Category Archives: Vegetarian Dishes

Lighten Up, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegan Dishes, Vegetarian Dishes

Purple Potatoes Vinaigrette

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This salad is the perfect tribute to summer, giving traditional mayo-laden potato salad a run for the money.  Tender potatoes soak in a vibrant dressing full of basil and garlic, imparting mounds of flavor.  Give this one a twirl at your next barbecue – it’s the perfect partner to grilled meats.

Purple Potatoes Vinaigrette

1 lb of purple creamer potatoes, halved
4 tbs. of pesto, homemade or jarred (here’s a recipe for Watercress Pesto)
2 tbs. of red wine vinegar
1/3 c. of olive oil
1 cl. of garlic, minced
salt and pepper (to taste)
3 plum tomatoes, diced

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in potatoes and then cook until fork tender. Drain the potatoes well and toss into the fridge to cool.

Whisk the pesto, vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Toss potatoes with tomatoes and dressing. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve.

Egg Dishes, Main Courses, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Dishes

Broccoli Fritatta

My alma mater was pretty awesome all around, but the cafeteria was a different story.  Not exactly the paramount of culinary majesty, let’s just say that I was uber-happy to have a kitchen in my dorm room for my junior and senior year.  The cafeteria was certainly manageable if you knew exactly what you liked that was safe to eat – limited salad bar, yes but grilled cheese and cheese fries, no.  On my safe list was a broccoli frittata made on weekends for breakfast – they doled out huge spoonfuls of fluffy eggs, broccoli, shredded carrot and cheddar cheese.  For a cafeteria where cheerios and milk could prove dangerous, I adored the broccoli frittata.

Years later, jonesing for that good ol’ recipe, I came across a similar version on the Whole Foods website.  Who knew?  Maybe my school wasn’t so bad after all!  Or at least whomever was making the broccoli frittata back there in the kitchen was holding it down.  This recipe is uber-simple and works well hot or warm, so break it out for a breakfast, lunch or brunch option.  It also holds up with other varieties of veggies, so feel free to raid your produce bin for other stars of the frittata.


Recipe for

Broccoli Fritatta

Ingredients
2 crowns of broccoli
1/4 c. of chopped onion or shallots
2 tbs of butter
1 c. of milk
1 c. of cheddar
1/2 c. of swiss
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. of white pepper
6 eggs
1/4 c. of flour

Chop up the broccoli and shallots (or onions) finely – I do mine in the food processor.  Sauté the veggies in butter in a frying pan until tender, about 2-3 minutes.  Set aside and allow to cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, black pepper, white pepper, flour and nutmeg until smooth.  Stir in the broccoli mixture, cheddar cheese and swiss cheese.  Turn out into a greased baking pan, 13x9x2 for a thin frittata or a 9×3 inch round pan for a thicker frittata, on 350° for 25-30 minutes, or until set in the middle.  Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

Baked Goods, Desserts, Friends Recipes and Hacks, Holiday Dishes, Recipes, Vegetarian Dishes

Simple Gingerbread Cookies

Not gonna lie, I wholeheartedly think Sandra Lee is a hot mess.  Most of her recipes strip the fun out of cooking, replacing fresh ingredients and unique spices with prepackaged, frozen ingredients, all for the sake of saving time.  Which I believe is reserved for getting drunk, based on the heavy emphasis on “cocktail time” in each and every one of her episodes.  A group of us were watching her show Semi Homemade (aka Semi Disgusting) like a horror film – a friend turned to us all and said that she couldn’t get over how batshit crazy she seemed.  Watching her show is like a car accident in slow-motion – from recipes for Kwanzaa cake to jello shots (Um, we need a recipe for jello shots? How old are we?), Food Network Humor has a wide array of just the recipes and techniques that make me groan every time I see her trying to teach people how to cook.

So with all of the vitriole above, and my straight up disgust with Sandra Lee, maybe I need to put down the haterade for a second in that her gingerbread recipe is damn good.  I found the recipe in passing while getting together my list of Christmas goodies to bake, and to my horror, the one that seemed like some majesty was hers.  With a few tweaks made by my expert baker of a sister, this recipe absolutely goes into the pantheon of keepers for all time.  Given that there’s no shame in my game, I do have to give her (or, more likely, whatever peon employee of Food Network Test Kitchen who wrote the recipe) credit where credit is due.  But I can’t forgive all transgressions as your Espresso Martini featured on the Today Show was like a cloyingly sweet White Russian in a martini glass.  Plus, the chapter about you in Anthony Bourdain’s “Medium Raw” is truly cringeworthy.  I guess I’ll just focus on the gingerbread and pretend to forget about your many other transgressions in the kitchen.  And I’m Sandra Lee doesn’t care about any of us haters out there as she cashes those fat checks from her media empire and kicks back with myriad vodka tipples in the Governor’s mansion.

Enough of the negativity – Lexi and I had a hell of a time decorating with the help of some strange Swedish animal shapes from IKEA cookie cutters and some well-placed decorative candy.  We warmed Starburst with our hands and rolled it out like fondant to cut into ribbons and bows.  We sliced red and green fruit roll ups into strips and pressed them together to make a Christmas striped sheet for cutting into scarves, sweaters and top hats.  We used cinnamon candy dots to make necklaces and eyes.  And rather than making royal icing from scratch, we used the prepackaged muffin glaze in a squeezable tube (found in the baking aisle at the supermarket) to stick on the decorations.  I’m sure Sandra Lee would approve.

Recipe for

Simple Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients
1 package of dry sugar cookie mix
1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tbs of crystalized ginger, finely ground in a coffee grinder or pulverized in a food processor
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 tbs. of maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. of almond extract

In a standing mixer, blend the mix, egg, flour, butter, pumpkin pie spice, ground ginger, crystalized ginger, molasses, maple syrup, vanilla extract and almond extract.  Once a dough forms, remove from the bowl, wrap with plastic and chill for about an hour.  If you chill for longer than an hour, make sure to remove from the fridge about 15 minutes before you want to roll out the dough.  Flour a board and rolling pin and roll out the dough to around 1/4 of an inch thick.  Cut cookies with cookie cutters and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment.  Bake in a 350° oven for 7 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack and let cool.  Decorate as you see fit and store in a tupperware to keep soft and chewy.

Lighten Up, Main Courses, Recipes, Soups and Stews, Vegetarian Dishes

Lexi’s Favorite Vegetarian Chili

I know what you’re thinking, folks, “Really, Angela? Vegetarian chili?” But you must, must, must try this, die hard meat eater or no.  My father, who I am sure is 99% dinosaur (and I’m talking the T-Rex variety) loves this chili like no other, and he doesn’t give out the compliments for non-meat dishes lightly.  He’ll even eat this straight up as a main course with not a bit of meat on the side.  If that ain’t a testament to quality, then I don’t know what is.

My dad scored this recipe for my sister, Lexi, who then passed it to me.  It utilizes veggie crumbles, found in the frozen food section with the meatless entrees and veggie burgers.  A solid number of veggies and beer help round out the flavor for a chili that won’t for one second make you miss beef.  Dress it up with some shredded cheddar or sour cream and you are in business.  It true slacker mode, I have eaten this cold with Fritos scoops and guess what?  Still delicious.

PS. This was the first time that my sister had ever been in the kitchen with me for a photo shoot for the blog.  She laughed at how small the plate was that I took the macro photo from.  Even though I have a bigger kitchen now and more natural light, I still shoot small like I did in NYC in the itty, bitty kitchen with not a bit of sunshine to illuminate my food.  This photo above is her demo of the scale of the photo shoot, and not the amount of chili that I gave her as her ration.  She ate two full bowls, thank you very much.

Recipe for

Lexi’s Favorite Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients
4 tbs. of olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
3 stalks of celery, finely choped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bottle of beer
1 can of vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of pinto beans, drained
1 can of light kidney beans or pink beans, drained
2 large cans of diced tomatoes (can use 3 cans of Ro-Tel for extra kick)
1 c. of spicy salsa
1 handful of tortilla chips, crushed
1/4 c. of chili powder
1 tsp. of garlic powder
1 tsp. of oregano
salt and pepper

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil.  Add the vegetables and sauté until translucent.  Pour in the beer, the stock and the bay leaves and let simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Stir in the veggie crumbles and let warm while you start opening cans.

Add the beans, tomatoes and salsa and stir.  Mix in the crushed tortilla chips, chili powder, garlic powder and oregano.  Let simmer for about 10 minutes and then taste for salt and pepper.  You can amp up the heat with hot sauce or cayenne pepper if things are too tame.

Serve chili with shredded cheese, chopped onion and diced jalapeno.

Cheese Dishes, Main Courses, Pasta Dishes, Recipes, Vegetarian Dishes

Easy Pumpkin Ravioli

I got your memo.  The one about wanting to have more time for your various hobbies (costume-making for squirrels, jetskiing in ascots and sweet dance moves) all the while still being able to dine like a king.  Well, how about artisan tasting ravioli on a trailer park budget and minimal cooking knowledge.  I’m talking basic – like let your kids take care of this one.  Come to think of it, it’d be even better to use that cheap labor and get back to the garden gnome sculpting with full force.  But I digress…

This recipe leverages a few key ingredients to simplify the whole process and keep the taste profile elite.  Wonton wrappers take the place of hand-rolled pasta, and canned pumpkin replaces freshly roasted (and time-consuming) roasted butternut squash.  Topped with the simplest of sauces of butter, sage and cracked pepper, you’ve got some exemplary eating with absolutely no work.  You can even elevate the level of class with a cheap ravioli cutter (a modest $3-5) for crimped edges that make the pasta look as if they were purchased from the Italian grocer.

Once you have this filling down (which should take you all of 5 seconds) consider stirring in caramelized shallots, crisped pancetta or even gorgonzola into the mix.  Have fun, experiment and enjoy all the extra time you’ll have for the wining portion of the wining and dining.

Recipe for

Easy Pumpkin Ravioli

Ingredients
15 oz. of whole milk ricotta
1 egg
1/8 tsp. of black pepper
1/4 tsp. of white pepper
1 tbs. of olive oil
4 tbs. of puréed pumpkin
1/3 c. of parmesan cheese
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt
wonton wrappers
1 egg beaten with 1 tbs. of water

1 stick of butter
1 bunch of sage

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.  In a small bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 egg, pepper, olive oil, cheese, pumpkin, nutmeg and salt.  Create a work station with a space to assemble the ravioli next to a lightly floured cookie sheet.  Take a wonton wrapper and brush the edges with egg beaten with water.  Heap a tablespoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper and then top with another wonton wrapper.  Gently press the edges together to adhere and then trim the edges with a ravioli cutter to flute the edges.  Set aside on the cookie sheet and repeat until all filling is used.

In a skillet, melt the butter until it starts to foam and turns a deep golden.  Add the sage leaves and gently cook until crisp.  Keep warm as you cook the ravioli.

Cook the ravioli in the boiling water for a quick 1-2 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately add to the melted butter to slick them down with the sauce.  Continue to cook the ravioli in small batches and add to the sauce.  Serve warm.

Appetizers and Small Plates, Easy to Prepare, Lighten Up, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan Dishes, Vegetarian Dishes

Sesame Cucumbers

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I love this recipe for a multitude of reasons – in true Shakespearean style, let me count the ways…

  1. In an almost atavistic longing for my childhood, you remind me of the Pickled Broccoli Stems that I could eat in heaps and heaps at the now closed Chinese restaurant, Hsiang Foong, or as we called it, “The Foong”.  You were later replaced with El Pollo Rico, another love of mine, but I digress.
  2. PF Changs sells you for way too much money, but with a bit of change and a few minutes, I can make a far superior version of you in every way.
  3. You are so friggin’ easy to make.

Make this as a side dish for a dumpling feast, or as an appetizer for your next FU to Chinese takeout, whereby you prepare a fresh meal without all the MSG, overcooked veggies, oversauced meat and stale fortune cookies (fortune and all).  Your tummy will thank you.

Recipe for

Sesame Cucumbers

Ingredients
1 english cucumber (called seedless or hothouse)
2 tbs. of sesame oil
4 tbs. of rice wine vinegar
4 tbs. of water
1 tsp. of salt
2 tsp. of sugar
1 tsp. black sesame seeds
1 tsp. white sesame seeds
dash of chili oil (optional)

Slice your cucumber into thin, 1/4 in. rounds and place in a bowl.  Add all other ingredients and stir gently.  Let sit in the fridge for 15-20 minutes and then serve.

Appetizers and Small Plates, Lighten Up, Recipes, Sauces and Condiments, Vegan Dishes, Vegetarian Dishes

Fresh Tomato Salsa

There’s something to be a said for a good recipe passed on from trusted cook to trusted cook.  Finding one of these gems is truly like finding a hidden treasure – the question is whether you’ll share once you do.  Given that I’m not at all proprietary, and I love the fact that these posts get you guys cooking, eating and sharing in turn, how could I not pass it on!

This one comes from my grandmother, Vo, who was given this recipe by a friend, who in turn received it from her grandmother – the same recipe that she used back in Mexico.  Something as seemingly pedestrian as salsa becomes a celebration of the sweetness of ripe tomatoes and the piquant flavor of jalapeno.  I was surprised to learn that there’s nary the lime or bit of oil in this one – just veggies and goodness. Continue reading Fresh Tomato Salsa →

Recipes, Rice Dishes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Dishes

Rice Pilaf with Toasted Orzo

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I don’t care how easy they say that they are to make, those rice blends at the supermarket are overrated.  Dehydrated herbs and chicken flavor make up the taste profile, and you can’t be sure how long it’s all been sitting on the shelf.  You can totally take control of your own destiny – make your own rice pilaf in the same amount of time with no fillers or preservatives.

This pilaf takes ordinary converted rice and boosts it with a bit of toasted orzo.  The little pasta grains impart texture, nuttiness and a lovely color to the dish – you get depth of flavor with really no additional work.  This recipe is a great, quick side for a weeknight dinner – while you prepare your main dish, you can have a pot of this simmering away on the back burner.  Best of all, when it’s done, you can fluff with a fork and recover until the rest of the meal is finished.  It’ll wait for you until you’re ready to go.  Rice that’s patient?  Who woulda thunk it?

Rice Pilaf with Toasted Orzo

Ingredients
2 c. of converted, parboiled rice (like Uncle Ben’s)
1/2 c. of orzo
1 tsp. of fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
2 tbs. of olive oil
2 tbs. of butter
4 c. of vegetable (or chicken stock)

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil to shimmering.  Add the butter and the orzo to the hot pan, continuously stirring to brown the orzo but not burn it.  Once the orzo is toasty brown, add the rice, pepper and oregano.  Stir to combine and add the chicken broth.  Let the mixture come to a boil, then cover the pot and lower the heat to low.

Cook pilaf until all water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Uncover rice and fluff with a fork.  Serve.

Lighten Up, Recipes, Rice Dishes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Dishes

Herbed Pilaf

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Although I don’t have access to a plot of land to cultivate my green thumb, I make do with every inch of real estate available to me in my apartment with my itty-bitty home garden.  It saves me quick dashes to the store to buy expensive fresh herbs, and I’m further encouraged to include them in dishes as opposed to dried herbs.  It’s an absolute boon, and truly, a window garden is very little work.  Not to mention the fact that with a little sun and water, basil, dill, parsley and mint are practically unstoppable.

This simple rice pilaf is a celebration of the goodness of fresh herbs – if you are not inclined to grow your own, pick up the prettiest, leafiest bunches from the store or farmer’s market and go to town.  This is one of those “make-it-your-own” kind of deals, so absolutely be creative.  I like a combination of dill, mint, basil, thyme and parsley, but sage, savory, rosemary and fennel also work well.

I use chicken broth in lieu of all water in this recipe, but if you’d like to keep things vegetarian, replace the chicken broth with veggie stock to make things meat-free.  Scrap the butter for a little more olive oil, and you’ve got a vegan delight on your hands.  Yup, that easy.  And speaking of easy, these shots feature Marx Foods Palm Plates – biodegradeable gems that are as lovely to look at as they are sturdy and good for the environment.  Check ’em out!

Recipe for

Herbed Pilaf

Ingredients
2 c. of long grain rice
2 tbs. of butter
1 tbs. of olive oil
2 c. of chicken broth
scant 2 c. of water
1/2 tsp. of salt
pinch of black pepper
1/4 c. of mixed herbs, loosely packed

Begin by roughly chopping the herbs.  Heat the butter and olive oil in a medium pot.  Add the rice, broth, water, salt and pepper and bring mixture to a boil.  Once boiling, toss the herbs on top and cover.  Turn heat to low and cook until all water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Fluff rice with a fork and serve.

Easy to Prepare, Lighten Up, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan Dishes, Vegetarian Dishes

Asparagus with Gremolata

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The quest for the fall back side has one more contender in the running – this simple preparation of asparagus with a delicious italian condiment of the brightest flavor and texture is an absolute gem.  Even better than how it tastes is the work involved, or should I say lack thereof.  This is probably the simplest and most elegant side that you can put together, and should absolutely become a go-to recipe in your kitchen.

Gremolata is a lovely mixture of finely chopped parley, garlic and lemon.  It is most commonly used as a topping for osso buco (braised veal shanks) and other slow-cooked meat dishes that benefit from a lightening of flavor to round things out.  The key to gremolata is prepping it as you need it and using the freshest ingredients.  A simple toss with some asparagus and olive oil, this gremolata will bring the tender spears to a whole new level.

Gremolata is absolutely versatile – if you’re not a fan of asparagus, try it atop simple roasted string beans or tomatoes.  It also serves as a simple stir-in for minestrone and other savory soups.  Be creative and definitely take advantage of the fact that gremolata will give your one-note dishes a huge kick in the pants.  In a good way.

Recipe for

Asparagus with Gremolata

Ingredients
1 lb. of asparagus, rinsed and trimmed of tough ends
1 cl. of garlic, minced
zest of 1 lemon
1 c. of loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/8 tsp. of freshly cracked pepper
2 tbs. of olive oil
kosher salt

Place asparagus in a shallow pan and fill with water to barely cover asparagus.  Heavily salt the water and bring water to a boil.  When the water comes to a boil and the asparagus spears turn a bright green, remove them from the water and place them in a serving dish.

In a small bowl, mix the parsley, lemon zest, pepper, a small pinch of kosher salt and olive oil.  Pour over the hot asparagus spears and toss.  Serve.