Category Archives: Vegetarian

Vegetable Couscous

This recipe goes both ways! If you’re a vegetarian, use vegetable broth, or use chicken broth and serve this couscous dish with grilled chicken breasts that have been marinated in Italian dressing. DEE-LISHUS!

Vegetable Couscous
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Ingredients
  1. Vegetable Couscous
Ingredients
  1. 1 onion, chopped
  2. 1 red pepper, chopped
  3. 1 green pepper, chopped
  4. 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  5. 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
  6. 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
  7. 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  8. 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  9. 3 – 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
  10. 1 cup frozen peas
  11. 1 cup garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained
  12. 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  13. 1 cup couscous
  14. 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
  15. 1 lemon cut in wedges
  16. fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
  1. Saute onion and peppers in oil until they begin to soften. Stir in garlic, paprika and cayenne pepper. Add broth, tomatoes, peas, garbanzo beans and carrots. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add couscous to vegetabe mixture. Cover and simmer 1 minute more. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. When serving, fluff couscous with fork. Garnish with artichoke hearts, lemon wedges and parsley. Serves 6-8. Serve with grilled chicken breasts – very healthy!
  2. Book Reference – The Best of the Best – Vol. 1 (Page: 184)
Instructions
  1. Saute onion and peppers in oil until they begin to soften. Stir in garlic, paprika and cayenne pepper. Add broth, tomatoes, peas, garbanzo beans and carrots. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add couscous to vegetabe mixture. Cover and simmer 1 minute more. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. When serving, fluff couscous with fork. Garnish with artichoke hearts, lemon wedges and parsley. Serves 6-8. Serve with grilled chicken breasts – very healthy!
Notes
  1. Book Reference – The Best of the Best – Vol. 1 (Page: 184)
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Pasta with Tomato Salsa and Feta

Serves 6. This is the perfect quick dinner for after work.

Pasta with Tomato Salsa and Feta
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Ingredients
  1. 6 fresh tomatoes
  2. 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shave into ribbons
  3. 2 cups torn fresh spinach
  4. 1 garlic clove, minced
  5. 1/3 cup olive oil
  6. 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  7. freshly ground pepper to taste
  8. 1 lb. (500g) penne
  9. 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  10. 3 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
  11. 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
  1. Cut an “X” through skin at bottom of each tomato. Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds. Plunge in cold water and peel off skin with sharp knife. Cut in half and remove seeds. Coarsely chop and set aside in a bowl.
  2. Add Parmesan, spinach, garlic, oil, basil and pepper to tomatoes.
  3. Cook penne in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and toss with tomato mixture. Top with feta and pine nuts and sprinkle with parsley.
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Important stuff my kids have taught me: If you’re gonna draw on the wall, do it behind the couch.

Roasted Vegetable Manicotti with Cheese Sauce

A delicious dish to celebrate fall and a visit to the market garden. Absolutely excellent!! 

Roasted Vegetable Manicotti with Cheese Sauce
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Ingredients
  1. 1 onion
  2. 2 cups chopped broccoli
  3. 2 cups chopped cauliflower
  4. 2 cups chopped carrot
  5. 1 red pepper
  6. 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  7. 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  8. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  9. 3 cups spinach
  10. 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  11. 1 cup ricotta cheese
  12. 1 egg, beaten
  13. 2 slices bread
  14. 1/2 cup fresh parsley
  15. 1/2 cup fresh basil
  16. salt and pepper to taste
  17. 16 manicotti shells
  18. 2 – 14 oz. cans tomato sauce
  19. Asiago cheese, grated
  20. Cheese Sauce
  21. 3 Tbsp. butter
  22. 3 Tbsp. flour
  23. 3 cups milk
  24. 2 cups grated mozzarella or Swiss cheese
  25. 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  26. dash hot pepper sauce
  27. salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Chop vegetables into 1″ pieces. Toss with oil, vinegar and garlic. Roast at 350 F. for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix spinach with hot vegetables and set aside to cool. Pulse vegetables in food processor to a coarse texture.
  2. Mix together Parmesan, ricotta and egg. Blend with vegetables.
  3. In food processor, whirl bread, herbs and seasonings. Add to vegetable mixture.
  4. Cook manicotti according to package directions. Drain well. Fill with vegetable mixture using spoon or very small knife.
  5. Pour tomato sauce in bottom of two 9X13″ baking dishes and arrange stuffed manicotti in each baking dish.
  6. Make cheese sauce and pour over manicotti. Sprinkle with grated Asiago. Bake at 350 F. for about 30 minutes.
To make cheese sauce
  1. Melt butter over medium heat and blend in flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly. Reduce heat to medium-low. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Add cheese, Worcestershire and hot pepper to thickened mixture and stir until cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper.
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Lemon Risotto

This delicious recipe transforms simple rice into a wonderful dinner or side dish. Excellent with grilled seafood or chicken

Lemon Risotto
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Ingredients
  1. This delicious recipe transforms simple rice into a wonderful dinner or side dish. Excellent with grilled seafood or chicken.
Ingredients
  1. 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  2. 1 1/2 cups sliced shitake mushrooms
  3. 2 shallots or green onions, thinly sliced
  4. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  5. dash of pepper
  6. 1 cup arborio or short grain rice
  7. 2 cups chicken stock
  8. 1/2 cup dry white wine or water
  9. 1 large carrot cut into 1″ matchsticks
  10. 1 small bunch aspargus spears, cut into 1″ pieces
  11. 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  12. 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
  13. fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
  1. In large saucepan, heat oil and cook mushrooms, shallots, garlic and pepper until vegetables are tender but not brown.
  2. Add rice and cook and stir 2 minutes more. Stir broth and wine into rice mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes (do not lift cover). Remove from heat.
  3. Stir in carrots, asparagus, Parmesan and lemon zest. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Add a little additional water, if necessary for the desired consistency.
  4. Garnish with basil or parsley.
Notes
  1. Book Reference – The Rest of the Best – Vol. 2 (Page: 169), A Year of The Best (Page: 20)
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There would be fewer problems with children today if they had to chop wood to keep the TV set going.

Fresh Pear and Curry Pasta

Vegetarian dinner for 2. You can never find ripe pears! Buy some a couple of days ahead and ripen in a paper bag. Enjoy the rest for dessert with Stilton cheese!

Fresh Pear and Curry Pasta
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Ingredients
  1. Vegetarian dinner for 2. You can never find ripe pears! Buy some a couple of days ahead and ripen in a paper bag. Enjoy the rest for dessert with Stilton cheese!
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 small onion, chopped
  2. 2 Tbsp. oil
  3. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  4. 1 Tbsp. medium curry paste
  5. 1 tsp. tomato paste (store the rest in the freezer for future use)
  6. 2 Tbsp. honey
  7. 2 cups chicken broth
  8. 1 unpeeled ripe pear, sliced in thin wedges
  9. 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  10. 2 Tbsp. cream or milk
  11. 3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
  12. pasta for 2: rotini or bow ties
Instructions
  1. In a frying pan over medium heat, saute onion in oil until soft. Add garlic and curry paste and stir 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste and honey and stir another 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, increase heat to medium high and boil gently, reducing liquid to less than 1 cup. (This takes about 15 minutes: now is a good time to start cooking the pasta.) Add pear slices and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cream and stir another 2 minutes. Stir in chopped cilantro. Pour over pasta and toss gently. If your dinner companion insists on meat, serve with grilled chicken breast or pork tenderloin. Mixed greens and balsamic vinaigrette is perfect compliment.
Instructions
  1. In a frying pan over medium heat, saute onion in oil until soft. Add garlic and curry paste and stir 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste and honey and stir another 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, increase heat to medium high and boil gently, reducing liquid to less than 1 cup. (This takes about 15 minutes: now is a good time to start cooking the pasta.) Add pear slices and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cream and stir another 2 minutes. Stir in chopped cilantro. Pour over pasta and toss gently. If your dinner companion insists on meat, serve with grilled chicken breast or pork tenderloin. Mixed greens and balsamic vinaigrette is perfect compliment.
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