Cranberry, Walnut & Goat Cheese Salad

This past month, I went to a family gathering and my aunt made this amazing salad. It was so good and truly is so easy to make. Toss it together for your next event!

Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna

Lasagna is a huge comfort food for me. This was a great way for me to get rid of some extra produce in my fridge while at the same time filling my belly with delicious pasta. This recipe is based off one from smitten kitchen (whom I love!) and will make one 9x13" pan.

Spinach, Mushroom & Cheese Crepes

I can't believe that I have been writing this blog for a year-and-a-half and have never blogged about crepes. First off, I LOVE CREPES. Like, I probably have an unnatural obsession with them. There was a time when I first moved into my own apartment that I ate Nutella crepes every morning. Coincidentally, I gained a lot of weight then, too. But that brings me to my second point: I've been making crepes long before I really knew how to cook much else. I guess it's because it's a pretty easy recipe and most (if not all) of the ingredients are things that people just happen to have in their cupboard at any given time. It's important to note that I am not a "fancy" crepe maker. I don't own a griddle or one of those crepe-smoother-outter things (which are apparently called 'batter trowels'), but don't worry -- they will turn out tasty with or without the extra equipment. This recipe makes one thicker crepe (which is what I made for myself) or two thin crepes.

Spinach, Scapes & 'Shroom Pizza on a Cauliflower Crust

The past two weeks I've received the following items in my CSA share: zucchini, cucumbers, spinach, arugula, garlic scapes, cauliflower, and radishes. I feel like I've been making pizza a lot lately, but they are a great way to showcase all of the new produce I've been getting! This pizza incorporates three of this week's items, pretty well, if I do say so myself. The pizza's base is a cauliflower crust (the first time I blogged about it was for a Kale & Pistachio Pizza). I hope you enjoy! This recipe makes a pizza the size of a 9" x 13" pan.

Balsamic Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is a lovely salad that will get you in the mood for warmer weather. Not to mention, it's really easy to throw together, this recipe makes enough to share, and it's healthy. Enjoy!

Creamy Ricotta Pasta

This pasta dish is very creamy without being too high in calories. It's really easy to throw together and you can toss in whatever veggies you have on hand. It is served warm, so it is perfect for these winter months. Here is the original recipe. This recipe serves two to three.

Miso Soup with Udon Noodles

This is a brothy, vegan soup to keep you warm and full in the colder months. This recipe creates six to seven cups of soup. Here's the recipe's original source.

Miniature Quiche

Like I mentioned previously, I am currently trying to eat a bit healthier. These mini quiches are perfect to eat on your way out of the door in the morning and really help me portion (because I can honestly eat half of a full-size crusted quiche if you let me). Make these on a Sunday night and keep them in your fridge all week or freeze them until you're ready to eat them. This recipe make six mini quiches.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Saute your veggies!

Four (4) large eggs
One (1) cup of fresh spinach
1/4 cup of red onion, diced
1/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup of shredded cheese -- I used mozzarella and sharp cheddar
One (1) garlic clove, minced
One (1) tablespoon of olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Heat garlic and olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

Before baking.

Add onions and sun-dried tomatoes to pan. Saute.
Slowly add spinach and cover until the leaves wilt.
Pull the pan off of the heat and set aside.
Whisk eggs together in a mixing bowl and add the sauteed vegetables.
Portion into a greased muffin tin. This mixture should fill six muffin cups.
Sprinkle cheese evenly over each mixture.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Eat right away, or save for later!

Grilled Tofu & Pesto Panini

I got this recipe out of a summertime vegetarian cookbook, Cookouts Veggie Style!, which has awesome meatless and meat-substitute BBQ recipes. If you are veg, or know someone who is, you will understand when I say that cookouts can be pretty disappointing when you don't eat meat. Everyone is enjoying hamburgers, hotdogs and steak, while you're consuming warm macaroni salad in unhealthy quantities. This recipe--and a lot of others in that cookbook--really create (and recreate) filling and flavorful dishes that both meat-eaters and vegheads can enjoy. This panini is great if you have any leftover grilled tofu (or, in my case, I grilled it just for the panini!).

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Pair with: a red ale (such as Sam Adam's Irish Red), or a crisp white wine (like Boordy's sauvignon blanc).

Ingredients
makes two sandwiches
Ciabatta bread, cut and sliced for two sandwiches, about 4" long
1/4 cup of prepared basil pesto -- I used Wegman's bottled brand
Two (2) quarter-inch slices of smoked tofu
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup of fresh baby spinach, for topping
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing

Directions
Brush the inside of each ciabatta roll with EVOO, and grill each side.
While the bread is heating, begin grilling the tofu. Grill for a few minutes, until heated through, and then flip.
Once bread is warm and slightly toasted, spread pesto on one side.
Slide tofu onto bread, and top with tomatoes and spinach.
Enjoy!

Tip
You can either grill these outside on a coal- or gas-grill, or you can grill on your stovetop.

Greek Spinach Pasta Salad

This was easy to make, delicious and very summery. It can be made for just a couple people or for a large group. There is no need for prepackaged dressing, as the lemon and EVOO provide a very light citrus taste.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Pair with: a light, summery beer (like a Witbeir), such as Dogfish Head's Namaste or Flying Dog's Woody Creek White.

Ingredients
Three (3) ounces of fresh baby spinach
Ten (10) ounces of Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
Two (2) ounces of crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup of cherry tomatoes, chopped 
Two (2) green onions, chopped
Two (2) cloves of garlic, minced
One (1) teaspoon of lemon peel
One (1) tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
One (1) tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
One (1) tablespoon of chopped oregano 
Eight (8) ounces of whole grain penne pasta


Directions
Cook pasta as directed on package.
While pasta is cooking, toss all other ingredients into a large mixing (or salad) bowl.
Drain pasta once it is done.
If you have time, allow the pasta to cool. If not, rinse pasta with cool water until pasta is cool.
Spoon pasta onto a plate and top with salad mixture.
Dig in!