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| Pasta with Cilantro and Peas 2 cups sugar snap peas ½ lb. dried capellini pasta 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. finely slivered lemon peel 3 to 4 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice 1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt salt and pepper to taste In a 4 to 5 quart pan, bring 2 to 3 quarts of water to boiling over high heat. Meanwhile, pull off and discard stems and strings from peas; rinse and drain. When water boils, add pasta. Cook until almost tender to bite, about 3 minutes. Add peas, stir, and cook until bright green, about 2 minutes. Drain peas and pasta well in a colander. In the pan, combine garlic and olive oil over high heat. Add peas and pasta and mix about 1 minute. Add about 2 teaspoons of the lemon peel, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and about 1 tablespoon of the cilantro to the pan and mix. Put pasta mixture in wide soup bowls, swirling to make a well in the center. Spoon sour cream (yogurt) in the center of the bowls and sprinkle with remaining peel, cilantro, and lemon juice, and add pepper to taste. Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms 24 large mushrooms, stems removed and chopped then set aside 3 tbsp. olive oil 1 cup chopped yellow onion, finely diced ¼ tsp. dried thyme 1-½ cups spinach finely chopped 3 tbsp. breadcrumbs ½ cup grated parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste Oil a cookie sheet with 1 tablespoon of oil and place mushroom caps face up on it. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add onions and thyme. When onions begin to brown add chopped mushroom stems, spinach and bread crumbs. Continue to cook over medium high heat until tender and moisture has evaporated. Remove from heat then add parmesan, salt and pepper and stir well. Stuff each mushroom with filling using all the filling. Sprinkle remaining oil over the caps. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Chinese Broccoli 1 lb. broccoli 3 tbsp. olive oil 1 small onion, diced 2 tbsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. cornstarch ½ cup vegetable stock Wash broccoli and cut into 1-inch pieces. Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook onion until golden. Add broccoli and cook over medium heat stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Add soy sauce and sugar. In a small bowl, blend cornstarch and vegetable stock, then add to the broccoli mixture. Cook over high heat for 1 minute stirring constantly until thickened. Blueberries with Lemon Cream 4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese ¾ cup vanilla yogurt 1 tsp. honey 2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest 2 cups fresh blueberries Using a fork, break up cream cheese in a medium bowl. Drain off any liquid from the yogurt; add yogurt to the bowl along with honey. Using an electric mixer, beat at high speed until light and creamy. Stir in the lemon zest. Layer the lemon cream and blueberries in a dessert dish or wineglasses. If not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes 1 head cauliflower, cut into ¾-inch wide florets 1 ¼ lb. Yukon potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch wide cubes 5 tbsp. olive oil ½ tsp. cumin seeds 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tsp. minced fresh jalapeno, including seeds 1 tsp. ground cumin ½ tsp. coriander ¼ tsp. turmeric ¼ tsp. cayenne ½ cup water lemon wedges Place a shallow baking pan on oven rack and preheat oven to 475 degrees. Toss cauliflower and potatoes together in a bowl with 3 tablespoons of oil and cumin seeds. Spread in a hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots and potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes. While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, jalapeno with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne, and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Vegetable Frittata 1 medium red bell pepper; seeded and cut into strips ½ cup chopped onion 1 cup broccoli florets; blanched and drained 1 cup red potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cooked 6 eggs 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley salt and pepper to taste ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (or jack) Grease a oven proof non-stick skillet. Heat over medium heat until hot; add red pepper strips and onion and cook about 3 minutes. Add the broccoli and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally for 1 to 2 more minutes. Whisk together the 6 eggs, parsley, and salt & pepper. Spread vegetables in an even layer in skillet and pour egg mixture over the veggies/ Cover and cook over medium heat 10 to 12 minutes or until egg mixture is set. Meanwhile, preheat broiler; then, sprinkle the cheese over the frittata. Place in broiler for 1 minute or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Grilled Zucchini with Fresh Mozzarella 3 zucchini, cut lengthwise into ¼ inch slices 2 tbsp. olive oil salt and pepper ¼ tsp. wine vinegar 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tbsp. chopped parsley 1.2 lb. fresh mozzarella, cut into thick slices Light the grill or heat the broiler. In a large glass bowl, toss the zucchini with 1 tablespoon of oil, and salt & pepper to taste. Grill or broil zucchini, turning once, until tender and golden, about 5 minutes per side. Put the zucchini back in the bowl. Toss the zucchini with ½ tablespoon of the oil, vinegar, garlic, and parsley. Let cool. Put the mozzarella slices on a serving plate, fanning them out to form a circle. Drizzle them with the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with a pinch of pepper. Fold the zucchini slices in half and tuck them between the pieces of cheese. |