Teriyaki Pasta Salad

Thanks to Stefan for taking these nice photos. I didn't even have to fold laundry this time-- what what!!

I saw a similar looking salad on Creme de la Crumb and couldn't get it out of my mind. I really wanted to make it for this potluck street party at Stefan's parents' street we were going to on Saturday evening. Sometimes, I get these ideas in my head and it's hard to change my mind. We had 4 bunches of asparagus and had talked about making some grilled asparagus..but then, despite having none of the ingredients for this salad, I decided to go out and buy them and make it. Stefan ended up doing most of it, as I was out at the rehearsal dinner for Kristin and Shawn's wedding. Stay tuned for an update and some photos on that. It was so much fun. What a busy weekend!!

How do you get a chef to follow a recipe? It ain't easy. Stefan was pretty good though, and mostly followed the instructions. I took the opportunity to show him how useful the ipad is for cooking and recipes. Stefan thinks my ipad is useless, as I have been rarely using it since I got my new laptop. He keeps threatening to get rid of it. Nooooo!!!!!

Our key takeaways- use good quality extra virgin olive oil. Not canola oil. It won't be the same.
Also don't mix everything together and then add dressing before serving. Instead put the dressing on the pasta right away so the flavour can develop and the pasta stays MOIST. When you are ready to serve, add spinach and the rest of the ingredients so the leaves don't get soggy.  Finally, always use fresh garlic if you have some instead of garlic powder. That's just a personal preference.

We brought it to the street party and it was a lot of fun. What a neat idea and nice way to get to know your neighbors and enjoy a nice spring evening outdoors.  There were so many delicious salads.

Our table was so beautiful! Notice the lemon and flowers in the water? What a nice touch from Stefan's mom.

Oat Bread

Thanks to S for these photos of the bread! It's nice to have such a talented boyfriend, and to be able to share love for cooking and photography.

We set up a mini studio with  lighting one night 

Speaking of being a great boyfriend, S got me this cookbook Earth to Table: Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm, by Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann. S probably doesn't understand why I love cookbooks so much as he doesn't use recipes and just makes the most delicious food.  I guess that's how real chefs operate. For the rest of us, there are cookbooks. This one is great because it is organized by season, so you can make food that uses ingredients in season.

I wasted no time making this delicious oat bread. it was really easy.

Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce

I just want to start out by saying how shocked, appalled and sad  I am about the attacks that occurred at the Boston Marathon yesterday. With my sis and fam living in Boston, as well as having myself run a marathon last year, this one hit close to home. My thoughts go out to the families and friends of everyone affected.

I don't know about you, but when I feel sad i like to eat. Here is a recipe I made recently. If you are wondering why this photo looks familiar, it is because this is the dish featured on the cover of Plenty, the amazing recipe book I have been raving about by Yotam Ottolenghi. I have been wanting to try this recipe since I first got the recipe book. Apparently this dish is meant to be served as an appetizer, but with some pita bread and a salad it can definitely be a main course. Compared to some of the more elaborate recipes in the book, this one is quite simple.

Cheddar Jalepeno Corn Bread

I love cornbread! And I finally made it for the first time yesterday. Well the second time really but the first time I used a mix for gluten free corn bread. Well, let me tell you, there is no comparison. If I can share one tip with yall, it's never ever use mixes. Making things from scratch is so much better, and doesn't even take much more time or effort. It's also cheaper, so basically all around better. To those who ate that so called gluten free corn bread..I owe you an apology!

Spanish Eggs

I got this recipe from Carolyn who got it from Better Homes and Gardens. It makes for a big, filling, flavourful breakfast. great way to start the day!! I made this yesterday- finally had my appetite back after being sick for a few days- and it kept me full until lunch.

Indian-Spiced Carrot Soup

The other day I woke up and had an urge to make soup. I ended up making a soup that didn't turn out that well so I didn't post the recipe on here. I also ended up rushing like crazy so as to not be late for work!! I'm motivated in the morning to excercise and to cook or bake. The problem is, I don't really have time for it, and especially not for both. Perhaps if I woke up an hour earlier that would help, but I find it so hard to get out of bed when it's dark out.

Caprese Salad

Sometimes the simplest meals are the most delicious.  This recipe only has a few ingredients and can be prepared in less then 5 minutes. It is my favourite summer meal.

Ingredients

-Tomato

-Mozarella or bocconcini cheese

-Basil

-Olive oil and vinegar

-Salt to taste

Arrange tomato and cheese on plate. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil. Drizzle with oil and vinegar, add salt to taste.

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I got a basil plant so I used fresh basil! Hopefuly I can keep it alive.

    



Vegetable Lasagna with Butternut Bechamel

I found this recipe on TheKitchn's list of top 15 vegetarian recipes. It was submitted to them by Julia from Washington DC and won "best healthy casserole" contest.

I decided I wanted to make this casserole for my parents, so they would have an easy meal to eat after a long trip back from argentina. Also, after I got back from argentina (and eating tuns of steak) I was craving vegeteables and vegetarian food, so i thought they might feel the same. I had intended on making this right after work on Friday, but ended up going to the movies, and didn't get starded until 9pm. It has many steps, and I was pretty tired by the end of it. I definitely recommend making this lasagna when you are full of energy and have lots of time (haha, when does that ever happen? maybe when you are procrastinating studying or cleaning). I had a hard time cutting and peeling the squash, so next time I might do that in advance or just buy squash that's already cut into pieces.

I think it was worth the effort, as everyone really enjoyed it. Next time I will add in more chard and maybe some eggplant.

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Ingredients:
1 pound (about 16) lasagna noodles
2 to 2 1/2 pound butternut squash (or 2 pounds chopped squash)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large bunch (about 5 large leaves) chard, well-washed
1 pound cremini mushrooms, washed and sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup water or white wine
1 cup milk, plus additional if needed
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for the top of the lasagna
1 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan and mozzarella cheese mix

Directions:

Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the lasagna noodles and cook as directed on the package. When cooked, drain and lay out on clean kitchen towels to dry.

While the pasta is cooking, peel and seed the squash. Cut into 1-inch cubes and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes or until extremely soft.

Remove the stems and ribs from the chard leaves by folding each leaf in half lengthwise and using the tip of a chef's knife to slit away the main rib. Chop each rib and stem into 1/2-inch pieces. Roll each leaf up into a cigar shape, cut it in half lengthwise, and then crossways into thin ribbons.

Heat a thin drizzle of oil oil in a 10-inch sauté pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms. Cook without stirring until quite brown — about 5 to 7 minutes. Flip them over and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, and add the garlic and chard stems to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant — about 3 minutes. Add the chopped chard leaves and 1/4 cup water or white wine and cook until the leaves are tender and wilted. Turn off the heat and season the vegetables lightly with salt and pepper.

At this point the butternut squash should be quite soft. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Scrape all the squash into a bowl and add 1/2 cup milk, the nutmeg, lemon zest and thyme. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture, adding the remaining milk as you go. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble the lasagna, spoon about 1/4 of the butternut sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking pan and spread to thinly coat the bottom. Place 1/4 of the noodles on top (four noodles) and then spread 1/3 of remaining sauce on noodles. Top with 1/2 of the cooked vegetables, and 1/2 cup of cheese. Add another layer of noodles, then sauce, then the rest of the vegetables, and 1/2 cup of cheese. Place the final layer of noodles over the vegetables and spread the last 1/3 of the sauce over top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and a pinch of thyme leaves.

Cover the lasagna with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the top is golden and the cheese is gooey. Remove from the oven and let stand uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

Mac and Cheese Lite

A healthy Mac and Cheese Recipe!!



In the baking Dish

Served with a nice side salad and voila-dinner !

I have been craving macaroni and cheese for ages, so when I spotted this recipe for a healthier, lighter version in Fitness magazine, I decided to give it a try. I was intrigued by the fact that it doesn't use butter, milk or cream, and instead uses onion/garlic to build flavour and texture. It does take a little prep time but it's worth it! It is quite addictive and perfect comfort food for this cold weather. I am looking forward to having leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray (or drop of oil)
Salt
4 ounces whole wheat macaroni ( I used half whole wheat half regular)
1/2 cup onion-garlic puree*
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup shredded 50 percent reduced-fat cheddar ( I only had mozzarella so i used that)
1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
* This puree was very intriguing. You \ to put 1 onion with 9 cloves of garlic ( I used just 4, as 9 seemed excessive) in a covered dish in the microwave with 1/2 cup of water for 10 minutes! You then blend it in a blender (magic bullet works great), and it comes out looking like a white, creamy sauce. The leftover puree can be kept in the fridge in a container for a few days.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mist an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set it aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions, drain.
3. Meanwhile, bring onion-garlic puree, mustard, and cayenne to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Whisk in cheddar until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in yogurt.
4. In a medium bowl, toss the macaroni with the cheese sauce. Season with salt to taste. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle panko over the top. Top with Parmesan.
5. Bake until Parmesan is melted and macaroni is hot throughout, about 10 minutes.

Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

As some of you may know, I love thai food! So when I spotted a recipe for Thai soup in cooking light magazine, I couldn't wait to try it out. It took me a couple of days to do some research  ( ie what does lemongrass look like and where do I find it?) and  get all the ingredients. I found this website http://thaifood.about.com/b/2007/11/25/all-about-lemongrass-how-to-choose-cut-and-cook-with-lemongrass.htm  quite helpful. I ended up buying lemongrass stocks at an Asian Supermarket, however I saw they did have them at the regular supermarket too.  After gathering the ingredients, making the soup was easy.   It has a bit of a kick to it and is perfect for very cold weather. I have been eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner..and will definitely be adding it to my list of go-to soup recipes.

Ingredients:
-2 teaspoons canola oil
-1 cup sliced mushrooms
-1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
-4 teaspoons peeled fresh ginger
-4 garlic cloves (I put 2)
-3-inch lemongrass stalk, halved lengthwise
-2 teaspoons sambal oelek( ground fresh chille paste)- I didn't have this so i used curry paste and a little   bit of chile powder. Seemed to work just fine
-3 cups chicken broth
-1 1/4 cups light coconut milk
-4 teaspoons fish sauce
-1 tablespoon sugar
-2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
-1/2 cup green onion
-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
-2 tablespoons lime juice

Directions:
Heat a dutch oven (or just regular pot if you don't have a dutch oven) with the oil, add mushrooms, and 4 next ingredients; cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chile paste, cook 1 minute. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar. bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Discard lemongrass. Top with onions, cilantro and lime juice.