i can’t wait to share the amazing summer dinner recipe pictured above with you! but first, i have to share photos from a cooking class we attended on thursday night. the class was taught by joseph schultz (many of you from santa cruz might know him better as india joze). joseph danced around the kitchen and created an amazing 11 dishes during the three hour chickpea festival class:

the class begins!                                       1. soup made from chickpea flour

2. pakora with quince chutney                3. garbanzo marinata

4. cicer et elixati (roman dish)               5. chicken w/chickpeas & pickled lemon

6. bulgar w/liver                                   7. khatte kabuli (black garbanzos)

8. topig (stuffed chickpea “tamale”)        9. murg dhansak (chicken cassoulet)

10. tempeh cassoulet                            11. besan barfi (chickpea fudge)

it was amazingly inspiring to watch and listen to someone who is so passionate about food, and so very knowledgeable about cuisines across many continents! the flavors in all of the dishes were phenomenal, and we left with a cookbook chock full of chickpea recipes, tummies full of scrumptious food, and brains full of ideas, so look for some more chickpea posts on this site soon!

ok, so back to the recipe of the week: panzanella. i had heard of this type of salad, but was never tempted to make it until i read the love letter to panzanella on the blog cheap, healthy, good. do you read this blog? if not, you should – she’s such a good writer and so convincing that i immediately decided it was time to try this recipe out.

i wish i hadn’t ignored panzanella recipes before. but they’re so basic that i’d often overlooked them. bread. onions. tomatoes. basil. olives. cheese. olive oil. vinegar. salt and pepper. and that’s it! the simplicity of the dish allows every item to sing, and makes you go back for seconds. and thirds. and even leaves you with leftovers that taste better the second day than they did the first. i am planning on putting this into our weekly rotation for the rest of the summer. won’t you join me in doing the same?

one year ago: lemon feta tomato pasta salad
two years ago: raspberry bars and mango teriyaki tofu

summer panzanella

yields 4 heaping servings, or 6 regular servings
borrowed from cheap, healthy, good

• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 1 loaf french bread (whole wheat if possible)
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 4 ounces mozzarella, cut into cubes
• 1/2c fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
• 2/3c pitted kalamata olives, chopped
• 1T red wine vinegar
• 1T olive oil
• salt
• pepper
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1. turn oven on to 350°
2. soak red onions in a small bowl with ice water for 10 minutes, then drain
3. slice the bread in half, and bake 10 minutes on a baking sheet, until toasty, then remove from the oven and let cool a bit
4. while the bread’s cooling, toss the tomatoes, cheese, basil, olives, onion, vinegar, and olive oil in a large bowl
5. then, slice the bread into 1″ cubes, and throw into the large bowl with the rest of the salad
6. stir well, and let sit for 30 minutes to marinate, or overnight (i skipped this step because i was impatient and hungry, and it was still delicious)
7. sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, stirring again, and serve!

you guys!! guess what i did today??!?!  zzzzzzz….oh, sorry about that, i dozed off for a second there. why i am i so sleepy? because mike and i woke up before 5am this morning so we could stand in line to get the new iphones!

we were both due for an upgrade to our current iphones, and were excited to be able to pre-order the newest model and wait with all the other excited geeks outside our closest apple store this morning. to make things even geekier, we brought along these scones, cut out with our new star wars cookie cutters. after waiting for many hours in line, we had very few minutes to play with our new phones before rushing to work. so tonight, we decided to make a very quick (but tasty and healthy, of course) dinner to allow more time for playing with all the new iphone features.

as you may know, i love to eat savory pancakes for dinner – i’ve featured veggie pancakes and chickpea patties on this website in the past. i adore the taste of savory pancakes, how quickly they come together (perfect for a weeknight dinner!), and how many fun toppings can be piled on the yummy base.

this particular recipe tastes a little like a taco, mostly because i pile cheese, black beans, avocado, and salsa on top of the delicious corn fritter. the fritter itself is quite light inside, crispy on the outside, and the corn (which is officially in season!) adds a great crunch. i could rave about this dish forever, but i need to get back to playing with my iphone. so you’ll just have to trust me on this one, and make them for yourself when you want a great weeknight meal. and please do me a favor and let me know in the comments if, in my sleep deprived excitement about the new iphone, i missed sharing anything about this dish.

one year ago: vegetable gratin

corn fritters

yields 6-8 servings
slightly adapted from vegetarian times

• 1c whole wheat flour
• 1c polenta
• 2t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 2c (soy) milk
• 5T olive oil
• 1/4c maple syrup
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 10oz bag frozen corn, or 10oz fresh corn
• butter or oil for frying the fritters
• 2c black beans, optional
• 1/2c grated jack cheese, optional
• 1 avocado, optional
• 1/2c salsa, optional
  ______________________________

1. combine the flour, polenta, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl
2. in a separate bowl, whisk the soy milk, olive oil, maple syrup, and egg yolks
3. stir the liquid ingredients into the dry
4. stir in the corn, making sure to only mix until combined
5. beat the 2 egg whites in a third bowl until stiff peaks form
6. fold the egg whites into the batter
7. heat a large skillet over medium heat and add butter or oil to grease the pan
8. pour the batter into the pan in approx 1/4c portions
9. allow the batter to cook until large bubbles form and the edges turn brown, somewhere between 3-5 minutes
10. flip the fritters and allow another 3 minutes on that side
11. serve the fritters with warm black beans, grated cheese, avocado, and salsa as desired, and enjoy!

i don’t know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but here it’s been hot – so hot that we actually went for a refreshing dip in the freezing cold pacific ocean last weekend!

when it gets this hot, i start craving light (but filling) dinners, like this spinach souffle. ironically, this souffle is normally a vegetarian entree at our thanksgiving table, but it’s light enough and versatile enough to be enjoyed any time of the year.

the basis of the souffle is a standard white sauce. i love white sauces, because they can be the base of so many different and delicious meals, and they’re quite easy and quick to make. you just start with a little butter in a pan, add flour, stir, slowly pour in some milk, and then vigorously stir until it thickens. at this point, if you were going to make a white sauce for pasta, i’d add some garlic and salt and pepper and some more milk, and then let it thicken up a bit more.

but if you’re making this souffle, you add some cheese, then take it off the heat and add the spinach. after that, temper beaten yolks. (temper = put some of the hot white sauce into the egg yolks, then put some of the yolk mixture back into the white sauce, then add all the yolks – the goal is to ensure the yolks don’t scramble.) then, you just fold in the egg whites, dump into a souffle dish, and throw it in the oven. serve it with some salad and good bread, and you have a dish that is perfect all year round!

one year ago: vegetable pancakes

spinach souffle

• 3T butter
• 4T flour
• 1/4t salt
• dash cayenne
• dash nutmeg
• 3/4c (soy) milk
• 4oz jack cheese, grated
• 1 bunch spinach, rinsed well and chopped (or 10oz frozen spinach, thawed)
• 4 eggs, separated
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1. preheat the oven to 350º
2. grease an 8″square pan or a 9″ souffle dish
3. melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat
4. stir in the flour, salt, cayenne, and nutmeg, whisking to combine
5. slowly add the soy milk, whisking constantly until mixture is smooth and has thickened
6. add the grated cheese, and continue to whisk until the misture is smooth again
7. take the mixture off the heat and add the spinach, stirring well to combine
8. beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff
9. beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl until light yellow
10. add a spoonful of the yolks to the spinach misture, stirring well
11. stir a spoonful of the spinach mixture back into the yolks
12. then, add all the yolks to the spinach mixture and stir until incorporated
13. fold the whites into the spinach/yolk mixture, using a gentle figure-8 motion
14. pour the souffle into the greased pan and bake for 45 minutes, until the souffle has risen and is golden brown
15. serve with a salad and bread and enjoy!

a few weekends ago, we meandered down to the farmers market near our house and were so excited by the fresh produce that we bought things without much of a game plan.

it’s rare for me to buy things without a plan – usually i pick out recipes, make a list, and buy according to that list. but this was so much more fun! we just walked from stand to stand, grabbed whatever looked good, and all of the sudden, our bag was overflowing with produce.

when we got home, we put all of that produce out on the counter, added a few items from our cupboards and fridge, and voila, dinner was served! is this something i should be doing more often?? how do you shop for food, my dear readers? with lists? or by picking out what looks good when you’re at the store and creating things?

one year ago: chickpea tacos

beans and greens over barley

• 2c vegetable broth
• 2½c water
• 1½c pearled barley, rinsed
• 2T olive oil
• 1/2c leeks, chopped
• 2 summer squash, sliced into bite sized rounds
• 1 small zucchini, sliced into bite sized rounds
• 15oz cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2c spinach, washed and roughly chopped
• 2t dried basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2T parsley, minced
• 1/2c parmesan cheese (or more!)
  ______________________________

1. boil the broth and water, then add the barley and allow to simmer for 40 mins
2. meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan, then add the leeks and saute for 5 minutes
3. add the summer squash and zucchini and saute 3 more minutes
4. next, add the beans, spinach, dried basil, and salt & pepper, and saute until warm
5. take the pan off the heat, and toss in the parsley
6. serve the beans and greens in a bowl over the barley, sprinkling liberally with parmesan cheese, and enjoy!

i left you all hanging with the last post, huh? in case you didn’t read it, i professed my utter distaste for broccoli, and let you know that i finally found two recipes that made broccoli actually taste good (at least to me).

i was amazed to hear the reactions from my friends and family – so many of you absolutely love broccoli! although i am still not on the broccoli loving team with you, i’m glad that you enjoy it, because this second recipe is very broccoli heavy!

what is it? i’m sure you have all guessed by now (the title and pictures must have tipped you off), but the second recipe is  broccoli mushroom pizza, with a delicious white sauce in lieu of tomato sauce on the pizza.

it might just be the copious quantity of cheese, but i am pretty crazy about this pizza – we’ve made it many times over the past month, often doubling the recipe to make lots of delish leftovers – and i have a sneaking suspicion that you’ll be pretty crazy about it, too!

one year ago: glazed seitan

broccoli mushroom pizza

yields 4 servings (of two slices)
borrowed from vegetarian times

• 3T butter (divided)
• 6oz mushrooms, sliced (approx 2c)
• 8oz broccoli florets (approx 3c)
• 1/3c water
• 1T all purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4t salt
• 1c (soy) milk
• 1/2c grated mozzarella (divided)
• 1/4c grated parmesan (divided)
• 1 pizza dough – either store bought or homemade
  ______________________________

1. place a pizza stone (if you have one) in the oven and preheat to 425°F
2. melt 1T butter in a large skillet
3. add the mushrooms and saute 5 minutes
4. add the broccoli and water, and cover the pan, allowing to steam for 4 minutes
5. in a separate pan, heat 2T butter over medium heat
6. add the flour, garlic, and salt to the butter mixture and whisk well
7. slowly add the milk, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth
8. when the mixture has thickened (about 4 mins), remove from the stove and add 1/4c mozzarella and 2T parmesan, stirring until smooth again
9. place the pizza dough on the pizza stone (or a baking sheet), and cover the dough in the white sauce
10. use a slotted spoon or tongs to place the broccoli and mushrooms on the pizza (so you don’t get excess water on the pizza)
11. cover the entire pizza with the remaining mozarella and parmesan
12. bake about 18 minutes, until the edges of the pizza are browning and the center is hot. enjoy!

i have a shocking confession for you, my dear internet readers. i hate broccoli. detest it, really. ok, maybe that’s not so shocking. but i love vegetables, and broccoli is one of only two vegetables i dislike.

quick aside: i bet you’re wondering what’s the other vegetable i find horrendous. it’s brussel sprouts. i know there are probably a lot of recipes for great brussel sprouts out there, though – so would you please pass the recipe my way if you have one you love?

ok, back to my original point. i hate broccoli. in the past few months, though, i’ve found not one but two recipes that star broccoli. and i actually kind of love these dishes. so even though we’re on the tail end of actual broccoli season (i had to do some research about the season – it seems ubiquitous year-round in the stores), i’m going to post this recipe for broccoli quiche, and another one for broccoli pizza next week.

so what is this recipe? it’s a vegan quiche, made from blended tofu and cashews, plus some flavorful broccoli and yummy tomatoes. i found it in vegan brunch, by isa chandra moskowitz. (you might recognize the author from the other staple vegan cookbooks veganomicon, vegan cupcakes take over the world, and vegan cookies invade your cookie jar).

now, before you go writing off this recipe because it’s vegan, i have to tell you that i made this dinner solo one night (a rare occurrence), and mike had no idea that there weren’t any eggs involved. i think he even asked me how many eggs were left for breakfast the next day. so trust me, you’re not going to miss the eggs or dairy, because the texture and flavors are just that great.

while i’m not a vegan by any stretch – i love cheese as much as any other scandinavian, and nothing beats a poached egg on a lazy saturday morning - i love cooking out of vegan cookbooks because they’re so creative! instead of sticking with normal tried-and-true-favorites, they tend to explore new grains and legumes, pair them with interesting spice combinations, and push the boundaries of my culinary knowledge. most vegan cookbooks deviate from the standard veg fair of eggplant parmesan and pasta primavera, too (not that those are bad options, but one cannot live on pasta alone).

so i challenge you to try this quiche, even if you don’t particularly enjoy tofu or eating vegan food. i mean, i tried it, and i don’t even like broccoli!

one year ago (apparently may is quiche month): spinach quiche

broccoli quiche

yields 6 servings
borrowed from vegan brunch, by isa chandra moskowitz

• 1/2c cashews
• 1lb tofu
• 1T mustard
• 1 x 9″ pie crust – either homemade or purchased (i used this recipe, halved it, and substituted whole wheat pastry flour for all purpose)
• 2T olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3c broccoli, finely chopped
• 1t dried thyme
• 1/2t turmeric
• 1/2t tarragon
• 1t salt
• 1/2t pepper
• 1 dozen (approx) cherry tomatoes, halved
  ______________________________

1. preheat the oven to 350° F
2. while the oven is heating up, put the cashews into a food processor and pulse until you have crumbs
3. add the tofu and mustard to the food processor and pulse until the mixture is smooth and creamy
4. at this point, your oven should be warm, so prick the pie crust a few times with a fork and put it into the oven for 10 mintes, then remove from the oven and fill as indicated below
5. meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat
6. add the onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes, until tender and translucent
7. add the broccoli, thyme, turmeric, tarragon, salt, and pepper to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, until broccoli is soft
8. add 1c of the broccoli mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine
9. place the food processor mixture into a large bowl and combine with the broccoli mixture in the pan, stirring to combine well
10. scoop the mixture into the pie crust, and smooth the top with a spatula
11. place the halved cherry tomatoes on top of the quiche and place intot he oven
12. back for 40 minutes, until the crust is browning and the middle is piping hot
13. enjoy with a salad or on its own!

asparagus risotto

yields 6 servings (i think it’s best on the day it’s made, but leftovers are good too)
borrowed from cooking light

• 7c vegetable broth (i use rapunzel bouillon)
• 1T olive oil
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 1½c  arborio rice
• 2t lemon zest
• 1/2c white wine (don’t use anything you wouldn’t drink!)
• 1lb asparagus, washed and cut into 1″ pieces
• 1/2c grated parmesan cheese
• 2T lemon juice
• 2t  dried thyme
  ______________________________

when i think about stuffed shells, i think of a dish that is a bit complicated – similar to the many steps it takes to make lasagna - and thus relegated to special events. so when we had a special event to cook for this weekend (bringing food to our friends’ house to spend time with them and their new baby), this was the first dish i thought about making.

little did i know that this would turn out to be one of the most effortless dishes to create – all it took was boiling jumbo pasta shells, thawing frozen chopped spinach, stirring that with some ricotta, parmesan, garlic, and parsley, and then stuffing this mixture into the pasta. the spinach and cheese mixture took as long to make as it took the pasta to boil, so the prep time was ridiculously short. after a 30 minute bake in the oven, we were ready to transport this yummy dish to our friends’ house, along with some roasted asparagus and sourdough loaves.

despite the ease of preparation, this dish tastes so delicious that it could easily be mistaken for a complicated, lengthy recipe, in which hours of your time were spent sweating over a hot stove. i see no reason to clarify that you only spent 15-20 minutes putting it together, though, so i won’t tell if you won’t!  :)

one year ago: cashew tempeh with noodles

ricotta spinach stuffed shells

yields 8 servings of 4 shells
adapted from all recipes.com

• 32 jumbo pasta shells
• 2 x 10oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed then drained (i love cascadian farms)
• 2c ricotta cheese
• 1c grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1T dried basil
• 3T chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 1/2c spaghetti sauce
  ______________________________

1. preheat oven to 350º
2. boil a large pot of water, add a generous amount of salt and olive oil, then add the jumbo shells
3. cook the shells for about 12 minutes or until al dente, then drain and immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking
4. pour enough spaghetti sauce into a 9×13 pan to cover the bottom of the pan, so the shells don’t stick
5. after thoroughly squeezing excess liquid from the spinach (i like using a wooden spoon and a sieve to push the liquid out), place in a large bowl with the ricotta, 1/3c parmesan cheese, basil, 2T parsley, garlic, and salt & pepper to taste, then mix the ingredients well
6. spoon the spinach cheese mixture into the shells, then place them into the 9×13 pan, placing them filling side up
7. pour the rest of the spaghetti sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the the remaining 2/3c parmesan cheese and 1T parsley
8. cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until the sauce around the shells is bubbling, the parmesan cheese is melted, and the shells are hot all the way through
9. serve with asparagus (if in season) or a salad and fresh bread, and enjoy!

i love cooking and baking, and most of the time this hobby completely enthralls me. i love the routine mike and i have created of working, going to the gym, then coming home and preparing a delicious dinner together. i love taking photos as we prepare the meal, and thinking about how i’ll present the recipe to all of you.

but lately there have been a lot of things going on behind the scenes, and thus blogging isn’t/hasn’t been at the front of my brain (you may have noticed this…or maybe i’m hiding it well…). i promise to fill you in on details as they flush out, but for now, please bear with me if my prose is a little drab or i utilize the same adjectives repeatedly, okay?

alright, so on to the food. these tacos are super delicious and super quick to create (there i go with repetitive adjectives!), and they’re a perfect 30 minute comfort meal that will sustain you during crazy times.

i don’t think the photos do these tacos justice – they’re kind of like a spicy and savory version of candied yams at thanksgiving, but better. are you getting the picture?? that you should make these asap?? good.

one year ago: banana chocolate chip bundt cake

sweet potato tacos

yields 4 servings (enough to fill 8 tacos)

• 3c sweet potatoes or yams (approx 2 large sweet pots), cooked
• 1T olive or canola oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3T peanut butter
• 1t cumin powder
• 1/2t ground cinnamon
• 1/4t cayenne pepper
• 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 corn tortillas
• avocado, lettuce, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, etc, all optional
  ______________________________

1. start off by cooking the sweet potatoes – i like nuking them for 15 minutes in the microwave to make this step quick – just don’t forget to pierce them after you wash them!
2. heat oil in a large pan, then add the onion and garlic, sauteeing until tender
3. add peanut butter, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black beans, and the cooked sweet potatoes, stirring and mashing a but until warm all the way through
4. serve with warmed tortillas, avocado, lettuce, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, etc (all are optional – i like it with just avo), and enjoy!

here in california, we’re starting to head out of squash season and towards the lighter veggies of spring, as the days get  longer and the weather warms up a bit. so when we decided to have a potluck with our friends this weekend, i knew that it was the perfect opportunity to make this fabulous stuffed squash dish, before squash completely disappears from the store.

i absolutely adore all kinds of squash, but i usually lack time on weeknights to spend baking it the proper amount of time, so squash is a bit of a rarity for us. my dad made this stuffed squash dish for the vegetarians (and as a side for the meat eaters) at christmas dinner this year, and i’ve been thinking about making it for myself ever since then – i can’t believe it’s been two months since i promised myself i’d make this dish!

i am SO glad i finally got my act together to make these stuffed squash (or is it squashes? someone help me here!)! it was a simple recipe to follow, and turned out, if i do say so myself, quite delicious and filling. i love the combo of white beans, chard, and kalamata olives, all which hide under bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. despite its hearty and healthy construction, it’s not too terribly heavy, conveniently leaving enough room for the delicious dishes our friends brought over to share – quinoa fritters, salad with a raw and vegan cesar salad dressing, coconut bliss ice cream, and homemade banana cashew ice cream (the latter two were combined with an apple crisp we made – that recipe is my next post, so stay tuned!).  i hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

one year ago: warm quinoa breakfast cereal

stuffed squash

yields 1 stuffed squash, duplicate as needed (i usually made 1 per person)

• 1 medium acorn squash (or substitute as you see fit with other hard shelled squash)
• 1t olive oil
• 1T water
• dash of salt and pepper
• 1T olive oil
• 1/4c onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4t salt
• 1/4t pepper
• 1T water
• 1½t tomato paste
• 3c swiss chard, chopped
• 3/4c white beans, rinsed and drained
• 2T kalamata olives, chopped
• 3T dry whole wheat bread
• 3T grated parmesan cheese (optional)
  ______________________________

1. preheat the oven to 350º
2. cut the squash in half and scoop out the inside
3. pour 1/2t olive oil in each half, using a pastry brush to spread the oil around and thoroughly coat the squash
4. pour 1/2T water into each half of the squash, sprinkle with salt and pepper
5. bake the squash in the oven for 45 minutes on a cookie sheet
6. meanwhile, heat 1T olive oil in large pan over medium heat
7. add onion and saute for 3 minutes
8. add garlic, salt and pepper, water, tomato paste, and chard
9. cover and alow to cook for 3-5 minutes, or until stalks are tender
10. stir in the white beans and olives, heating thoroughly, approx 3 more minutes
11. stuff the squash with the misture
12. cover the white bean and chard filling with bread crumbs and parmesan, and pop back into the oven if they’ve cooled down too much. enjoy warm with bread and salad!