Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade

Ordering the vegetarian option at a large event can make you wish you'd grabbed a peanut butter sandwich before leaving home. This proved true recently when a friend was served a plate of pasta drowning in a cream sauce that was exactly the same shade as the pasta itself. There was not a vegetable on the plate. The only vegetables served came with the meat and fish meals. OK, I understand that when caterers are dealing with the challenges of preparing several hundred meals, the extra effort required to create an appetizing vegetarian dish for the few who request it might not be a priority. But there is really no good excuse for serving a second-rate meal when it's so easy to prepare top-notch meatless fare. Pasta can be a great vegetarian go-to option that is simple, tasty, attractive, and appetizing.


On our first night in Boston, my intrepid husband and I braved the rain and walked across the Neponset River bridge to Dorchester in search of Venezia, an Italian restaurant on the nearby waterfront. Out journey took us on an excursion under the expressway and through one of the old, edge-of-Boston neighborhoods that made me feel nostalgic and happy despite my damp socks. My iPhone GPS was not being helpful, and I was about to head to the pizza place that I could see across the highway when a woman on her porch came to our rescue. Just a few more blocks and we found our destination snugged up against the waterfront. We were seated at a window where we had a spectacular view of the storm, which conveniently cleared up in time for our walk back to the hotel.  The Cavetalli Scicilian was delightful, the cannolis were fresh and rich, and the service was excellent. This was the night before the beige pasta dish was served to my friend, so I was acutely aware of other pasta possibilities. This recipe was inspired by that wonderful meal. The sun-dried tomato topping is a wonderful rustic tapenade, so this simple dish can serve multiple purposes. Toss with your favorite pasta, or serve with crackers, crostini or crudites. Buon appetito!

Vegetable Paella

This is a dish for when you have a little extra time to spend preparing dinner. It is not difficult, but it has several steps, as all paellas do. Traditional paellas are cooked over an open fire of aromatic pine and orange branches, which imparts a smoky undertone. We are using smoked paprika to suggest the fire roasted flavor. Traditional paellas are also a dish cooked by men.

The foundation for this recipe comes from Fresh and Fast Vegetarian: recipes that make a meal, by Marie Simmons.We took liberties with the vegetables and substituted green peas and green olives for green beans. On our second attempt, the amount of water added to the rice was reduced significantly. Those amounts are reflected in this recipe. The goal is to attain a crispy bottom, so it is important that the rice maintains its integrity. It cannot be wet or mushy. You will want to monitor this for yourself and adjust the amount of water you use so that you can get that crispy bottom.

Fire-Roasted Beet Timbale with Wild Rice

This is perfect, even if you don't like beets. You can substitute butternut squash for the beets and have an equally delicious dish. (Or be crazy and do the beets and squash together -- it looks a bit like a traffic light but more festive.) This timbale is the perfect meal because it is easy enough to make on a weeknight, satisfying, and impressive enough to serve to company.

Beets are often paired with goat cheese, and I love the combination. Gary prefers feta. Both cheeses work well with the roast vegetables. Make it vegan by eliminating the cheese and lightly dressing the timbale with your favorite vinaigrette.

Preparation and assembly are a snap.There's some cooking time involved, but you are free to go and do other things. The beets can be prepared a day ahead and reheated or served cold, but I like them best when they are hot off the grill. They can also be roasted in the oven for about the same amount of time at 350F.

INGREDIENTS
The following quantities are per timbale
1 med beet (about 2 1/2" across)
1 cup prepared wild rice
1/4 cup goat cheese or feta cheese
2 teaspoons pistachios, shelled and very coarsely chopped
handful of arugula or watercress

PROCEDURE

• Heat up the grill. When coals are hot, push all the coals to one side.
• Wash and trim beets. You can grill them peeled or with skins on. They caramelize more when peeled and the sugars can rise to the surface. They are milder roasted with skins on.
• Wrap in a sealed foil packet. 
• Place on grill away from coals. Cover, making sure to leave the vents open.  Check back in 45 minutes to an hour. Turn the package over and wait another 30 - 40 minutes. Check by carefully unwrapping a small bit of the foil packet and inserting a knife into the beet. Beets should not be too soft, but they should not be crunchy, either. You'll know.
• Prepare wild rice according to package directions. Change it up and substitute your favorite quinoa recipe for the rice.
• Assemble:  
• Set a 3 inch round tube mold on a serving plate. Press in 1 cup rice or quinoa.
• Spread cheese on top of grain.
• Sprinkle on about 2/3 of the nuts.
• Top with chopped roasted beets or butternut squash.
• Garnish with remaining nuts and arugula.

Falafel Salad with Tzatziki (Cucumber Sauce)

Featured on Meatless Monday!

Honestly, I am a falafel newbie. Don't ask me how this wonderful treat escaped my attention for so long, I simply do not know. Falafel, a food of humble origin, has attained status at the most discerning tables simply because it is so straightforward and honest. Despite it's being 100% vegan, falafel satisfies all of our cravings for something tasty, substantial, savory and FRIED! Frying sure takes the "skinny" out of any recipe.

We grilled this falafel, and saved a ton of calories in the process. We greased up our Griddler with a healthy layer of olive oil (top and bottom), turned it to Medium-High (panini setting with flat griddle plates), and grilled our patties for about 12 minutes.

This falafel does not use egg. Some cooks claim that traditional falafel contains neither egg nor tahini, although several recipes I looked at called for sesame seeds. Everyone knows that chick peas and sesame seeds are meant for each other, so why not save a step and just toss in the pureed sesame seeds in the form of tahini? Besides, I had some serious concerns about whether or not these patties would hold together in cooking. The tahini added just a little bid of a binding agent. Everything held together beautifully, though. Dinner was a very satisfactory success.

You will need a food processor, blender, or a bit of patience for chopping
.

Quick & Easy Spinach Turnovers

After work last Friday I made a beeline for home. Nothing was going to divert me from the most direct route away from work to the refuge of my favorite chair, a glass of wine and a good book. I did not stop at the market, or even make the customary call to say I was on the way. If I had a plan for dinner, I don't remember it. Fend for yourself seemed like a good approach to the evening. As it turned out, company was coming for an impromptu happy hour. For some reason I cannot simply throw a bag of chips in a bowl and set it out. For one thing, I rarely have a bag of chips around -- they tend not to last long around here. But I did have a package of phyllo dough in the freezer and a fresh bag of spinach. That, along with a few staples and some dried spices, was sufficient to put together a quickie version of Spanokopita, or a spinach pie. In fact, these single serving editions had the advantage of being finger food. They also took only a fraction of the time the traditional dish takes. A variety of other fillings comes to mind, too.

They are best served at room temperature, or just slightly warmer. Leftovers make an easy lunch. 

Stuffed Mushroom Trio

What could appeal more to the intuitive cook than an easy, attractive dish with practically limitless ingredient possibilities? Stuffed mushrooms were a delectable staple dish on my Italian grandmother's holiday table. They were always meatless, and always a special treat. Her mushrooms were the small ones, stuffed with a bread crumb and herb mixture, and meant as an accompaniment to the main courses. But the giant portabello mushroom caps available everywhere offer a variety of vegetarian and vegan main dish options. We filled these three with different ingredient combinations and made sure to include a vegan option, which turned out to be our favorite.

We actually made these mushrooms a few weeks ago, but never posted them simply because we didn't measure anything. That has made it very difficult to provide much more than a general idea of quantities, which is the way I frequently cook, anyway. I do understand that lots of people really want those specific details, so we'll do our best to provide some approximations. When it comes to filling the mushroom caps, though, just approach it with a sense of abandon. I mean, how can you really go wrong?

Citrus-y Ricotta Pancakes

Happy New Year!

The holidays are such interesting times when you look beyond the gifts and the big dinner with family. In this college town life is very different for one week each year, and today is the last day of that week. The students have gone home, so the town is a little empty, the traffic is lighter, everything seems a bit calmer and kind of slow, but in a relaxed and comfortable way. It's a rare opportunity to enjoy the moment or just take time to think without worrying too much about what needs to be done next. Maybe that's why we only consider our goals once a year, in the form of New Year resolutions. The rest of the year we are just too busy to do that kind of thinking.

This morning I have exactly two goals in mind: 1) try to put a little more "skinny" in the recipes; and 2) not to leave the house today. That means feeding us with ingredients on hand. It's a good way to use up items you bought for holiday cooking. The citrus-y pancakes may not exactly meet the intent of goal #1, but they fit #2 perfectly. We combined lemon and orange zest and juice in this batch, but lime or kumquat zest would work well, too. These are light, fragrant, moist pancakes. Serve with your favorite syrup, fruit, or my favorite -- a sprinkle of sugar and squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

This will make 12-14 pancakes using a 1/4 scoop of batter.

Ready to flip

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup ricotta cheese
2/3 cup milk
1 Tbs lemon/orange zest
1/2 t cinnamon
dash of nutmeg (optional)
1/2 T sugar

2 eggs, separated

Ravioli with Walnut Cream Sauce

I am locked in an ongoing internal debate about how much packaged/prepared food is really OK to include in recipes shared here (or in any meal that we actually intend to eat). On the one hand, this is supposed to be a place to experiment with realistic vegetarian fare. Elaborate menus can be wonderful, but everyone needs some quick tricks to pull out of the hat at the end of a long day, and the convenience of packaged foods is undeniable. On the other hand, we don't want to be guilty of what Gary calls "mixing foods together" or MFT. MFT usually involves ingredients like Velveeta, Campbell's cream of something soup, Cool Whip, Lipton's Onion Soup Mix, canned tuna, and frozen peas. Actually, leave out the Cool Whip and add some egg noodles and I think you have my sister-in-law's recipe for tuna casserole, the ultimate in MFT fare, where every single ingredient is prepackaged, tossed together and baked.

Although I know that a lot of people like that tuna casserole, I'm not all that comfortable with it. It's kind of like painting by numbers. The result is predictable and reliable, but somehow not quite "real". It's the kind of thing you imagine at church dinners in Lake Wobegon, right next to the amazing green Jello mold.  It might be OK, though, to include some carefully chosen prepared foods that we can enhance with our kitchen wizardry before they make it to the table. Maybe we don't have to make every single thing from scratch....

RAVIOLI WITH WALNUT CREAM SAUCE
Ingredients

1lb packaged ravioli, we used Monterey Pasta Company's Spinach & Cheese variety from the refrigerator section at the grocery store.
 
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped, divided
3T butter
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup heavy cream (so why the 2% milk, right?)
1/2 T rosemary, chopped
2 T fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
freshly grated Parmesan orAsiago

Baked Fettucine

In 1986, Bolla wines published a cookbook call The Joy of Pasta. My father found a copy at the Mt. Dora library book sale last year and slipped it into my Christmas stocking. It is a treasure trove of pasta recipes, some simple, some elaborate. It is clearly from the time when pasta was enjoying the food trend spotlight. The recipes cater to neither low carb nor low fat diets. Instead, they approach ingredients with a gleeful abandon, resulting in some wonderful and unusual outcomes.

Baked fettuccine takes macaroni and cheese from a familiar and humble favorite to an extravagant showstopper that includes Fontina cheese, butter, and heavy cream. Although it is substantial and delicious enough to be a main dish, its calorie content suggests that it may be more prudent as a side dish. We found ourselves going back for "just one more bite" more than once. This recipe easily serves 6-8.

Bell Peppers Stuffed with Wild Rice, Pine Nuts & Currants

Colorful bell peppers can be stuffed with a variety of ingredients to create just the right taste for a holiday dinner. The ingredients we used here were inspired by our vegetarian stuffed grape leaves, but all kinds of nuts and fruits can be combined to complement these beauties. Try substituting sunflower or pumpkin seeds for the way-too-expensive pine nuts; use cranberries instead of currants. Alter the taste with the addition of cheese, mushrooms, and other sauteed vegetables. The possibilities are nearly endless.

These are substantial enough to serve as a main dish.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup wild rice, uncooked
1 3/4 cups vegetable broth, divided
4-6 bell peppers
2 Tbs olive oil
2/3 cup onion, chopped
2 cloved garlic, chopped
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup zante currants
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Red Lentil Curry

I found these red lentils at a Mediterranean market and they were simply too beautiful to leave on the shelf. When you purchase a food item only because of the way it looks, with no real idea of what you will do with it, the challenge is to find a recipe that will make the endeavor worthwhile. These lentils are smaller and less substantial than the more common brown lentils, so they do not necessarily lend themselves to the same types of dishes. I'm a fan of curries, so that seemed like a good place to start. This is an easy main dish served over rice or Indian flat bread. This recipe serves 4-6.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups water
1 tsp each: ground ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds
8 oz red lentils
2 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
3-4 tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
2 Tbps butter
2 tsps or more red curry powder
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups fresh spinach (optional)

PROCEDURE

• Bring water to a boil and add ginger, turmeric and cumin seeds. 
• Add the red lentils and lower heat to simmer, about 5-7 minutes. 
• Add the potatoes and cook until lentils become soft.
• Stir occassionally to prevent sticking.
• Heat butter in a skillet and saute onion and pepper until onions begin to brown. 
• Add curry powder and cook for another minute or two.
• Add the garlic and tomatoes.
• Add the lentil mixture. 
• Cook for another minute or two.
• Add fresh spinach, if desired, cook until just wilted, and serve over rice.

Butternut Squash & Potato Pancakes

Fall is in the air (finally) here in north central Florida, and butternut squash with its deep orange color and nutty flavor lends itself nicely to autumnal dinners. These savory pancakes are definitely dinner fare. The original recipe is from the Vegetarian Times. I added an extra egg and the breadcrumbs. The original recipe calls for frying the pancakes in oil. I am addicted to my Cuisinart Griddler, so a set the panini/grill setting to medium-high, put a schmear of butter on each pancake, and grilled them for about 5 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups grated butternut squash (about 1 lb)
2 cups grated potatoes (peeled or unpeeled)
1/2 cup red onion, diced
2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
2 large eggS, beaten
3 Tbs unbleached flour
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
Ground pepper

Place squash, potatoes, onion and 2 tsp salt in colander. Drain for about 15 minutes, pressing water from vegetables. I highly recommend squeezing the vegetables by hand to remove as much liquid as possible, and maybe even blotting them with a towel.

Preheat panini press or griddle to medium-high.

Transfer vegetables to a mixing bowl and add garlic, sage, nutmeg and egg. Mix well. Add flour, breadcrumbs and pepper, mix again.

Form into patties. They will be a little loose. Place on griddle with a bit of butter on top.
Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and a warm fruit chutney.
Makes about 6 pancakes. (The VT recipe said these quantities would make 20 pancakes. Ours were about 3 inches across.)

Enjoy!

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

This is dedicated to my friend Stace, who moved away to California and is now residing in the beautiful state of Colorado, which is where she has wanted to be all along. When we met at a vegan restaurant for our  farewell luncheon, I ordered the Sheep's Pie, a vegan version of the well-known comfort food Shepherd's Pie. It was tasty. There were carrots and broccoli and mashed potatoes, but it lacked the substance of a Shepherd's Pie. My mother was a Brit, and I grew up on this classic comfort fare. Was there really a way to make it vegan and still satisfy that urge for a full bodied casserole that would leave me satisfied?

Add some barley for substance, and lots of mushrooms to replace the meat. We chose white mushrooms  for their mild flavor, and black mushrooms for drama. Julia Child's Brown Sauce  made with a full-flavored mushroom stock  transforms the veggies into a heart-warming, rib-sticking casserole that will conjure visions of British Pubs and roaring fires.

The traditional Shepherd's Pie was a way to use leftovers, so there were plenty of variations. Experiment with different vegetable combinations. If you are grilling or roasting vegetables, make some extra to use in your casserole. Otherwise, Vegan Shepherd's Pie can be too time consuming for a weeknight supper. This Vegan Shepherd's Pie will satisfy the urge for the traditional casserole, but I recommend that some of this be prepared ahead of time so you have it on hand.

Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms and Cream

Quick, easy, elegant.

This is for my friend Drew, an enthusiastic cook and a fan of many cuisines. Although he is usually an adventuresome soul, the idea of vegetarian cooking makes him uneasy. I understand this: no one wants to eat weird food. This is a good time to remind everyone, including myself, that the goal of Vegetarian Skinny is to discover vegetarian meals that are made up of familiar foods. You won't find much here that your grandmother didn't recognize as normal, completely edible food. I promised no tofu, and I am sticking to that!

Many Italian dishes are vegetarian, although we don't give them that label. Eggplant Parmesan, Pasta Puttanesca, Pasta e Ceci, and Pasta Primavera are examples of common Italian recipes that do not include meat. My father recently gave me an old pasta cookbook he found at the Mt. Dora library book sale. It is wonderful. Here is my first installment from this gem of a cookbook. Enjoy!


Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms and Cream

INGREDIENTS:
8-10 oz fresh spinach, washed and cleaned
1/2 c water
1/2 lb fresh portabella or white mushrooms
juice of 1 lemons
3 Tbs butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs marsala wine
1/ cup heavy cream
salt
freshly ground plack pepper
1/2 lb bowtie pasta (or other shape if you prefer)
4Tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a deep skillet or large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add spinach. Cover and steam for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until just wilted. Do not overcook. Drain well and set aside.
2. Wipe mushrooms with damp paper towel, trim stem ends and slice thinly. Add lemon juice and mix well.
3. Melt butter in skillet and add garlic and marsala. Coll for 3 minutes, then add mushrooms. Cook 5 more minutes, then add cream, stirring often. Bring mixture to a boil, add some salt and pepper liberally. Remove from heat.
4. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain well and return to cooking pot. Add spinach, then mushroom and cream mixture. Put in individual plates, top with Parmesan. 

Optional:  Garnish with chopped walnuts or pine nuts.

Summer Pie

My sister-in-law Norma is a wonderful Southern cook. She has a gift for comfort foods. She has also lived in many far-flung places, and has incorporated ideas from all of her experiences into her wonderfully creative cooking. Many times she has spoken to me about her Tomato Pie and its beautiful simplicity. Recently, she sent me the recipe, along with a good dose of inspiration. Tomato Pie sounded fabulous, but I have been recently obsessed with the output from the herb garden. And I had a ton of fresh produce from the Farmer's Market in the fridge. Norma's inspiration arrived at the perfect moment. Her Tomato Pie is the foundation of this Summer Pie and my tribute to my talented sister-in-law.


SUMMER PIE
1 pie shell (make it or buy it, up to you)
4 plum tomatoes, sliced
1/2-3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion rings
4-6 oz sliced mushrooms
a handful of fresh basil, chopped
3/4 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz Gruyere Swiss cheese, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo

Preheat oven to 350
Combine cheeses, sour cream and mayo.
Line a 9" pie plate with a pie shell.
Layer onions, tomatoes, basil and mushrooms (in this order) in the uncooked pie shell.
Spread cheese mixture on top.
Bake for about 15 minutes until vegetables have heated and release some juices, and pie shell becomes nicely browned.

Stuffed Ancho Chiles

These ancho chiles, stuffed with plantains and garnished with Mexican crema, were featured on a recent Rick Bayless show, Mexico One Plate at a Time. They looked just right for entertaining, the ingredients list included a tempting combination of savory and sweet, and I just happened to have a package of dried ancho chiles in the pantry. Although the recipe was not offered on Rick's web site, Masa Assassin had recreated it on his Mexican food blog. I have adapted it from there, mainly because of the availability of ingredients here in North Central Florida. I also halved the recipe.

One of the challenges of vegetarian cooking (at least for me), is creating a meal that feels nutritionally complete. This does. They are also pretty filling. These are definitely a knife and fork dish, so keep that in mind if you are serving them at a party.

INGREDIENTS
1 pkg dried ancho chiles (about 6/pkg)
2 very ripe plantains
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped tomatoes, plum or cherry
6 oz Mexican cheese - I used a melting cheese
1/4 cup +1 Tbs Piconcillo (Panela in photo -- grated brown sugar cane-- ok to substitute dark brown sugar)
salt
pepper
olive or canola oil

Garnish
Mexican crema (or really good sour cream)
Parsley

The Chiles
Dissolve 2 Tbs grated brown sugar cane in hot water. Add the chiles, making sure to cover them with hot water. Push them down gently with a wooden spoon to make certain they are submerged.  Soak for 5 to 10 minutes, checking frequently after 5 minutes. Chiles should be supple, but not falling apart.

Remove chiles from water and carefully slit one side, making sure not to remove the stem. Remove seeds and veins. Be gentle. Try not to tear the chiles.

The Filling
Bake plantains at 350 for 10 -12 minutes. I started off baking these in their skins, but quickly decided to go for more carmelization and stripped the skins off. When done, chop into small cubes.

Heat about 3Tbs oil in a deep skillet.
Sautee onions and garlic until fragrant and onions are translucent.
Add tomatoes, cook 5 minutes.
Add plantains, cook another 10 minutes.
Add remaining grated brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper.
Mix well.
Remove from heat.
Add queso and mix again.


Fill each chile with 2 - 3 Tablespoons of this wonderful filling. Fold slit edges over and place face down on plate. Garnish with Mexican crema and parsley.

Spinach and Garbanzo Beans

Eureka! Quick, easy, delicious, comfort food. What more can you ask for? I have made this twice in the past week, and taken leftovers for lunch. Smoked paprika adds a warm, well -- smoky -- flavor. It is not your mother's paprika. The recipe is super flexible, so have your way with it. Leave out the bread, add more tomato sauce, do what you will.Let me know what you discover.

I love this as a main dish. Serve it with pita chips or a good, rustic bread with olive oil. It is also ideal for a tapas party dish. This recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen.


INGREDIENTS

• 4 T olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups good bread, crust removed, cut into 1/2 inch cube 
• 1/2 t cumin
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 T white wine vinegar (or red)
• 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained and rinsed
• 2/3 cup tomato sauce ( I had an open jar of "Hot Sicilian", a current favorite)
• 1 10 oz package pre-washed spinach
• smoked paprika to sprinkle on top, optional
• lemon juice to drizzle on top, optional

1. In a deep skillet, heat 2 T olive oil. Fry the bread cubes until they are golden (about 3-4 minutes) then add the remaining olive oil, garlic, cumin, and crushed red pepper.
2. Transfer to blender or food processor, add vinegar, and process to a coarse, crumbly paste.
3. Return to skillet. Add garbanzos and tomato sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are hot and thoroughly coated.
4. Add spinach to mixture in pan. Stir gently until spinach is just wilted (more if you prefer). 
5. Drizzle with lemon juice and add a dusting of smoke paprika, if you like.

Pizza!

When you live in a college town, pizza is what's for dinner, lunch, and frequently breakfast. It is the "free food" that lures students to attend meetings. It is the anti-anxiety agent at last minute cramming sessions. It is the foundation of many local entrepreneurial ventures, frequently founded by our own graduates who apparently absorbed the message that pizza is a product whose popularity is practically guaranteed. In Gainesville, we have our revered pizza traditions: Leonardo's where the staff is as exotic as the pizzas; Gumby's -- started by two UF students and now operating in 13 states;   Piza Vito, a real Italian style chain, also run by a UF graduate. There are at least a zillion pizza places here, and you never, ever hear of a single one going out of business. Hmmm...

So, you might wonder, why must I make my own pizza when I am surrounded by such pizza abundance? Why not just pick up the phone and make the call? Why dirty the dishes when you can just toss the empty box away? Here are some of my reasons, feel free to add your own:

1. Good pizza is really easy to make at home and it looks beautiful. It's a good creative outlet.
2. Pizza is the perfect vegetarian food - with all the possible toppings, no one ever misses meat.
3. I want that first hot, melty, goolicious bite on my plate and ready for my mouth within a short minute of it's liberation from the oven.

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg pizza dough
• 1 1/2 cups of homemade tomato sauce (or my current favorite in a jar: Hot Scicilian)
• 4-8 oz of fresh mozzarella, sliced (or use 4-8 oz of shredded mozzarella)
• 1/2 cup good parmesan or parmesan-reggiano
• baby spinach
• mushrooms
• kalamata olives
• sun dried tomatoes
• a few tablespoons Gorgonzola, crumbled
• anything else that sounds good to you
  

Preheat the oven to 450. If using a pizza stone, it should be in the oven while it preheats. You will need to transfer your shaped dough onto the hot stone. If you use a round metal pizza pan (with the holes), there is no need to preheat the pan.

I use a pizza dough from my local supermarket. That's what makes it easy. OK, I know what you're thinking..."She doesn't make her own dough!" Would you feel better if I said I had my local baker whip up a batch of their special pizza dough for our dinner tonight? These people are professional bakers and the dough if freshly made. Sometimes you can have your cake and eat it too. This lets me (and you) have a great meal without hours of preparation. You don't have to make everything from scratch, if someone else is willing to do some of the work for you. Impress your friends by learning to toss the dough.

Shape the pie into either a 12-14 inch circle (easy using the technique shown in the tossing video), or stretch and roll it into a rectangle. Try to keep the thickness even, leaving a raised ridge around the edges.

When I use a pizza stone, I like to bake the crust for about 5 minutes and then add the toppings. This is not necessary, but I like a super crispy crust. If using a pizza pan, I add the toppings to the uncooked pie crust.

Fill a large ladle with sauce. Starting in the center, swirl this gently from the center to the outer raised edge of the crust creating a spiral shape of sauce. (I learned this from watching Rocky in Flagler Beach. He makes a killer spinach pie.) You want enough sauce to provide a tomato-y embrace for your toppings, but not so much that your crust will be soggy. Err on the side of caution. Less is more.

Now arrange your toppings in an eye-catching arrangement. When I use a shredded cheese, I like to follow the Sicilian tradition of placing the cheese on top of the toppings. Do it your way. It's fun.

Bake the pie for about 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melting. Serve with a salad and a glass of chianti. Life doesn't get better than this. Buon appetito!

Greek Style Spinach Pie - Spanakopita

The first time I made this it took hours, mainly because there was such a big variation in the recipes I found. Apparently, Spinach Pie is one of those recipes that everyone makes their own way. Sort of like my Nanny Mary's lasagna...we all ate it growing up, and we all make it a little bit differently now, and we all claim it is the authentic recipe. (All refers to my four brothers and me.) There was also a lot of variation in quantities, and many were not clearly defined. This is my recipe which uses an ingredient list compiled from several other recipes. I cannot vouch for its authenticity, but I believe the spirit of the real thing is present here.

INGREDIENTS
2 10 oz bags pre-washed spinach
1 leek, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
6 Tbs pine nuts
1 1/2 cups parsley, chopped
6 Tbs dill, chopped
4 Tbs fresh mint, chopped
1 pkg fillo dough, defrosted as directed (I used one roll from a 2-pack)
1/4 cup melted butter
olive oil
kosher or sea salt
pepper
nutmeg, ground

ASSEMBLY AND BAKING

1. Thaw fillo dough as instructed on package.
2. Toast and chop pine nuts. (Toast in hot, ungreased skillet until just brown)
3. Chop washed and drained spinach, onions and herbs.
4. Heat 3-4 Tbs olive oil in large skillet.
5. Saute onions until softened.
6. Add spinach, stirring frequently. When spinach wilts it will release some liquid. When this starts to bubble, add parsley, dill, mint, pine nuts, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
7. Cook for about 10 minutes.
8. Transfer to colander and allow to drain for 2-3 hours.
9. Crumble feta and add to spinach mixture. Mix thoroughly.
10. Preheat oven to 350. Brush bottom of a 9x12 baking dish with olive oil.
11. Lay a sheet of fillo dough in the bottom of the pan.
12. Brush with melted butter.
13. Continue to add sheets of fillo, brushing all but the final sheet with butter. I used 11 sheets on the bottom.
14. Add spinach mixture on top of fillo. Spread evenly. Add remaining (about 11) fillo sheets on top of mixture, brushing with butter as before. Brush the very top sheet with olive oil.
15. Using a sharp knife, cut the top layer of fillo only into serving size pieces. This makes it much easier to cut later. Do not cut through the bottom layer of dough.  
16. Bake 30-40 minutes until golden.
17. Let stand at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving. This dish is meant to be served warm or at room temperature, rather than piping hot. 

COOKING TIPS

Fillo dough comes in two individually wrapped rolls per package. Set one out to thaw a few hours before assembling your pie. The other can go back in the freezer.

Onions should measure about 2 cups when chopped. Use your intuition.  Add or subtract as you wish. You can use any type of onion, but the combination of different flavors honors the complexity of this traditional dish.

Toast pine nuts in a dry skilled over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently. Don't overdo it. Take them off the heat the moment they start to turn golden. About 6-8 minutes. You'll know. Chop them or place them between wax paper and crush with a rolling pin.

Use prewashed spinach. It is ready to use and dry!

Chop all ingredients first and assembly is a snap.

Make certain filling is well drained. You don't want any extra liquid in this dish.

Warm Butternut Squash & Chickpea Salad

This wonderful recipe has been posted on many food blogs. Following the trail in reverse led me to Casa Moro, a London restaurant specializing in Moorish cuisine. Casa Moro also offers several cookbooks. You can believe they are on my list of books to acquire. Since I do not yet have the cookbooks, these measurements and instructions are adapted from  Smitten Kitchen where I first discovered the dish.

This warm salad has become a personal favorite because it combines some of my favorite ingredients. Lemon, garlic, and olive oil blend with tahini in a come-hither dressing, while the warm and substantial squash is lightened and brightened by cilantro. Everyone knows chickpeas and tahini go together. For me, it's a meal in itself.

FOR THE SALAD

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled, seeded and cut into 1 1/2" pieces.

1 medium garlic cloved, minced

1/2 tsp ground allspice

2 Tbs olive oil

Salt

1 15-oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

1/4 c red onion, chopped

1/4 c cilantro, chopped

FOR THE DRESSING

1 med clove garlic, minced
1/4 c lemon juice
pinch of salt
3 Tbs well-stirred tahini
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs water, plus more to taste

1 Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2 In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash, garlic, allspice, olive oil, and a few pinches of salt. Toss the squash pieces until evenly coated. Roast them on a baking sheet for 25 minutes, or until soft, but not squishy. Remove from the oven and cool.
3 Meanwhile, make the tahini dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Add the tahini, and whisk to blend. The tahini separates at first when added to the lemon - just keep whisking, it will smooth right out.  Add the water and olive oil, whisk well, and taste for seasoning. The dressing should have plenty of nutty tahini flavor, but also a little lemony tang. You will probably need to add more water to thin it out.
4 To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro or parsley in a mixing bowl. Either add the tahini dressing to taste, and toss carefully, or you could serve the salad with the dressing on the side. I hold out some red onion and cilantro to sprinkle on top after mixing. Serve immediately. Crunchy pita chips are a good accompaniment.

Make 4 servings.