I cook with wine…

Hey guys,

I know I’ve been a slacker of the worst sort on this blog. Truth is, I’ve still been cooking and I definitely have some recipes piled up in my kitchen, but I have had no time to write about any of my experiments. The reason is my September 4th wedding, which is only one month away! I can hardly believe it. So I just wanted to write a quick note that I plan on posting with abandon once I finish throwing a party for 150+ people and have joined my life with the life of the most wonderful person I have ever known.

Thanks for listening and hope to have something for you in about a month!

Melinda

I'm such a lucky girl.

Ok, not the prettiest meal, but darn tasty!

This recipe was inspired by my mom’s classic stuffed bell peppers, as well as Olivia’s recipe, and finally, Kevin’s love for all things quinoa. This is a veggie recipe that could easily go vegan with the omission of cheese – I’m 100% certain it would still taste fantastic but I had a block of Gruyere just begging to be used. This is another quick weeknight meal: it would probably be under 45 minutes for a good multi-tasker, but definitely less than 45 minutes if you make the quinoa ahead of time. Protein and vitamin-filled, easy and gooey delicious – how can you resist?

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

2 cups mushroom broth or water (I prefer homemade mushroom broth if it’s available, really amps up the flavor)

8 ounces mushroom of choice, sliced (I like the tastes of criminis)

1 zucchini, sliced and quartered

1/2 large white onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese, optional (can substitute any other melty cheese you’d like)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

5 large bell peppers

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place quinoa and broth into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until grains are soft and chewy. Stir every now and then, but no need to babysit (I love that about quinoa!).

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until fragrant, just a few minutes. Add mushrooms and zucchini and saute until soft and just starting to brown.

Mix quinoa with vegetables and season to taste with salt and pepper (although I like to go easy on the salt in this one – you are adding some cheese too, remember). Fold in Gruyere.

Cut the tops off of the bell peppers and remove the seeds, leaving a bowl-like shell. Gently spoon the quinoa mixture into each bell pepper and space a few inches apart on a baking sheet or large casserole dish (the edges help keep not quite perfect bell peppers from falling over). Bake, uncovered, for about 25 minutes if you like your bell peppers a bit crunchy or 30 to 35 if you’d prefer them soft.

This is one of those "good no matter what mood I am in" meals.

When I talk to people about cooking a lot and eating healthier, the biggest complaint that comes up is a lack of time. And, with an hour commute (each way) to a 9-hour workday, I am quite familiar with this problem. As a result, I’ve created a new category which you can access from the drop-down menu on the right called “Quick & Easy” so that everyone can find ideas for fast, easy and delicious food to make on those nights when all you really want to do is flop on the couch. This is one of those meals and, can I say, really hit the spot last night.

Ingredients:

Quesadillas

8 tortillas of choice

8 oz. shredded cheese of choice (I like Tillamook’s kosher cheddar)

1/2 large red onion, diced

Olive oil

Salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 pint grape tomatoes, washed and sliced in half

1 avocado, cut into small dice

3-4 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Juice of 3 small limes

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat about one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and saute until translucent and just beginning to brown, about five minutes. I usually use this time to wash the veggies and grate the cheese. Relocate to a small bowl.

Reheat the skillet and place one tortilla flat on the bottom. Cover with one-third of the sauteed onions and desired amount of cheese. Top with another tortilla. Cook quesadilla until bottom tortilla begins to brown and cheese is melty, about two minutes with a skillet on medium heat. Flip and brown the other tortilla, about the same amount of time or a little less. While quesadilla is cooking, I like to chop the veggies. Repeat with the other two quesadillas.

To make the salsa, simply mix the ingredients together and season to taste. Serves 4 people with one quesadilla each topped with a generous dose of salsa. If you’d prefer a little more spice, some minced garlic and jalapeno would definitely liven up the salsa, but I was aiming for simple and good. This recipe could also be made vegan by substituting vegan cheese for the cheddar.

Want to know how I know that summer is on its way? Corn! Sweet, beautiful, plump ears of it! Ok, I know that California is a bit spoiled in our growing seasons and that many of you won’t experience fresh corn until later in the summer, but I hope you will remember this recipe when you do. Kevin (le fiance) requested something with chipotle peppers and adobo sauce this week and I’ve been itching to use some lovely Vaquero beans I picked up from Rancho Gordo a few weeks ago, so chili seemed like a natural choice. I loaded it with lots of spring and summer veggies and let the spiciness do the talking. Hope you are enjoying the sunshine; I know I am!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound dried beans of choice (as long as it’s something hearty and fit for chili, you use your own judgment)

Olive oil

1/2 large red onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

2 red bell peppers, chopped

2 zucchini, cut into half-inch slices then quartered

28 ounce can diced tomatoes

3 diced chipotle peppers with about 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (this made for very spicy chili, however, so reduce amount listed here and work your way up to a level with which you feel comfortable)

How beautiful are those colors?

1/2 cup to 1 cup water, mixed with 1/2 a 7-ounce can of tomato paste (vary amount of water based on how thick you want your chili)

3 ears of fresh sweet corn, kernels sliced off the cob

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Pick through and then rinse beans. Cover with a good amount of water and let soak overnight. Be sure to put enough water in there; these babies plump up a lot (I know from experience, mine were a tad crunchy).

Next day, drizzle some olive oil in your chili pot of choice and saute onions, garlic, bell peppers and zucchini over medium heat until soft and fragrant. Add in beans, tomatoes, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, tomato-paste and water mixture, corn and salt and pepper. Mix well, then cover, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for about 30 minutes. For the vegans, this would be great topped with some chunks of avocado; for everyone else, sour cream or cheddar cheese would also rock.

Sacrilege, you say? Well, give this mayonnaise-free version a try and then let me know if you are still of that opinion. Although I’d like to transition to a mostly vegan routine, I am still definitely more comfortable in my current pescetarian state, and egg salad provides the protein my body has been craving. Plus it’s just delicious in the summertime. This salty, scrumptious, relatively less fattening version was delicious served on some toasted pumpernickel.

Ingredients:

6-8 eggs, hard-boiled

2 tablespoons+ Dijon mustard

Juice from one lemon

Olive oil

1-2 tablespoons capers

1 shallot, chopped

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Chop up whites into small pieces and set aside. Place yolks in a medium-sized bowl.

Add mustard and lemon juice; use a fork to break up yolks and mix ingredients together until relatively smooth. Add olive oil until mixture reaches a consistency of your liking. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well-blended. Drop in egg whites and mix until whites are coated with yolk mixture. Serve as desired.

This is one I should have posted long ago, when persimmons were in season. I’m actually fairly new to this fruit and have generally just eaten them raw, ideally wrapped inside some prosciutto. However, I found myself craving pie and thought these little Fuyu beauties would pair well with apples, for a new twist on an American classic. Since neither fruit is terribly sweet and I wanted to keep the filling low on sugar, I did overindulge a bit with a sweet and crunchy topping. If you’d like to keep it low sugar, I believe some strips of pastry topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon would do just as well.

Ingredients:

One frozen pie crust (I used a whole wheat version found at Whole Foods)

Filling

2 green apples, peeled, cored and sliced

2 persimmons, peeled, cored and sliced

2 tablespoons agave nectar

2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour (you can sub all-purpose)

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Topping

1 cup pecans, chopped

¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour (same as above)

¼ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 stick butter at room temperature

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together all filling ingredients and pour into pie crust, spreading evenly.

Combine all the dry topping ingredients in a large bowl and then cut in butter, using a pastry cutter, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Spread evenly over the top of pie.

Bake in over for approximately 25 minutes or until topping is browned. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Bon appétit!

I was tasked with bringing something healthy and vegetarian to a Super Bowl party this past Sunday. I had already planned a big trip to the farmers market on Saturday, so I also chose to stick with seasonally appropriate ingredients. Here were the delicious results of this quest. Apologies for the lack of pictures, I was running a little too late to take time to photograph.

Ingredients:

Salad

1 head cauliflower, chopped into small florets

2 large carrots, sliced into ½ inch thick disks

1 pound (approximately) Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and sliced in half

5-6 medium-sized golden Yukon potatoes

2 bunches kale, cut into approximately 2-inch squares

Olive oil

Sea salt

Dressing

1 head garlic

Juice of three lemons

2 tablespoons sesame tahini

¼ cup grated parmesan

1 red onion, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the top off of the garlic, exposing the tips of the cloves. Place in a large enough square of aluminum foil to cover and pour a tablespoon of olive oil on top. Wrap foil around garlic and place in the oven. Roast for approximately 45 minutes or until cloves are soft and light brown in color.

Meanwhile, toss the kale with approximately 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a few dashes of sea salt. Spread evenly over two large baking sheets and cook in the preheated over for 8 to 10 minutes, or until crisp. Remove kale from oven, place in a large bowl to cool.

Toss the rest of the vegetables with approximately 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil and a few more dashes of sea salt. Spread evenly over the two baking sheets. Roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cauliflower begins to brown and potatoes are soft. Remove from over and let cool.

Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Chop roasted garlic into very small pieces. Mix onion and garlic with lemon juice, tahini, and parmesan. Add salt and pepper and adjust any other elements of the dressing to suit your specific taste.

Combine vegetables and dressing in a large bowl and toss to coat. Serve with an additional sprinkling of parmesan cheese, if desired. Can be served warm or cold.

Oh, lentils, how I love thee! Tasty, quick-cooking, versatile and supremely healthy, lentils are the perfect food for a cold January evening. They are a great source of fiber, which can lower cholesterol, and are high in protein. Lentils are rich in essential vitamins, stabilize blood sugar and are good for your heart. And there are only 230 calories per cup! This flavorful soup helps them shine, while bitter arugula balances the smokiness.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup lentils

3 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons cumin

2+ teaspoons smoked paprika

1 red onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 pound baby arugula leaves

3 cups vegetable broth or water

2 dried ancho chiles

Directions:

Put lentils and water in a large soup pot. Bring to boiling, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes (depending on lentils), or until soft. Once cooked, add arugula, whole dried ancho chile peppers, and broth/water to lentils. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan, then toss in the cumin and paprika. Sauté spices at medium heat until fragrant but not burned, approximately 30 seconds. Add onions and garlic; stir until coated with spices. Sauté aromatics until translucent. Afterward, mix in the tomatoes and sauté until heated through and bubbling.

Remove ancho chiles from soup pot. Remove tops from chiles and chop the rest into small bits. Add back to soup. Stir in the tomato mixture and add salt and pepper to taste, plus more smoked paprika if you deem it necessary (I had to up it a bit last night, although it would have been fine as is). Enjoy!

If you’re anything like me, many of your fondest childhood memories involve time spent in the kitchen. One of my favorite times was our annual meatball-making day. My mother, grandmother and I would all form a rather efficient assembly line in the kitchen, which would quickly morph into a reenactment of that famed I Love Lucy episode once the meatballs were cooked. Mommom, as she is known, led the pack with her taste buds and general cooking genius. As a result, there is a tradition, but no formal recipe. She gave me the “recipe” just as I will give it to you – a vague list of ingredients with the instructions to “fry a bit up and taste for yourself!” I hope you can gather some friends or family together, and have an equally happy time – trust me, the results are worth it!

Meatballs

Ingredients:

Lean ground beef and/or pork

Green peppers, chopped

Onions, diced

Salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese, grated

Garlic, fresh and powdered

Bread crumbs with Italian seasoning

Eggs (2 – 3 for a large batch)

Directions:

Mix ingredients together; test for taste by frying a bit in a pan. Adjust if necessary. Form into balls. Broil on a cookie sheet until top is brown, flip. Broil until done.

Chunky Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

Olive oil

Fresh Italian parsley

Green peppers, chopped

Onions, diced

Garlic, chopped

Whole canned plum tomatoes

Italian seasoning (dried basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, sage or your preferred combination thereof)

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Sauté peppers, onions, garlic and parsley in olive oil until cooked. Add tomatoes and seasoning and bring to a simmer. Simmer for several hours. Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve with cooked pasta and meatballs.

This recipe was really delicious, really healthy, and really turned into a big mess. I’ve been fairly lucky in my history as a home chef and have had few significant mishaps. This one, however, was a doozy. Basically, I learned that if you take a very hot substance which is mostly liquid with a few solids, like in this tomato soup, and overfill the blender even a little, it will explode everywhere. And I mean everywhere. I’ve included a picture but even it doesn’t do justice to the hilarious bit of kitchen chaos I experienced that night. Ah well, live and learn. I hope you enjoy the recipe, at least.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red onion, diced

9-10 small to medium-sized tomatoes (I used Roma, but any flavorful variety will do), peeled, seeded and diced (reserve as much juice as possible)

2 cups water

Salt and pepper

1 bunch cilantro

½ cup pine nuts

Zest and juice of one lime

½+ cup olive oil

Directions:

Heat tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in cumin and heat until fragrant, about one minute. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and water, bring to a boil then simmer for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the cilantro, pine nuts, lime zest, lime juice and olive oil in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add more olive oil if necessary.

Let tomato mixture cool, and then, working in very small batches, puree in a blender. Pour soup into bowls and add swirls of pesto, plus cilantro sprigs for garnish, if desired. A dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche would also go well, if you’re feeling fancy.

Also, if you have extra pesto, which you most likely will, I would mix it with some brown rice, fresh corn, diced tomatoes, avocado chunks and cooked chicken for a salad you can bring to work – delish!