Mint & Basil Pasta

Saute zucchini

Boil rotini pasta

combine zucchini, pasta, some warm water, a bit of olive oil, salt, good amount of fresh mint, good amount of fresh basil, a bit of lemon juice, some lemon zest. Serve onto plates, top with black pepper and crumbled feta

Adapted from Whole-Wheat Shells with Asparagus, Peas, Feta, and Mint

Mushroom Stroganoff

Two variants on a similar recipe

(1) Unmixed

• Stir fry quartered mushrooms with butter, salt, pepper, onions or green onions
• Prepare egg noodles according to package
• Serve mushrooms on top of egg noodles with a side of sour cream

(2) Mixed

• 2 cups, cooked egg noodles
• 10.75 oz can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 box of mushrooms
• 1/2 cup lowfat sour cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 package Morningstar Farms Grillers Recipe Crumbles
• 1/2 onion
• To taste black pepper

Directions
1. Prepare noodles according to package.
2. In a skillet, combine Crumbles and mushrooms and onions and heat over low-medium heat.
3. Add broth and continue heating.
4. Add spices and soup and bring to low boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
6. Remove from heat, add sour cream and noodle. If sauce is too thick, add broth until desired viscosity is reached.

Pasta with Shrimp and Zucchini

pasta gamberi e zucchine

• Julienne 2 zucchini in one pan with olive oil. Set aside.
• Saute shrimp with olive oil.
• Once shrimp is cooked, add zucchini, 2 pinches of crushed saffron, salt, and heavy cream. Allow to simmer.
• Boil penne pasta in separate pot.
• Add pasta to sauce, stir, and serve.

How to Cook Dal

...when you have a bag of red lentils, but no Indian spices?

Turkish Style Spicy Rustic Red Lentil Dal

with rice, sliced cucumber, yogurt, bread, and Panka, Indian Limeade

This link to Hinduism Today that provides background information on Fifteen Hindu Holy Days is also very valuable.

Inspiration: Spinach and Tofu Napoleons

This looks amazing

Spinach and Tofu Napoleons

Yogurt Parfait Encouragement

Looks good!

Sunday Morning Fresh Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits

Кекс с боровинки/Blueberry Cake

Продукти:

• 450 гр. брашно
• 350 гр. захар
• 250 мл. прясно мляко
• 150 гр. меко масло/маргарин, олио/
• 4 яйца
• 5 с.л. смлени орехи
• 1 с.л. лимонова кора
• 2 с.л. лимонов сок
• 1 пакет бакпулвер
• 1 ванилия
• 1 ч.л сол
• 1 ч.ч. боровинки
• -захар, овесени ядки за поръсване.
  

From: http://vkusnoikrasivo.com/recepy/Blueberry Cake

How to Cook ... Blog Idea

Develop a list of "how to" by ingredient, then tag recipes by main ingredient and link

• How to cook ... blueberries
• How to cook ... cauliflower
• How to cook ... sweet potatoes
• How to cook ... spinach
• How to cook ... an eggplant
• How to cook ... zucchini
• How to cook .... corn

Attempts at Blueberry Cobbler

The "original" Village recipe:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) == 113 grams (recommend less butter)
  
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 2-3 cups berries or peaches

Preheat oven to 350°F = 177°C

Put the butter in a 9x13-inch Pyrex baking dish and put the dish in the preheating oven. While the butter is melting, mix up the batter by combining the flour, salt, sugar and milk.

When the butter is completely melted, remove the pan and pour the batter into the melted butter. Then, carefully spoon the berries/peaches and juice evenly over the batter. Return dish to the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

As the cobbler cooks, the batter will rise up and around the berries/peaches.

Makes 10 to 12 serving

Cucumber and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients

• Whole-grain bread
• 4-ounce log fresh goat cheese, at room temperature (substitute feta)
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (roast walnuts)
• 2 each Kirby cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch watercress, thick stems removed (substitute arugula or other)
• salt & pepper

From Real Simple

Gateau au Chocalat for Birthdays by Patricia Wells

Ingredients

• 12 oz. Lindt Bittersweet chocolate
• 2/3 cup Unsalted butter (11 T)
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 tsp. confectioner’s sugar for decoration (optional); misc. decorations (sugar roses, violets)
  

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F and butter a 9 1/2 inch springform pan or deep, nonstick cake pan.

Break up chocolate, cut butter into chunks. In a large, heavy saucepan set over low heat, melt chocolate, butter and sugar. Thoroughly blend. Let cool.

Separate the egg yolks and the egg whites into separate bowls. Whisk the egg whites until they form firm peaks but don’t overbeat.

Whisk the egg yolks and flour into the COOLED chocolate mixture. This will be a lumpy but will begin to look like cake batter.

Then, add one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate batter and mix. Gently fold in the remaining whites slowly and thoroughly, until no streaks of egg white remain.

Pour batter into a buttered 9-inch pan. Bake until the cake is firm and springy, 35-40 minutes.

Cool completely on a rack before releasing cake (Several Hours) and inverting it into a platter. sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and decorate. Don't overbake.

I recommend eating it with just a touch of homemade whipped cream.

Mixed Baked Nuts/Trail Mix

Bake raw, unsalted shelled peanuts with a little bit of oil and a bit of salt for 20 minutes or until almost done.

Separately, bake walnuts, shelled pumpkin seeds, and shelled sunflower seeds with a little bit of salt.

Mix together with the peanuts, raisins, and a few drops of vegetable oil.

Store in an airtight container.

Vegetable Stew

Boil together, with a little bit of oil, adequate water, salt, spices:

• fresh green beans
• sliced onions
• carrots

When vegetables begin to soften, add tomatoes and parsley. Continue to boil until done.

Serve with fresh bread.

See also: http://ilrai.blogspot.com/2008/09/blog-post_09.html

Samosas

Love this samosa recipe!

http://evlogia.typepad.com/files/samosas.pdf

If we can make samosas, poouri, and matar paneer (or cauliflower curry soup), we will be in business for indian dinner!

Perfect Stew for Bulgarian Summer

Dinner with Julie has a really great sounding Zucchini, Green Bean, and Potato Stew. Looks like something I could easily make with local ingredients, maybe substituting baby potatoes for Yukons. I will have to figure out a substitute for "Italian seasoning" though.

In a medium pot, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat and cook the onion (if you’re using it), zucchini and garlic for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the green beans, potatoes, tomatoes (with their juices) and Italian seasoning; bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about half an hour, or until the potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

After having made this in the oven, I realize that it is necessary to cook on the stovetop, as though it were a soup, and to let is simmer quite a while.

Bruschetta

Ingredients

• Bread
• Tomatoes
• Basil
• Garlic

Bake slices of bread til golden. Rub bread with garlic. Sprinkle with olive oil. Top with mix of chop tomatoes, basil, and salt and pepper.

Crunch!

Bulgarian Spinach & Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 pounds of fresh spinach, chopped, washed, drained
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 1/3 cups of olive oil
• 1 1/3 cup of water
• 1 1/3 cups of long-grain rice or white rice
  
• 5 1/4 cups of water
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• Optional: Parmesan cheese, feta, or other cheese
• Optional: diced tomatoes or tomato sauce
• Optional: 1-2 finely chopped chili pepper
  

Preparation:

In a stock pot, sauté the chopped spring onion in the oil over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Add spinach and 1 1/3 cups of water and cook until the spinach wilts, about 5-7 minutes.

Add rice and 5 1/4 cups of water, bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice and salt, cook for another 5 minutes and remove from heat.

(Optional: Grate in Parmesan or other cheese.)

Stir, cover, and let sit until the dish "melds."

Easter Squash Cassarole

Ingredients

• 2 medium yellow squash
• 2 large zucchini
• 1 Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced
• 2 cups grated Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Cut the zucchini and squash into long, thin layers. Lightly grease a 7x11-inch baking dish and layer the squash, zucchini, onion and tomatoes into the baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and add pats of butter between each layer of vegetables, and season each layer with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
3. Continue this layering process until all the vegetables are used up and top this off with the remaining butter and cheese.
4. Cover and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 to 30 minutes, or until vegetables are to desired tenderness and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Jam Rolls

Spread sheets of puff pastry (dough used to make elephant ears) with fruit jam (sour cherry, plum) or fruit (apple), sprinkle with rolled & ground oats. Roll up and slice into small sections. Bake according to puff pastry directions.

This also looks like its worth trying: Raspberry Turnovers with Mango and Ginger

Moroccan Vegetable Stew with Couscous

Makes 6 servings. Preparation time: 20 minutes. Cooking time: about 15 minutes, plus couscous. Fast, tasty and healthy!

• 1 tbs. Vegetable oil
• 2 medium coarsely chopped zucchinis (chunks, really)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1large carrot, chopped (chunks again)
• 1 tbs. Minced garlic
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 tsp. Ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp. Ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp. Ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. Black pepper
• 2 (15-19 oz.) cans of chickpeas
• 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can stewed tomatoes with juice
• 1 1/2 cup water or broth
• 1 cup couscous
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Raisins and nuts to add to couscous

Heat oil in large pot or skillet. Add zucchini, onion, carrot and garlic...cook 5 minutes.Stir in broth, spices, chickpeas and tomatoes with juice. (I add the chickpea juice as well)
Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 8 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Stir occasionally.

COUSCOUS:Meanwhile bring water to boil. Put couscous, salt and raisins in serving bowl. Add boiling water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff and add nuts (They’ll be better if you’ve toasted them).

Serve stew over couscous.

by LA via MLB