Roast Beet Salad

4 large beets, peeled and cut into sixths or eights
2 Tb. goat cheese, crumbled
4-6 fresh mint leaves, chopped
dash sea salt
dash olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place beets in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast for 35-40 mins, stirring every 10 mins so they don't burn. Allow beets to cool completely. Mix in goat cheese and fresh mint. Serve chilled. (Serves 2 as a side salad)

Easy Potato Salad

1 lb. baby red potatoes
3 Tb. mayo
1 Tb. mustard
1 Tb. minced red onion
1 Tb. chopped chives
2 hard boiled eggs, diced
salt and pepper

Boil potatoes in water for 15-20mins. Potatoes are done when fork can be easily inserted into potato. Strain and rinse potatoes with cool water. When potatoes have cooled enough to handle, cut into halves or fourths depending on size of potato. Place in a bowl and add the onion, chives, and eggs. Mix. Add mustard, mayo, and a dash of salt and pepper. Stir until potatoes are well coated. Chill before serving.

Spinach Lentil Salad

2 c. green or brown lentils, soaked for a few hours
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tb. capers
3 c. raw spinach
1 Tb. chopped scallion or red onion
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
cilantro garnish (optional)
asiago or parmesan cheese to crumble on top

Cook lentils in water (about 1" above lentils in pot), add a few dashes salt and the garlic. Cook lentils approx 25 mins until tender. Drain. While lentils are cooking, wash spinach and cook in microwave with a dash of salt until wilted (about 2 mins). After lentils have finished cooking, combine them with the tomatoes, capers, spinach, scallion in a large mixing bowl. Add a few glugs of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. When serving, grate or crumble cheese over the top. I used asiago, but parmesan would be delicious too.

I try to incorporate lots of lentils and beans into my diet since I don't eat meat. This salad was quick to prepare (as long as you soak the lentils ahead of time) and tasty. It serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish.

Tangy Lemon Bars

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. white sugar
2 c. flour
1 (10 oz) jar lemon curd
1/2 c. shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375. Cream butter, sugar, and flour until mixture is crumbly. Press 2/3 of mixture into bottom of 9x13" baking pan. Bake for 10 mins. Remove bars and reduce oven temperature to 350. Once bars are cool, spread lemon curd over bars. Mix coconut with remaining 1/3 of crumbs and then sprinkle mixture to cover lemon curd. Bake another 25 mins at 350 degrees until top crust begins to turn golden. Allow bars to cool before cutting into pieces.

These lemon bars are a bit tangier than traditional lemon bars. That's why I love this recipe. Warning: they are addicting. My husband ate two bars last night and was practically begging for a third! I hate to admit it but I ate one for breakfast this morning. Yum!

Decadent Chocolate Truffles

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 c. heavy whipping cream
2 Tb. unsalted butter

First, decide how many types of truffles you'd like to make. I made three types: coffee, raspberry, and chocolate flavors. (See below for other suggestions) Divide your chocolate evenly between the bowls (I used three separate bowls). In a small saucepan, bring the cream and butter to a boil. Remove the boiling mixture and pour evenly over your bowls of chocolate (one third of the mixture into each bowl). Stir chocolate and cream until smooth and melted. Add the flavoring to each bowl. I added 1 Tb. raspberry jam to the first bowl, 1 tsp. instant coffee to the second, and I left the third bowl alone. Now place the bowls in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until chocolate is firm.

Here comes the fun and beautiful part. You are going to form your truffles into small, bite-sized balls and then roll them in a coating. I think the best options are cocoa powder, crushed nuts, and coconut flakes. Set up your countertop with each "coating" in a separate small bowl. Remove the chocolate from the refrigerator. Using a spoon or melon scoop, form the chocolate into small balls and roll each ball in the desired coating. Arrange on a tray and refrigerate again another 30 minutes or more. Serve chilled.

Other suggestions for ganache flavors include orange (add 1 Tb. orange zest), peanut butter (2 Tb.), or grand marnier. Get creative and add whatever you'd like. I've tried truffles with cheese, olive oil, wasabi, sea salt, cardamom, and the list goes on!

I rated it 4 stars because my family and I loved them, but I don't have any experience making truffles. They were very, very rich which can be good or bad depending on your taste. My 5 star standard in chocolate is anything from Vosges Haut Chocolate in NYC. If I can ever make something that tastes as good as Vosges, I'll give it 5 stars!

Makes 20-25 truffles.

Amma's Mango Pickle

1 unripe (green) mango, peeled and diced
2 tsp. oil ( olive oil or sesame oil)
1/4 tsp. black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. chili powder (the spicy variety, not American chili powder)
pinch turmeric
pinch asafoetida (optional-I skip this step)

Heat sesame oil on medium-high heat in frying pan. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds and fry until seeds start to pop and splutter. Reduce heat to med-low. Add in salt, chili powder, turmeric, and asafoetida. Stir in mango and sautee for 5 mins. If mango starts to brown or stick to pan, you can add a few tablespoons of water and stir more frequently.

From my mother-in-law's kitchen in India, this is a fresh version of the traditional Indian canned pickle, a spicy condiment. Fresh pickle is best eaten as a side dish with "curd rice" (rice, plain yogurt, and salt mixed) and you can vary the chili powder according to your spice tolerance. I don't like the "mouth on fire" feeling, so I went easy on the chili powder. While the mango should be "green", not ripe yet, I think it would also taste good with a ripe mango. My husband is South Indian and said "yuck" to that idea. Maybe I'll be making ripe mango pickle for ONE next week!

Jane's Olive Dip

2 packages cream cheese (8 oz each)
1 can black olives
1 1/2 c. green olives plus 1 Tb. olive juice
1 Tb. minced garlic

Whip the cream cheese with a mixer. Add in finely chopped black and green olives and the olive juice. Mix in minced garlic and serve chilled with crackers.

My step-mom always has delicious food in the house, ready to serve on a moment's notice. I stopped over for an impromptu visit, and she whipped up this appetizer in five minutes. We tried it with wheat crackers, triscuits, and tortilla chips. Triscuits were my fave. Yum.

Rustic French Baguette

I have always equated good homemade bread with impossibility. My mom had a bread machine when I was a kid, and maybe I just got the impression that you have to be a goddess in the kitchen to make a good loaf of bread by hand. Since I recently had success with sushi (what, you can make that at home???), I decided to break the bread barrier! I baked a French baguette. And I liked it. And my husband and I ate it all in one sitting. Mmmm. It didn't turn out exactly as I had hoped, but the texture was soft and fluffy, and the flavors were surprisingly complex for a simple bread recipe. I'm already thinking about sourdough next!

The recipe I used is a fusion of two recipes I found that looked relatively simple. Here it is:

1 tsp yeast
1 c. warm water
1 tsp salt
2 c. white flour
1/2 c. wheat flour
1 egg, beaten

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Set in warm, draft free place (I put it in the sun on the countertop) and allow to dissolve for 10 mins. You should notice a few bubbles on the surface of the water. In a large bowl, mix the yeast water and the salt. Slowly stir in the wheat flour, then 1 c. of the white flour. Turn dough onto well floured surface and begin to knead, adding flour until the dough is slightly sticky but doesn't cling to your hands (I ended up using 1 c. flour). When the dough is the right consistency, knead an additional 8-10 mins. Oil a glass or ceramic bowl and place the dough ball in the center. Make sure the dough is also coated with oil so it doesn't stick to the bowl. Cover with cloth and allow dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place approximately 1 hour, or until dough doubles in size (I waited 1.5 or 2 hours). Punch down dough and divide in two equal parts. Form each lump of dough into a long baguette shape, and place on a baking sheet (preferably a baking stone).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cover baguette dough with cloth and allow to rise another 20 mins on the baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg (this will give a brown, crunchy crust).

Baguettes need moisture to bake in the oven, so I recommend taking a metal 13x9 pan (glass may break) and filling with 1" water. Now place the water pan in the bottom rack of the oven, and put the baking sheet with baguettes on the middle rack. Bake for 20-25mins until the crust is golden brown.

My baguettes were golden and crispy when I removed them from the oven, but an hour later they had softened considerably. Now the crust is soft and golden but still tasty. One recipe suggested removing the baking dish with water after 15 mins. Maybe I'll try that next time, or I'll just bake the bread a little longer. I was hoping to make bruschetta with the baguettes, but discovered that these are better for sandwiches, soups, or just to be eaten warm with butter and honey. Mmmmmm.

Peanut Avocado Rolls

2 sheets nori (roasted seaweed)
2 c. cooked sushi rice
1 avocado
1/2 c. roasted, salted peanuts
2 Tb. wasabi (horseradish paste)
1 Tb. soy sauce
2 Tb. sushi vinegar (see recipe below)

for rolling sushi: bamboo mat or waxed paper/plastic wrap
Serves 2

Cook sushi rice according to instructions on package. Add soy sauce to peanuts and marinate. On a cutting board or countertop, spread bamboo mat or waxed paper. Lay one sheet nori on top of mat with the longest side of the nori closest to you. Spread 1 c. cooked rice all over the nori, leaving 1/2" around the edges free of rice. Spread thin layer of wasabi (if you like a kick!) over one third of rice closest to you. Place the sliced avocado filling across the longest length of the nori, leaving about 3" of rice closest to you free of filling. Spread the peanuts next to the avocado lengthwise across nori. With assistance of bamboo mat, roll sushi tightly starting at the edge closest to you, covering the "filling" on your first roll. With a very sharp knife, cut the ends off of the sushi roll (about 1/2" on each end) and cut the roll into 1" slices. Repeat process with second sheet of nori I usually manage 6 slices per roll. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.



Sushi Vinegar Recipe:

In a saucepan, combine 1/3c. vinegar with 2 Tb. sugar and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Mix 1 Tb. sushi vinegar per 1c.cooked sushi rice.

Peanut Butter- Chocolate Chip- Oatmeal Cookies

Link to Recipe

These cookies are a great combo of sweet and salty.  I substituted sunflower seeds for peanuts.  The cookies are best served the next day with a cold glass of milk!  Enjoy, but just don't look at the nutrition information. Yikes!

Rating 4 stars