pickled green tomatoes

In case your stressing about what to do with your end-of-season harvest: 1.) pick the last green tomatoes 2.) wash 3.) slice and salt 4.) stack 24 hours 5.) vinegar 24 hours 6.) drain and pack with hot pepper, garlic, and basil.

coconut curry cauliflower

Fantastic for a dreary winter day.  Sautee some green chili, an onion, chopped carrots, and chopped celery. Add a bit of salt or a tablespoon of fish sauce (your choice).  When that's all tender add a whole cauliflower, separated in pieces, two tablespoons of Jamaican curry powder, and a cup or so of water.  Stir then reduce the heat to medium, cover and let simmer.  Once the cauliflower is tender, add a can of coconut milk. If you want this more as a side, let that cook down to your preferred consistency OR if you'd like a chunky soup add another cup or two of water and bring to a boil (just recheck for salt).  Dress with thyme if you have it and enjoy!

quinoa cookies

Y'all know I love my quinoa and holy frijoles, these cookies are fantastic.  A coworker just brought me this gluten free and vegan delight. See her ingredients above then she said: 1.) 350 degrees 2.) milk + flax to sit then add oil + sugar + vanilla 3.) flours + spices (powders) 4.) flakes + apricots + almonds (chunks) 5.) bake for 10-12 minutes

spicy nuts

• May not sound like an idea Friday night but this is a quick and easy way to dazzle some guests who are waiting for their dinner over the holidays. Also nice to have laying around over a few cocktails.  Get a bag of your favorite mixed nuts and dump them in a warm-to-hot skillet.  Toast them just a bit then move'm to a bowl on the side.  Then in the same skillet over medium-to-low heat combine about 2 tablespoons of butter (or olive oil), 1/4 cup of water, a couple tablespoons of brown sugar, then about 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, same amount of cumin, same amount of chopped rosemary, same amount of salt.  Stir and let it start to get a little syrupy- add a touch of water if it's too thick. When you're ready, slowly add the mixture over your nuts, toss them gently, and serve.  Try a couple spicy combinations too!  Pull out the rosemary and add cinnamon instead! 
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aim for vegetarian hot dogs

German bratwursts, Italian sausages and anything of the like excluded, I think we can all agree that the only reason anyone eats a hot dog is because it's a vessel for whatever the heck condiment you have withing arms reach.  Should that be the case then substitute any array of vegetarian dogs instead of eating something that's frankly so terrible.  I probably average 0.5 traditional hot dogs a year (what the heck, my parents moved to this country so I could be American) but if I'm grilling on my own the soy ones taste just the same and no one knows the difference. That said, if you're looking for ideas, check out this post from a couple years ago and set up an advanced toppings station at your next hot dog party.

READER CONTRIBUTION: Twist on a Taco

I got this yummy contribution yesterday from  reader who wanted something other than the usual TexMex:

No, no I'm talking about food.

A cool vegan taco for a hot day:

Savory sweet potatoes instead of refried beans

Spicy crumbled tempeh (cooked with minced Jalapeno peppers) 

Sautéed yellow squash and kale & chard from the garden 

chopped cukes and tomatoes with a touch of cilantro 

plus a healthy lime squeeze

Came out really good..

easiest "stuffed" zucchini ever

This is so easy, you can prep it way in advance and it basically cooks itself.  Get your zucchini, wash and cut them in half.  Place them on an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet or baking pan, season with some olive oil, salt and pepper then spoon on your favorite Italian-style dip or tapanade.  A few spoons of pesto, an olive tapanade from Harris Teeter or even an artichoke bruschetta topping. Make your own or buy it already made.  Toss it in the oven at 275-300 for 15-20 minutes or until the zucchini are tender with your fork.  Serve warm or room temperature.  An awesome vegan, gluten & dairy free and light carb dish! 

skinny guacamole

Well, we all love our Skinny Margaritas and whole grain tortillas but look at this great tip I got from June Eating Well magazine.  Replace half your avocado with cooked zucchini to cut about 100 calories and 6 grams of fat per serving.  I tried and and it tastes great. Its the same color, consistency and even has more nutritional diversity than regular guac.  If you're not making your own I also don't see why you can't mix in half part zucchini into your favorite store-bought brand.  Eat up and stay skinny!

fastest risotto on earth - and it's totally cheating

Every once in a blue moon I end up just having way too many peppers, or pumpkins or something I have to use up.  The easiest thing to do is cook whatever the heck down, maybe throw it in the food processor and make a soup. Freeze it in portion-sized containers and there's dinner when you're in a rush.  Well, having a semi-constant supply of soup in the freezer can make a guy a little creative... just use that instead of water when boiling rice.  If you don't have any frozen (and you probably don't because you're not a crazy person or your mom in the 70's) choose your favorite boxed quart of soup from Trader Joes or Whole Foods, bring 2.5 parts of the soup and 1 part rice it to a near boil then cover and shift off the heat or let simmer for 20 minutes.  If it's too "dry," raise the heat again and add a little more soup, a little too "wet" raise the heat to medium and stir till it's the right consistency (don't let it stick to the bottom!).  Use anything from butternut squash to creamy tomato, this is TOTALLY CHEATING but I love it.  This can be as vegetarian as you want - you decide how much cheese or pepper you want to add at the end.

fried hot peppers and potatoes

I know I've written about this before but it's just so great.  Get some hot peppers, wash and cut them in half removing the stems (leave the seeds if you want it extra hot), drop them in an inch or two of hot frying oil and fry them till they're soft and start to crisp.  Remove them with a slotted spoon or fork, set them on some paper towels to let the remaining oil drain .  Now drop sliced potatoes into that same [now seasoned] hot oil, let them fry till they start to turn golden brown, mix with the hot peppers and you're done.  I will make an entire meal out of this dish but it's also a perfect side for almost anything.  Steaks, roasts, rotisserie chicken... I can't wait to have this with my turkey on Thanksgiving.

stuffed cherry tomatoes

Fantastic for appetizers and you can make them the night before. Wash a pint or two of cherry tomatoes, cut the tops off and with a small melon baller scoop out the inside.  You might need to ruin one or two till you figure out the trick.  Set the tomatoes aside and in a food processor make your own concoction of a chunky cheesy pesto.  If you need inspiration for a start, throw in some fresh basil (at least a fistful of leaves), one cup of parmiggiano, black pepper and half a cup of olive oil.  Start pulsing slowly and add ingredients a little at a time till you have an evenly distributed, loose but still tacky mixture you can spoon in the tomato cavity.  Taste your mixture as you go along till you get the combination you're really looking for and if you want to complicate this even more throw in some roasted peppers or balsamic vinegar. Spoon the mixture in your tomatoes and keep cool till your ready to serve.  I did these for my birthday this year and they made AWESOME garnish for bloody mary's the morning after.

Pasta e fagioli

Craving pasta but looking for some extra protein and fiber?  This is something my parents would often make in the winter with the leftover pinto beans from the garden that they would freeze.  In our case today, used drained and canned pinto beans or soak and drain the dried ones.  Some people like to make this more soupy but i Like mine better like this.  Choose your pasta but keep the shape small enough to match the shape of the beans- orechiette work perfectly.  Then in a saucepan with olive oil, sautee a chopped yellow onion with some hot pepper (I’ve been using habaneros these days) and a bit of salt.  After the onions soften put your pasta pot with water to boil and add 2-3 chopped tomatoes to the saucepan. After about a minute add 2 cans (or the equivalent) of the pinto beans, cover and leave on low heat.  After the pasta is aldente, drain the water, then mix the beans with the pasta in the same large pot over medium to high heat for 30 seconds to a minute stirring constantly then plate and serve with some black pepper (fresh parsley if you have it) and your favorite grated cheese.

mushroom risotto

So there's really no healthy way to get around this but every once in a while you need to indulge- ESPECIALLY on a rainy winter day like this.  Over low heat in a large pot, coat the bottom with bit of olive oil and sautee half a red onion and some fresh garlic with about a tablespoon of salt.  Then toss in a 2 cups of unrinsed arboro rice (we always use arboro for risotti) and toast that for about 30 seconds to a minute, constantly stirring.  Add a cup and a half of white wine and half a stick of butter.  Once everything mixes and sets (about another minute or two) add a cup and a half of chopped, dried porcini mushrooms and four cups of water (for a richer risotto substitute a broth for the water just be careful as it can get salty).  Once that all comes to a boil I like to throw in a diced tomato or two and finely chopped chives if you have them, give it a big stir, cover and shut the heat of.  Let that to sit for 15-20 minutes and the rice should absorb all the liquid.  In the end the risotto should be thick but loose and not watery.  If it turns out too dry and the rice is a bit crunchy, stir in more water or broth over low heat, half a cup to a cup at a time- and if you feel its too loose just keep it over low heat for a bit- just be sure it doesn't stick to the bottom. Just before serving add 3/4 of a cup of grated parmigiano cheese, plate and serve with some cracked pepper and some fresh mint or basil leaves. 

palm heart ceviche

Delicious recipe that anyone will love- but even better if you have vegans or or people with gluten issues coming over and you want to please everyone.  Get two cans of palm hearts*-  the ones labeled as tips and ends are fine (they're cheaper too) since you'll be chopping them into bite-sized pieces anyway.  Put them in a container with the juice of 4-6 limes (depending how juicy), one lemon cut in thin slices, two jalapeños, half a red onion very thinly sliced, and salt and pepper to taste.  Let this marinate in the fridge for at least an hour but you can do this well in advance.  Serve the palm heart/onion/jalapeño mixture chilled with only a bit of the marinade (don't let everything be swimming in juice), chopped fresh cilantro, a few wedges of avocado, and if you like with a 1/4 ear of boiled corn.  Any left over juices can get sopped-up with bread, added to a meat or fish marinade or used in a salad dressing.

*Costa Rica has great sustainable palm heart production so aim for that when shopping.

greek bruschetta

Its pronounced broo-ske-ta, just so you know.  But when I was in reading, PA, of all places, I saw this and its a great idea.  Get a bag or mini pitas and throw them on a cookie sheet, put a slice of tomato on top and toss it all in the broiler for only a minute- don't leave it too long or it'll burn- just to toast it a little.  Then drop some cubbed feta cheese on top with some parsley and black pepper and drizzle some olive oil.  Retoast if you want the cheese to melt a little more and serve warm. Yum yum

veggie fajitas

So I had this at Lauriol this weekend with Shannon with our usual Sunday afternoon pitcher of sangrita.  Easy enough to make at home, this is an awesome idea if you wanna share a healthy, fun, low stress meal.  At Lauriol they essentially get two of all the vegetables they have (cauliflower, asparagus, peppers, onion, whatev)  and throw them on the flattop grill with a nondescript Worcestershire-ish sauce.  They bring it out on a fajita plate with some guac, salsa, sour cream and tortillas. How easy is it to get two different bags of mixed frozen vegetables, throw them in a saucepan with a touch of oil and Worcestershire or soy sauce, wait till they brown a little then serve them just like that with a couple tortillas and a vat of guacamole. Plus its another great excuse to make margaritas.

melon, jalapeño, lime, red onion and cilantro salad (or with chicken)

This is hands down one of the best summer dishes you can have.  

Vegan or with lean chicken, this can please anyone. Cut a whole cantaloupe in bite sized pieces, and mix with a large chopped red onion, a few jalapeños (depending how hot you want it), a handful of cilantro, juice of 4 limes (assuming they're large and juicy) salt and black pepper.  If you want it vegan stop here, otherwise pull the meat from a rotisserie chicken or chop a few grilled chicken breasts and mix it all together. DELICIOUS, healthy, sweet, savory, spicy and tangy all in one. 

baked cheese tortellini with eggplant

Throw a chopped eggplant, bell pepper and garlic with a touch of salt and olive oil in a saucepan and cook on medium heat till the garlic just starts to brown then add a 12 oz can of crushed tomatoes.   Stirring occasionally cook everything till eggplant is tender then remove from heat and set aside to cool.  Drop your cheese tortellini in a pot of boiling water--they'll sink to the bottom but as soon as they float to the top collect them with a slotted spoon and they're done.  Gently fold in the tortellini with the eggplant and sauce, move everything to a large oven-safe casserole and cover with a generous layer of Parmesan cheese.  Bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 275 for 10-12 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to bubble but doesn't quite burn.  Carefully remove and set aside for a minute to slightly cool but should still be served hot.  A helping of this with some cracked pepper and some fresh basil will keep you going back for more.  Sure to please almost any crowd.

couscous with mixed vegetables [and optional shredded chicken]

Cook your couscous as indicated on the box but calculate that in the last five minutes or so you throw a cup of frozen peas and a cup of frozen corn on top.  After its done, transfer to a large serving bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, a dozen or so sliced cherry tomatoes, half a red onion and a finely chopped red pepper and give it all a stir. Thats it.  If you have some other veggies lying around throw them in too.  If you want to go up another notch pull the meat off a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store (or roast your own) and add that to the mix.  Great served cold so you can prep this a while in advance.

cold cavatelli with pesto

I don't know what the temperature is like where you live but this time of year in DC it's about a thousand degrees and ninety-nine percent humidity.  This COULD make dinners and entertaining less tolerable than expected, even if you do have killer AC.  One FOOL PROOF dish you can always count on is just plain pasta and pesto.  Make it the night before and leave it in the fridge or earlier in the day so you there's plenty of time for the food (and your kitchen) to cool off.  Just boil a pound of pasta as per usual.  Pictured above are cavatelli, but feel free to use whole grain pasta or even cheese ravioli. Drain them then gently fold in a 2 or so cups of pesto.  You can find it already made in almost any grocery store but if want to try your own pull out your blender and the basic ingredients are olive oil, basil, garlic and salt.  If you want, use cheese instead of salt or add some pine nuts or walnuts for a variation.  This is as easy as can be and acts as a pasta salad or main dish.  A tupperware of this in the office the day after is pretty off-the-chain too.