Category Archives: Recipes

Sometimes I cook things. Well, often I do.

Asian Slaw with Edamame

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This is one of those things that I always drag out for parties, especially in the summer (much to the delight of my friends). It’s cheap, it makes a lot of food, and it keeps practically forever. Plus, the lack of mayonnaise makes it the perfect summer slaw - no worries about salmonella! All the ingredients for the dressing are available in the Asian section of most grocery stores.

To make it: 

slaw:

  • 1 small-to-medium green cabbage
  • 1 small red cabbage
  • 1 lb bag frozen shelled edamame, thawed
  • 3 large carrots, julienned (or grated very coarsely)

dressing:

  • 1/4 cup organic tamari or shoyu (reduced-sodium, preferably - available in the Asian section of the supermarket)
  • 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp wasabi powder
  • 1 tsp grated ginger

Peel off outer leaves of both cabbages and shred finely, cutting the leaves from each side of the core and slicing thinly. Toss in large bowl with carrots and edamame.

To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over salad. Toss to coat and adjust seasonings as needed (I usually find myself adding a bit more wasabi or sesame oil). Chill in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.

Relatively Guiltless Eggplant Parm

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I came up with this recipe as a way to combat the greasy nature of traditional eggplant parm - baking the eggplant gives you the same texture with much less fat, while ricotta, crushed tomatoes with basil and reduced-fat mozzarella give the overall dish a nice cheesy flavor without being too heavy.

To make it: 

Serves about 4, if not more.

  • 2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
  • 1 package Italian Style Seasoned bread crumbs
  • 2 eggs, beaten with a few tablespoons water (you want it about the consistency of whole milk)
  • extra-virgin olive oil (see notes in prep instructions)
  • 1 lb part-skim ricotta
  • 1 package reduced fat mozzarella (about 12 oz.)
  • 1 large can (about 32 oz.) crushed tomatoes with basil (or regular crushed tomatoes and 1 bunch of fresh basil, sliced thin)
  • salt, pepper and minced garlic to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a couple of cookie sheets with EVOO. You want even coverage, with a fair amount left for each side to get a bit of oil on it; otherwise, the eggplant gets dry and doesn’t take on the nice melty texture that I like in my eggplant. Dip eggplant slices in egg wash, then bread crumbs, and arrange on cookie sheet. Bake for about 20-30 minutes until brown on both sides and very soft, flipping halfway through.

Once eggplant is cooked, make a layer of crushed tomatoes at the bottom of a deep baking dish. Add a layer of eggplant, then a few dollops of ricotta, then a handful of mozzarella and some more tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic and start a new layer. Continue until all ingredients have been layered in the dish, and bake for about 10-20 minutes until cheese is melty and browned on top. Serve with pasta.

Penne Portabello with Balsamic-Gorgonzola Sauce

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This is a very heavy dish, but the balsamic gives it a lighter flavor. It’s one of my favorite dishes, especially in winter. This will serve four people, but I don’t recommend leftovers. In my experience, it doesn’t reheat well (but I’ve also only had leftovers of this dish once).

To make it: 
  • 1 pound penne pasta (preferably whole-wheat)
  • 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
  • 4 portabella mushrooms, sliced, marinated in 1/4 cup Newman’s own Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette for 1/2 hour
  • 1/2 package Neufchatel cheese (aka reduced-fat cream cheese)
  • 1 pint half and half (you can also use 1% milk, but add a bit more Neufchatel to the mixture)

Put 1 gallon of water on to boil. When the water boils, add pasta. Cook pasta for 10-12 minutes until al dente. Drain pasta and set aside.

Saute portabella mushrooms in vinaigrette for about five minutes until they start getting tender. Add half and half or milk and heat through. Add Neufchatel and gorgonzola and continue cooking over medium heat until cheese is well incorporated and sauce is thick. Toss over pasta and serve hot.

Summer squash Parmesan

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This is one of my favorite summer dishes. Some of my friends actually wait for me to make this dish the minute summer squash is in season. The key to this dish is its lightness - by using fresh tomato, garlic and basil instead of sauce and not overloading it with cheese, normally-heavy parmesan becomes a light summer dish. Serve with penne that has just a little butter, garlic, fresh basil and parmesan cheese. Serves 4-6.

To make it: 
  • 4 large summer squash, sliced in 1/8″ slices lengthwise
  • 1-2 eggs, beaten with a bit of water
  • 1-2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 4-5 plum tomatoes
  • 1 smallish package fresh basil, leaves removed and julienned
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced fine
  • 1 cup (seriously, just 1 cup) shredded mozzarella
  • salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle 2 cookie sheets with 2 tbsp olive oil each (double check when you slice the squash; you might be able to get away with one sheet) Coat the slices of summer squash, first with egg wash and then with bread crumbs, and lay the breaded slices side to side on the oiled cookie sheets. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, until tender. Remove from oven, and raise heat to 425 degrees.

Put a layer of squash at the bottom of an 8″ square glass pan. Slice enough tomato to cover the layer evenly; make sure to sprinkle the juice and seeds of the tomato (they’ll spill out) over the layer of squash. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and 1/3 of the basil. Continue the layering process until all the squash is used up (you should have about three layers - try eating any leftovers as-is. They’re terrific). Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, until cheese is browned.

Chickpea, Mungbean, and Summer Squash Stew

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This recipe has lots of advantages. For one, it’s vegan and completely fat free, which makes it really good for you; for another, it’s terrifically easy to prepare (just throw it in a pot and simmer for a while), and for yet another, it’s unbearably spicy. Garam Masala (a common Indian spice, which is also a common ingredient in my cooking) can be found now in most supermarkets, but Penzey’s makes the best garam masala (and best spices overall) that I’ve tried. I highly reccomend them. The 2.1 oz jar will last you quite a while. Makes enough for about eight servings, but it freezes wonderfully.

To make it: 
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup dry mung beans
  • 1 can (15oz) chickpeas, drained
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes (the kind with onion and garlic in them)
  • 2 red-skinned potatoes, diced into 1/4″ pieces
  • 5 small summer squash, sliced thick (or 2 larger summer squash, sliced into 1/4″ thick half-moons)
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dry rosemary, crushed
  • salt and pepper to taste

Throw everything into a large stew pot with the exception. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, for about 25 minutes until mung beans and potatoes are tender. Throw the summer squash in, and simmer for another 10 minutes until it’s tender but still a bit crispy. Serve by itself or over baked brown rice