Jun 11th, 2009 Posted in Soup | no comment »
As a vegetarian, lentils are one of my favorite non-soy sources of protein. They are incredibly flexible; however, the staples, like this Lentil Soup, are still wonderful classics. Almost every culture has a version of lentil soup. Serve it up with a good piece of bread and you’ve got a good meal.

Lentil Soup
Lentil Soup
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Tags: bay leaf, carrot, cayenne, coriander, cumin, ginger, lemon juice, lentils, Main Dish, olive oil, onion, pepper, recipe, salt, Soup, tomato, water
Mar 14th, 2009 Posted in Main Dish | no comment »
I was asked by a reader to post some of my favorite quick recipes. The ones that I make when I don’t have the time, energy, or the willingness to really cook a meal. The times that I don’t make Jason cook, which always ends up with some variation of Kraft Mac’n'Cheese and hot dogs (vegetarian ones for me) on his George Foreman Grill.
My spinach quesadillas were an invention and necessity when I was in college. A combination of inspiration from my childhood — my mother was a big fan of the “cheese melts in the microwave” mantra — and crepes from a little restaurant that used to be in my hometown. In college, I distracted an entire senior creative writing class, who were extremely tired of school food, with their delicious aroma.

Spinach Quesadillas
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Tags: basil, butter, canola oil, cheddar cheese, comfort food, corn torillas, flour torillas, Italian seasoning, Main Dish, oregano, recipe, rosemary, spinach, tomato
Dec 23rd, 2008 Posted in Main Dish | 4 comments »
Jason and I love Indian food and we’re always looking for new recipes to try. This reicipe, originally from Chef Henry’s Chop Onions, Boil Water, is tasty and hearty. His recipe recommends serving with naan or roti bread. I’d love to find some other dishes to prepare with it in order to serve at a dinner party.

Aloo Chole
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Tags: cauliflower, chickpeas, cilantro, cumin, curry powder, garam masala, Indian cuisine, Main Dish, onion, onion seeds, peanut oil, potato, recipe, salt, tomato, yogurt
Dec 5th, 2008 Posted in Soup | no comment »
I love a good bowl of tomato soup with an accompanying grilled cheese sandwich. It’s something I grew up on. It reminds me of colder fall and winter weekends where my mom and I had been outside all day and needed something quick, hearty, and warm.

The original recipe comes from the Skinny Chef. Hers was a little more low-fat than mine and contained chicken.
This soup certain beats anything out of a can. (Sorry, mom.)
Cream of Tomato Soup
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Tags: carrot, celery, comfort food, cream cheese, olive oil, onion, pepper, recipe, salt, tomato, tomato paste, water
Nov 19th, 2008 Posted in Main Dish | one comment »
Jason and I both love Indian food, so I’ve made it a goal to better learn how to cook it. I tried a recipe for Cauliflower, Potato, and Pea Curry, minus the peas because I’m allergic to them.
Overall, we enjoyed it, but thought it could be a little spicier. The recipe is relatively simple and quick to make. Serve with rice.

Cauliflower and Potato Curry
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Tags: cauliflower, cilantro, coriander, cumin, Indian cuisine, Main Dish, potato, recipe, red pepper flakes, salt, tomato, turmeric, vegetable oil, water
Nov 16th, 2008 Posted in Main Dish | no comment »
I’m a big fan of Enchiladas. I grew up on my mom’s enchiladas, but now that I’m a vegetarian, I have to search for non-meat alternatives. I even held an enchilada off with her before her wedding this summer: my eggplant almond ones vs. her chicken ones. But people were scared of eggplant. Yes, it’s a purple vegetable, people, a delicious purple vegetable.
And in trying something different, I made this spinach enchilada, based on this recipe. While the original recipe was low-fat, I added a bunch of cheese and made it bad for you. But delicious. It was, however, really runny and messy to eat. When re-heating, I added rice to soak up some of the juices.
Spinach Enchiladas
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Tags: cayenne, cheddar cheese, chili powder, cumin, enchilada red sauce, flour torillas, Mexican cuisine, monterey jack cheese, mushroom, olive oil, onion, recipe, spinach, tomato
Nov 16th, 2008 Posted in Main Dish | no comment »
These are extremely yummy and healthy for you. Way healthier than say nachos from a bar. This is based on a recipe from The Better Homes and Gardens: The New Cookbook. Unfortunately, I didn’t take pictures before they were devoured by me while I was watching House.
Lentil and Veggie Nachos
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Tags: carrot, cumin, lentils, Mexican cuisine, mozzarella cheese, onion, recipe, salt, tomato, tortilla chips, water, zucchini