Pasta Sauce

This sauce is so easy guys, really please don't buy jarred sauce (Except Rao's). It takes an hour to cook, but it literally just involves throwing everything in a pot and leaving it. I usually make a large pot of this on Sundays and then I have sauce for the week! This works well with any of your favorite pasta dishes or over fake meatballs in a grinder. This also works great in my eggplant parm recipe.

Ingredients:

2-28oz Cans organic diced tomatoes

1-6oz Can tomato paste

6 Cloves of Garlic, put through a garlic press, or minced super fine

1 1/2 Tablespoons Sugar

1/4 Cup Emeril's Italian Essence

1/4 Cup 21 Season Salute from Trader Joe's

2 Teaspoons Salt

1 Teaspoon Black pepper

2 Tablespoons Flour

1/2 Cup water

Directions:

Stir all ingredients together in a large sauce pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for one hour, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Serve over your favorite pasta.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Perfect Eggplant Parmesan

Why is this eggplant parm so perfect? No sog! I have eaten a lot of eggplant parm in my day, and the biggest complaint I have is that it's often greasy, mushy or both. Panko breadcrumbs really make this nice and crispy. Some may call me crazy for mixing Japanese breadcrumbs into Italian cooking, but I think its just damn delicious.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
1 Large eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 cup flour
3 Tablespoons Emeril's Italian Essence or other Italian seasoning
2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon parsley
3 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese
32 Oz. Jar Rao's marinara sauce
1 Cup Parmesan reggiano cheese, grated
Vegetable oil for frying
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:
In a shallow bowl, beat the egg and water together. Place the panko breadcrumbs on a plate, or in a shallow dish combine with Italian Essence, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and parsley. Season eggplant slices with remaining salt and pepper. Dredge eggplant slices first in the flour tapping to remove excess flour. Then dip in egg mixture, then into the breadcrumb mixture. Be sure each slices is coated thoroughly, pressing the breadcrumbs firmly onto each slice.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Your pan should be liberally coated with oil about an 1/8 of an inch thick. It's important to get your oil hot enough before putting in the eggplant. Add eggplant slices and reduce heat to medium. Cook 4-5 minutes per side, pressing down lightly with a pancake turner. You will know the eggplant is done when they are golden brown and tender. You can test texture with a fork. During the last minute of cooking sprinkle each slice generously with your mozzarella. Put lid on pan to melt the cheese. While the eggplant is cooking microwave your sauce about 2-3 minutes or until hot. If using crushed red pepper flakes, add to sauce before microwaving until you get desired spiciness. Top eggplant with sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan reggiano cheese. Serve. The other reason this eggplant stays crispy, is the sauce is added right before serving so the breadcrumbs don't absorb it. This dish takes no time at all and is super easy! Serve with a side of penne and some bruschetta as an appetizer.

Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

This is another recipe that takes just a little longer, but what can I say...its Sunday. This recipe is still super easy and blows away boxed dried potato flakes (yes some people eat that). I had a lot of extra potatoes to use up, so created this recipe as a slightly more sophisticated version of mashed potatoes. I LOVE rosemary, its one of my favorite herbs, so I tend to use it a lot in my cooking. Try this recipe and let me know how you like it! Feedback is always welcome.

Ingredients:

6 All purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

2 Cups of half and half (vegans, substitute the same amount of unsweetened soy milk)

2 Tablespoons dried rosemary

1 Stick smart balance butter blend, at room temperature

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cut up potatoes and boil for 20 minutes. Test tenderness with a fork, should be easily mashable (I don't think that's a word). Drain potatoes in a colander. Return to pot. Mash with a hand held potato masher.

Combine rosemary and half and half in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add butter to the potatoes, stir to melt. Once your half and half/rosemary mixture has begun to simmer, SLOWLY pour into potatoes a little at a time and stir until you get desired creaminess. You may or may not use all of the liquid. Some people prefer their potatoes a little lumpier than others, so add the amount of liquid needed to get desired level of creaminess. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm. This does have a strong rosemary flavor so if you prefer, you can always use a little less rosemary, but for my personal taste these were OUTSTANDING!

Rosemary Potatoes

This is one of my alltime favorite side dishes. I almost didn't post it because the cooking time is longer, not sure if it's good for busy people, but I made it on my day off, so I thought I'd share it with you. Plus its easy to double it and make a lot so you have leftovers for the week. I made this as a side dish for my husband and myself and we still have a good amount left over.

Ingredients:

2 baking potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons dried rosemary

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash, peel and cut potatoes into bite sized pieces. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, toss to coat well. Spread mixture in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast potatoes about 30 minutes, stirring at 10 minute intervals. Potatoes will be done when edges start to brown, test tenderness with a fork. If desired you can add additional salt to cooked potatoes to taste. Serve hot.

Baked Ziti

This recipe makes a large tray of food so I hope you're hungry! This is a new take on an old favorite. Since this recipe makes so much, it's ideal for freezing and reheating at a later date. This will keep in the freezer for up to three months.

Ingredients:

1lb whole wheat penne

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Large yellow onion, chopped

1 Teaspoon salt

1/2 Teaspoon black pepper

1 Package morningstar farms beef flavored crumbles (fake ground beef)

3 Large cloves garlic put through a garlic press or minced very fine

1 1/2 Tablespoons dried oregano

1-25 Oz. jar marinara sauce

1-15 Oz. container ricotta cheese

1-12 Oz. bag frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess water

1 Cup freshly grated Parmesan reggiano cheese

1 Cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook penne in salted water according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, place large skillet with olive oil in it over medium-high heat. Add the onion, salt, pepper and cook for 7-10 minutes or until onions are translucent. It's important to make sure your onions are cooked enough, no one wants to crunch down on raw onion in their ziti. Add the "beef" crumbles and cook about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano, cook for 2 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the drained pasta to skillet and toss. Add the ricotta, spinach and half of the Parmesan reggiano cheese. Toss again. Transfer into a large rectangular Pyrex dish. Sprinkle top with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan reggiano cheese. Bake until the mozzarella has melted, about 15 minutes.

While this dish seems a little more involved, I made it this weekend for dinner and it was actually quite easy. If you want to save time, you can buy your onions pre-chopped. It's really important to squeeze the extra water out of your spinach so that your ziti isn't watery. Enjoy!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Seriously these are the best mashed sweet potatoes ever! The inspiration came from a restaurant I went to the other night with friends. I found their whipped sweet potatoes so good, I decided to try my hand at my own version. The result came out far better than I ever could have imagined. One side note I want to make here about not only this recipe, but all of the recipes on my blog in general, is that I often don't give exact measurements for herbs and spices. The reason is that seasoning is a very personal thing. Many are sensitive to salt, or don't like heavily seasoned items. It is very important to taste as you go to get a flavor that pleases your personal palate. That being said, the below recipe is exactly how I made this dish, but feel free to experiment!

Ingredients:

2 Large sweet potatoes

2 Tablespoons light brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 Cup unsweetened soy milk

1 Tablespoon orange juice

1/4 Cup butter, melted (vegans can subsitute margarine or a vegetable oil spread such as Earth Balance)

1/8 Teaspoon salt

1/8 Teaspoon black pepper

Wash sweet potatoes thoroughly. Wrap individually with plastic wrap. With a fork poke holes in the wrap in several places. Place on a plate and put in the microwave for 7 minutes. Turn potatoes over (be careful they're hot!) and cook an additional 7 minutes. Potatoes will be VERY hot. Allow to cool for five minutes or so, then remove plastic wrap. Remove skins from potatoes. you should not need a peeler, you can now easily remove skins with your fingers. Place into the bowl of your kitchen aid mixer, fitted with a paddle if you have one. Mash a bit with a hand held potato masher. Now add the remaining ingredients to your bowl. Turn on mixer for 2 minutes. If you do not have a mixer, you can use an electric egg beater or simply a handheld masher. That's it! The cinnamon and brown sugar really help to bring out the sweetness of the potato. This is a very satisfying side dish and would make an especially nice accompaniment to a holiday meal.

Trendy Trail Mix

How can a trail mix be trendy you ask? The dried cranberries. Dried cranberries are in everything. It almost seems as if they have replaced raisins and with good cause. They add a pleasant tartness to muffins, breakfast cereals and of course trail mix. I love G.O.R.P. (good old raisins and peanuts) just as much as the next person, but this is a slightly more upscale version of the childhood favorite we have all come to love. Cranberries are high in vitamin C and antioxidants making this snack just as healthy as it is yummy.

Ingredients:

1 Cup honey nut o's cereal

2 Tablespoons dried cranberries

1 Tablespoon salted whole Almonds

1 Tablespoon milk chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon white chocolate chips

Combine and serve!

Berry Soy Milk Shake

Ingredients:

1 Cup silken tofu

1 Cup fresh blueberries

1/4 Cup plain unsweetened soy milk

2 Ice cubes

2 Tablespoons agave nectar

1 teaspoon strawberry jam

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in magic bullet or blender until smooth. Pour into tall glass and serve. This shake is truly creamy and delicious. Because of the tofu and soy milk, it serves as a good source of protein. I love this shake in the morning for breakfast, it's so easy!

Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Ancient Harvest Brand Quinoa

salt

1 1/2 cups peeled finely diced cucumber

1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes

1 bell pepper, red, yellow or green will work

1/2 cup dried parsley

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

1 cup crumbled feta (or soy feta for a vegan dish)-optional

1/2 cup diced kalamata olives-optional

1/2 cup olive oil

6 Tbs lemon juice

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Cook quinoa according to package directions. While that is cooking, you can chop your veggies.

Allow quinoa to fully cool (spreading it out on a baking sheet helps). When cool, fluff the quinoa with a fork. Transfer to a large serving bowl. Add red onion, parsley, cucumber, tomato, peppers, oil, lemon juice, salt and spices. Mix in olives if desired. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Stir in the cheese if desired. Add more oil, lemon juice and salt as needed.

Vegan No-Bake Strawberry "Cheese"cake

Ingredients:

Filling:

12 ounces Tofutti brand better than cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

8 ounces Tofutti brand imitation sour cream

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 ounces dairy free whipped topping, thawed

1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced vertically

Crust:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted margarine spread, such as earth balance brand

If you can find a vegan prepared graham cracker crust, go for it. I couldn't find one, and this one is really simple to make.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs with 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/3 cup melted earth balance. Press mixture into 9-inch pie plate and bake for 8 min. Cool completely.

In a Kitchen Aid mixer, add all the toffuti better than cream cheese into the bowl (1 and a half containers). Turn mixer on and beat until smooth. Gradually add and beat in sugar. Add and beat in the sour cream and vanilla until just combined (don't over mix). Using a rubber scraper, fold in the whipped topping. Scrape the mixture into the pie crust. Refrigerate over night. Starting at the edges arrange strawberries in a circular pattern. The outer layer should all be facing the same direction, the next layer should have the berries pointing up, and the center should leave leaves for garnish.

This is actually a vegan variation of the cheesecake recipe I found on my iphone app. I wanted to make a vegan version and it came out great! The texture is very creamy and light and it is super easy to make.

Orzo and Vegetable Salad

Hello Hello! Boy it was a hot one today. After a long day at the beach, nothing was more refreshing than a nice plate of this orzo vegetable salad. Who wants something hot on a day like today? This dish truly is easy, presents beautifully and travels well to bring to a summer picnic or party. It's as easy as heating up some pasta but much more special.

Ingredients:

12 Oz. uncooked orzo

20 grape tomatoes

1 small cucumber

1 yellow or orange bell pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

1 - 15.5 oz can premium great northern beans

1/3 Cup balsamic vinaigrette

1/4 Cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil water and cook orzo according to package directions. While water is boiling prep your veggies. Half the grape tomatoes. Dice the cucumbers and bell pepper. Rinse and drain the great northern beans. Once orzo is cooked, drain and rinse well with COLD water until the orzo is cold to the touch. Be sure to drain thoroughly. Combine orzo with all of the veggies, beans and cheese. Now in a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour over orzo mixture. Toss everything together to make sure the salad is evenly coated with the dressing. Serve.

* For vegans subsitute feta for tofu cut in very small cubes or vegan "cheese." Finally a pasta type salad without mayo!

Thanksgiving in July

Hello and happy Fourth! I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday. Tonight I decided to cook up a "Turk'y roast" (this is not real turkey, it's a vegetarian alternative) that has been hanging around my freezer. However I realized I didn't have any gravy of any sort to go with it. So spur of the moment, I took inventory of what I had around the house and decided to whip up an easy cranberry sauce to serve over it and some garlicy asparagus for a side dish. Hope you find this meal as easy and tasty as I did!

Cook Roast as direct. While roast is cooking prepare sauce

Cranberry Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 cup pure cranberry juice (not cranberry juice cocktail)

2 oz dried cranberries

2 cinnamon sticks

a sprinkle of ground ginger

6 cherries, pitted and de-stemmed

1 Tablespoon raspberry jam

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 min, stirring constantly. Remove from heat to cool a little before serving spooning over slices of roast.

Garlic Asparagus:

Ingredients:

2 large bunches of fresh asparagus

1 clove of garlic, minced

dried garlic flakes to taste

garlic salt to taste

1 Tbs olive oil

black pepper to taste

Cooking spray

1 tsp grated lemon rind

Preheat broiler. Chop ends off asparagus. Not the pretty tips, the round ends, these are tough and are not to be eaten. In a large bowl combine Asparagus, 1 Tbs of olive oil and all the seasoning (not the lemon rind). Spread seasoned asparagus out on rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Put under broiler for 3 minutes. Yes that's all just 3 min! Once out of the oven sprinkle with lemon rind and toss. Serve right away, texture will be perfect.

I hope you enjoy this easy meal as much as I did! To really make it thanksgivingesque I picked up some pumpkin ravioli from my local gourmet grocer. Delish.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Liza's Lasagna

This is my famous veggie lasagna. All of my meat-eater friends say they like it better than meat lasagna and NO ONE can tell there is tofu in here, I promise! If you don't try any other of my recipes, make this one. My Italian father simply loves it and trust me he isn't your typical tofu eater!

Ingredients:

12 oz firm organic tofu crumbled

1 box no-boil lasagna noodles (you can use and boil reg noodles, just takes longer)

Vegetable oil

5 scallions, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, sliced (buy pre-sliced to save on time)

1 bag frozen chopped spinach, defrosted & drained

1 clove garlic

2 jars pasta sauce

1 egg

Emerils Italian essence

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

Garlic salt

Red pepper flakes

Parsley

2 bags shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

In a large skillet or sauce pan saute scallions, mushrooms, spinach and garlic in oil for 5 min. Add both jars of sauce, mix in thoroughly, set aside. In a large bowl combine tofu, egg and all seasoning mix well with hands mushing it all together Cover bottom of large Pyrex dish with some of the sauce mixture.Top with lasagna noodles covering bottom of Pan, followed by sauce, then all the tofu mixture, add a layer of cheese, top with more noodles and the rest of the sauce mixture. Cover with foil, bake 350 degrees for 45 min. Remove foil, sprinkle another layer of cheese on top, bake uncovered 15 more min. Let stand for 10 min before serving For more cheesy lasagna u can add more mozzarella for the same amount of tofu

Krazy Kumato Towers

Yes I spelled crazy with a "k" don't judge me! I thought it was cute. I'm sure you are probably wondering what the h*ll is a kumato? Haha. A kumato is just a type of tomato. These dark beauties have a color that is almost brownish. They are unique in apperance and sweeter than your average tomato. The flavor is mild and they really are great in salads or any other recipe in which you would traditionally use tomatoes.

Ingredients:

Kumatos

Fresh Mozzarella

Fresh or dry basil

Crushed red pepper

Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

Slice kumatos approx 1cm thick

Slice fresh mozzarella into 1cm thick slices

Arrange on individual plates. First puddle a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar on to plate. Start with a slice of kumato as your base then layer with mozzarella. Repeat layering of kumato and mozzarella untill you reach desired height. I used 4 slices of kumato to 3 slices of cheese. You should always end with kumato on top. Top with basil, a touch of crushed red pepper and a slight drizzle of balsamic. This is a truly elegant looking appetizer. I served this to my father for Father's Day and it really made him feel like he was eating something special even though it was so simple to make!

Marvelous Mini Bagel Pizzas

Yes all kids like Bagel Bites, trust me my brother was their number one customer growing up. However why throw these frozen minis in the microwave when in just a little more time you can make them homemade yourself! This super simple recipe is great for kids or even served to adults as an appetizer. For a more sophisticated treat experiment with different types of cheeses, try thinly sliced fresh Mozzarella, Cheddar or Parmesan. You can truly be creative with these and make cooking fun!

OK lets get started

Ingredients:

3 Pepperidge Farm plain mini bagels

3 Tbs Ragu pizza sauce

1/2 package shredded mozzarella (or soy shreds for my vegan buddies)

Directions:

Cover your toaster oven's pan with foil for easy clean up. Place bagel halves on foil and lightly spread with sauce. Generously top with shredded cheese. Place in toaster oven on highest or broil setting. Stand in front if the toaster and watch as cheese melts. You have to watch because these toast up in just minutes. When cheese gets a nice brown color on top they are done! Delicious!

Yummy Yogurt Parfait

Nothing says summer like a delicious yogurt parfait. This cool refreshing treat is much healthier than ice cream, but still gives you all the satisfying creaminess you crave. Parfaits are a simple, yet elegant treat that makes eating healthy truly a delight.

A word on yogurt: I believe in customizing my recipes to your liking. There are so many options out there for yogurt these days it's nearly impossible to know what to pick! For this recipe vegetarians may want to opt for a nice thick plain greek yogurt such as Chobani or Fage. For my vegan friends I suggest Whole Soy brand soy yogurt. While there are many brands out there, Whole Soy comes closest to the real thing. Lately I have tried some cocconut milk based brands that are equally as satisfying.

A word on granola: My all time favorite by far granola (this is vegan folks) is Natures Path peanutbutter granola. I have only been able to find it at Whole Foods, but trust me it's the best tasting granola by far. It is also high in protein and lower in sugar than most other brands. Another newer brand that has a nice crunch is Kellog's Special K Low Fat Granola. This granola has just a touch of honey and is a great source of fiber.

Ok lets get down to business

Ingredients:

8 oz yogurt

1 cup granola

1 cup berries (I used blackberries and blueberries, but don't forget it is strawberry season friends)

1 martini glass

Directions:

Layer ingredients in a clear martini glass or any other wine or parfait glass. The idea here is to create beautiful layers of yogurt, granola and fruit. Start with a layer of granola at the bottom followed by yogurt, then fruit. In this parfait I lined the outer rim with blackberries and filled the inner layer with blueberries. Top with the remaining yogurt and a sprinkle of granola and voila! You have created a lovely, luscious summer treat! Enjoy.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Summer Strawberry Salad

June is strawberry season! Strawberries are one of my all time favorite fruits. They are so versatile and their mild sweet flavor can be baked in a pie, tossed in a salad or blended up for fun smoothies. Not to mention the amazing health benefits of these bright red beauties! Strawberries are packed with antioxidants, a good source of vitamin C and fiber. When purchasing this summer fruit don't focus on the size so much as color. In fact you will find smaller strawberries are often tastier than larger ones. I tend to buy organic deep red ones for my cooking.

To get started here are the ingredients you will need:

One package of mixed greens (Trader Joe's Sorrento mix is what I used here)

3-4 Organic strawberries rinced, dried and quartered

1 Tbs Dried cranberries

7 Organic walnuts

Drizzle of Balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Line your bowl/dish with a generous portion of mixed greens. Top with remaining ingredients and lightly toss with balsamic vinegar. That's it! How easy is that? Feel free to play around with the portions of each ingredient and customize to your liking. Fresh strawberries pair very nicely with balsamic vinegar. While this is not a flavor combo everyone thinks of when they think about strawberries, I encourage you to try it. The result is simply delish! Enjoy.