Vegetarian Foodie

Gorgonzola Quesadillas

I adore appetizers. Gorgonzola quesadillas are not only a easy and quick appetizer but a real tasty treat. Gorgonzola is a blue cheese that makes a great date for walnuts. The onions top it off perfectly, try it for yourself.

In fact, these quesadillas are so popular around here that sometimes I serve them for dinner beside a salad.

• Gorgonzola Cheese
• Chopped Walnuts
• Red Onion Caramelized
• Flour Tortillas

First step, caramelize the onions:

1 Red Onion Sliced
1 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup of Red Wine

Next, lay out the tortillas (psst, Trader Joes makes a great flour tortilla) onto a pan. Top the tortilla with Gorgonzola Cheese, chopped walnuts and a few slices of onion. Place in the broiler and be certain to keep an eye-things happen fast in there.

Cut the quesadilla into three triangles.

BLT with Smashed Avocado

I grew up loving BLTs. I recall the BLTs of my childhood on toasted white bread and overly smeared with mayonnaise. I remember, so clearly, the soggy tomatoes and wilted lettuce and how when I would bite into the sandwich there was a distinct crunch sound. 

Thanks to the folks at MorningStar there is a stunning vegetarian bacon on the market, it is salty and crunchy in all the right places. The BLTs of today have accessorized with smashed avocado and it is very becoming! 

If you are in the mood to browse, there is a great excerpt from a photo essay called What the World Eats.

Being the before and after photos junkie I am, there is a good collection called We Like it Raw.

Do you know a great recipe for Ratatouille? There is a contest over at Recipe4Living.
 

Grapefruit and Avocado Salsa

The following is a salsa that makes the mouth simultaneously pucker and shape into a mmm smile....  Salsa is best served beside salty tortilla chips and washed down with an ice cold beer on a very hot day.

• 1 Pink grapefruit
• 2 Avocados
• 1 Sweet onion chopped
• Cilantro
• Salt and Pepper

Chocolate Chip Scones

The husband and the daughter love sweet treats, especially chocolate. In fact, they really LOVE chocolate and often until it hurts. The last time I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies we ate so many that we all had stomach aches. I ended up bagging about 25 cookies and offering them to the homeless guys that hang out by the library in our neighborhood. So when I announced I was making scones and asked, "What should I put in them? Blueberries perhaps or apricots.." Without hesitation, the response was chocolate. I was not surprised. So here is the recipe for chocolate chip scones, not just for breakfast!

• 4 Cups Flour
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 Tablespoons baking powder
• 1 Tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons salt
• 2 Sticks of unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 Cup of buttermilk
• The insides: Chocolate (in this case), blueberries, strawberries...be creative!
• Pinches of brown sugar to top off scones

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with waxed paper
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt

Cut in the butter and mix until it is course like sand
Add the buttermilk and the insides and mix

Roll or pat down the dough and proceed by shaping small (2 inches wide) and somewhat flat (1 inch thick) biscuit shapes for the baking sheet

Sprinkle the tops with brown sugar and bake for 20 minutes

Beet Salad

It is not everyday that one has the opportunity to eat something the color of raging hot pink. Further, usually when I eat something of this color I am not feeling so good about it afterwards-not the case with this recipe. Beet salad is a fresh delight. 

• Shred a beet
• Shred an apple
• Add chopped walnuts
• Mix!

Sweet Potato Fries

I heart sweet potato fries...

Preheat Oven to 500 degrees F
Slice sweet potatoes and place in roasting pan
Drizzle fries with olive oil and add salt
Bake for 10-15 minutes

So easy and so very delicious

Lilly's Two Timing Casserole

The following recipe was inspired by my friend Lilly. We decided to call it a two timing casserole because there is a creative license with this recipe-any leftover pasta can evolve into a delicious casserole with a few simple additions (namely cheese), hence this dish is a two timer.

If you haven't any pasta leftovers but fancy a baked pasta casserole, try the following on for size.

• Olive oil
• Fusilli Pasta (about 1/2 a bag or 4 handfuls cooked)
• 4 quartered tomatoes
• 1 Yellow onion sliced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 3 zucchini chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 Cup each Cheddar and Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

Begin with roasting the tomatoes. Place quartered tomatoes in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle Herbes de Provence as well as salt and pepper. Roast for an hour.

Move on to the pasta and cook in a large pot of water.

In a skillet, add olive oil, onions and garlic. After two minutes add the zucchini and brown all ingredients.

Now combine everything into a large baking dish and top with cheese (as seen below).

Bake at 325 for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

 


 

Roasted Summer Squash

Roasted summer squash is one of my favorite vegetable sides, I often include it in my casada plate.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
Chop green and yellow summer squash into bite sized pieces
Place in roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil
Sprinkle with salt
Bake for about 15 minutes-until tender and browned

Corn Bread

Corn bread is delicious on its own- but for an extra rich kick I like to add feta and kalamata olives to the recipe. 

• ½ Cup Yellow Cornmeal
• 1 Cup Flour
• ¼ Cup Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1 ½ Cups Milk
• ¾ Cup melted Butter
• ½ Cup Chopped and pitted Kalamata olives
• ½ Cup Feta cheese 

Heat the oven to 400 F Degrees. 

In a large bowl mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. 

In a separate Mixing Bowl combine Eggs, milk and butter. 

Combine the two bowls into one and stir until moist. Add the olives and feta cheese. 

Pour batter into 8x8 pan and bake for 20 minutes

Road Food is Baby's First Food

As promised, a few pictures of our extended week end getaway. We had a great time with friends and family and all agreed we felt rather awestruck with the enormity and majestic beauty of the sequoias.  If you never have been I recommend a visit. 

The lovely house was in Three Rivers which is located in the foothills. Although it was great having the rental, it involved quite a bit of day trip driving. If I had to do it over I would probably camp in the park. The house offered stunning mountain views and the kitchen was a delight to cook in. I love the idea of the kitchen as part of the living space so the cook(s) do not feel isolated from the chatter and goings ons. Soon I will detail two favorite recipes from the journey: Gorgonzola cheese quesadillas with walnuts and caramelized onions as well as Lilly's two timing casserole.

Our time was spent hiking through the park, admiring the trees and chilling out at the house. We had the pleasure of seeing a deer while we picnicked in a green meadow and while mountain biking a rugged trail, our friend Brian saw a mountain lion just yards away.

Here are a few bits and pieces from the week end:

A few of us on a stroll through the giant forest.

This little one had his first taste of road food...ketchup, and while he loved it-I was not fond of the notion of my baby's first food being ketchup. If there is one thing the husband and I wrestle about it is what goes into the mouth's of the babes. I could really kick off a rant here but I won't bore you because this topic is not unique. I have chatted with many moms on this topic and everyone has their own story in regards to what absurd things the husbands have fed the babes.

General Sherman sequoia is not only the largest tree on the planet but also the the largest living thing. General Sherman is 2,200 years old. The circumference at the ground is 102.6 feet.