Sideshow!

 Balsamic Oven Roasted Veggies
I make a lot of pasta. Homemade noodles is my go-to for impressing guests. But what to serve on the side when pasta is the main course? Oven roasted veggies are the perfect companion to many a main course. They are easy to prepare ahead of time and serve at room temperature. Whether the star of your dinner party is a fabulous roast or a bowl of tortellini, roasted seasonal veggies in a simple balsamic dressing creating a well-rounded and colorful meal. In the winter, root vegetables are perfect, but as the weather grows warmer a blend of peppers, eggplant, and zucchini fit the bill.

Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1" thick spears
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced lengthwise into 1" thick
- 2 large leeks, trimmed, rinsed, and quartered lengthwise
- 1 large zucchini, trimmed, sliced in half crosswise and then quartered into spears
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp. each dried thyme, basil, and oregano

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with a light coating of non-stick spray. In a large bowl, combine vegetables and toss with oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. After about 15 minutes, check and stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to roast for 20-30 more minutes unit vegetables brown and soften. Remove from oven and place in a large serving bowl. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve veggies at room temperature. Yum!

Tomato Jammin'

Crostini with Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomato Jam
Angie and I have shared an office space for the past few years and have bonded over many things, food definitely being in the top-three. Almost a month ago, she gave birth to her fourth child, Quinn, a adorable baby boy. Having gone through the various ceremonies of motherhood (several times), Angie opted for a post-pregnancy baby-viewing party rather than a traditional shower . . . that way she could enjoy cocktails with the rest of us! I always like finger foods for parties and have lately been on a roasting kick. These disappeared from the table quickly . . . super easy to prepare! 

Ingredients
- 1 lb. Roma tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/4" thick
- salt and peper
- 1 baguette, sliced crosswise into 1/4" slices
- 8 oz. spreadable goat cheese
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried thyme 
- 6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 clove garlic, minced

TOMATO JAM
Preheat oven to 425˚ F. Line a baking sheet with foil an arrange tomato slices in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. olive oil evenly over tomatoes. Roast in oven for 20-30 minutes until tomatoes soften and begin to brown. Allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheet before removing. Place in a bowl or airtight container to spread on crostini before serving. Jam can be made 48 hours ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

CROSTINI
Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a small bowl, whisk together 4 Tbsp. olive oil with 1 tsp. salt and minced garlic. Brush one side of each baguette slice with oil and place on a baking sheet oil side up. Bake in oven for about 25-30 minutes until slices of bread are toasted and begin to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool complete before topping.

Top each slice of toast with goat cheese and then about 2 tsp. tomato jam. Serve on a tray at room temperature . . . with a cocktail in your hand. 

Poppin' Poppers!

Jalapeño Burger Stuffed Peppers
Before I left for the weekend, my sweetie came home with an inspired dinner idea. "Have you ever had stuffed peppers?" Have I? Hell yes! My mom's basic burger and cheese stuffed bell peppers made a frequent appearance in the family's dinner rotation . . . and we loved them. I began to mull over my variation on this recipe when Matt suggested somehow incorporating all the spicy goodness of a jalapeño popper in this endeavor. I suggested taking it to the next (and obvious) level of adding bacon. Fast, easy, and full of heat, this is a great dinner with a kick.

Ingredients
- 5 red and green bell peppers, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds, and stem removed
- 1 lb. ground hamburger
- 1 14.5 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes with green chilis
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 1/2 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
- 2 Tbsp. dried bread crumbs
- 3 green jalapeño peppers, stems, seeds, and pithy parts removed, finely diced
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 sliced thick-cut bacon, diced
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- salt and pepper


Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Cook bacon in a small skillet over medium until it begins to turn brown, remove with a slotted spoon and allow bacon to drain on a paper towel-lined plate, reserve rendered bacon fat. Return skillet to heat and add diced jalapeño peppers, cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from fat with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel with bacon.


Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium in a medium sized skillet. Add diced onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until they soften and turn translucent. Add ground beef to onions, sprinkle with more salt, pepper, and ground cumin. Cook over heat with onions, breaking burger apart with a wooden spoon until brown and cooked through. Remove from heat and drain excess fat and liquid. Return to medium heat and add canned tomatoes. Stir to combine and heat for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.


In a medium sized bowl, combine cream cheese, cooked bacon, and diced jalapeño peppers. Stir until thoroughly mixed together. Set aside.


In a 13x9" baking pan arrange halved peppers cut side up. One at a time, fill peppers. Spread about 2 Tbsp. full of cream cheese mixture on the bottom of each pepper, top with a scoop of hamburger mixture, top with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and shredded cheese. After all the peppers are filled bake in oven for about 25-30  minutes until mixture is hot through and peppers begin to soften. Eat up!
 

Faster Than You Can Say, "Soup's On!"

Super-Fast Tortellini and White Bean Soup 
 In the last couple weeks I found myself unexpectedly taking on the directing duties for the department's spring production of a devised vaudeville show. While I was happy to help my colleague out, who had to leave town before his show fully materialized, the extra responsibility kept me out of my kitchen. My long hours at the theatre coupled with my sweetie's recent string of closing shifts led to some late night dinners. There are times I don't mind starting a more elaborate meal at 10 p.m. and there are others when I just want to stuff the first thing I see in my face when I walk through the door. This fast and easy soup recipe was a nice compromise - a quick and savory solution to warm you from the inside out in the hours before bedtime. The Parmesan rind is a great way to add a ton of flavor. Try it out.

Ingredients
- 1 qt. chicken broth
- 4 oz. pancetta, diced
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 15 oz. can white cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 handful fresh spinach leaves, rinsed
- 1 9 oz. package cheese tortellini
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Parmesan cheese rind, plus extra grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add panetta and cook over medium heat until it begins to brown. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside. Add remaining olive oil and minced shallots to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat until the shallot soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add carrots and cook over heat for about 3 minutes. 

Add the chicken broth, beans, Parmesan rind, and spinach leaves, and bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes for beans to soften. Add tortellini and boil for about 6 minutes, until they are cooked through. Add cooked pancetta to soup and stir to combine ingredients. Season soup with additional salt and pepper. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Vegetarian Classic

Pesto and Panko Eggplant Parmesan
My mom brought back one of my favorite Eggplant Parmesan recipes from a trip she took to Tuscany. It's great! Fresh, delicious, and very time consuming. While I enjoy whipping up this authentic Italian recipe for friends or a Sunday night dinner, it's a bit labor intensive and I wanted to find a quicker twist on one of my favorite vegetarian meals. This recipe was inspired by a bag of marinara sauce and a bag of pesto I had in the freezer. You can definitely use homemade, or just get your favorite prepared brand from the store for a quick and tasty dinner.

Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, sliced crosswise into 1/4 disks
- salt
- 4 eggs, beaten
- flour for dredging
- 2 c. Panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 c. pesto
- 1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced crosswise
- 4 c. marinara sauce
- chopped Italian Parsley
- 1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
- olive oil for frying

Line a baking sheet with paper towels and arrange eggplant disks in a single layer. Sprinkle liberally with salt. Allow eggplant to sit and "sweat" for about 10-15 minutes per side. The salt will dissolve and beads will form on the slices. Rise eggplant disks in cool water and pat dry. Set aside and preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Spray a 13x9" baking dish and set aside.

Set out an assembly line to prepare the eggplant for frying. Mix about a cup of flour with a tsp. of salt and some pepper and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs with pesto, and set aside. Fill a second shallow dish with panko crumbs. Working in batches, dredge eggplant slices, one at a time, in the flour. Then dip into the egg and pesto mixture, allowing the excess drip back into the bowl. Then carefully coat in panko crumbs and set aside for frying.

 Heat olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry coated eggplant slices until they are crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. When all the slices are fried arrange in the prepared baking dish. Layer slices of eggplant the slices of mozzarella cheese. Pour marinara sauce evenly over the eggplant and mozzarella then sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.

Bake eggplant for about 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Diaries

 Hearty Vegetable Soup With Gnocchi 
As my Lenten vegetarianism rolls on and on, I continue to serve for and devise new meatless recipes. Soup is a favorite in this house, particularly on the many cold, wet nights we seem to get in Oregon (regardless of the season). I had some remaining veggies in the crisper from other recipes and was looking for a good way to use them. At first I was planning on throwing in a more traditional pasta into the mix, but strolling through the Trader Joe's aisles I came across a package of gnocchi and thought, "Perfect." A leftover Parmesan cheese rind thrown into the mix adds tons of flavor to this vegetarian soup.

Ingredients
-  2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 4 leeks, (white and pale green parts only) cleaned and chopped
- 2 small zucchini, diced
- 1 c. frozen peas, thawed
- 2 14.5 oz cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 c. dry sherry
- 16-18 oz. gnocchi
- 1 Parmesan cheese rind, plus extra grated Parmesan for topping
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme
- 1 small handful Italian parsley, chopped
- 8 c. vegetable broth


Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add leeks, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook over heat until leeks are softened, about 5 minutes. Add sherry and cook over medium for another 2-3 minutes. Add carrots and zucchini and cook until vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add peas, artichoke hearts, thyme, parsley, Parmesan rind, and broth. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes.

Remove Parmesan rind from soup and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Add gnocchi to hot soup and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until gnocchi are cooked. Remove from heat. Serve with an extra sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Meatlessly Yours

Falafel in Your Face
 
I am currently in the midst of my annual Lenten vegetarianism. While I enjoy this time of reflection and self-denial, the absence of flesh does, admittedly, leave a protein hole in my diet. I'm a long distance runner, on average pounding out between 30 and 50 miles per week. I burn a lot of calories. Beyond the exercise, I lead a fairly active life. I am constantly on my feet at work, I walk a lot, I have a demanding little terrier and, the calorie deficit just adds up from a variety of places and I need fat from other forms. My latest fast go-to dinner has been falafel, protein rich chickpea patties fried up in grape seed oil and served with flatbread. Yum. What started as a Middle Eastern street food has become one of my favorite vegetarian staples. Even my meat-eating boy roommates have gotten on the falafel bandwagon. I typically serve the meal with a simple salad a make out of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper. It's light enough for the transitioning to warmer weather yet filling enough to satisfy me after a day of work, chores, and running 10 or 12 miles. I like to whip up a quick cucumber yogurt sauce along for a topping and serve it with a couple of dollops of my favorite hummus (Trader Joe's White Bean or Mediterranean Hummus rock my tastebuds). Try this quick, addictive, and rad vegetarian meal next time you're experiencing a meat hangover . . . 



Ingredients
- 2 c plain Greek style yogurt
- 1 half cucumber, seeded and grated
- 1 tsp. dried dill
- salt and pepper
- juice from 1 lemon
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 14.5 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
- 3 Tbsp. flour, plus extra for dredging
- 1/2 yellow onion, grated on a cheese grater
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 small handful of Italian parsley
- 1 Tbsp. dried cumin
- ground lemon pepper
- salt and pepper
- dried minced garlic
- grape seed oil for frying
- flatbread
- prepared hummus
- tomato and cucumber slices
- crumbled Feta cheese

YOGURT SAUCE
Drain grated cucumber on a paper-towel lined plate. Pat it dry on top as well to get as much moisture out as possible. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, dill garlic, and cucumber. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

FALAFEL
Warm the oven to 350˚ and wrap the flatbread in foil. Heat the flatbread in the oven while preparing the rest of the meal.




Pulse Italian parsley in food processor until finely minced. Add garbanzo beans, grated onion, 3 Tbsp. flour, baking powder, cumin, 6 good grinds of lemon pepper, 1 tsp. salt and pepper to taste, and 1 tsp. dried minced garlic to the food processor bowl and blend until ingredients are thoroughly combined and mixture collects on the blade. Using about 2 Tbsp. of the mixture, form a small ball in the palm of your hand, then flatten slightly into a 3/4" thick patty. Dredge lightly in flour, set aside on a plate.



After patties are formed, heat enough oil in a large nonstick skillet to cover the bottom of the pan. Adjust the heat to medium-high and fry patties in batches, about 1-2 minutes per side until they begin to turn golden brown. Drain briefly on a paper towel lined plate and keep warm in the oven while finishing the frying. Serve patties warm with flatbread, hummus, yogurt sauce, and tomatoes and cucumbers. Also serve with the rad, self-satisfaction that you're eating a deliciously meatless meal.