strawberry caprese! (and a word... or two... on balsamic)

We have all had traditional caprese insalata (and if you haven't you should) - tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, olive oil and balsamic - it's awesome!  We love it!  But we saw strawberry caprese under the salad options on the menu at a nice restaurant recently and we were intrigued.  Unfortunately, we were there during one of the biggest snowstorms of the winter so they didn't have any strawberries on hand.  So, I subsequently did a little searching on the internet and got a few ideas and yeah.... oh yeah...

sloppy fauxs

Another favorite at our house, TVP is very versatile. It is healthy and a great source of protein.  This recipe can be done in a variety of ways from sandwiches to casseroles.

tex mex quinoa

Quinoa is an excellent source of protein and fiber. It is actually a seed.  There is a ton of fabulous way to make it up. This recipe is a favorite in my house.

spice it up

I am one of those who really likes to know what is in my food.  The best way to do that is to make it from scratch.  Not to mention that it gives me much more control over the flavors in the end product.  If the spice pack from the grocery store is too salty for my taste (which it generally is - I want flavor not just salt) then there isn't a whole lot I can do about it.  But if I make it myself then it is perfectly salted and flavorful.  Here are 3 of my favorite ways to spice up my fajitas, my red meats and my white meats.

pasta "sauce" easy peasy - part 2 - sauceless ravioli

Ravioi is not simple, so it makes sense that the sauce should be as simple as possible, right?  It's the yin and yang of it - perfect.  We saw this done on a cooking show one night and I had to try it.  The sauce - a simple runny egg yolk cooked inside the ravioli (plus a little drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste).

pasta "sauce" easy peasy - part 1 - alio e olio

There are the complicated pasta sauces, finicky alfredos, the simmer-for-hours-red sauces, etc.  And then there are the easy ones...  I don't know if the easy ones are better because they are easy or because they are just good but they are definitely good.  One of our favorites was passed on to me by a college friend - Alio e Olio.

classic hummus

My first exposure to hummus was at a Greek restaurant in Monterey, CA, called Epsilon.  Other stuff at this restaurant was great too but the hummus... *sigh*... we would get hummus and flatbread take-out on a regular basis there.  It was awesome!  Since then I have had and made many, many versions of hummus but none of them are as good as Epsilon. 

whole grain waffles

This is my families favorite waffle recipe. It comes from one of my favorite vegan cookbooks. They are delicious and healthy. The slight sweetness makes these fantastic with fresh berries, sugarless homemade applesauce or maybe some plain soy yogurt.

orange ginger baked tofu

This is an awesome recipe with rice or noodles or maybe just a salad.  The whole family gives this one a thumbs up. We love it.

rich chocolate brownie cake

I found this recipe on the internet when I was looking for ways to use the okara after making soy milk.  This is a great recipe. Rich, moist and healthy.  I do it pretty much just the way this recipe says.

multi-grain scones

Awesome!!! We’ve never met anyone who didn’t love this recipe. It’s a frequently requested favorite. This is a Dr. Andrew Weil recipe. To make these a little healthier and to use ingredients that I have in the house I make a few changes; whole wheat flour, flax seed and soy milk… fun things like that. I haven’t done this without the eggs yet for a vegan version, but I am sure that I will.

pesto sauce

This is an awesome recipe. We love this and use it for everything from whole wheat pasta to a sandwich spread to pizza. I use raw almonds because they are a lot less expensive than pine nuts and I always have a lot on hand. I add soy milk to thin it out; less when I want it thick and more for pizza or things like that.

chocolate tofu pudding

I’ve tried a several different variations of tofu puddings over the years and I have to admit that Mark Bittman’s Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding is by far the best. I think the extra spices and good melted chocolate are huge help to hide that hint of soy taste.  I don’t mind the soy taste, but I think most people do. So, this is a really good one to try.  Most chocolate soy puddings recipes call for cocoa powder and a variety of different sweeteners  - sugar, granulated cane juice, agave nectar etc. So long as you can get it smooth…   My family loves this recipe.

pasta sauce - anything and everything

One of the greatest things about pasta sauce is that you can so mess with it. You can do whatever you want. It can be as simple as olive oil and grated cheese or a complicated ragu that has a list of 20 ingredients and has to simmer for hours on end. It's all good. It's all great, in fact.  Take veggies for instance...

roasted red peppers - easy!

I wish I could claim this idea. It is brilliant. I don't know how many different instructions I have followed to make roasted red peppers and all of them were a little tricky and none of them worked all that great.

whole wheat bread-molasses & flax

test #2 completed. my goal is to make a bread that has a good sandwich stretch, excellent taste, is highly nutritious and simple to make. So, what's the difference from a million other bread recipes?

the kings crown

For our anniversary this year we went to a fancy schmancy steakhouse and had something amazing called "The Kings Crown." A filet mignion steak, on the rare side of medium-rare, with a bearnaise crab topping. It was Awesome! So, of course, it begged to be re-created for a price-tag we could swallow too (granted it is still not cheap but far cheaper than the fancy schmancy steakhouse).

ginger pie

One of my favorite movies of all time is the 1971 Harold and Maude. It is about a young man, who is obsessed with death, and his interactions with an old woman, who is obsessed with life. It is the type of movie that makes one think about things that they have spent their whole lives not thinking about on all sorts of different levels.

whole wheat bread-ground white wheat

100% whole wheat bread that is great for sandwiches and toast...

basic pasta

This is a simple recipe for home made pasta.

sunday supper scones (thanks claudia!)

my husband says these are like krispy kreme donuts...only to be devoured when it's a special occasion and... well, when you won't cry yourself to sleep from delicious guilt. yum. (shh bob, not everyone hates donuts.) seriously...a little of my peach jam (more like syrup) drizzled on the top with some plain yogurt and powdered sugar is just pure de-lish...

carmel popcorn (crunchy)

totally delicious, totally addictive carmel popcorn. we make it every christmas & sometimes for that movie where you just need a sweet treat...totally.

granola bars

good oaty snack...great for 'on the go' or for a trip...

malt breadsticks

delicious & fun, much like those light, fluffy & moist breadsticks you'll find at restaurants...Great with whole wheat or white!

basic pizza crust, flat bread & breadsticks

This is a basic recipe that I used all growing up. I especially remember it on a rainy day...

six-layer coconut cake

This is for you, bec. Anyone have a picture of this? (This cake is adapted from Food & Wine, Cynthia Wong)

kitchen toys in my kitchen

I love to go kitchen shopping.

italian bread rounds

A delicious bread, perfect for dipping in oil/vinegar or soup.

granola cereal

Perfect boost for breakfast or on ice cream!

dirty bones and pumpkin puke

That looks disgusting!