. Salty and ovoid like an olive, but nothing like them in texture. A customer came by and said that they slice and fry them, so I thought that would be really nice to do with chicken. They provide the perfect salty pop!

Chicken with Fried Caperberries

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

1 sm bunch basil, roughly chopped

1 tbsp fresh tarragon

8-10 sliced caperberries

3 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil

1 lb diced chicken

squeeze of lemon

Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil to medium high. Spread the caperberry slices around and let them simmer around. Let them brown lightly on each side. About 1-3 minutes each side. Toss in the onions and herbs.

Stirring occasionally, let it cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the rest of the olive oil and the chicken. Stir to distribute and cover. Cover and simmer. Stir occasionally, it should take about 10 minutes. 

Add the tomatoes and stir. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Finish off with a squeeze of lemon and serve.

Eggs in Tomato Sauce

Welcome to Better Breakfast Month!

I know, it is already 4 days into the month, but that doesn't mean that we don't all still need to eat breakfast. This is a super easy 20 minute meal that makes a statement. It's super pretty, so you could make this for a weekend brunch with friends, or just a little fun eating for you.

This is based on a Mid Eastern dish called Shakshuka. Basically tomatoes, spices, greens and meat baked with eggs. I didn't add any meat to mine, I just didn't think it needed it. Play with the ingredients as you like, some recipes around the web call for cheese on this too. I kept this simple, with stuff I had around the fridge.

This makes eggs with yokes that are still a little runny, so if you don't like that, lightly scramble each egg before sliding it into the pan. If you don't, it does really look like it's looking at you.

Eggs in Tomato Sauce

2 eggs
3 cups fresh spinach
5 medium tomatoes
     or 1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 onion
1/2 bell pepper, any color
pinch of paprika
pinch of cumin
Salt and Pepper
2 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
1 tbsp Citrus Habanero Olive Oil

Preheat your oven to 400degrees. If you have a smallish, oven safe pan, use that for everything. If not, no worries.

Dice the onions and get them into a saute pan on medium high heat with the garlic olive oil and a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally, for around 3 minutes. Put in the spinach and stir around to wilt down. Season with the cumin and paprika.

Dice the tomatoes and bell pepper and put in your oven safe pan or small casserole dish. Stir in the onion and spinach mix. Make sure that everything is well distributed.

Make a couple small wells for the eggs and gently crack them into the mixture. Bake for 8-10 minutes. The egg whites should be set and the yokes still a bit runny. So no massive jiggling when you move the pan.

Drizzle with the Citrus Habanero Oil and a little pepper. Serve with some bread and enjoy!

Garlic Chicken Pasta

We have all kinds of great pasta at the store. I love all the neat shapes. One of my husband's favorites are these large twists. They hold sauce well and and really nice and fork-able.I needed a quick dinner last night so I threw all this together in a pan. I think I'll make it again sometime!

Garlic Chicken Pasta

1 pk chicken breasts, chopped

1/2 sweet onion, diced

2-4 strips bacon

1 pkg large twist pasta

4 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil, divided

Cook the pasta according to package directions and rinse. Toss with 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large bowl and set aside.

Cook the bacon in a large saute pan until crispy, set aside on paper towels to drain. In the same pan, add the diced onion and saute on medium high heat, stirring occasionally until they start to brown, about 4-5 minutes.

Add the chicken and the rest of the olive oil if you need it. Cook for about 3 minutes on high heat, stirring constantly so that the chicken gets browned on all sides and lightly caramelized. Reduce the heat to medium, crumble the bacon and add it to the pan. Cover and cook until the chicken is done, another 5-10 minutes.

Toss together the pasta and chicken and serve.

After today, it is Better Breakfast Month! A month long celebration of all things breakfast!

Truffle Honey Mustard Chicken

We got in this neat product a little while back and I have been trying to come up with interesting things to do with it. We got Truffle Honey. If you like truffles, it's spectacular. It goes beautifully with a cheese and cracker platter. I've been wanting to use it to glaze steaks or a roast, but I was making chicken the other day and said, Hey, why not?

Truffle Honey Mustard Chicken

1 pkg chicken, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped frozen broccoli
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
1 tbsp Truffle Honey*
pinch of Greek Sea Salt*, and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a pan to medium high heat. Saute the chicken pieces about 5-7 minutes, stirring often.

Add the frozen broccoli and cover. Let cook for about 4 minutes. Remove the cover and fork test the broccoli. If they aren't tender, stir them to the bottom of the pot, cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Now add the Truffle Honey, the mustard and Salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Cook another 2-3 minutes to let the flavors really blend.

*Truffle Honey and Greek Sea Salt available in the store or by phone only.

Welcome Home!

My parents are coming home from Italy! Now I can go back to posting recipes instead of pictures. Whoohoo!

I was tidying up at their place, getting the mail in order when I noticed that they had no food. They have been gone for a long time, so there are a couple things in the fridge, like garlic. And some bottled water. Of course, they aren't going to want to cook when they come home, so I thought I'd get them a little something.

When I get some one a little something, I mean food. So I got them groceries. Some milk and some eggs...and I made them some chicken so they don't have to cook on their first night back.

Welcome Home Chicken

2 large chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 orange pepper, sliced thinly
1/2 a large onion, chopped
1 pkg mushrooms
3-6 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp fresh oregano
Himalayan Pink Sea Salt, to taste
2-4 tbsp Red Pepper Bruschetta

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large saute pan to medium heat. Add the chopped onions and let cook, stirring occasionally until they are almost fully caramelized, 20 minutes or so. Add the mushrooms a little salt and a little extra oil if the pan is looking dry. Saute them until they break down, about another 8-10 minutes. Add the peppers and the chicken and stir it all to combine. Add more olive oil to make sure that everything is well coated.

Bring the heat up to medium-high and add the chicken broth and the oregano and cover. Let simmer for about ten minutes. Stir and test how done the chicken is. This will depend on how thick your slices are. Stir in the Red Pepper Bruschetta (avaliable in store) and a little salt to taste.

Serve with fresh bread.

This recipe could be easily done with tofu subbed in for the chicken. Have fun with it!

Welcome Home Mom and Dad!

Florentine Mac and Cheese

This is far and away my favorite mac and cheese. My favorite part is that this can be made with so many different substitutions I can modify it to suit anyone I know.

My friend's kids are allergic to lots of things. But they definitely can't have milk. The vegan version is underneath the picture.


Florentine Mac and Cheese

8 oz small elbows or other pasta
1/2 - 1 cups very chunky tomato sauce
2 cups spinach
2 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
1 cup cheese shreds
1 cup milk
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp french fried onions
Salt and Pepper

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Rinse in cool water and put in an oven safe casserole dish.

Heat the oven to 350degrees.

In a small saute pan, heat the olive oil to medium high heat. Add in the spinach and a little salt. Stir in the tomato sauce. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the spinach is completely wilted. Combine in the dish with the pasta.

In a small sauce pan, heat the butter until it is melted. Put in the cheese shreds and slowly stir in the milk and a pinch or two of black pepper. Heat, stirring often, until all the cheese has melted and the sauce starts to thicken. About 5 minutes.

Pour the sauce into the pasta mix and stir until the sauce is evenly distributed. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and fried onions.

Bake for 10 minutes. The top should be toasted and the Parmesan should be melted.

Vegan Florentine Mac and Cheese

8 oz small elbows or other pasta

1/2 - 1 cups very chunky tomato sauce

2 cups spinach

2 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil

1 cup chopped vegan cheese, 

          I like Daiya brand wedges, 1/2 cup cheddar, 1/2 cup jack style

1 cup soy or almond milk

2 tbsp vegan butter, like Earth Balance

2 tbsp nutritional yeast 

         or ground almonds

2 tbsp french fried onions

Salt and Pepper

Everything is cooked the same as above. When you are getting your ingredients, watch the french fried onions, some have more 'stuff ' in them than others. 

Fig and Blueberry Chicken

The world didn't end and this recipe got a thumbs up from my grandfather at lunch! So far it's all going well. Even if I am wearing reindeer antlers with bells on them.

Fig and Blueberry Chicken

1/2 cup Fig Balsamic
1/4 - 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
4 tbsp honey (optional)
1/2 - 1 tbsp red pepper flakes (optional)
3 cups shredded cooked chicken or about one whole chicken, shredded
1 box couscous with pine nuts
Garlic Olive Oil

In a large, non-stick, saute pan on medium-low heat, slowly warm up the Fig Balsamic. When it warms through, add the blueberries. Increase the heat just to medium and cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add the honey, if using and cook another 10 minutes. The berries should be hot and ready to burst by now.

Stir in your chicken and mash to burst the blueberries. Add in the red pepper flakes and stir. Simmer and cover until everything is heated through. This shouldn't take more than 6 or 7 minutes.

Follow the instructions on your box of couscous. I like to sub in chicken broth for the water and the Garlic Olive Oil for any basic oil. It really gives this it a richer flavor. If you are feeling really adventurous, you could add some blueberries and almonds in as well.

Pasta a la Gypsy

Big thanks to Joumana of Taste of Beirut for this amazing recipe. I'm sorry for not following it more closely, but I just can't make things easy for myself. What can I say? I'm just too impatient.

Pasta a la Gypsy
adapted from Taste of Beirut

1 eggplant
1 16oz can tomatoes, chopped or crushed
2 onions
2 anchovies*
1/2 cup milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp red pepper paste*
4 tbsp fresh parsley
1 bag Maesti Pastai Penne*
1/4 cup Garlic Olive Oil

Peel and cut the eggplant into small chunks. Toss with salt and let sit in a colander about 30 minutes.

Chop the onions thinly and saute in the Olive Oil over medium heat until they start to soften. Rinse the eggplant and shake dry. Add to the onions and add to the pan. Saute for another 5-10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and simmer about 15 minutes.

Mash the anchovies and stir in the milk. Add the mixture and the parsley into the pan and simmer another 10-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water or use 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Stir the pasta and water or broth into the eggplant sauce. Mix well and serve warm.

*All starred items can be found in out store or ordered by phone.