Angel Hair Pasta with Roasted Bell Peppers and Basil Pesto

This recipe is courtesy of the Eat, Shrink, and Be Merry Cookbook:

Serves 4:
2 large red bell peppers
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 large orange bell pepper (I used ALL red peppers)
1 1/2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
8oz. uncooked angel hair pasta (capelli d'angelo) ... I used the whole-wheat fusilli pasta I had on hand.
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat broiler.  Halve bell peppers.  Remove stems and seeds.  Place peppers cut-side down on non-stick baking sheet (or line with tin foil).  Broil until blistered and charred.  Transfer to a  large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 15mins.  Peel off skins.  Set 1 red pepper half aside.  Cut peppers into thin strips.  Set aside
2. In a food processor, puree reserved red pepper half, basil, olive oil, garlic and salt until smooth.  (I cheated and used the Farmer's Market Pesto I had).
3. Cook pasta according to package directions until tender but firm.  Drain and return to pot.  Add pepper strips and basil puree.  Toss to combine.  Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

This was such a yummy Saturday afternoon meal.

Baked Fennel with Garlic Butter and Vermouth, with Risotto

The baked fennel recipe is courtesy of Jamie Oliver's Naked Chef Takes Off cookbook

Baked Fennel with Garlic Butter and Vermouth, serves 4:
3 large heads of fennel
1 clove of garlic, finely sliced
3 large pats of butter
2 wineglasses of dry vermouth (white wine also works)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.  Remove any discolored parts of the fennel, then cut the tops off and slice finely, reserving the feathery leaves.  (Slice each fennel from the top to the root, into about four pieces)
2. Throw all the ingredients except the reserved leaves into a baking dish.  Rip off a piece of wax paper, run it under cold water and scrunch it up to make it soft.  Then place it snugly over and around the fennel, not the baking dish.  This bakes and steams the fennel at the same time  - yum!  Cook in the preheated oven for 20mins, or until tender.  Scatter with the fennel leaves before serving.

**Note: I'm SURE this recipe would be a major hit ... however, midway through the cooking process, our power went out for almost an hour.  The fennel was not as tender as I imagined it would taste.

Risotto made from the Mediterranean boxed variety.

Thai Chicken Pizza with Zesty Peanut Sauce (Minus the Chicken!)

This recipe is courtesy of the Eat, Shrink, and Be Merry Cookbook:

Peanut Sauce:
1/4 cup light peanut butter
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp grated gingerroot
1 tsp liquid honey, reduced-sodium soy sauce, and red wine vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast (skipped this for obvious reasons)
1 12-inch prebaked thin-crust pizza shell (for lack of time, I used 4 pita shells)
1 cup packed shredded light Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 Tbsp chopped roasted peanuts
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. To make sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until bubbly, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. To assemble pizza, spread peanut sauce evenly over crust.  Top with half the shredded cheese.  Top with bean sprouts, carrots, green onions and peanuts, in that order.  Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese over toppings.
4. Place pizza directly on middle oven rack and bake for 10-12 minutes, until cheese is completely melted and edges are lightly browned.  Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.
 **Note: This pizza tasted quite strong without the chicken to tone down the flavor of the sauce.  Perhaps some baked tofu strips would be a nice replacement for the chicken.

Evidence that we ARE still eating ... Fajitas and Margaritas!

Fajitas, from the Rebar Cookbook:

Fajita Recipe, serves 4:
Flour tortillas
Baja black beans (black beans are seasoned with: 1 Tbsp cumin, 2 Tbsp pure chile powder, 1 Tbsp dried oregano, 6 garlic cloves, peeled and shopped, 1 Tbsp salt, 2 Tbsp brown sugar ... the original recipe also calls for cilantro, chopped onion, chipotle puree, 1 can tomato paste and 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, but I like the taste better without these additions)
Ancho chile-lime tofu (I skipped this)
3 bell peppers (I used 1.5)
1 large onion
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
cracked pepper
grated jack cheese (optional ... I used cheddar)
fresh-cut tomato salsa (tomatos, cilantro, minced garlic, lime juice)

1. Prepare the required recipes.  The black beans and tofu can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.
2. Slice sweet peppers and onions into 1/2" wide strips.  Heat the oil in a skillet and fry the peppers and onions with salt until golden and tender.  Add seasoned black beans and warm through.
3. While above is warming through, wrap tortillas in tinfoil and warm in toaster oven for a few minutes.
4. Grate cheese and assemble tortilla.  Or, serve buffet style, with all the components in separate bowls.

Enjoy with a homemade margarita!
Lime Margarita Recipe found at following link:  http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/bebidasdrinks/r/LimeMargaritas.htm

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 oz tequila

1/2 oz Triple Sec

1 oz lime juice, fresh squeezed

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

kosher Salt (optional)

lime wedge (optional)

crushed ice or ice cubes

Preparation:

If you're going to salt the glass, take your lime wedge or a bit of triple sec and rub around edge of glass. Turn upside down and press rim into salt.

For the drink- Shake the tequila, triple sec, lime juice and sugar in a shaker (or stir vigorously with a spoon) and pour over ice. Or you can blend it in a blender if you prefer it. Garnish with lime wedge and enjoy!

Cinnamon Rolls!

This is your one-way ticket to a cinnamon bun on the run - they are much quicker to make than the traditional roll.  The secret?  Don't bother with rising time!

They looked much better after getting the glazed treatment, but they were eaten too quickly to snap a picture!

Dough:
2 cups white flour
3 tsp baking flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup milk

Filling:
3 Tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:
1/2 cup packed powdered sugar
1 Tbsp milk

1. Sift and mix all dry ingredients for dough.
2. Add butter to flour mixture.  Mix with a fork or beaters until it's the consistency of cornmeal.  (I always use my fingers to incorporate cold butter)
3. Add milk.  Add until dough makes a soft ball with a little dry flour mix around the ball.
4. Roll out on floured board in a rectangular shape.  Dough should be about 1/4" thick.  Add melted butter all over top of rolled dough.
5. Filling: Mix and sprinkle generously over dough.
6. Roll cinnamon buns, starting from the longest side, lengthwise.  Roll tightly all the way up, slightly pinching edges together.
7. Use a piece of dental floss or a sharp knife to cut roll into 1" slices.
8. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving 1/2" apart.  Bake at 400F for 8-10mins.
9. After rolls have cooled, glaze.
Serve slightly warm.

Onion-Celariac Root medley

Celeriac Root often goes unnoticed when I'm grocery shopping, but lately it's been featured on the Food Network by Michael Smith.  I'm curious about it.  It's ugly in appearance - just this bulbous, earthy root looking thing.  Once you shave that fibrous skin away, immediately the celery aroma comes wafting up ... it's really a lovely root to work with.  Being a BIT cautious, my first attempt to use this in a dish is something super simple.  The celeriac root joins chopped onions in a pan and is warmed through until soft and golden brown. Add a little salt and pepper and throw in a nice salad and roasted potatoes on the side, and suddenly you have a well-balanced vegetarian meal.  (I'm sure there are people out there who may question this claim, but hey, I'm still learning about how to make a balanced Vegetarian meal).

p.s. My new favourite addition to any salad is GOAT CHEESE.  Yum.

Celeriac-Potato Gratin

This dish is the perfect addition to a Sunday evening dinner.  It's mild in flavour and huge in "comfort".  It nicely caps off the end of the week and transitions into the upcoming week by providing that feeling of being taken care of and being somewhat healthy.  These photos don't do the flavour justice.  It looks like plain old potato gratin.  But the celeriac root really provides a lovely mild undertone of celery flavour.  It would be fun to play around with a different medley of root vegetables next time ... I am starting to really appreciate gratins!

This recipe comes from the Jamie Oliver website: 

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/celeriac-gratin

Ingredients:

• 1kg potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1cm slices (I used two medium sized potatoes)

• 1 large celeriac, peeled and sliced into 1cm slices

• 1 onion, peeled and finely sliced

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

• 125g Cheddar cheese (or to taste), grated

• 600ml carton double cream (I poured 2% milk over the dish to come up halfway up the dish)

• a small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, stalks roughly chopped  (oops - I forgot to use this ... would have made it prettier for sure!)

Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Place the potatoes, celeriac and onion in an earthenware-type baking dish. Season generously. Add the garlic, ¾ of the cheese, the cream and the parsley stalks. With a spoon, move everything around to mix all the flavours. Sprinkle over the extra cheese, and bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until tender and golden. Sprinkle over the parsley leaves. I like to leave the gratin in the dish, pop it in the middle of the table and tuck in!