Category Archives: vegetarian

Toasted Italian Bread with Fresh Basil Pesto

Posted by Dave in mediterranean, vegan, vegetarian and tagged with , , ,
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Toasted Italian Bread with Fresh Basil Pesto

Something simple: yup, *toast* – haute cuisine, indeed.

Instead of me describing how I made a pesto, you can just watch this beautiful Italian make it instead: http://thepastachannel.com/pesto-sauce-pasta/
(We only disagree in that I’d rather use “too much” garlic…
Oh, and she made this in 5 minutes and it took me half an hour. :-)

Hmm, can I count the mortar and pestle effort as my second workout today?

Thyme & Anise Farfalle

Posted by Dave in mediterranean, pasta, vegetarian and tagged with , , ,

Thyme & Anise Farfalle

When you have thyme but not much time, try this simple pasta dish with two of my favorite flavors. If you don’t like anise (a licorice-like flavor), omit the liquor.

Prepare farfalle or any pasta. When pasta has just a few minutes left, lightly saute sliced sweet plum tomatoes and sliced green olives in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, with fresh garlic, fresh thyme, oregano, and black pepper. Add a splash (i.e., just a fraction of a teaspoon) of an anise-flavored liquor such as Pastis (French, that I had on hand), Ouzo (Greek), or Sambuca (Italian). When the pasta is done, add diced fresh mozzarella to saute so that it just begins to melt and the garlic and herbs cling to it. Drain pasta and serve topped with the oil and sauteed ingredients.

Pita Pizza

Posted by Dave in meat, mediterranean, vegetarian and tagged with , , , ,

Pita Pizzas

I’m temporarily drinking fake (non-alcoholic) beer, so perhaps some ersatz pizzas are in order!  These two were prepared in a toaster oven on pita bread brushed with olive oil:

  • BBQ sauce, garlic, swiss and Gruyère cheeses, applewood smoked bacon, white button mushroom, red onion, and jalapeno.
  • Kyopoolu (sauce), swiss and Gruyère, bacon, mushrooms, red onion, oregano, and fennel seed.
Which was better?  Hmm, both were awesome, it’s a tie.
An aside: I find Clausthaler Golden Amber and O’Doul’s Amber to be the most palatable of non-alcholic beers that are widely available in the states.

Mirza Ghasemi

Posted by Dave in vegetarian and tagged with , ,

Mirza Ghasemi with White Rice and Yogurt Sauce

Here’s a Persian/Iranian green and gold dish that can be a main dish or served as a sort of dip.  This dish is green and gold from eggplant and turmeric/scrambled egg, respectively.

Here’s a video recipe: “Mirza Ghasemi Traditional Style”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0Ikl78Xd5k

I also used this as a guide, but added onion and used olive oil and oregano:
http://dinnercoop.cs.cmu.edu/dinnercoop/Recipes/sanjiv/MirzaGhassemi.html

I was introduced to this dish at a local restaurant with Iranian proprietors. I’ll need a little more practice to bring it up to their delicious level.

Beans and Rice

Posted by Dave in vegetarian and tagged with , , , ,

I just made this “Homeopathic Beans and Rice”:
When spicing the broth, so that you don’t kill someone, start with the amount of cayenne pepper that Dave would like to put in, then cut that in half and half again; stir or shake (for James Bond).
Non-believers: apply hot sauce as needed, e.g., Trader Joe’s Jalapeno Hot Sauce.
Based on this:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/black-beans-and-rice/Detail.aspx
I used ~3 tsp of cumin seed. (Cumin powder is for losers.)
Oh, and put in a can of spiced, diced tomatoes and top with sour cream or tzatziki and paprika, so it doesn’t look like a pile of sh*t.

Sweet Potato Pad Thai

Posted by Dave in asian, vegetarian and tagged with , , ,

Sweet Potato Pad Thai

ingredients: sweet potato (in sticks), onion, garlic, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, rice noodles, salt & pepper; sauce: chicken stock, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, five spice powder, a dash of cayenne powder. red pepper flakes and lime to taste.
directions: don’t measure anything; cook everything just the right amount in the right order; add sauce, reduce; enjoy.