italian tortellini salad from delightfulemade.com/

10 oz. small or medium cheese tortellini pasta (tri-color or regular)
1 c. cherry tomatoes (red and/or yellow), quartered
1 (3.8 oz.) can, black olives, drained
1/2 c. red onion, diced
1/2 c. jarred mild yellow banana peppers, chopped or peppers
1 c fresh mozz pearls
1 c. Italian salad dressing
1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Let set to cool.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add the tomatoes, olives, red onion, and banana peppers. Toss with the cooled tortellini pasta. Add the dressing and cheese and toss all ingredients to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve chilled.
  3. Store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.

 

Green poblano rice (arroz verde al poblano) Rick Bayless

    • be5b6dede74764337b7514d8241226be1 2/3 cups veggie broth or water
    • 2 fresh poblano chiles, stems and seeds removed, and roughly chopped
    • 12 sprigs cilantro, plus extra for garnish
    • Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon if using salted broth, 1 teaspoon if using unsalted or water
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
    • 1 cup rice, preferably medium grain
    • 1 small white onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
    • 5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
    1. The flavoring: In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the broth and chiles, bring to a boil, then partially cover and simmer gently over medium to medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the chiles are very soft. Pour the chile mixture into a food processor, add the cilantro (stems and all), and process to a smooth puree. Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl and stir in the salt.
    2. The rice: Wipe the pan clean, add the oil and heat over medium. Add the rice and onion, and cook, stirring regularly, until the rice is chalky looking and the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook a minute longer.
    3. Add the warm (or reheated) chile liquid to the hot rice pan, stir once, scrape down any rice kernels clinging to the side of the pan, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and check a grain of rice: It should be nearly cooked through. If the rice is just about ready, turn off the heat, re-cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes longer to complete the cooking. If the rice seems far from done, continue cooking for 5 minutes or so, retest, then turn off the heat and let stand a few minutes longer. Fluff with a fork, scoop into a warm serving dish, decorate with cilantro sprigs and it’s ready to serve.
    4. Advance preparation: The rice can be made several days ahead; turn out the fluffed rice onto a baking sheet to cool, transfer to a storage container, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat the rice in a steamer basket set over boiling water.
    5. Variations and improvisations: An obvious variation is to use 3 or 4 long green (Anaheim) chiles, or to mix poblanos and long greens with hotter chiles like jalapeño, manzano or habanero. Grilled corn cut from 1 cob or 1 large grilled zucchini (cubed) are tasty vegetable add-ins. About 1 cup coarsely shredded roast (or barbecued) pork or smoked salmon, mixed in toward the end of cooking, will make green rice a full meal.

stir-fried eggplant, potatoes & peppers from thewoksoflife.com/

  • 3 cldi-san-xian-8oves garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 long Chinese eggplants, cut on an angle into large bite-sized pieces
  • 1 large potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut on an angle into large bite-sized pieces
  • ½ red bell pepper, cut into large bite-sized pieces
  • ½ orange bell pepper, cut into large bite-sized pieces
  • 4 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • Salt, to taste

First let’s prepare the following: smash and peel the garlic, chop the scallions, and mix the cornstarch with the water in a small bowl. Set everything aside.

Now we’re ready to cook. Heat the oil in your wok over medium heat. Add the potato, and brown lightly for about 8 minutes until cooked through. Stir occasionally to avoid burning them.

Sausage, Peppers, Onions, and Potato Bake from allrecipes.com

32874762 teaspoons olive oil
2 pounds Italian(veggie) sausage links, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large onions, cut into wedges

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  2. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the sausage until browned. Transfer the cooked sausage to a large baking dish. Pour 1/4 cup of olive oil into the skillet, and cook the potatoes, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Place the potatoes into the baking dish, leaving some oil. Cook and stir the green and red peppers and onions in the hot skillet until they are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables to the baking dish. Pour wine and chicken stock over the vegetables and sausage, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Gently stir the sausage, potatoes, and vegetables together.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven until hot and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Quinoa Chili from Nettie Cronish

Use organic diced tomatoes for best flavour. The crunch from celery compliments sautéed thinly sliced purple eggplant. Great cabbage roll filling. Delicious hot or cold.

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1 cup quinoa, rinsed
¼ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced or sweet mini peppers
2 Japanese eggplant, chopped (about 2 cups) OR 2 c. regular eggplant
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tbsp. chili powder & dried oregano
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. salt & pepper
2 x 28 fl.oz. diced tomatoes USE 1 can rotel and 1 can crushed
2 green onions, sliced

  1. In a skillet over medium heat, roast the rinsed quinoa for 5 minutes or until fragrant and the quinoa begins to pop. In a small pot bring 2 cups water and salt to boil. Add roasted quinoa . Cover and simmer over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, until water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, stir and let stand covered 5 minutes.
  2. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic 5 minutes or until softened Stir in green pepper, eggplant, celery, chili,oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring often.
  3. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Stir in the quinoa and green onions.  Serves: 6

thai basil sauce from thewoksoflife.com

2 tablespoons oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
½ of a red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
1 cup thai basil leaves, packed

Heat your wok over high heat, and add the oil.  Add the garlic and red pepper to the wok and stir-fry for about 20 seconds. Add the onions and stir-fry until browned and slightly caramelized.

Toss  in  the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir-fry for another few seconds, and then fold in the Thai basil until it’s just wilted. Serve with jasmine rice!

 

Salmon Cakes from the splendid table

Salmon Cakes

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 4 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 2 (14-ounce) cans salmon, drained
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon crab boil seasoning (e.g., Old Bay Seasoning)
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook until the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. In a large mixing bowl, mash the salmon, using a fork, until no large pieces remain. Add the onion mixture, parsley, capers, Worcestershire sauce, crab boil seasoning, mustard, eggs, and panko. Mix together until well combined. Form into 12 patties. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the cakes and cook until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve these with fresh lemon wedges!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

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2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided]
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup water, or more as needed
1 tablespoon cornmeal
teaspoon Salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish
1/4C. Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.Combine sweet potatoes, chipotle pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl and toss to coat. Spread sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.Roast sweet potatoes in the preheated oven until the outside is crunchy and inside is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.Cook and stir remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, onion, garlic, red bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, ancho chile powder, cumin, and dried oregano together in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook and stir until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.Pour tomatoes and water into the onion mixture and bring to a simmer. Add cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, sugar, and cocoa powder. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutesStir black beans and cooled sweet potatoes into the onion-tomato mixture. Add more water if mixture is too thick. Simmer until heated through, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro.

Ottolenghi’s ‘Very Full Tart’ From Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Timimi

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1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
about 6 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut into 2-inch dice
salt and black pepper
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
11 oz pie crust dough
8 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1/3 cup ricotta
4 1/4 oz feta
7 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 medium eggs
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Use a small serrated knife to cut around the stem of the peppers and lift it out along with the seeds. Shake the peppers to remove all the remaining seeds; discard the stems and seeds. Place the two peppers in a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with a little oil and put on the top shelf in the oven.

Mix the eggplant in a bowl with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Spread in a large baking pan and place in the oven on the shelf beneath the peppers.

After 12 minutes add the sweet potato dice to the eggplant pan and stir gently. Return to the oven to roast for another 12 minutes. Then add the zucchini to the pan, stir and roast for a further 10 to 12 minutes. At this point the peppers should be brown and the rest of the vegetables cooked. Remove all from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Cover the peppers with foil and cool, then peel and tear roughly into strips.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Saute the onions with the bay leaves and some salt for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn brown, soft and sweet. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaves and set aside.

Lightly grease a 9-inch loose-bottomed tart pan. Roll out the pie crust dough to a circle roughly 1/8 inch thick and large enough to line the pan, plus extra to hang over the rim. Carefully line the pan with the dough, pressing it into the corners and leaving the excess hanging over the top edge. Line the dough with a large sheet of parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the paper with the weights, then bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until it turns golden brown. Remove and allow to cool a little.

Scatter the cooked onion over the bottom of the crust and top with the roasted vegetables, arranging them evenly. Scatter half the thyme leaves over. Next, dot the veg with small chunks of both cheeses and then with the tomato halves, cut-side up.

Whisk the eggs and cream in a small bowl with some salt and pepper. Carefully pour this mix into the tart; the top layer of tomatoes and cheese should remain exposed. Scatter the remaining thyme over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the filling sets and turns golden. Remove and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before releasing the tart from the pan and serving. Serves 4-6

Sochi Salsa Recipe By: Eating Well – Jan/Feb 2014

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1 large red bell pepper
4-5 fresh jalapeño peppers, red or green, stemmed and seeded
4 cloves garlic
1 large stalk celery
1 1/2 cups firmly packed fresh cilantro, including tender stems
3/4 cup firmly packed fresh basil
3/4 cup firmly packed fresh dill, including tender stems
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt

Coarsely chop bell pepper, jalapeños and garlic. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Coarsely chop celery (including any leaves), cilantro, basil and dill. Add to the food processor along with vinegar, coriander and salt; pulse until finely chopped, but not smooth—the salsa should still have some texture. Transfer to the bowl with the pepper mixture; stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight for the flavors to meld before serving.

Notes from Chris: Let sit in fridge for one day for best flavors. According to Eating Well this was a condiment on all the tables during the Sochi Olympics. I didn’t have any fresh basil when made it so I left that out this time around… still was absolutely wonderful. We have eaten it on sautéed fish, tomato pie, in quesadillas and on scrambled eggs. Yum!