Veggie Fried Rice

I had a bunch of rice leftover from earlier in the week so I decided to try my hand a fried rice since I had read that using leftover rice was better for the dish. I omitted the scrambled egg because I was not feeling it and used a fun bag of frozen veggies instead of fresh because I had zero energy (yay pregnancy on both accounts!). Once you get use to the idea that this fried rice is not going to compare to restaurant fried rice it's amazing. It definitely has a lighter, healthier taste which is probably due to the copious amounts of msg that are missing from it. I'll be keeping this recipe around for any leftover rice! It was the perfect snack for this cold spell we've been having....lies. It wasn't a snack. I straight up ate just fried rice for dinner two nights in a row.

Veggie Fried Rice

(Pinterest find!)

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 eggs, whisked (I omitted the eggs because...pregnancy aversion)

Half a bag of frozen primavera blend veggies from Birds Eye (carrots, peas, asparagus, red pepper) or fresh veggie equivalent. 

1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups cooked and chilled rice
4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Directions:
1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add egg, and cook until scrambled, stirring occasionally. Remove egg, and transfer to a separate plate.
2. Add an additional 1 tablespoon butter to the pan and heat until melted. Add frozen veggies, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper if you wish. Saute for about 5 minutes or until the onion are soft. 

3. Increase heat to high, add in the remaining 1.5 tablespoons of butter, and stir until melted. Immediately add the rice, soy sauce, and stir until combined. Continue stirring for an additional 

3-5 minutes to fry the rice. Then add in the eggs and stir to combine. Add the sesame oil, stir to combine, and remove from heat.

Savory Brussels Sprouts!

Mr. Lawyer has been on a big brussels sprouts kick so for our impromptu Thanksgiving I surprised him with a batch. This maybe our favorite roasted brussels sprouts recipe to date! Now I do have  a soft spot for the sweet maple roasted ones but Mr. Lawyer prefers the savory ones. This recipe might have won me over to the savory side. I think the smoked paprika adds an interesting flavor that we couldn't get enough of.

Delicious Roasted Brussels Sprouts

(adapted from Alton Brown)

Ingredients:
1 pound Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Cut off the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and remove any yellowing outer leaves. Cut in half if desired or leave whole.
2. Mix the olive oil, garlic, mustard, paprika and salt. Toss with the brussels sprouts.

3. Preheat oven to 400 and cook 15 to 30 minutes depending on the size. 

Fried Fish & Greens

Mr. Lawyer was making some moves in the kitchen tonight so I just sat back and enjoyed the view. He was recently in New Orleans for business and brought back some "Slap Ya Mama" Cajun Fish Fry mix. While in Reading Terminal we picked up some catfish and a lovely bunch of collard greens. They had mountains of collard greens! Our Southern inspired dinner was delicious. The cornmeal in the seasoning mix added a nice slightly crunchy texture to the catfish. The greens came out surprisingly well! It was also the first time we fried something in our new cast iron pan....I was prepared for disaster.

 No fire yet, just crispy catfish tenders.

 A stockpot full of greens before they cooked down.

Mr. Lawyer even had a say about the Fiesta colors! He chose Scarlett and Lapis because he didn't want his food the same color as the plate. I'll make a Fiesta fan out of him yet....

Spicy Collard Greens

(from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:1 tablespoon olive oil
3 slices bacon (we used 1-2 tablespoons of bacon fat instead)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pound fresh collard greens, cut into 2-inch pieces

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and return to the pan. Add onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until just fragrant. Add collard greens, and fry until they start to wilt.
2. Pour in chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until greens are tender.

A Must Make Dinner!

Instead of new recipes today we have two must try repeats!

Maple-Rosemary Brined Pork Chops

Maple Roasted Root Veggies & Squash

The pork delicious, amazing, and oh so tender! Mr. Lawyer started the brining process this morning, if you've never brined anything before give it a try! I highly recommend this recipe because the flavor is so amazing. It is divine! It was the perfect recipe to break in our new cast iron skillet.

For the roasted veggies I diced up a combination of butternut squash, carrots, and turnips for the veggies. There is nothing like roasted veggies! I love the little caramelized bits around the edges. The colors were very vibrant and candy corn themed.

Our fall themed tablescape featuring the cool hues of Plum and Lapis, fall leaf inspired napkins, and a beautiful centerpiece made with leftover wedding flowers.

I love my gurgle pot. It doubles as a great vase. So cute!

MAKE THE BRINED PORK!

Jersey Salad

We stopped at a farm stand on our way back from the Shore. The Jersey tomatoes and corn are delicious! Mr. Lawyer made a quick chopped veggie salad of cucumber, red onion, corn, red pepper, and dill with a little oil/vinegar dressing. The salad was served on top of thick slices of Jersey tomatoes. It tasted like summer!

It's veggie time!

Hoisin Stir Fry

I do love a good stir fry. This dish hit the spot and it had the added appeal of having a simple and easy sauce (no messing around with cornstarch to thicken it up). The hoisin sauce adds and interesting flavor and the red pepper flakes add some zip. I was a tad lazy and picked up a pre-made stir fry package from the produce section of WF. They have an amazing variety of combinations and the price wasn't awful.

Hoisin Beef and Veggie Stir Fry

(adapted from Real Simple)

Ingredients:
Rice, desired amount
3/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/2 cup water
1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
1.5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound flank or boneless sirloin steak, sliced into thin strips

Salt & pepper
Desire Veggies (I used mushrooms/snap peas/asparagus/shallots)

Oil for stir frying

Directions:
1. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, ½ cup water, soy sauce, sugar, and red pepper flakes.
2. Bring hoisin mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly, about 1½ minutes. Pour into a bowl. Set aside.
3. Season steak with salt and pepper.

4. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add the steak and stir-fry until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
5. Wipe out pan and add more oil. Stir fry the veggies until done.
6. Return steak to wok with veggies and add the hoisin mixture. Stir-fry until warmed through, about 1 minute. Serve immediately over rice.

Pre-sauce!

Spicy Slaw!

Mr. Lawyer requested coleslaw to go with our bbq ribs. Not only is bbq and coleslaw a match made in heaven but he hoped to control the amount of dressing in the dish to make it a tad more healthy. While this recipe is still just a ton of mayo we were able to make our coleslaw a bit on the dry side, hopefully this decreased the calories just a tad.

This recipe was spicy! It was different than regular coleslaw and it really grew on me. If you're not a fan of spice you can add less dry mustard. You could shred your own veggies but I picked up a bag of pre-shredded broccoli slaw because I didn't want to fight with my mandoline (we have a love-hate relationship). I'm off to eat the rest of the spicy coleslaw!

Spicy Coleslaw!

(adapted from Bobby Flay)

Ingredients:

1 bag of pre-shredded coleslaw 

3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard (or less depending on your tastes)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture. 

2. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired.

Mushroom and Kale Lasagna

I'm loving this recipe even though I made it a tad unhealthy with the addition of more cheese. Mr. Lawyer's only complaint was the texture, evidently I was a bit overzealous with the "chopped fine" bit. He also likes his veggies to be on the crunchy side whether they are steamed, baked, or stir-fried. So next time I won't mince them so well.

Veggies! I loved the hidden veggies in this dish, you couldn't even taste the kale (actually I used red chard but very similar) it was all about the mushrooms. 

Technique! My rolling technique could use a little help. Looking at the other pictures it appears that the filling was spread evenly over the noodle and then rolled. I put a dollop in the center and wrapped it around so I found that the rolls expanded a little when they cooked and became more oval in shape.

I had some extra ricotta mixture so I stuffed it in between the rolls.

Cheese! This recipe was from a yummy healthy website that I love but I refuse to compromise on cheese (also what else was I going to do with all that leftover mozzarella?!). So I added a little bit to the ricotta mixture and then smothered the top in a more traditional lasagna type way. It was amazing.

Mushroom and Kale Lasagna Rolls

(adapted from skinnytaste.com)

Ingredients:
10 (9 oz dry) lasagna noodles, cooked
2 1/2 cups marinara sauce
5 cups kale, stems removed, chopped fine
8 oz mushrooms, chopped fine
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
15 oz part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, whisked
salt and fresh pepper
3 oz (10 tbsp) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded....or a lot more.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.
2. Place kale in a food processor and pulse a few times until chopped.
3. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden, about a minute. Add kale, salt and pepper and sauté about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms to the pan, cook until soft, an additional 5-6 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper.
4. Combine cooked kale, mushrooms, ricotta, parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out cooked lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of mushroom kale mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.
5. Ladle 1 cup of sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, until cheese melts.

Pad Thai Fail!

I was so disappointed in this recipe because I was craving pad thai sooooo bad and this recipe is nothing like restaurant pad thai but I had all the ingredients....It lacked the depth and flavor of real pad thai. I was crushed. But then I had the leftovers for lunch and it was fine because I was over my craving and high expectations. Initially I was so upset over this "failure" to exactly replicate pad thai that Mr. Lawyer made me his famous peanut butter cookies....there are no more cookies left and I am sad.

Vegetable an Tofu Pad Thai

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:
8 ounces dried wide, flat rice noodles
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving (3 limes)
3 tablespoons soy sauce or fish sauce
1 tablespoon chili sauce, such as Sriracha
1 tablespoon packed dark-brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 package (14 ounces) firm tofu, drained, thinly sliced, and patted dry
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons roasted salted peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Directions:
1. Soak noodles according to package instructions; drain. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 teaspoon oil over medium-high, tilting to coat pan. Add eggs, swirl to coat bottom, and cook until just set, about 1 minute. Transfer eggs to a cutting board, loosely roll up, and cut crosswise into thin strips. Add 4 teaspoons oil to skillet and heat. Add tofu in a single layer and cook until golden brown on both sides, 7 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to cutting board.
3. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, carrots, garlic, and scallion whites to skillet and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add lime-juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Add noodles and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add eggs and tofu and gently toss to combine. Season to taste with salt. Divide among four plates and top with peanuts, cilantro, and scallion greens. Serve with lime wedges.

Baked Edamame

I've been looking for some healthy snacks and this pinterest find fit the bill. I would make them again with some adjustments. First, garlic powder is a must! The original recipe was just salt, pepper, and parm. I guess I wasn't heavy enough with the salt/pepper because they weren't that flavorful. We sprinkled on some garlic powder and voila! Amazing. Definitely cook them a little longer, more like 20. If the edamame isn't cooked all the way it's a tad on the gummy side. Not all of mine were truly crispy so I changed the name from "crispy edamame" to "baked". I'm not sure there is a way to fix the coating because not all the beans were well coated with cheese. The ones that did have little bits of browned parm on them were to die for!

Baked Edamame

(Pinterest find, adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic powder!
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place the edamame into a colander and rinse under cold water to thaw. Drain.
2. Spread the edamame beans into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle cheese over the top and season with salt and pepper.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is crispy and golden, 15-20 minutes.

Super Sweet Potatoes

Mr. Lawyer liked this recipe but it didn't do it for me. I thought it was too cinnamon-y sweet and the entire time I just wanted it to be butternut squash. Oh well, at least someone got their veggies!

Butter and Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes

(Pinterest find! From For the Love of Cooking)

Ingredients:
3 Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size cubes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground ginger

Sea salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Melt butter and add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, oil, and salt.

3. Put potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle butter mixture over it. Toss to coat. 

4. Bake for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Veggie Pasta

This was on my list for cheap and healthy recipes. It delivered. Under ten bucks for the whole meal it fed the two of us and there are enough leftovers for tomorrow. Obviously there isn't any crazy in your face flavors like bacon or a cream sauce but it was still really good. The dish had nice, simple veggie flavors. It was a nice way to get a healthy does of veggies and you could you use whole grain pasta for an extra healthy punch. And quick! It was so quick and easy.

Farfalle with Mushrooms and Spinach

(from Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:
6 ounces dried farfalle
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced portobello or other fresh mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups thinly sliced fresh spinach
1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme
1/ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Cook farfalle according to package directions. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until mushrooms are nearly tender. Stir in spinach, thyme, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until heated through and spinach is slightly wilted. Stir in cooked pasta; toss gently to mix. Sprinkle with cheese.

Wonky Wok

Tonight my darling wok Wicket and I had a date. We also had a minor disagreement regarding how he *IS* well seasoned and my food should not be sticking to him. Blerg. I would really hate to have to scrub him down and re-season him from scratch.

Wicket in action

Pros: this recipe was quick, simple and required minimal ingredients. I only had to pick up the meat and green beans. Lots of green beans! Slicing the meat so thin makes it seem like there is a lot more than there is, love being cheap!
Cons: no sauce (personal preference) and minimal flavor level on the green beans. The meat picked up the fish sauce and ginger/garlic nicely but it slid right off the green beans.

Overall I'd give it a B, good but nothing to rave about. If I made it again I would definitely cut the green beans in half, they were a bit unwieldy. I also seem to have my beef stir-fry method down. The beef was tender and flavorful. The key is to pull it out when it's still a little pink (about 3 minutes this time) because it will continue to cook when you throw it back in with the veggies. Sidenote: WF was out of skirt steak so the nice butcher man recommended a flat iron steak. It was delicious and only five dollars for half a pound.

Thai Steak Stir-Fry

(from Everyday Food Magazine)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound skirt steak, cut against the grain into think strips
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and sliced in half
4 tablespoons fresh minced ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy)
1 cup fresh basil, torn
2 cups cooked rice, for serving
Directions:
1. Freeze the meat for 15 minutes before slicing. It will be easier to cut thinly.
2. In a wok or large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook, stirring, until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer steak to a plate.
3. Add green beans, ginger, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until green beans are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Return beef to wok and add fish sauce and basil. Cook 1 more minute. Serve with rice

The Frittata Save!

It's a good thing I had this frittata as my main dish because Mr. Lawyer was not a fan of the spring roll texture. A frittata is always a good bet. Plus the leftovers will make a good breakfast which is key because I may have forgotten to pick up the Mister's cereal at the store today. This frittata was not as fluffy as my previous one (which had three more eggs and a half cup of milk). I must say that I liked the fluffy version a little more. The taste was spot on though....except the feta cheese didn't shine through as much as I would have liked. One thing I did change was the amount of cumin. Cumin is not one of my favorite spices and I feel that it can overwhelm a dish very quickly. Instead of 1/2 teaspoon I just did three quick little dashes and it was the perfect amount.

Mushroom-Poblano Frittata

(from Bon Appetit Magazine)

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz. assorted mushrooms thinly sliced
1 large fresh poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, thinly sliced into strips
1 cup chopped scallions or 1/2 cup chopped chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large eggs
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (omitted)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (I used less)
1/3 cup crumbled low-fat or fat-free feta
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Heat oil in a medium nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until just soft, about 5 minutes. Add poblano and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms and poblano are lightly browned, about 5 minutes more. Add scallions, season with salt and pepper, and remove pan from heat.
2. Whisk eggs, cilantro, and cumin in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat skillet over medium heat. Pour eggs evenly over mushroom mixture and use a heatproof spatula to evenly disperse ingredients. Sprinkle feta over top. Cook until bottom is set, about 2 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until eggs are just set, about 9 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 2 minutes. (OR place eggs and veggies in a oven proof bowl and bake at 400 for 30 minutes.)
3. Run heatproof spatula around edge of pan to release frittata. Slide frittata onto a warmed plate and cut into wedges to serve.

Chickpeas!

I'm completely 50/50 on this recipe. It was useful for cleaning out the fridge because I had some celery and carrots languishing away but the celery didn't do anything for me (the original recipe called for chickpeas, celery, carrots and broccoli). I really only like celery raw with peanut butter. The sauce didn't really get thick either and I really like a nice thick stir fry sauce to coat all the veggies and rice. However, I am in love, love, love with the marinated chickpeas. Maybe it's because I haven't had them in forever or because I've never had them stir fried or because the marinade was delicious. I would make a batch just for them and omit all the other veggies (which I did in the below recipe). One more healthy veggie dinner down!

Chickpea Stir Fry

(found on pinterest from peasanthankyou.com)

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions:

1. Mix everything together and let sit for 2 hours.

2. Stir fry your desired veggies and then add chickpeas with liquid.

3. Cook until sauce thickens up.

Italian Pasta

Mr. Lawyer's parents just went to Italy and brought us back some real Italian pasta! It was a little stressful deciding what to do with it because I wanted the pasta to shine and not be overpowered by a thick, chunky sauce. I decided on our No Cream Pasta Primavera and it was a hit. I am currently eating a bowl right now for breakfast and I think the pasta has actually gotten better with time!

Our Special Pasta

 No Cream Pasta Primavera (recipe HERE)

Inside Out, Upside Down

And not yummy! I was very excited for this recipe. I found it on pinterest, it looked delicious and it would have worked perfectly for Meatless Monday. Sadly, it did not come out as I hoped. It was really lacking a burst of flavor. Mr. Lawyer doctored it up with some more sweet chili sauce which did help but at that point I didn't care. It did need more sauce so maybe double that part of the recipe? I am not ashamed to admit that I made a PB&J after dinner which still left me unsatisfied! I blame the bread that's been in our fridge for 2 weeks and old peanut butter. *Sighs* Not my kitchen night.

There was also a lot of prep work involved which might have been due to the fact that I lack the upper arm strength to use the mandoline efficiently. Mr. Lawyer normally takes over the mandoline....probably because he's afraid I'll slice off a finger.

Also, canned organic baby corn is gross. I picked all mine out.

Inside Out Chinese Spring Roll Salad

(found on pinterest, from better recipes.com)

Ingredients:
2 oz Bean Thread, mung bean noodles (subbed rice noodles)
3 cups Shredded Napa Cabbage
1 cup Torn Watercress (omitted)
1 Carrot, cut into matchstick thin strips
1/2 cup Seedless Cucumber, cut into matchstick thin strips
1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper, cut into matchstick thin strips
1 Green Onion, minced
1 cup Chopped Baby Corn
2 Tbsp Snipped Cilantro
2 Tbsp Snipped Mint
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Minced Ginger Root
1 Large Clove Garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp Lime Zest
Garnish- Black Sesame Seeds
Directions:
1. Soak the bean threads in warm water to cover for 10 minutes or till pliable. Drain, then cook in boiling water till the noodles expand and appear glasslike, 1-2 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Cut into 4-inch lengths. Place in a large bowl along with the rest of the salad ingredients. In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the dressing till well combined; toss with the salad to evenly coat. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Broccoli Candy

This is what 20 bucks gets you at the Market.

And the only reason it was that high was due to the stupid 6.99 Cuties.

We have been eating a ton of fruits and veggies this week but that is for another post! This post is for that huge one dollar bag of broccoli in the upper right hand corner. Half of it went into our Spicy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry and I needed to use up the rest of it. We're going to a friend's school fund raiser tonight so I figured we'd be munching on some less than healthy food, this inspired me to make a super healthy lunch snack: roasted broccoli! Throw in the fact that it was an Alton Brown recipe (who the Mr. Lawyer has a huge man crush on) and we may have been fighting over the last pieces. Who ever thought we'd be fighting over broccoli?!

It was like broccoli candy: a little bit sweet, a little bit salty. The panko added a nice little crunch. I even shaved a few calories off and didn't use the whole amount of cheese. After about 1/8 cup everything looked pretty coated so I stopped adding it. I served it up with some whole wheat pitas from Feders.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

(from Alton Brown, Food Network)

Ingredients:
1 pound broccoli, rinsed and trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or sharp Cheddar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Cut the broccoli florets into bite size pieces. Cut the stalk into 1/8-inch thick, round slices. Place the broccoli into a mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil, garlic, kosher salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Spread the panko into a 13 by 9-inch metal cake pan and place into the oven for 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove the panko from the oven and add to the bowl with the broccoli mixture. Toss to combine. Return the mixture to the cake pan, place in the oven and roast just until the broccoli is tender, 8 to 10 more minutes.

4. Remove from the oven, toss in the cheese and serve immediately.

Bean Balls!

No Meat Monday has come early! I've been thinking since watching "Fork Over Knives" and have realized a couple of things. I rarely ate meat in college or grad school. College consisted mainly of oatmeal, cereal, soup and grilled cheese. When I lived with Grandma for a semester in grad school dinner normally had meat but she's super healthy and it was always a balanced meal (and always a yummy salad!). When I lived by myself I didn't eat a lot of meat because I was poor/I was just cooking for me/totally going to die from food poisoning. Now that I live with the boy, I cook a lot of meat and there is just generally more food. Time to start working on that.

Fresh out of the oven Bean Balls!

I've been craving spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna lately so I figured this would be a good place to start. There are several recipes for vegetarian meatballs or bean balls I found on the internet, all of them are very similar. So I took bits and pieces and combined it with my meatball recipe. It came out pretty good! The texture is very soft but flavor wise it was good (especially once it was in the sauce). I tried one right out of the oven an it reminded me of falafel or red pepper hummus. I might be able to sneak these by as a super soft turkey meatball since we had some very delicious soft meatballs at Christmas. I'll tell Mr. Lawyer eventually, I just want to see if he'll notice!

Bean Balls!

(adapted from the internet)

Ingredients:
2 cans of beans, rinsed and roughly mashed (I used cannellini but saw recipes for black, pinto, garbanzo, etc)
1 roasted red pepper, minced (or raw or carrots! so many different recipes)
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1/2 to 1 cup panko bread crumbs (I had to use 1 cup because my mixture was so wet)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian herbs (or fresh)
Sauce and Pasta
Directions:
1. Mix together all ingredients. Do not over mix or puree the beans, you want there to be some texture!
2. Form into "meatballs" and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
3. Add to sauce and bring to simmer. Serve with pasta.

Refrigerator Primavera!

I had some random leftover Superbowl veggies that needed to be dealt with. I loosely followed this recipe for no cream pasta primavera and it came out wonderfully. I had carrots, zucchini and cherry tomatoes. I used herbs de provence instead of italian seasoning and would recommend it. It jazzed it up a bit and it was a nice break from the traditional flavorings. It was delicious. End of story.

I'm too distracted by the Syracuse game to alter the recipe and must go yell at the television. As a friend said "YOUR MOM IS A HOYA!". 

No Cream Pasta Primavera

(adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 carrot, julienned
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and
cut into 1 inch pieces
5 spears asparagus, trimmed and cut into
1 inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black
pepper
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. In a bowl, toss squash, zucchini, carrot, red bell pepper, tomatoes, green beans, and asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning. Arrange vegetables on the baking sheet, and roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender.
4. Heat remaining olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Mix in cooked pasta, lemon zest, basil, parsley, and balsamic vinegar. Gently toss and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with roasted vegetables and sprinkle with Romano cheese to serve.