tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80084142678971310222024-02-01T20:29:33.035-08:00The Crazy Cat Lady CooksThe Lazy Vegetarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844936912751879178noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008414267897131022.post-43491275783602382522012-06-22T11:11:00.000-07:002012-06-22T11:12:02.877-07:00<br />
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This is not that healthy, but is definitely delicious and easy to make. I found the recipe on thekitchn.com<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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canola oil for frying<br />
1/2 c milk<br />
1/2 c heavy cream<br />
4 eggs<br />
3 tbs sugar<br />
2 teaspoons of vanilla<br />
6 english muffins, halved<br />
powder sugar<br />
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Mix the milk, cream, eggs and 3 tbs of sugar in a shallow bowl. Whisk until well combined. Soak the english muffins in the liquid, on both sides.<br />
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Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a pan. When warm, fry the english muffins on each side until golden brown. About 30 seconds. Leave them to rest on a plate lined with paper towels, to soak up the extra oil.Serve with powdered sugar, fruit and/or syrup. (We didn't have powdered sugar so made do with strawberries and maple syrup.) <br />
<br />The Lazy Vegetarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844936912751879178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008414267897131022.post-65173730172593108642012-06-22T10:57:00.000-07:002012-06-22T10:57:32.941-07:00Stuffed Ball Squash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ugly picture alert! Dan promised to use his fancy camera to start taking my food photos so they won't be so darn ugly. I'm hoping we can get that going next week. Until then, ugly photos it is!<br />
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This recipe is a combination effort. The woman selling the ball squash suggested stuffing them with sausage, rice and goat cheese. I obviously don't do sausage so Dan and I tweaked it and decided on lentils, tomatoes, and kalamata olives as well. We bought "western ranch" goat cheese, which was from Hidden Creek Farm. I didn't want to do something with a lot of sauce, so I cooked the quinoa and lentils both in vegetable broth, then tossed everything in some olive oil and lemon juice. That let the goat cheese and the squash hold their own and really come through.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
2 medium ball squash<br />
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (I cooked mine in the rice maker, 1/2 c quinoa, 1 c veggie broth)<br />
1/2 cup cooked lentils (boiled these guys for about 25 minutes in veg broth)<br />
1/2 can of tomatoes, drained and diced<br />
handful of kalamata olives, roughly chopped<br />
3-4 oz flavored goat cheese<br />
salt and pepper to taste <br />
2 tsp olive oil<br />
2 tsp lemon juice<br />
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Cook your lentils and your quinoa. Cut the top off of your squash and scoop of the seeds and guts, like you would a pumpkin. Make sure you don't scrape it too thin, leave some squash to eat! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I dumped my squash guts, but someone else told us she separates the seeds and roasts them to snack on later.<br />
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Mix your quinoa, lentils, kalamata olives and tomatoes in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste and mix. Chop or crumble your goat cheese and mix that in as well. We did this when our stuffing was warm, the goat cheese kind of melted and it was DELICIOUS that way, but you can also mix it when cold to make sure you get melty pockets of goat cheese instead.<br />
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Stuff your squash and bake on 350 until the squash is cooked through (when you can pierce it with a fork). This was about 30 minutes for us.The Lazy Vegetarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844936912751879178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008414267897131022.post-58403131313943466732012-06-22T10:41:00.000-07:002012-06-22T10:42:07.937-07:00Romano Beans with Oregano<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my favorite parts about living in the Shenandoah Valley is the local food movement. We have constant access to unique, fresh, delicious foods and we love exploring the different farms, producers and farmers markets. I have a rating system in my head of which farmers markets, farms and farm stands I like best and when they're open. It's like an excel spreadsheet in my brain. For food.<br />
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When we moved to Staunton, the Staunton farmer's Market became my favorite. Every Saturday morning Darwin and I would walk down. First stop would be green beans to bribe Darwin for good behavior. If he didn't get green beans first thing, he'd resort to rooting through the bins at each of the stalls looking for them. Zucchini and peppers are also acceptable substitutes in the world of Darwin. The best part about the Staunton Farmers Market? The producers. By and large the stands are run by the producers and the farm's owners. They take the time to get to know you and your own personal tastes, will make recommendations, and share their green beans with your dog (maybe that's just me....)<br />
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Rockbridge has a farmer's market Saturday morning and Lexington has one Wednesday morning. I've made it to the Wednesday one once and there was an excellent farm stall with the most delicious purple cauliflower I have ever had. Bonus points that it was PURPLE. Unfortunately, I normally spend my Wednesday mornings "persecuting" (as one defense attorney likes to call it). Lucky for me, Saturday's market is exactly what I love; friendly local farmers telling you all about their food. They also have someone who sells fresh caught trout which makes me ridiculously excited. Fresh fish is not easy to get over here. I'm going to have to start paying more attention to which farms everything comes from so I can share with you guys, but we are constantly finding new and interesting veggies, some I have never seen before. We're also meeting amazing people who can tell us all about the food, their family farms, and their community projects. We regularly run into the chef from Brix with trash bags full of greens. Excellent reminder as to why we LOVE that restaurant.<br />
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The point of that long winded story? I saw something that looked like green beans and were called romano beans and figured what the heck. I definitely need to eat those. When I started googling recipes I learned that they aren't that common, which I am adding to my list of why I love our farmer's market. After some tweaking I came up with a recipe, mostly borrowed from the LA times website. Dan and I both thought that the romano beans tasted kind of like anise and a little like mint. Yummy and delicious, not a snap pea and not a green bean, a little like both.<br />
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1 lb romano beans<br />
1 tbs olive oil<br />
2 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
2 tbs fresh oregano, chopped<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
1 tbs balsamic vinegar<br />
1/2 a can of tomatoes, drained and diced (you can also use 1/2 cup of grape tomatoes, halved)<br />
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Rinse the romano beans, then snip the ends off and remove the string running along the back of the pod. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. When it starts to boil, throw the beans in and blanche them until al dente. The recipe called for five minutes, but for me it wound up being closer to ten. Drain in a colander.<br />
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Heat the tbs of olive oil in a pan. Sautee the garlic and oregano until fragrant, about two minutes. Add the beans and cook approximately 10 minutes, until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.<br />
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Add the tomatoes and cook approximately two minutes. Remove from heat, finish with balsamic vinegar and allow to sit for a minute or two.<br />
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<br />The Lazy Vegetarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844936912751879178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008414267897131022.post-5508496944494809152012-06-19T08:14:00.002-07:002012-06-22T09:22:24.727-07:00Whole Wheat Banana Blueberry BreadSomeone had an adventure with AP flour the other day, which resulted in a sofa covered in gummy, sticky, flour paste. Pretty clearly this someone was not human. (The bonus of having five animals is that you can blame pretty much any household disaster on a four legged monster).<br />
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The backstory involves the SPCA, as basically all of my backstories do. After fostering a puppy mill rescue back in January and seeing how much Darwin loved having a friend, Dan and I bit the bullet. In return for tolerating the cats smacking him (Hunter), sleeping on him (Boo), and blatantly stealing his food (Sam), Darwin needed a dog friend. So we packed him in the car, drove him to multiple shelters and pounds, let him play with a dozen or so dogs, and chose Molly. For Darwin and Molly it was love at first sight. They were licking each others faces, play bowing, and chasing within ten minutes of meeting one another.<br />
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Unfortunately, there is a downside to puppy love. Like when you put up a babygate without checking to make sure both dogs are on the same side. As it turns out, Molly was heartbroken to be separated from Darwin and did what any love sick girl does: she binged on carbs. In particular, she got into the 35 pound bag of AP flour and spent the day nomming it into a paste, then rubbing her face on my sofa. And while I was scrubbing my sofa clean, she went back for more, appeared with a face COVERED in flour, then ran for the bed when I tried to wipe her off. I think she made her point. Never separate puppies in love. Also, hound dogs hate being alone. <br />
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Needless to say when I got the urge to make banana blueberry bread there was no AP flour to be found. After scouring my cabinet for whole wheat pastry flour and then the internet for a recipe using whole wheat pastry flour, I found this recipe on <a href="http://www.adashofsass.com/2011/03/13/whole-wheat-blueberry-banana-bread/">A Dash of Sass</a>. I had my doubts about baking with whole wheat flour but this bread was delicious. Substituting whole wheat flour for AP and honey for sugar also means I can pretend this is healthy!<br />
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Whole Wheat Banana Blueberry Bread</div>
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1/3 cup olive oil</div>
1/2 cup honey<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 cup mashed, very ripe bananas (I used two bananas)<br />
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/4 cup hot water<br />
2/3 cup wild blueberries (I used closer to a full cup)<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.</div>
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Whisk oil and honey together in a large bowl, then add the two eggs and whisk for about 90 seconds, or until fully combined.</div>
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Add the vanilla and mashed bananas. Mix flour and salt together in a bowl, then add to the oil, eggs, and banana mixture.</div>
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In a small cup or bowl, heat the water and add the baking soda. Allow to dissolve, then mix fully with the banana mixture. I left out the walnuts, but if you want to use some, this would be the time to add them.</div>
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The recipe then tells you to mix in the blueberries. I mixed them in the bowl, then added them to the pan and they mostly sank to the bottom. Dan advised that it would be better to pour the batter into the pan, then gently and quickly mix the blueberries in. I used fresh, you can use frozen, but the color may bleed a little bit.</div>
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Bake for 50-60 minutes, then allow to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. (You probably want to allow more like 30 or 40 minutes to cool).</div>
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This bread is excellent warm with a little butter, or you could spread all natural PB or almond butter for a yummy breakfast.</div>
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<br />The Lazy Vegetarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844936912751879178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008414267897131022.post-87785998853849583182010-10-24T13:31:00.001-07:002012-06-22T09:22:37.068-07:00Mushroom Panzanella<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcco3kYYbNUI95_x36tn3CWi4ggIWk0HYwUEByUMgaO-lYDam-FmJv_M0CMMGGvsffyZBQ0y-pbpMbzrUdZsD7A34C7TzAvwXgbGfyBeudhrFH7OytKKpsi1WCfeuSSP4VImgzqsTjMk/s1600/IMG_4547.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531715127330511010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcco3kYYbNUI95_x36tn3CWi4ggIWk0HYwUEByUMgaO-lYDam-FmJv_M0CMMGGvsffyZBQ0y-pbpMbzrUdZsD7A34C7TzAvwXgbGfyBeudhrFH7OytKKpsi1WCfeuSSP4VImgzqsTjMk/s320/IMG_4547.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
I have been having a craving for Panzanella, but all the recipes I cam across used tomatoes and basil when those aren't quite in season anymore and I was craving arugula. I found a way too complicated recipe by Michael Chiarello, then dumbed it down so normal people can make it on a week night. I vastly cut down the ingredients and the prep.<br />
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This was so delicious I am definitely making it again. I also only had half a loaf of french bread so I halved it.</div>
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For the bread:</div>
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Loaf of french bread</div>
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1/4 cup unsalted butter</div>
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Leave your bread out unwrapped overnight. Cut it into cubes. I used his suggestion and cut the slices with a serrated knife, then used a paring knife to chop the slices into cubes. Do not slice your bread too thin! Melt your butter in a sautee pan until it starts to bubble a little, remove from heat and toss in the butter. Toss with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 until slightly brown on the outside, 10-15 minutes.</div>
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For the salad:</div>
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3 tbs olive oil</div>
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1 lb mushrooms. I used baby bellos</div>
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2 tbs minced garlic</div>
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1 cup arugula</div>
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Sautee mushrooms in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Toss the mushrooms with the bread and arugula. Add salt and pepper to taste. Rather than making the dressing suggested, I tossed it in 1/4 cup olive oil and 4 tbs red wine vinegar. Then I sprinkled some parmesan on top.</div>
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Note: If you cannot find arugula it is sometimes called rocket. You could also substitute raw baby spinach.</div>
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<br /></div>The Lazy Vegetarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844936912751879178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008414267897131022.post-31546151541272121072010-10-24T13:12:00.000-07:002012-06-22T09:22:47.753-07:00Shrimp Po Boys<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_6dUpDVBEEDvhg0T2iAwm_gCCPPUEx_P0Nqw-cwuRoRV1O4mvjfBWc-6-MLluCSYLaQc50f_bUj4Sl4puPgqgFAX666jYgm-_Q4TKbWBi0A9Fqos7SSM7RgTJ-Mu_7gMnsXKSVr_aPw/s1600/IMG_4543.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531712582914801586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_6dUpDVBEEDvhg0T2iAwm_gCCPPUEx_P0Nqw-cwuRoRV1O4mvjfBWc-6-MLluCSYLaQc50f_bUj4Sl4puPgqgFAX666jYgm-_Q4TKbWBi0A9Fqos7SSM7RgTJ-Mu_7gMnsXKSVr_aPw/s320/IMG_4543.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
This recipe is from one of my favorite food blogs, Annie Eats http://annies-eats.com/<br />
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It was perfect for a weeknight and did not take long at all. We served with Alexia sweet potato fries and used the left over remoulade as a dipping sauce.</div>
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For the shrimp:</div>
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1 tb olive oil</div>
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2 tbs Old Bay (Annie used cajun seasoning, as a Baltimore girl I love Old Bay)</div>
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1 lb shrimp</div>
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lettuce</div>
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tomato</div>
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hoagie rolls</div>
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Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and the old bay, then sautee in the olive oil until they are pink and curled.</div>
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For the remoulade:</div>
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1/2 cup mayo</div>
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2 tbs stone ground mustard</div>
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1 clove garlic, chopped</div>
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1 and 1/2 tsp pickle juice</div>
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1/2 tsp horseradish</div>
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1/4 tsp cayenne</div>
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1/4 tsp paprika</div>
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splash of hot sauce.</div>
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I just mixed these all together but you can also put them through a food processor. I didn't think it was necessary and didn't want to make more dishes.</div>
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Once you have the shrimp cooked, slather your bread with remoulade, add lettuce and tomato and shrimp them enjoy!</div>
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<br /></div>The Lazy Vegetarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844936912751879178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008414267897131022.post-46174405421463011352010-10-24T13:05:00.000-07:002010-10-24T13:12:14.503-07:00Clam Pasta<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaF42YcZZrS5X_rKJf3MkwmmLKjDrxkDYTxcU8WuGpTdOfehgCRsQq7HgDZUuNPTb50nV_R3f2UR-S1wJn-CDyI_1AwyPAvJ_JO2spI-uDEDz4nAkztkzaCtA03nxc178FDudXPFgzsc4/s1600/clam+pasta.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaF42YcZZrS5X_rKJf3MkwmmLKjDrxkDYTxcU8WuGpTdOfehgCRsQq7HgDZUuNPTb50nV_R3f2UR-S1wJn-CDyI_1AwyPAvJ_JO2spI-uDEDz4nAkztkzaCtA03nxc178FDudXPFgzsc4/s320/clam+pasta.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531707972485764722" /></a><br />This picture is really awful but the pasta was simple to make and delicious to eat. Its a Cooking Light recipe. I did add an extra can of tomatoes, an extra can of clams and cooked more pasta to make sure we had left overs for lunch.<div><br /></div><div>1 9 oz package of linguini (I used 12 ox angel hair)</div><div>1 tbs olive oil</div><div>2 cloves of garlic</div><div>1.2 tsp crushed red pepper</div><div>2 tbs tomato paste (this made the sauce thicker but I would leave it out next time)</div><div>1 14.5 oz can of tomatoes with juice (I used two)</div><div>2 6.5 oz cans of clams (I used 2 10 oz cans of baby clams)</div><div>2 tbs fresh parsley</div><div>1 tbs basil</div><div>1 tbs oregano</div><div><br /></div><div>Boil water for the pasta, salt your water and add the pasta. Cook according to the package instructions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Heat oil. Add red pepper and garlic, sautee for a minute or two. Add tomato paste and tomatoes. Cook for approximately 4 minutes. Add clams and cook until fully heated. Add herbs and cook for one minute more.</div><div><br /></div><div>I sprinkled pecorino romano over the top and served with nice, warm bread.</div><div><br /></div>The Lazy Vegetarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844936912751879178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008414267897131022.post-26022706191443201082010-10-24T12:57:00.001-07:002010-10-24T13:05:21.330-07:00Poblano Stuffed Portobellos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPQ2tvirAJVLCEv7W7CbJ-CfqOJv-Ifgnok3XK2YQ1_2RsOM-CiCDbMoDGmBaqmTVHfhKoaYfliAuGAJUdA11sjQIbmAbxX1fn494LRhkXVzJDgDqg-Sd4_FnJjmmLhaRKUfyDFMa39Y/s1600/portobello.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPQ2tvirAJVLCEv7W7CbJ-CfqOJv-Ifgnok3XK2YQ1_2RsOM-CiCDbMoDGmBaqmTVHfhKoaYfliAuGAJUdA11sjQIbmAbxX1fn494LRhkXVzJDgDqg-Sd4_FnJjmmLhaRKUfyDFMa39Y/s320/portobello.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531706203548875570" /></a><br />This is a delicious recipe posted by Food and Wine Magazine. I think it would be a great side dish to some kind of meat, I'd probably serve it with salmon or double the recipe next time. Everywhere I say to broil, Food and Wine said you can also grill.<div><br /></div><div>Ingredients:</div><div>2 poblanos </div><div>4 portobellos</div><div>3 tbs olive oil</div><div>salt and pepper to taste</div><div>1/3 cup chopped onion (I left this out)</div><div>1 cup chopped bay spinach</div><div>1/2 cup cooked rice</div><div>1/4 shredded cheddar</div><div>2 tbs chopped cilantro</div><div><br /></div><div>Turn your oven to Broil and roast the peppers until they start to blacken. For me this was about 10 minutes, just keep a close eye on them. Food and Wine said to remove them and place them in a bowl covered with saran wrap. I pretty much skipped this step so they would cool faster.</div><div><br /></div><div>Either brush the portobellos with olive oil or spray them lightly with olive oil based non stick spray. Put them on a tray and broil them for 5 minutes or so, until they look tender and juicy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cook the onion in 1 tbs olive oil until translucent. Add the baby spinach and cook until wilted. Once the spinach cools, press the extra moisture out of it. Mix with rice, cheddar and cilantro. Remove the seeds from the poblano and dice. Add to rice and cheese mixture. Add salt and pepper to rice mixture to taste.</div><div><br /></div><div>Turn oven to 325, stuff the mushrooms with the rice mixture and cook until cheese is melted and rice mixture starts browning on top, about 15 minutes.</div><div><br /></div>The Lazy Vegetarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844936912751879178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008414267897131022.post-62758423934570031542010-10-24T12:33:00.000-07:002010-10-24T12:55:24.829-07:00Rachael Ray's Pumpkin Black Bean Soup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZMZ37PyocPx1QCKher9ndHVFb5YxT62sSIlBi4bhyphenhyphenhMCcFffLJQTQrpdSAmMbkIPc0fMc1JRYaqLFCEss3W5cYFyH-qNoSircgJ7m51bC1wDyhZ_Fist4oCDioYWSMngQNefawXcJYE/s1600/black+bean+soup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZMZ37PyocPx1QCKher9ndHVFb5YxT62sSIlBi4bhyphenhyphenhMCcFffLJQTQrpdSAmMbkIPc0fMc1JRYaqLFCEss3W5cYFyH-qNoSircgJ7m51bC1wDyhZ_Fist4oCDioYWSMngQNefawXcJYE/s320/black+bean+soup.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531703628737292738" /></a><br /><div>She does it with chipotle and adobo sauce, which I left out.</div>Ingredients:<div>2 tbs. olice oil</div><div>2 cloves garlic</div><div>2 jalapenos, seeds removed and diced</div><div>1 bottle Negro Modelo</div><div>15 oz can pumpkin</div><div>1 and 1/2 tsp cumin</div><div>1 tsp mexican chili powder (I added this)</div><div>1 tsp ground cinnamon</div><div>15 oz can black beans</div><div>3 cups of vegetable broth</div><div>1 green apple, chopped</div><div>1/3 cup of cilantro, chopped</div><div>lime juice (1 lime's worth, I used about 2 tbs. bottle lime juice)</div><div>1/2 cup sour cream</div><div>1/4 cup jellied cranberry sauce</div><div>tortilla chips</div><div>salt and pepper to taste</div><div><br /></div><div>Saute garlic and one of the jalapenos in the olive oil, about one minute. Add the beer and cook until it reduces, several minutes. Add canned pumpkin, cumin, cinnamon, and salt and pepper.</div><div>Add vegetable broth and black beans. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Combine sour cream and cranberry sauce in a bowl. I left mine kind of chunky, but if you want it well mixed you can put it through a food processor. Combine apple, remaining jalapeno, lime juice and cilantro.</div><div><br /></div><div>One the soup is finished, top the soup with crumbled tortilla chips, sour cream and apple salsa.</div><div><br /></div><div>I thought the soup by itself was nothing too special, probably because I didn't have the chipotle, but once you add everything together it is really good and perfect for football Sunday or on a rainy, cold night.</div>The Lazy Vegetarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844936912751879178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008414267897131022.post-73637160843950594062010-10-04T18:39:00.000-07:002012-06-22T09:23:11.245-07:00MORE PASTA<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvhUIGMZQSkTz_XbUuh5bVRgokN1_4n5mcOzDEQxFcdRNiaAdllUlHvzyiQv4qWseSv6Y0AIDim62wE_ncXd2ACx1fBRhc8J7W9NjgDNo1qrkXZEsfDlawdI6W2ca0sOVv2sRoY7bv0Y/s1600/gnocchi.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524372046375631938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvhUIGMZQSkTz_XbUuh5bVRgokN1_4n5mcOzDEQxFcdRNiaAdllUlHvzyiQv4qWseSv6Y0AIDim62wE_ncXd2ACx1fBRhc8J7W9NjgDNo1qrkXZEsfDlawdI6W2ca0sOVv2sRoY7bv0Y/s320/gnocchi.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
When we lived in Boston we used to go to this little pasta place in Brookline called Bottega Fiorentina. If you are ever in Boston, I'd highly recommend it. It is a small Italian grocery that makes about 20 different homemade pastas and serves lunch, usually for less than $10. We took Dan's Mom there one time and she got something along the lines of this, tomato basil pasta with ooey gooey pockets of mozzarella mixed in. It passed the test of the true Italians and was delicious, so I've tried to recreate it. The mozzarella does tend to clump together, but I like the way the cheese melts and makes the tomato juice nice and thick. I even taught my Mom to make it and she loved it too, so I consider that a success. It takes maybe 15 minutes to make and would be a great side with salmon or chicken for all non vegetarians.<br />
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Two cans of tomatoes, with juice. (Plain or italian seasoning)</div>
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One package of gnocchi</div>
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8 oz of mozzarella, cut into small cubes</div>
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Handful of fresh basil, chopped (You can substitute a tablespoon of basil in a tube if basil is not in season)</div>
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salt and pepper to taste</div>
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two cloves of garlic</div>
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tablespoon of olive oil</div>
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Boil water. Add gnocchi and cook according to the package directions.</div>
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Put the olive oil in a sautee pan and add the garlic. Sautee for one or two minutes. Add the cans of tomatoes. Add basil and simmer. Add Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. (I often use the italian seasoned canned tomatoes.) You should cook your tomatoes about five minutes or as long as you need for them to really absorb the basil. When I use fresh basil I normally do about 10 minutes. </div>
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Drain gnocchi. Mix the gnocchi into the pan with the tomatoes. Add mozzarella. Remove from heat and let it sit for two minutes while the cheese melts a little bit. You can cook it a little longer over heat if you want really melt-y cheese.</div>
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My husband insists that he doesn't like Rachael Ray. Yet every time I make one of her recipes he seems to like it. This is a real winner in our house, last night he said "I love when you make this one." It's also popular with my brother (the ultimate carnivore and bottom-less pit) and my Dad (who has more food sensitivities than anyone I've ever met).<br />
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Rachael Ray's poached eggs with smoked salmon, potatoes and spinach (slightly adapted)</div>
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1 pound of baby red potatoes quartered</div>
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4 cups of baby spinach</div>
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lemon juice</div>
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1 tbs dijon mustard</div>
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3 tbs mayonnaise</div>
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2 tbs fresh dill </div>
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1 tbs white vinegar</div>
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4 eggs</div>
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3 or 4 pieces of smoked salmon, sliced</div>
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Boil a pot of salted water. Once the water is boiling add the potatoes and cook for 12-15 minutes. Drain them and spread them out on a baking sheet to cool (they cool down quickly this way). When they're cooled off mix them in a bowl with the spinach and the sliced salmon. </div>
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Combine the mustard, mayo, dill and lemon juice to make a dressing. Toss the potatoes, etc in the dressing. Save a little to put on top of the eggs.</div>
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Fill a small pot with water and boil. Add the teaspoon of vinegar. Once the water is boiling turn it down to a very low simmer. You want to see some air coming to the top but not a whole lot. Crack an egg into the water and swirl the water with a spoon, making sure the egg doesn't stick to the bottom. Repeat with the other three eggs. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, then remove the eggs with a spoon and place the on paper towels to dry.</div>
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Put a little bit of the potato mixture on a plot, top with two eggs and a little bit of the left over dressing.</div>
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Notes: Rachael Ray usually adds chopped kalamata olives and capers to the potatoes. We never seem to have capers and Dan hates olives so I leave those out. I also usually substitute arugula for the spinach when I can find it. </div>The Lazy Vegetarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844936912751879178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008414267897131022.post-3845508716091234532010-06-18T13:32:00.000-07:002010-10-12T18:05:39.621-07:00Peach Cobbler<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2ZyL0bpi2p-lMuPcFtpxwcPkj-l5AGKDynlXYSZSNLB2I5XIhIS86UXW15NI11FdwMwcN4Fe1s6fs95XkAuftyXK_ARaNfw8r5X9MnWCTkcI7m0loRXjupcK7T9kdVUfp5npLLOQbJg/s1600/photo-22.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2ZyL0bpi2p-lMuPcFtpxwcPkj-l5AGKDynlXYSZSNLB2I5XIhIS86UXW15NI11FdwMwcN4Fe1s6fs95XkAuftyXK_ARaNfw8r5X9MnWCTkcI7m0loRXjupcK7T9kdVUfp5npLLOQbJg/s320/photo-22.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484217388735951186" /></a><br /><div><br /></div>We went to the Farmer's Market last week and loaded up on a lot of good produce, some homemade olive rosemary bread (delicious!), manchego, and summer sausage (none for me of course). We bought some delicious looking peaches but it was scorching hot and they got jostled so much that by the time we got home they started to look a little bruised and mangled. To make good use of them I decided to make peach cobbler and just cut the bruises out. I think our peach to dough ratio was a little lacking on the peach side as a result, but this recipe, courtesy of aeposey on allrecipes.com, was delicious!<div><br /></div><div>For the peaches:</div><div>8 peaches, sliced (we did not peel them as suggested and it was fine)</div><div>1/4 white sugar</div><div>1.4 brown sugar</div><div>1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon</div><div>1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg</div><div>1 tsp lemon juice (we omitted, I had run out)</div><div>2 tsps cornstarch</div><div><br /></div><div>For the dough:</div><div>1 cup flour</div><div>1/4 cup white sugar</div><div>1/4 cup brown sugar</div><div>1 tsp baking powder</div><div>1/2 tsp salt</div><div>6 tbs unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces</div><div>1/4 boiling water</div><div><br /></div><div>pre heat oven to 425 degrees</div><div>Combine "for the peaches" ingredients in a bowl. Make sure to really mix them so the peaches are covered in gooey goodness. Put them in a 2 quart baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mix the flour, sugars, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Crumble in the butter with your fingers, or a mixer if you have one. Mix in the boiling water.</div><div><br /></div><div>When the peaches come out of the oven drop teaspoons of the dough on top (the dough will expand and spread as it bakes). When all the dough is used up and the peaches are covered, bake for 30 minutes. You can also sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon over the top before putting it back in the oven, but I skipped this (I'm lazy!)</div><div><br /></div><div>We had a Farmer's Market dinner of friend green tomatoes, olive bread, manchego, and peach cobbler for dessert. YUM! To see the original recipe: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/southern-peach-cobbler-2/Detail.aspx</div>The Lazy Vegetarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844936912751879178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008414267897131022.post-91107829266319465912009-05-05T11:12:00.000-07:002009-05-05T11:16:32.388-07:00IntroductionI'm not just a cat lover, I'm an all around animal lover. Which explains why I'm a vegetarian.....actually a pescetarian, but people don't always know what that means. One of my friend's urged me to start a cooking blog, I think she's under the false impression that I ate healthier than I actually do, so I hope she won't be too disappointed. For good measure I may post some kitties from the local shelter where I volunteer and cruelty free product reviews. If you use cruelty free and have suggestions or reviews, let me know and I'd be happy to post them as well. We only started switching over about 6 months ago so I'm always open to suggestions!The Lazy Vegetarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844936912751879178noreply@blogger.com0