How Did You Cook That

Vegetarian

Crisp Green Salad with Sweet Honey Vinaigrette

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Citrus Salad

Simple green salads with fresh fruit look so beautiful and taste divine. This fresh crisp salad is no exception. Here are a couple of tricks to add to your arsenal that’ll ensure your salad is bright and super tasty.

Most importantly, you gotta get the dressing into all the right places without weighing down the fresh fruits and lettuces. In order to do this just layer and drizzle, layer and drizzle. No tossing of this salad.

You can make this salad with or without berries. The real magic here is in the prep. For example, each leaf of lettuce gets washed and brown ends removed. It may seem like a tedious step but it yields an amazing salad.

The vinaigrette had just a simple few ingredients that you probably have on hand in your pantry. When added all together your salad will scream, “eat me now!”

Green Salad
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Crisp Green Salad with Sweet Honey Vinaigrette

Crisp green salad with sweet honey vinaigrette. Make it with or without fresh fruit.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Keyword Salad, vegan, Vinaigrette
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

Lettuces

  • 2 heads butter bibb lettuce organic
  • 2 large Belgian endive organic
  • 1 Romaine heart organic
  • 1 large grapefruit, peeled, sectioned and cut into ½ inch pieces (optional)
  • 1 pint fresh berries (optional)
  • ideas for added fruit: fresh peaches, avocado, apple (optional)

Vinaigrette

  • 1 large shallot, minced can use a red onion if shallots are not available
  • 2½ Tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • pinch red chile flakes
  • 1 Tbsp warm water
  • ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped
  • 1 large clove garlic, grated
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

  • IMPORTANT: How to wash the lettuces. This step is important to wash off any residual soil or possible contaminants used in packaging. Trust me, you'll notice the difference.
    Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water. Remove wilted and browned leaves from the lettuces.
    Trim each head at the root. Leave butter-lettuce leaves whole. Cut large leaves of romaine and endive in half, then drop into water. Swirl lettuces in water, then drain. Fill bowl again with clean cool water and wash twice more. Rinse one more time with cold water, then transfer to a salad spinner to dry. Gently wrap in paper towels or clean dish towels. Set aside.
  • Rinse minced shallot with cold water. Drain, then place in a medium bowl. Add vinegar and warm water. Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk in oil, mustard, honey, thyme, garlic and a large pinch of salt. Taste, and adjust salt and vinegar as needed.
  • In a large salad bowl carefully pile a generous handful of the washed lettuces. Add fruit (if using) Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a generous drizzle of vinaigrette. Add another handful of salad, more fruit (if using) salt, pepper and vinaigrette. Repeat until lettuces (and fruit) are all in the bowl. Add another drizzle of dressing.
    Serve.
    This salad is best fresh. Be sure to make it just before serving.

Seasoned Black Beans

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Seasoned Black Beans
You know those cans of seasoned or Cuban style black beans at the grocery store? I used to buy those beans to keep on hand for a rainy day, but no more!  Slow-cooking dried black beans is one of the best changes I ever made to my pantry. Simmering on the stove, they soak up the savory flavors of onions, sweet red peppers and cilantro. Delicious!
 
Slow-cooking black beans allows them to develop a rich and savory flavor. Use these creamy black beans for soups, tacos, burritos, or anything you can imagine to go with beans. You can even mash them and recook them to make refried black beans. They are so versatile and once you try them, you’ll never look at those canned beans in the same way again.
Seasoned Black Beans
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Seasoned Black Beans

Course Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword Beans
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 2 cups small dried black beans
  • 4 cups vegetable broth chicken broth works fine too
  • 1 small red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion chopped
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • ⅛ cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp cayenne

Instructions

  • Rinse black beans. Set aside to drain.
  • In a medium saucepan heat olive oil and saute red peppers and onions until translucent.
  • *** If you make these beans in a crock-pot, add the sauteed vegetables to the crock pot and then add the rest of the ingredients.
  • Pour in vegetable broth and rinsed black beans.
  • Season with cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne.
  • Bring to a low boil then turn down heat to low. Allow beans to simmer for about an hour, stirring to make sure the beans don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add water or more vegetable broth as needed to keep the beans nice and brothy.
  • At 1 hour add the chopped cilantro and season to taste. Simmer for another hour or until beans are soft and creamy.
  • Eat immediately or refrigerate up to 1 week.
    Beans can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Transfer the cooled and cooked beans, with the broth, to a freezer-safe bag or re-usable storage container. Remove as much air as possible.
    When freezing, consider separating beans into single serving sizes and write the date on the container.

The Only Pizza Dough You’ll Ever Need

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Best Pizza Dough Ever

Homemade pizza dough has always kind of eluded me. Hard crust outside, soggy inside. Too much flour on the bottom of the crust or cornmeal that leaves it strangely crunchy. Dough that’s hard to work with and ends up with holes or sticking to the pizza pan. I’ve tried and moved on more times than I care to admit.

Through trial and error and repeating mistakes, I finally landed on pizza dough that I can live a long happy life with. This is an adapted version of Roberta’s pizza dough from the famed Italian pizzeria in Brooklyn, NY.  The last time I ate Roberta’s pizza was 8 years ago during a trip to NYC. Seriously, that’s how long I’ve been on a quest to make the perfect dough. When all I had to do was use the recipe from the place. Stubborn, yeah, I already said that to myself.

Well, if you’re still searching, let me save you a little time. Just make this dough and enjoy brighter days filling your pizza with fresh pizza sauce and ingredients that will shine atop this chewy, crispy pizza crust. A little yeast, flour and olive oil is all it takes to make the best homemade pizza dough you’ll ever need. Let’s get to baking!

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The Only Pizza Dough You'll Ever Need

A little yeast, flour and olive oil is all it takes to make the best homemade pizza dough you'll ever need.
Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Baking, Pizza
Prep Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Kitchen scale - Important for this recipe to turn out perfect every time
  • "00" Flour - worth the extra effort to keep "00" flour on hand in your pantry
  • Pizza stone

Ingredients

  • 153 grams "00" Flour If you absolutely do not have "00" in your pantry you can make this with all-purpose flour. Just be sure to order some before your next go of it. It makes a noticeable difference in texture and taste.
  • 153 grams all-purpose flour
  • 8 grams sea salt
  • 2 grams active dry yeast
  • 4 grams extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Begin making this dough 3-4 hours before you want to eat a pizza.
  • Combine flours and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, stir together 200 grams of lukewarm (110° - 114°) tap water, the yeast and the olive oil. The water temperature does matter here. Too hot and you will kill the yeast. Too cold and you will not get the yeast to react. Then pour the yeast mixture into flour mixture. Knead, in the bowl, with your hands until well combined, approximately 3 minutes. It'll be a slightly sticky.
    (Tip: I use a deep 12 qt Cambro serving container for this job because it's easy to get my hand around the dough. But any large mixing bowl will do the trick.) The kneaded dough will be a bit sticky.
    Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
  • After the 15 minute rest, knead the dough for another 3 minutes. It should look smooth and be strong. Cut (not ripping or tearing) dough into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a ball with your hands. Place on a heavily floured surface and cover with dampened cloth. A dampened cloth should help prevent or lessen a crust that wants to form on the rising dough.
    Let dough rest and rise for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature or for 8 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. (If you refrigerate the dough, remove it 30 to 45 minutes before you begin to shape it for pizza.)
  • When you're ready to make pizza, put a pizza stone or large cast iron skillet in the oven and pre-heat to 500°. About 30 minutes to be sure that your stone or skillet are blazing hot.
    Place each dough ball on a heavily floured surface or pizza peel and use your fingers to stretch it, then your hands to shape it into rounds.
  • Top with pizza sauce and your favorite toppings.
  • Slide pizza into the oven and onto the hot pizza stone. Reduce oven temperature to 450° and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Pizzeria Style Pizza Sauce

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Pizzeria Style Pizza Sauce

I used to pick up a jar of ready-made pizza sauce from the market to keep in the pantry. You know, for the day you’re craving a slice, or two, and delivery just seems like too much. Then roll out some store bought dough, spoon on the jar of sauce and sprinkle the mozzarella. Easy. And just about as meh as that delivery idea you had.

Enter an easy alternative that, once you try, you’ll never go back from. This pizzeria style pizza sauce is so good! It’s slightly sweet, smells heavenly and is seasoned with only 5 fresh ingredients. Oregano, basil, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes. Add tomatoes and you’re all done. You can use fresh tomatoes if you’re craving in the summertime or canned tomatoes the other nine months of the year.

Pizzeria Style Pizza Sauce
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Pizzeria Style Pizza Sauce

A slightly sweet pizza sauce seasoned with only 5 fresh ingredients. Oregano, basil, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes. Add tomatoes and you're all done.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Homemade, Pizza, sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 8 pizzas

Ingredients

  • 28 ounce canned whole, peeled tomatoes I have tried all kinds of tomatoes for this sauce. Whole are the VERY best here but if you have diced or fresh, go ahead and try them. No need to make a mad dash to the store...you might as well order the meh take-out at that point.
  • 1 medium whole yellow or brown onion peeled and quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh oregano finely chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh basil on stems do not remove leaves or chop
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Pour the can of tomatoes and juice into a food processor with blade attachment. Pulse until pureed but still just a teeny bit chunky. Add oregano and garlic and pulse another couple of times.
  • Pour tomato mixture into a medium saucepan. Add quartered onion. Do not chop. Just leave it in big chunks. The onion adds flavor to your sauce and you will discard it at the end. Do the same with the basil stems. Do not chop. They will simmer with the sauce and you will discard them at the end. Toss in red pepper flakes. Turn heat to medium low and bring sauce to a simmer.
  • Once it begins to simmer turn to low and place a lid slightly ajar over the top to keep splatters to a minimum. Simmer for about an hour or until sauce is reduced by about ⅓.
  • Remove from heat. Discard onion pieces and basil sprigs. Cool. Use immediately or save in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. You can also freeze any extra. It will keep for 3 months in the freezer.

Creamy Sweet Potato Curry

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Creamy Sweet Potato Curry

Creamy sweet potato curry is one of my favorite dishes. It’s the perfect comfort food to make on those nights when you are wondering what to make for dinner. This creamy curry is both vegetarian and vegan and packs a mighty punch of flavor and spice. 

A rich curry with minimal ingredients that all come together in about 20 minutes for a quick and satisfying meal. Serve creamy sweet potato curry over a bowl of steamy sticky rice. What you don’t eat tastes even better the next day and will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Creamy Sweet Potato Curry
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Creamy Sweet Potato Curry

Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Global
Keyword Soup
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ¼" cubes
  • 2 shallots halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tbsp fresh ginger minced
  • 1 Tbsp peanut oil
  • 3 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 3 Tbsp red curry paste
  • 1 14 ounce can coconut milk
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • ½ cup chopped peanuts divided
  • ¼ - ½ cup chopped cilantro divided
  • 1 cup rice (basmati, brown, white) cooked

Instructions

  • Cook rice and set aside for serving.
  • Heat peanut oil over medium high heat. Add the shallots and stir until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger and sweet potatoes and stir to coat with oil and minced aromatics. Add the red curry paste and stir until combined.
  • Add coconut milk and vegetable broth. Simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes until sweet potatoes are softened.
  • Add ¼ cup peanuts and a tablespoon or two of cilantro. Give it a good stir then add the spinach and cook just until wilted.
  • Remove from stove and serve in bowls over rice. Sprinkle on remaining peanuts and cilantro to taste.

Zucchini Fritters

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Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini fritters are unbelievably easy to put together and prepare. Grate zucchini, drain, squeeze and drain again then toss into a bowl with a bunch of simple fresh ingredients. Scoop zucchini “batter” onto a hot skillet. Flatten, cook. Flip, cook. Serve hot and tasty with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. How easy it that?

Zucchini fritters are a nutritious, sugar-free way to use up a bounty of zucchini fresh from your garden. Simple fritters that are so crispy and full of flavor even your most finicky eaters will go back for seconds.

Zucchini Fritters
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Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini fritters are a nutritious, sugar-free way to use up a bounty of zucchini fresh from your garden.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Global
Keyword Snack, Vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds zucchini grated
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium shallot minced
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 2 tsp Kosher salt
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  • Place grated zucchini into a colander over the sink. Add 2 tsp salt and toss to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes. Using a clean dish towel or cheese cloth, squeeze zucchini to drain completely. This may take a few squeezings. Zucchini is VERY juicy.
  • In a large bowl, combine zucchini, flour, grated Parmesan, garlic, shallot, red pepper flakes and egg; season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
    Scoop about ¼ cup of batter for each fritter, flattening down with a spatula. Cook until the underside is nicely golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, about 1-2 minutes longer.
    Zucchini Fritters
  • Serve immediately. Top with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt and some chopped green onion or chives.

Pan Tossed Vegetarian Noodles

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Pan Tossed Vietnamese Noodles

In my neighborhood there is this amazing Vietnamese Cafe. The food that comes out of that kitchen at Gingergrass Cafe is outstanding. When I had my first taste of their pan tossed noodles I realized I might be eating dinner there every night for the rest of my life.

Obviously that was a wee bit impractical, so I had to come up with a way to recreate these binge-worthy noodles in my own kitchen. 

As it turns out, pan tossed Vietnamese noodles are really pretty simple to make. You just need a few basic ingredients, something to chop with and a big pan.

These noodles are a big crowd-pleaser and a super cozy comfort food. On your next shopping trip stock up on extra noodles because these are insanely addicting.

Pan Tossed Vietnamese Noodles
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Pan Tossed Vegetarian Noodles

Chewy crispy pan tossed Vietnamese noodles. Made with fresh vegetables and soba noodles, this dish is the perfect weeknight dinner.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Global
Keyword Noodles, Vegetarian
Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Large skillet or wok

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces soba, ramen or udon noodles I use soba noodles for this recipe but use whatever Asian noodle is available at your local store
  • 8-10 scallions
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ cup broccoli florets cut into small pieces
  • ½ cup shredded cabbage
  • ¼ cup carrots peeled and julienned
  • 4-5 bok choy florets or baby spinach chopped
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 Tbsp sugar brown or white
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil plus a teaspoon for sauce
  • 3 Tbsp canola oil
  • ¼ cup mung bean sprouts

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil. You don't need to salt the water for Asian noodles.
  • While the water is heating up, slice the scallions lengthwise then cut them into one-inch pieces. Separate the green parts of the onions from the white parts. Set aside.
  • Slice cabbage into shreds, wash bean sprouts, chop bok choy or spinach very roughly. Chop broccoli, julienne carrots or any other vegetables you are using. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Stir to combine. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl or ramekin, mix the canola oil and toasted sesame oil.
  • When the water comes to a boil, add the noodles and boil for 2-3 minutes (according to package directions). Do not overcook, they are better al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Leave in the strainer until ready to use.
  • Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Let the skillet heat for several minutes until it becomes very hot.
  • Drizzle in 2 Tbsp combined sesame and canola oil. When the pan becomes very hot again and the oil starts to shimmer, add the noodles and spread out to a thin, even layer. Gently swirl the pan so the oil evenly coats all the noodles. Cook the noodles for 5-6 minutes or until they become golden and lightly crisp.
  • Flip the noodles over, in sections if necessary, using a large spatula. Pour 2 more tablespoons of sesame/canola oil mixture around the outside edges of the noodles and swirl the pan to allow the oil to evenly coat the noodles. Let the noodles fry for an additional 3-5 minutes. Remove the noodles to a plate.
  • In the same skillet or wok, heat remaining oil. Add the white part of the scallion and let sizzle for just a few seconds.
    Add the shredded carrots, broccoli, and any other chopped vegetables you are using, and let cook for an additional 30 seconds.
    Add the noodles back into the skillet and toss. Separate the crispy parts of the noodles with a fork or pair of tongs to remove any that are stuck together.
    Pour on the soy sauce mixture. Toss until the sauce evenly coats the noodles.
  •  Garnish with remaining green onion tops and mung bean sprouts. Serve hot.
  • Note: This recipe is totally adaptable. Add any fresh, crunchy vegetables that you have on hand. More or less of any that are listed. Make it your way. If you want to add an animal protein, just toss with grilled chicken or shrimp.