Pesto Pizza with sliced tomatoes and sundried tomatoes

This a great, flavorful pizza. I always use FRESH MOZZARELLA cheese for my more italian style pizzas because it has better, creamier, richer flavor. However, feel free to substitute any grated mozzarella cheese if you are saving cash.

Crust: I am a huge advocate of the frozen pizza dough that is available in many grocery stores. In mine, it is a secret gem at only $1.50 per ball and that feeds about 3-4 people!
Let it thaw completely and rest for about 1 hour in a bowl with some olive oil on top, covered with saran wrap.

***NOTE: You can also often buy a dough ball from your local pizzeria. This is economical as well.

Once the crust is thawed and rested, punch it down and then slap it back and forth in your hands until it starts to open up. You can also stretch the dough and/or roll it out. Use flour if you want.

Preheat oven to 425. Spray pizza pan with a non-stick spray or canola oil. Lay crust on pan and bake for 5 mins. (You may need to poke the dough with a fork a few times to let air bubbles out.)

Brush or coat the top of your crust with olive oil and then a good amount of garlic salt sprinkled on the crust.

PESTO:
Put 1 large bunch of fresh basil, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup nice parmesan cheese, grated, and squeeze of lemon into a food processor or blender. I also add about 1/2 tsp. salt. Blend until smooth. Add in a couple TBSP. of water if you need to get it to move more freely. I don't use pine nuts for this sauce because of the added expense, but feel free to add them if you have them!

Slice your tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella into slices.

Take out your par-cooked crust and smear all of your pesto sauce all over the middle and out to the sides.

Top with tomato slices, sundried tomato pieces, and lots of fresh mozzarella.

Bake an additional 10 mins, THEN change oven to broil and broil for 3-5 mins.

***If you want to make it super decadent, add 5-6 small goat cheese rounds to the pizza too.

Top with additional fresh cut basil, if you wish.

Serve!

Shy's Guacamole

4 large ripened avocados
1 clove garlic
1 small lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 or 2 TBS. hot tomato salsa (your favorite brand)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
a couple grinds of black pepper
3 dashes tabasco sauce

Mash the avocado with chopped garlic, garlic powder, salt, pepper and your favorite chunky tomato salsa.  Pop the lime in the microwave for 20 seconds and then roll on the counter to loosen the juices.  Squeeze all of the juice of 1 lime into the avocado mixture.  Add in the tabasco sauce and cilantro & mash until combined.  I like to keep the guacamole a little chunky, so don't mash it until it is a puree.  Serve with chips or on tacos, chicken, or anything you'd like!   Leave one avocado pit in the guacamole to help keep it bright green.  If you need to store the guacamole, lay a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate; this will keep it from browning.

Mozzarella Stuffed Spaghetti and Meatballs

This is a great traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe but the secret is that the meatballs are filled with little balls of boccaccini (fresh mozzarella)!!!

Meatballs:
2 lbs. ground sirloin
2 T A1 steak sauce
1 T worsheshire
1 T grill seasoning
1 T tomato paste
Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup paremsan cheese
2 pieces of bread, crumbled and soaked in milk (squeeze out excess milk)
Dash bread crumbs
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced *optional
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 eggs

Combine fully and set aside.

Sauce:
1 large can of high quality whole tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar of your choice of pasta sauce
Dash sugar
3 cloves garlic, diced
Italian Seasonings

Cheese:
boccaccini (small balls of Fresh Mozzarella)
parmesan cheese

Spaghetti

Fresh basil

Great served with homemade garlic bread!!!

Form meatballs around little balls of boccaccini and set aside. Make sure the cheese is fully encased in the meat.
Make up to 20 meatballs. Boil large pot of water. Drop 7-10 balls at a time into the rapidlly boiling water. Allow each ball to boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from water and set on a baking sheet or in muffin tins.

Bake meatballs for 30 mins on 375.

Combine sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and smash up the whole tomatoes. Let simmer while meatballs are baking and then add the meatballs to the sauce. Let cook additional 15-20 mins.

Top spaghetti with GENEROUS AMOUNTS OF SAUCE and 3-4 meatballs each. Garnish with lots of fresh basil and parmesan cheese.

Curry Noodles

I love curry!

This thai dish is pretty easy to make, and really really good. Plus, you can really add any veggies and protein that you'd like. I like scallops.

2T of red curry paste (available in any grocery near the Asian foods)
1 can coconut milk (not light)
1 T brown sugar
1 T thai garlic chili sauce
Rice noodles
Chicken, shrimp, scallops, beef -- anything you'd like (par-cook it first)
Broccoli, bok choy, bell peppers, pea pods, pineapple chunks, eggplant, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.

Heat the coconut milk over medium heat. Add in the curry paste, brown sugar, and thai garlic chili sauce. Stir well to combine the curry with the milk fully. Taste and re-season. It might need a tad more sugar.
Add in your veggies and par-cooked protein.
Simmer over low until the veggies are tender and cooked.

Serve curry sauce over soaked rice noodles.

Delish!

That One Salad

This is one of the best salads on earth! That is why it is called THAT ONE SALAD.

SERVES 4 , 1 salad (change servings and units)

Ingredients
1/2 small head romaine lettuce
2 cups fresh spinach
1/4 cup lightly toasted unsalted walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1-2 ripened tomatoes
8 ounces white balsamic vinegar
6 ounces extra virgin olive oil
garlic salt
2 loaves of thin pita bread
1 (4 ounce) triangle bleu cheese (the higher quality the better)
1 (8 ounce) chicken breasts or 2 (4 ounce) chicken breasts

What is White Balsamic Vinegar, you ask???
CLICK HERE: http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--34772/white-balsamic-vinegar.asp

Directions
1Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2Grill/brown the outside of the chicken breasts (you can do this in a non-stick skillet with a little canola oil or on a grill pan like a George Foreman). After one side is slightly browned, place the chicken in tin-foil and wrap tightly. Bake the chicken in the oven for about 20 minutes depending on thickness. When you remove the chicken from the oven, check for doneness. If the chicken is not cooked all of the way through, put back in the oven for another 10-12 minutes.
3Meanwhile, brush pita with a small amount of oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Place loaves into oven on the racks and let back for 5 minutes or until bread is firm and lightly brown. Remove from oven.
4Chop romaine and spinach, and tomatoes and put in large bowl. Toss with the dried cranberries and all of the toasted walnuts.Add 1/2 of the bleu cheese to the salad, crumbled.
5Put the white balsamic vinegar into a blender or food processor on medium/high and slowly drizzle in the remainder of the oil. Allow to emulsify for 30 seconds or so.
6Once the chicken is fully cooked and is cool enough to handle, dice into medium/small pieces and toss into salad.
7Pour entirety of the dressing over salad and toss/mix together.
8Serve salad on top of the crispy bread!
9Serve with extra bleu cheese crumbles on top & cracked black pepper.

Pear Pecan and Goat Cheese Salad

This is a great salad!
It is great served on top of a baked pizza crust.

1 small head of romaine lettuce
1 cup of baby spinach
1 ripe bartlett pear (the red pear)
1/2 cup whole pecans
1/2 cup craisins
4 oz. goat cheese
1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T apple cider vinegar

Make a balsamic vinegar reduction with 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp. sugar.
Chill.

Chop the romaine and toss it with the spinach.
Slice the pear and add it to the lettuce mixture with the craisins.
Gently toast the pecans and add them to the salad.
Add half of the goat cheese to the mix and toss again with 2 T of apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil.

Assemble salad on a plate, crumble the remaining goat cheese on top and drizzle with generous amounts of balsamic reduction.

Taco Pizza

1 Frozen Pizza Dough Ball
1 lb. ground beef
1 taco seasoning packet
Shredded Lettuce
Diced Tomatoes and/or salsa
Shredded Mozzarella
Sour cream
Garlic Salt
Olive Oil

Optional:
Jalapenos
Hot Sauce
Ranch Dressing
Tortilla Chips

Thaw the dough and let it rest. Stretch/roll it to the size of your pizza pan and brush with olive oil and sprinkle crust with garlic salt. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425.

Brown ground beef in a pan with the taco seasoning and the amount of water recommended (I use less water and only about 1/2 the seasoning packet -- personal taste).

Bake the pizza crust for 5-6 mins in preheated oven.

Take out of oven and top with the ground beef and shredded mozzarella cheese.

Reduce heat to 400 and bake an additional 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is fully melted.

Top the whole pizza with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and/or salsa, sour cream and other taco toppings.

Cut into slices and enjoy!

Lamb and Pine Nuts in a Cup

Tonight I wanted to experiment. I had some left over pot sticker wrappers (like wontons) from an attempt at making ravioli out of them gone awry.
(Making ravioli from wontons is yucky!!!)
So, I did some research on how to bake them in a muffin tin and create little cups to hold fillings.
I was in the mood for something Greek/Middle Eastern, so I filled them with a combination of ground lamb, beef, pine nuts, feta, garlic and parsley.

They were really good!

I served them with Orzo with feta and beans.

1 lb. ground lamb
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, diced finely
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped

Seasonings:
1 T dried parsley
1 T dried thyme
1/2 T cumin
1/2 T garlic salt
1/2 T red chili flakes
1 tsp. cinnamon

About 20 gyoza wrappers (pot sticker wrappers)

4 oz. feta cheese

Olive oil for brushing

Canned diced tomatoes, optional.

Brown the beef and onions on medium/high heat and then add the lamb. Mix together and cook until the pink is gone. While cooking, add in all of the seasonings and stir to combine. Add in the garlic, but keep the chopped parsley aside for now.
Continue to cook for about 8-10 mins on low/medium heat & allow the flavors to combine. Stir occassionally.

In a seperate pan, spray with non-stick spray and lightly toast a handful of pine nuts. More if you like more! We like more.

Drain fat from the meat mixture.
Add chopped parsley and pine nuts and stir to combine.
Add in crumbled feta, stir, and keep warm on low heat.

In a muffin tin, spray with non-stick spray, and in each cup lay 1 wrapper on one side of the cup and wet the bottom with a tiny bit of water (dip your fingers in water and run over the bottom of the wrapper) and lay in another wrapper on the other side of the cup.
Do this until you fill up the whole muffin tin.
Brush each cup with a bit of olive oil.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 5 minutes or until beginning to brown.
At this point, I took them out of the oven and carefully removed each cup. I placed them all on a flat cookie sheet (or pizza sheet) and filled them with the meat/cheese mixture.
I replaced them in the oven for an additional 5 mins.

Remove from oven and serve with yogurt sauce and your favorite side dish!

Yogurt sauce:

1/2 cup of plain yogurt, allowed to let drain all day and thicken
handful of fresh mint, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Let yogurt sit in a strainer or coffee filter in a set-up where the yogurt will not touch the bowl it is in and will allow it to strain the liquid out. Or, just buy Greek Yogurt.

Add in the fresh chopped mint and garlic and serve with the meat pies above.




Oh oh oh! In 1/2 of them I added half of a can of diced tomatoes, just to see if that would taste better. It didn't taste bad, but it didn't taste better. The nice flavors of the lamb, pine nuts, garlic and cheese was a great combination and the tomato flavor was overpowering.

It did taste more Italian though, so if you like a more Italian flavor, you might enjoy it with tomatoes more.

Quinoa Tabouli

I got the idea of making tabouli with quinoa to up the protein factor.  But, then I found out that bulgur wheat is pretty high in protein too (less amino acids though!).

1 cup of quinoa, prepared and chilled
2 bunches of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 small bunch of mint, finely chopped
1 bunch of green onion, chopped
2-3 tomatoes, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare all of the ingredients and toss to combine.  Chill and serve with lettuce leaves and pita bread.

I'll write the recipe later.

Butternut Squash Soup

I have a new uncle now named Kirk and also a new cousin named Cody and they came over for dinner last week. I made a starter of butternut squash soup and it was really quite good. So, I thought I'd share.

1 whole butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and chunked (or, I cheated and bought the pre-diced package butternut squash)
1 package frozen winter squash puree (in the freezer section)
1 can chicken or vegetable broth
1 can water
1 small onion, diced
2 T brown sugar
Salt/pepper
Dash cinnamon and nutmeg
Oil for tossing and sauteeing (so about 2 T tops)
1/4 cup Heavy cream *optional

Begin by tossing the squash chunks in a bit of oil, coarse salt, and black pepper.
Sprinkle about 1 T brown sugar all over the squash.
Roast in an uncovered pan in a 400 oven for 30-35 mins.
Meanwhile, dice up a small onion and gently sautee/soften in a bit of oil. Salt the onion once it starts to soften. Do not brown the onion.
After it is soft, add in the squash puree, stock, water, and spices and 1 full T of brown sugar.
Bring to a boil, stirring often, then reduce to a low simmer.
After the squash is done, add it to the soup. Let cook for another 10-15 mins on low heat.

Now, either use a HAND BLENDER or you'll need another pot.

Ladle the soup and squash chunks to a blender (you will want to work in batches; about 3 batches will do for this amount of soup), and puree on high for 30-60 seconds per batch until smooth. Move each batch to a new pot.

Once all of the soup has been pureed, taste and re-season.

More salt? More pepper? (Maybe a dash more sugar??? Probably not, but maybe.)

Stir in heavy cream and let cook for 5-10 more mins on low heat.

Serve.

I love it with multigrain crackers or graham crackers!!!

Pork Tenderloin Chops de Giada

So, this isn't really my recipe. I got it from Giada DeLaurentis but I've modified it slightly. It is sooooooo good, so I'm putting it on my blog for you.

1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine (drinking wine)
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 head of fennel (anise)
capers
lemon (juice and zest)
parsley
olive oil
salt/pepper
1/2 tsp. white sugar
3-4 large thick cut pork loin chops (boneless)

Season then brown the pork chops in a skillet and set aside (they should not be cooked through, only browned on the outside)
Chop up garlic and fennel
Add 2 T olive oil the the same pan the pork chops were browned in and then add the fennel and garlic.
Lower heat and gently sautee for 4-5 mins.
Deglaze pan with white wine and stir to get all of the goodness off of the pan.
Add in tomatoes, salt/pepper, and sugar. Stir stir stir.
Chop up a handful of flat leaf parsley and toss it in.
Reintroduce the pork to the pan and nestle them into the sauce.
Turn the heat to medium and cover the pan.
Cook for 10-15 min, depending on the thickness of your chops.

After cooking, add in 2 T capers and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice along with some lemon zest. Garnish with more chopped parsley.

Yum!

Healthy Veggie Fajitas

1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 white onion
1-2 large portabella mushroom caps
chopped garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil

6 flour tortillas
(Or 6-8 ice berg or romaine lettuce cups for substitution, if you are watching carbs)

Jar of Salsa
Low Fat Sour Cream
Romaine lettuce (chopped)
Cilantro (chopped)
Lime (optional)

Slice the peppers, onion, and mushroom and cook in a hot skillet with oil and garlic stirring often until veggies begin to soften. Reduce heat half-way through if veggies are starting to brown too much.
Add in 2 tablespoons of your favorite salsa and stir.

Heat tortillas in microwave for about 20 seconds to steam.

Make fajitas by piling veggies, more salsa, sour cream, lettuce and cilantro (and a squeeze of lime) into the tortillas (or lettuce cups) and enjoy.

*Some people like shredded cheese, but I don't.

**Don't hesitate to add in other vegetables to the above recipe if you have them and like them. This is a great way to get your vegetables but make them taste like a decadent mexican meal.

Spicy Seafood Pasta

 

This is what I made before a 10 mile run!

1 lb. live mussels

1 lb. shrimp, cleaned and deviened

1/2 box fettucini or linguine pasta

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 T crushed red pepper

1 cup dry white wine (drinking wine)

1 jar marinara sauce (good quality)

3 T butter

Salt/pepper
Chopped flat leaf parsley
Parmesan cheese
Toasted crusty bread

Begin by boiling the water for the pasta.

In a large pot add the wine, garlic, butter, crushed red pepper, and half the jar of marinara sauce.  Bring to a simmer and let cook for about 5 minutes, then add in cleaned live mussels.  Increase the heat and cover tightly.  Allow the mussels to cook for 4 minutes stirring once at 2 minutes.  Turn off the heat. Once the mussels are cooked and have opened, remove the meat and return it to the sauce. Discard the shells.  (I left a few mussels in their shell, but that was just for presentation.)

Cook the pasta for 10 minutes or according to the package.  In the last minute, toss in all of the cleaned and de-shelled shrimp.  Do not put the shrimp in until the pasta is pretty much done.  More than one or two minutes in the water will overcook the shrimp.  Drain pasta and shrimp and return it to the pot.  Toss the pasta, shrimp and sauce with the mussels together with the remaining marinara sauce and chopped parsley and some salt/pepper.  Heat until the sauce and pasta are hot.

Serve with toasted crusty bread.

Creamy Chicken Enchilladas

Ingredients
1 lb boneless chicken breast (thighs ok too)
1/2 chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoon oil (canola or vegetable)
1 (12 ounce) jar alfredo sauce
1 small tub sour cream
1 small jar medium or hot salsa
1/4 cup sliced jalapeno (optional)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups chopped lettuce
1 ripe tomato, diced
8-12 ounces mozzarella cheese
6  medium flour tortillas

Directions
 Lightly brown chicken in skillet with oil.
After chicken has a light brown color (does not need to be cooked through), add chopped onion and 1/2 jar of salsa to pan and bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat and let simmer on low-medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring and shredding the chicken as it cooks.
Preheat oven to 375.
Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or coat with a light coating of oil.
Add 1/2 jar of alfredo sauce to shredded chicken and stir to combine.
Add in sliced jalapenos if you are adding them.
Spoon equal amounts of the chicken mixture into the 6 tortillas, rolling the tortillas and placing them seam side down into the baking dish.
In a bowl, mix together the rest of the alfredo sauce, the sour cream and 1/2 cup water. I usually warm the water and that helps the sour cream and alfredo sauce come together smoothly.
Pour that alfredo/sour cream mixture over the top of all of the enchillada rolls.
Pour 1 line of salsa down the middle of the rolls.
Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and cover with tin foil.
Bake for 30 minutes.
In the last 5 minutes, remove the tin foil and allow to brown in oven.
Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro and more sour cream.

French Onion Soup

2 large sweet onions, sliced thinly and quartered
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 T sugar
salt/pepper
1 tsp. thyme
1 cup sweet marsala wine
1 qt. beef broth
2-3 T Olive oil

Croutons
Mozzarella or Provolone cheese
Parmesan *optional

Slice onions very thin and quarter them.  Sautee in oil over medium heat.  Do not char the onions; let them caramelize gently, stirring often. After about 2 minutes, add in the thyme and salt/pepper. Let them cook for another 5-7 minutes and then add the sugar and garlic.  Continue to let them cook until they become a light caramel color.  Add in the marsala wine and turn up the heat to high.  Let simmer for about 5 minutes and add in the beef broth.  Stir and let cook for another few minutes until the flavors blend and the soup is steaming hot.

Ladle into fire safe bowls and top with croutons and slices of cheese.  Broil for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted and begins to brown slightly.  Garnish with some parmesan.

Mussels and Wild Mushroom Risotto

I went to Miller's at 14 and Haggerty, the only good place to buy fancy ingredients near me. I got a bag of live mussels from behind the fish counter, some dried wild mushrooms, a package of sliced portabellas, 2 shallots, a $5 bottle of white wine and a bunch of fresh parsley. I had the rest of the ingredients at home.

INGREDIENTS

MUSSELS:
1/4 sweet white onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 shallot, sliced
1 T capers, drained
2/3 cup white wine
Olive oil
Chopped parsley
Juice from 1 lemon

Crumbled bleu cheese *optional

MUSHROOM RISOTTO:
1.5 cups arborio rice
2 T olive oil
2 T butter *optional
1/4 sweet onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 shallot, sliced
1 package wild mushrooms, steeped in warm water for 30 mins (about 1 cup warm water)
1 package sliced portabella mushrooms
Chicken stock, heated
2/3 cup white wine, chill taken off
Chopped parsley
2 T (or more!) parmesan cheese
Salt/pepper to taste

PREPARATION

MUSSELS:

Sautee onions, shallots, garlic in olive oil for a little while until transluscent (not browned).
Increase heat to medium/high and add in wine, capers, parsley and juice from 1 lemon.
Put the mussels in, toss in the wine, and cover for 4-7 mins or until all/most of them have opened.
Pour into a bowl and serve with crumbled bleu cheese.

RISOTTO:

Strain the mushrooms and reserve the liquid. Chop the mushrooms and add all of the mushrooms to a hot oiled pan. Brown the mushrooms, stirring often, and set aside.
Sautee onions, shallot, garlic in olive oil for a little while until transluscent (not browned). Add in rice and stir to coat. Keep cooking over medium/low heat for 5 minutes or so, stirring often. Add in 2/3 cup of white wine and stir. Cook until the wine has been absorbed by the rice. Add in 1/2 cup heated chicken stock and stir stir stir. While that cooks, add in the mushrooms and keep stirring. Once the chicken stock has been absorbed, add in the mushroom stock (about 1/2 cup) and stir. Once the mushroom stock has been absorbed, add in another 1/2 cup of warmed chicken stock and stir. Salt/pepper to taste.

Once the rice is *almost* done, add in parsley, butter, and parmesan cheese and stir some more.
Take off heat and serve.

Grilled Chicken Kebab with Coconut Rice and Grilled Pineapple

For 2 people

12 oz. - 24 oz. chicken breast, cubed
4 oz. plain yogurt
2 T Ras el Hanout spice (shawarma spice mix)
skewers
1 cup jasmine rice
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. sugar
Fresh pineapple, sliced
Cilantro, chopped
Red Onion, diced
Yellow onion, diced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 can black beans
Vegetable oil
2 loaves Naan bread

This recipe is a little involved, but worth it in the long run. Jon got a new gas grill for his birthday, so I use that to grill the kebabs on, but you could use a George Foreman or other indoor grill, or even your broiler.

Begin by rolling chicken chunks in the shawarma spices and then marinating in plain yogurt. Let the chicken sit in the fridge for 2-8 hours in the marinade. Then, put 4-5 chunks on each skewer.
Grill chicken until cooked thoroughly.
To make the coconut rice, add milk and 1/2 cup water to a sauce pan and bring to boil.
Add in sugar and 1 cup jasmine rice.
COVER the pan tightly and reduce heat to your lowest setting available.
Let the rice cook for 15-20 minutes, no peeking!!! Let rest additional 5 mins with the heat off.
Chop red onion and cilantro and use as a garnish.
Put the diced yellow onion in another pan with some vegetable oil. Gently sautee until soft and add cumin and rinsed black beans. Add salt to taste.
Grill pineapple.

Serve with naan and a squeeze of lime.

Bleu Cheese Walnut Dip for crackers or crostini

Also great on veggies or apple slices and fresh pineapple!

1/2 cup toasted walnuts
4 oz. bleu cheese
1 package cream cheese
2 T honey
1 tsp. garlic salt
Chopped scallions *optional

Toasted crostini
Crackers
Fruit slices

Toast walnuts in a 350 oven for 5-7 mins on a baking pan.
Combine softened cream cheese, bleu cheese, salt and honey in a bowl.
Add in toasted walnuts and combine.
Garnish with chopped scallions, if desired.

Serve!

Tofu Parmigiana

Last night, I created a great vegetarian version of Chicken Parmesan using extra firm tofu instead of chicken. It tasted great and I like to limit my consumption of meats whenever possible. I do use eggs and cheese, however. You can alwasy use soy milk instead of eggs in this recipe and vegan cheese instead of mozzarella.

1 package extra firm tofu cut into 2 steaks
Panko bread crumbs mixed with italian bread crumbs (50/50 mix)
1 egg
FRESH mozzarella cheese
Spaghetti sauce
FRESH basil leaves, torn
Flour seasoned with lots of garlic powder!

Preheat oven to 425
Drain your tofu on paper towel by wrapping each tofu steak and leaving in fridge for at least 1 hour.
Dredge tofu in a little seasoned flour (handle carefully or tofu could break apart)
Dredge in whisked egg
Dredge in panko/breadcrumbs mixture
Move steaks to a baking dish sprayed with PAM or other non-stick cooking spray
Bake in 425 oven for 15-17 mins
Take out of oven and top with about half the jar of spaghetti sauce and slices of fresh mozzarella
Reduce heat to 375 and bake for another 10-15 mins
Top with lots of torn fresh basil leaves and maybe some parmesan cheese!

*Serve with some spaghetti and sauteed mushrooms, if you wish.

Note: I used to skip the 1) dredge in flour step and have found that I should not skip that step. It helps keep the breadcrumbs on the meat/tofu/eggplant/other veggie so much better!