Ahh things have been nuts lately! I am almost done packing and I have almost everything I need to move. I defiantly didn’t expect how much work a move takes or how much stuff I’ve accumulated.

I have found so many great things hidden in my closet. I even found my Senior Prom invitation. I guess that’s why it’s taking so long to pack, I get so far but then I find a box of pictures and spend the rest of the afternoon reminiscing.

On top of packing I am also getting ready for a hurricane on Sunday. Hurricane Irene is making its way up to Long Island and it looks like is going to be bad. I live very close to the water (less then a mile) so I’m a little worried about flooding. The news people said we will likely loose power and may not get it back for some time. That is not going to be fun! Apparently this is the worst storm to hit Long Island in over 30 years.

Luckily I found my oil paint set and some canvas, looks like Derek and I will be painting to pass time. I also found a few cookbooks that I forgot about. One of which is “Appetite for Reduction” By Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I can’t believe I bought this and never once used it!

I deiced I should make something for the book last night for dinner. I looked through the pages and landed on “40 Clove Chickpeas and Broccoli”. Mmmm sounds good! Unfortunately I didn’t have broccoli, but I did have a nice big head of cauliflower. I used the recipe, but made a few changes, I never could follow directions.

I loved this dish, it was sooo good. My only gripe was the serving size. One serving had about 150 calories (sweet!) but after I saw what a serving looked like I was very disappointed. I ended up having more like 2-2.5 servings. Still it was very healthy and tasted so good!

10 Clove Chickpeas and Cauliflower
adapted from 40 clove chickpeas and broccoli from “Appetite For Reduction

• About 2-3 tsp olive oil
  1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  1 head of cauliflower, cut into 2 inch pieces
  10 cloves of garlic, give them a whack with your knife and peel
  Zest of one lemon
  1 tsp dried oregano
  ½ tsp tried thyme
  ¼ tsp black pepper
  ½ tsp salt (or more to taste)
  1 cup vegetable broth
  a good splash of white wine

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease a 13×9 baking dish with about 1 tsp olive oil. Toss all ingredients except for broth and wine into dish. Toss to coat. Add another tsp of oil and keep tossing. You really want to make sure everything is evenly coated with spices and zest.

Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and flip. Bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add broth and wine. Try to scrape up and brown bits. Bake another 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Now I’m off to prepare for the storm, wish me luck!

The past few weeks have been crazy.  I have been non-stop busy, so busy in fact that I have done very little cooking.  What is keeping me so busy you ask?  Derek and I have been apartment hunting.  It’s very exciting, but a little stressful.

I was offered a job in NYC about a month ago.  Currently I live about a bit too far from my new job, a move was in order.  After weeks of searching Derek and I found the perfect place for us.   This will be “our” first place together! The apartment is actually a small cottage that has a small yard.  There is even premade garden boxes lining the fence.  I plan on planting some kale and collard greens as soon as I get there.

We move in a little more then a month, and now there is a ton of packing and shopping to do.  We have been hitting up yard sales in the search for two dressers, still no luck.

Anyway, the beets in my garden are ready to be eaten.  Yay!  I have been enjoying beets on my salad and even as a snack.  I just love beets!  I have been meaning to make borscht; it just seemed like something I would like.

How did it taste?  I loved it!  It reminded me of this soup my Ukrainian grandmother would make for me all the time.  My family was a little hesitant to try it, but after they did, the loved it!  Derek even brought a bowl for lunch the next day.  The color is odd at first, being purple and all.

I’m not sure if this is authentic Ukrainian borsht because it was my first experience with the purple soup.  The lemon juice and vinegar add a nice tang.  I know it seems odd, but trust me it is so good.  I love the combination of the tang with fresh dill and sweet beets, sooo good! Even better, I froze two nice size bowls to bring to the new apartment.  There is nothing like homemade soup to make a place feel warm and cozy.

Sadly I do not have a picture right now to share with you.  I took a bunch, but now with the mess of boxes surrounding me, I can’t find the cord to upload them!  It’s so frustrating.  Oh well, maybe someone can make it and send a pic to me

Borscht

• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 medium onion finely chopped onion
• 2 small celery stalks ( I like to use the inside ones with leaves) diced
• 2 small carrots, peeled and diced
• 4-5 beets, peeled and cut into match sticks
• 2-3 cups water
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 small head of green cabbage, cored and shredded
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ½-1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2-3 tbls fresh chopped dill
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot with lid, bring broth to a simmer.  Add onion and cook until soft.   Add celery and carrots, cook about 4 minutes.  Add beets, water, tomato paste, and paprika.  Cook about 8-10 minutes then add cabbage.  Cook covered over low heat until cabbage is very soft, about 20 minutes.

Add lemon juice, vinegar (to taste), dill, salt, and pepper.  Simmer a few more minutes.  Ladle into bowls making sure you get enough vegetables and broth.

Enjoy!

Yet again I have another zucchini recipe. I know you must be getting a little sick of all this zucchini, and so am I! I think the rest of my harvest will be given to friends and family. I’m done!

This zucchini recipe however changes everything. Baked Zucchini Fritters. Yum! A while back Derek and I went on a cruise. Among one of the many choices on the lunch buffet were these fried goodies. We probably ate 5 pounds worth! While staring at my mound of zucchini I was reminded of how great they were. I had to recreate.

The true beauty of these fritters is how delicious they are, and they’re baked!. The inside is creamy while the outside is crisp. What a flavor knockout. After the first batch came out of the oven I quickly made my second batch, I knew they were going to me a homerun. I served them with some simple marinara sauce for dipping.

Make sure you use nonstick cookie sheets with plenty of oil spray. Do not line your pans with aluminum foil, it just won’t work. Use the larger side of your grater for the zucchini and onion.

Baked Zucchini Fritters
Makes about 15 fritters

• 2 ½ cups packed grated zucchini
• 1/2 grated onion
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cup flour
• 2 Ener-G Eggs, prepared
• 1 tbls soy milk
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• Marinara sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 425 ˚F. Grease two baking sheets and set aside.

Line a colander with a few paper towels. Place zucchini and onion on paper towels. Cover with a few more towels and press to drain excess liquid, Replace the top towels once they get soaked, replace with a few more and keep pressing. You really need to get the excess liquid out.

In a large bowl combine drained zucchini and onion, baking powder, flour, Ener-G Eggs, soy milk, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined. You want it to make it slightly thick batter. If it seems to wet add a little more flour.

Place 1 tbls size scoops of batter on pans, giving enough space between each. Bake for about 18 minutes, flip and bake another 8-10 minutes. Let cool slightly before removing from pan.

Get ready for the best zucchini bread EVER!  I kid you not, this is amazing.  I took a recipe by Paula Dean and veganized it (with a few other small changes).  The results?  Sweet, and rich, with a crispy crust on top.  Love at first bite!

Yesterday I attended a family dinner.  I decided to make this bread because it was such a hit the last time a made it. It yet again, was loved.  The whole platter went in a matter of minutes!

The recipes comes together in a cinch but makes you look like a baking goddess.  Try it tonight, it’s a great way to use up zucchini.

Really, Really Good Zucchini Bread

Makes 2 loaves

• 3 1/4 flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 Tbls ground flax seed mixed with ½ cup + 1 Tbls water and microwaved for 20 for seconds
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350˚F, grease two loaf pans with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, flax mixture, water, zucchini, and lemon juice.  Mix until somewhat smooth.

Combined wet mixture into the dry and mix until just combined.  Add extra water if needed (some zucchinis have more moisture then others).  Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Now if only there were leftovers.

My collards are here!!!  I planted the seeds in June and finally I have leaves large enough to pick.  Last night I picked a nice bouquet of collards, I felt like a vegan Miss. America walking into the house.   I’m thinking greens are the new roses

Anyway, I wanted something quick, simple, and complete.  I like adding beans to collards to make them a complete meal.  This sweet but spicy combination is divine.  I sent a bowl over to a friend’ who claimed she didn’t like collards; I think I’ve converted her.  Bwhaha…

Feel free to use any bean you have on hand.  To me, pinto beans work best.  Also, don’t go crazy weighing your collards.  A nice big bunch will do, remember they shrink down to nothing.

Greens and Beans

Makes 3 meal size servings, or about 6 sides

• 3 tbls olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tbls hot sauce (or more/less to taste)
• About 1 ½ pounds collards, stems removed and roughly chopped
• 1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• Salt to taste (I only needed a pinch)

Heat oil and sauté onion until very soft and they being to turn yellow.  Add garlic and cook another minute.  Add tomato and cook a few minutes.  Add broth, sugar, chill powder, and hot sauce.  Bring to a simmer.

Over low heat, add greens.  Toss to make sure all greens are coated with broth.  Cook loosely covered for about 20 minutes or until tender.  Add salt, if needed.

I am still being inundated with zucchinis, big zucchinis. I made zucchini bread Saturday morning, and grilled it for dinner on Saturday and Sunday. I even gave a few away, but still I had a pile of zucchini sitting in the kitchen. What to do?

I tried to think what I could make. The only thing that came to my mind was minestrone soup. It just seemed a little boring. Not to mention it was a steamy 85˚ yesterday. Soup just seemed wrong.

I had an idea: what if I turned minestrone soup into a casserole and topped it with polenta? Would that be good? It seemed good to me. So I tried it.

I basically used the components of minestrone soup, but with less broth. Not only did I use zucchini from the garden, but also string beans and kale. It feels great to have home grown veggies to cook with. Usually minestrone is made with white beans, I unfortunately was all out so I opted for red kidney beans. They worked great.

The family loved it! Even Derek ate it, although he declared himself completely zucchinied out. I wouldn’t call this a fancy dish, but more of a comfort food. I think this would make an amazing midweek dinner. I bet you could even make this ahead of time, like on a Sunday, and just bake it later in the week.

Minestrone Casserole

For the filling:

• 3 tbls olive oil
• ½ large vidalia onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 large stalk of celery diced
• 2 -3 carrots, diced
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• ¼ cup red wine
• ½ tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp corn starch mixed with a splash of water to make a milk
• 1 large (or 2 small/medium) zucchinis, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup chopped string beans
• 2 cups cooked beans (red kidney, white)
• 2 cups chopped kale

For the polenta:

• 5 cups water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ cup cornmeal ( I like a fine to medium course)
• 2 tbls Earth Balance
• ½ tsp pepper
• Paprika

In a very large frying pan (make sure its deep enough for all the filling or just use a pot) heat oil. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add carrots, celery, tomatoes, broth, wine, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook 8 minutes. Add corn starch mixture and stir to combine. Add zucchini cook a few minutes before adding string beans, beans, and kale. Let simmer over low heat while you start to make the polenta. Remove from heat after about 6 minutes of simmering and pour into a 13 x 9 baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350˚ F.

In a medium pot bring 5 cups of water to a boil, add salt.

With a whisk in hand, slowly pour the cornmeal into the water, while whisking continuously. Whisk until smooth and reduce heat. Add Earth Balance and pepper and cook until thick and creamy, only a few minutes.

Evenly pour polenta over vegetable mixture and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle paprika over polenta. Bake for 20 minutes, or until it starts to bubble. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Like my vegetable plants, the herbs are also blooming.  I love having fresh herbs right outside my door; the really make everything you make taste better. What am I growing? Basil, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, sage, oregano, and chives. I’m not growing them in the garden, instead they are in nice big pots on the deck. Who needs flowers when you have fragrant herbs!

Basil is by far my favorite herb.  I use a few leaves in a wrap, a chop some up for a lemon-basil dressing, and I even use it to make strawberry-basil margaritas.  Toward the end of the summer I like to make several batches of pesto to freeze.  There is nothing better then fresh tasting pesto in the middle of winter.

This morning I got a head start on dinner.  I am planning a tapas menu, but more on that later in the week.  I started off making a quick basil flavored hummus.  It was beyond easy and contains ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.  A quick whirl in the food processor and BAM flavor explosion.

I think this hummus is going to be a big hit tonight, that is if I don’t eat it all before then.

Basil Hummus

• 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 small clove of garlic
• 1 large fistful of fresh basil, about 1 cup loosely packed
• ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tbls olive oil
• 2 tbls vegetable broth
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp salt, or more to taste
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in food processor.  Blend until smooth and creamy, stopping often to scrape down the sides.  Serve with pita bread, crackers, or vegetables.

P.S.  There’s a kick-ass focaccia recipe coming tomorrow!

My zucchini plants are in full bloom. I have zucchinis up the ying-yang, I cant seem to pick them up fast enough. My latest harvest brought me the largest zucchini I have ever seen. This guy was jumbo. I needed to cook him up stat.

Today I made two loaves of zucchini bread. I sliced one into think slices, packed them tightly in dish, and froze them. This will make for a delish breakfast on the go, a quick toast and YUM! Even after that I had one medium zucchini left and about ¼ of the big guy left. What to make?

I decided a quick soup was for dinner. A nice broth, chock-full zucchini, beans, and pasta. Simple. Delicious.

My dad deemed this soup the best think I have ever made. I’m not sure it was that good. But we sure did plow threw the whole pot. It took less then an hour from start to finish, but tasted like it simmered all day. Paired with a nice fresh salad, some crusty bread, and a glass of wine, it was the perfect way to end a busy week.

Note: Be sure to cook the pasta in a separate pot, not in with the soup. Otherwise the pasta will suck up all your broth and become mushy. I like to keep my pasta on the side so each person can add as much or as little as they want to their bowl. It also stores better this way.

Zucchini Soup
Makes 4-5 Servings

• 3 tbls olive oil
• 1 medium-large onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 4-6 springs of fresh thyme, stems removed, finely chopped
• ½-1 tbls FINELY chopped basil, the smaller the better (basil can get a little ugly when it cooks, if its really small you wont see it)
• 1 box vegetable broth (4 cups)
• 2 cups water
• zest of ½ lemon
• 2 carrots, sliced/diced whatever works for you
• 1/2 tsp sea salt, or more to taste
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 15 oz cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 medium zucchinis, sliced just under ½ inch thick
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2-3 cups cooked pasta of your choice (I used whole wheat elbows)

In a large pot heat oil over low heat, add onion. Cook until they start to become translucent. Add garlic, cook another 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, thyme and basil, simmer until half the liquid is gone. Add broth, water, lemon zest, carrots, salt and pepper. Let simmer about 15 minutes.

Add beans, corn, and zucchini. Let simmer until zucchini is soft, about 15 minutes. Add pasta just before serving.

Seriously its that simple!

Hello blogging world! I hope you all had a great 4th of July!

Sorry for my leave of absence. It’s not that I haven’t been sharing my recipes, I haven’t really been cooking at all. Lunch as mainly been salad or hummus and veggies; and dinner has either been another salad or takeout. Boring I know.

Luckily I had plenty of excuses to keep me from feeling guilty ☺
1. I got a JOB!!!
2. I celebrated getting a job…a lot
3. Derek’s nephew came to visit for two weeks, I spent time with him at the beach, in the pool, or gardening. (he loves to garden)
4. I did a lot of gardening, my plants are finally getting big, I have already harvested lots of kale, 2 zucchinis and 5 cucumbers!
5. The weather was great so I spent as much time as possible outdoors.
6. It was a holiday weekend.
7. I was waiting for cooking inspiration to hit me.
8. I was lazy

So anyway, yesterday I finally broke out of the cooking slump. My family was having a small BBQ so I knew I should make a really great vegan dish. I wanted something different, something yet to be discovered.

I poked around my pantry and found a bag a farro that I had to buy a few months ago (mind you it was at one of those fancy Italian markets where everything is overpriced, but I needed it) and clearly forgot about. Score!

I decided a farro salad it would be. Cooked farro tossed with fresh veggies and a creamy, basil dressing. Yum!

Farro is an ancient grain that is a cousin of wheat and spelt. It has a slight nutty tasty and a hearty texture. To me, it tastes like a combination of brown rice and barley. I loved it in a salad; it was hearty and kept me full all night. I think this salad would be equally delish with barley or brown rice.

Mediterranean Farro Salad

• 1 ½ cups dried farro (or other grain)
• ½ medium zucchini, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• ¾ cup olives, roughly chopped ( I wanted to use kalamata, but only had black olives, it was still good)
• A nice handful of basil leaves, about a cup
• Juice and zest of ½ lemon
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tbls olive oil
• 2-3 tbls water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Cook farro; combine dried farro with 3 ½ cups water and a good pinch of salt, bring to a boil and cover. Cook of medium-low heat for about 25 minutes. Check it to make sure it’s done. It should tender and still have a bit of bite to it. Drain extra water, if any.

In a large bowl mix cooked farro, and veggies, set aside to cool.

In a food processor combine basil, garlic, half the pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, water, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.

Add remaining pine nuts and dressing to farro. Toss to coat. Serve room temperature.

Tonight I will not be cooking- it’s Derek’s Birthday so out to dinner it is!