I blogged about the following recipe in a previous entry and I just wanted to reiterate what a great weeknight staple this is. It is so easy to make, easy to clean up after and it tastes wonderful. Check it out under the Poultry section of my blog. TRY IT! 
http://whatzonmyplate.wordpress.com/2008/07/20/garlic-roast-chicken-with-rosemary-and-lemon/
I found the following recipe on the Food Network website. I think these patties turned out pretty tasty though I think they lacked seasoning. The lack of flavor is probably my fault as I never really measure the amount of seasonings in a recipe; I might have underestimated.
Revisions
- I made the patties a lot smaller than they recommended (about the size of my palm). They cooked quicker and held together better (my first batch was per the recommended size and they kind of fell apart).
- I cooked the patties for 4-5 minutes per side instead of 3.
- I served the patties in whole wheat pita with field greens, cucumber, tomato and light caesar dressing. Originally I planned to serve them with homemade tzaziki but let’s just say I messed that up and had to revert to another option…
Recipe Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
*Note, I tagged this as a vegetarian option although there are 2 egg whites used to help the patties bind. You could always use an egg substitute if you do not eat egg products.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/edamame-veggie-burger-recipe/index.html
So last night was the premiere of my most favorite show… TOP CHEF! This season the chefs are competing in New York and the very first episode did not disappoint. It looks like the level of talent is incredibly high and that this is going to be a very exciting season.
The quickfire challenge looked incredibly difficult and I know for a fact that there is no way I could have peeled that many apples with a pairing knife in a such time crunch without mutilating my fingers (one chef did almost take off his thumb and still kept peeling!!)
In honor of that challenge I have attached a very yummy recipe for an Apple Crisp which I found on The Post Punk Kitchen website. Apples are in season right now and there are so many wonderful varieties you could use. I happened to buy a beautiful bunch of granny smith apples so that is what I opted to use. Enjoy! 
I have written about Annie’s Homegrown Organic Macaroni & Cheese before ( http://www.annies.com/organicmacandcheese#jump131 ). I buy it at Trader Joe’s and I use it every now and then as a side dish. But last night when the desire to make a labor intensive meal escaped me I created a dish that I think turned out really tasty and is super flexible. I used frozen peas but you could add a plethora of other veggies; peas are just what I had on hand.
Prepare the pasta per the instructions on the box. When there is one minute left to cook the pasta, add 1 cup of frozen peas. Although there is already organic cheese in the dish, I used reduced fat coconut milk instead of regular milk and I used vegan margarine instead of butter mixed with the sauce packet. Drain the pasta and peas and mix with 1/2 package of savory baked tofu sliced into 1/2 inch cubes. And there you have it. Super quick, super easy and super yummy.
My vegan brother forwarded me the following recipe from The World’s Healthiest Foods website (http://whfoods.org/ ).
This recipe is totally vegetarian. It is incredibly filling and full of flavor. I served the bean mixture in whole wheat tortillas with chopped lettuce, fresh salsa, sliced avocado and a dollop of vegan sour cream.
Super yummy! There were a lot of leftovers. You could either freeze them or maybe put the mixture on top of brown rice and serve with some sliced baked tofu (or grilled chicken) for an evolved meal.
Recipe Rating: 3.5 out 5 stars
I had some extra pureed butternut squash from a recipe that I made this weekend so I searched online for a recipe that would utilize it. The following recipe came from Rachael Ray magazine and is by no means, vegan… I still thought it sounded yummy. I used vegan margarine instead of butter and I used 1/2 the parmesan cheese that the recipe called for.
Notes: I had to cook the risotto a lot longer than 18 minutes and I had to add more water after the warm chicken broth was gone (which also meant adding more seasonings). My mother makes incredible risotto and has always taught me that to make it correctly, you need to be patient and loving with it. You can’t ignore it or it will be undercooked or worse, gummy! After all was said and done… this was a wonderful dish with great fall flavors. I served it with grilled chicken and a fresh garden salad.
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/30-minute-meals/butternut-squash-risotto/article.html
Recipe Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
The Orange Ginger Baked Tofu is a recipe that I found on The Post Punk Kitchen Website (one of my favy-favs!) I LOVE ginger. Seriously love it; to me… the more the better. So this tofu dish was a must make recipe. It turned out so super yummy and I will definitely make it again. I put the tofu under the broiler per the recipe recommendation and I would recommend that as well. http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=144
Recipe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I decided to wing it on a Veggie Lo Mein and it actually turned out super good. You could add a ton of other veggies but the following are what I had on hand.
Ingredients:
- 4 tsp. Soy Sauce
- 4 tsp. White Wine Vinegar
- 4 tsp. Crushed Ginger
- 4 tsp. Ken’s Asian Sesame Salad Dressing w/ Ginger and Soy
- 2 tsp. Thai Peanut Sauce
- 1 tsp. Sesame Oil
- 8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
- 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
- 1 1/2 cups cooked broccoli, chopped
- 2 cups snow peas, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 8 oz. Water chestnuts, drained and chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped on diagonal
Directions:
1. Combine the first six ingredients to make the marinade and whisk together well in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat some vegetable oil on high in a large skillet or wok. When the oil starts to ripple add the chopped bell peppers. Cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the snow peas and cooked broccoli. Cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the water chestnuts and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the marinade to the veggie stir fry and cook for 5 minutes
6. Combine the stir fry with the noodles and toss. Top with a few (3) slices of the baked orange ginger tofu and top with a sprinkle of chopped green onion.
YUMMY Yum YUMMY!!!
