Corn and Spinach Toast (contains dairy)

This dish is one of my favorites to make for any meal! Simple, tasty, and quick to make.  The base of this recipe makes use of the Bechamel sauce, and combined with a few spice, makes for a great flavor. You can use slices of sourdough bread, or slices of fresh sweet french bread. If you would like to serve these as small appetizers, you can use small thin slices of the long french baguettes.

I've been making this recipe for as long as I can remember cooking. I believe my mom got the recipe from her cousin when we were young. The original recipe calls for only pepper and salt, but since then I've modified the dish and added fresh jalapeno, lemon juice, and ginger to make it more flavorful. My younger cousin has been bugging me for years to write down this recipe, so here it is!

My mom has made this recipe gluten-free for my brother by using corn starch instead of flour, and gluten-free bread. The consistency of the sauce is quite different because of the corn starch. I have yet to make this recipe gluten-free which is why I have not listed it under gluten-free meals. Hopefully I will try it out soon!

CORN & SPINACH TOAST: (contains dairy)

Ingredients:

(makes about 7-8 corn toasts) - serving size depends on what size bread you use

8 oz. frozen corn kernals (about 2 cups)
8 oz. frozen spinach, defrosted, water removed
1 1/2 T butter
2 T white flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 t lemon juice
1/2 t ginger, finely grated
1 T fresh jalapeno, finely grated (or more if you prefer spicier)
~1 t sugar
~1/2 t salt
pepper
8 slices sour dough bread, sandwich size OR slices French Bread
cheddar cheese, grated
hot sauce (cholula)

Directions:

1. Heat a medium non-stick pot to medium heat.
2. Add the butter and wait until it is melted. 
3. In the meantime, completely defrost the frozen corn and spinach in the microwave and set aside.
4. Add the flour and mix until all the butter is mixed in. You should have a paste like consistency. Cook the butter and flour for a few minutes while mixing continuously (the mixture should bubble slightly from cooking) until it is light brown.
5. Slowly add in the milk and mix continuously until all the flour/butter mixture is blended into the milk well. Try not to leave any butter/flour chunks. 
6. Turn the heat to medium/low and continue to mix. When you first start to notice the sauce thickening, add the grated ginger, grated jalapeno, and lemon juice. Continue to stir until the sauce has thickened (note: the thickness should be such that the sauce still pours off the spatula. 
7. Turn the heat to low and add salt, sugar, and pepper to taste.
8. Next mix in the defrosted corn and spinach. Be sure to drain ALL the water from the frozen spinach before adding. I usually squeeze the water out with a spoon or my hand. (if this is not done, the mixture will become runny).
9. In the end, you can adjust the amount of sugar/salt/pepper if needed. The mixture is ready.
10. Bake the slices of bread in the oven at 350 until toasted. If you put the slices of bread on a pan, be sure to flip the pieces half way so that both of the sides are toasted.
11. Spoon the hot mixture on each slice of bread! If you would like to add cheese (as I always do) top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake at 350 for another few minutes until the cheese has melted. Enjoy with your favorite hot sauce!
 

~ Anjali

Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/Garlic (gluten-free, vegan)

I would have never thought something as simple as brussels sprouts could taste so great! Just some simple seasoning combined with roasting and you have a great tasting appetizer. I recently went to a restaurant with a bunch of friends and ordered several appetizers. One of them was roasted brussels sprouts with their house hot sauce, and they were amazing! We thought they would be the dish that would go last, but they were devoured as fast as they were placed on the table!

I was inspired to start roasting some brussels sprouts myself at home. I plan on trying a few more versions of roasted brussels sprouts so keep checking for more recipes!

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS: (gluten-free, vegan)

Ingredients:

(makes about 4 servings)

about 25 brussels sprouts
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
dried thyme, or fresh thyme springs
salt
black pepper, freshly grounded if possible

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut and discard the brussel sprout stems. Peel any yellow leaves and cut the sprouts in half lengthwise.
3. Mix all the other ingredients with the brussel sprouts in a bowl. Toss well.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the brussel sprouts on the baking sheet so that there is a single layer present.
5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the brussel sprouts are browned. Half way through toss the sprouts so that they brown evenly on all sides.
6. Serve hot. (note: after roasting I realized I needed more salt...if this happens, feel free to sprinkle more salt on the roasted brussel sprouts while they are hot and toss before serving).

~ Anjali

Santa Fe Salad (gluten-free, vegan option)

One of my favorite salads...the Santa Fe Salad at the Cheesecake Factory (minus the chicken of course). I decided to try and replicate it for our holiday party this year. I found many different websites trying to replicate the salad dressing. The recipe from cdkitchen seemed to have all the ingredients I wanted to add except for the missing peanut flavor.

So I started off using this recipe and ended up adding peanut butter and a little more honey (perhaps because the limes I had were really sour?). I also fried some fresh corn tortilla strips to top the salad. The end result was pretty close to the original salad dressing and very tasty! Now I can make this salad at home anytime.

SANTA FE SALAD: (gluten-free, vegan option)

The amount of ingredients will depends on how many people you have and how much salad you tend on serving them. The important thing for me is that this is a good combination of flavors.

Ingredients:

romaine lettuce or mixed greens, slivered
corn kernels, frozen (defrosted) or fresh
black beans, canned and rinsed
tomatoes, chopped
red and/or green bell peppers, sliced and halved once
jack cheese, shredded (omit for vegan option)
freshly fried corn tortilla strips
avocado, diced (optional)

(makes 1 pint of dressing)

3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
1 T fresh ginger, minced
2 T cilantro, stems trimmed, rinsed well
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 1/2 t white wine vinegar
1/2 t cumin
3/4 t salt
1/2 t freshly grounded pepper
1 1/2 T honey (replace with agave nectar for vegan option)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated (omit for vegan option)
2-3 T peanut butter, smooth
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. To Make the Dressing. Add the cilantro, crushed garlic, minced ginger, spices, lime juice, vinegar, honey and parmesan cheese into a food processor or blender. 
2. Process until well mixed.
3. Add the peanut butter and process until mixed well.
4. While the motor is running, slowly pour the oil through the feed tube. Let it process for 1 more minute.
5. Note: if you find yourself looking for more of the peanut taste, feel free to add more peanut butter. Also, depending on how sour your limes are, feel free to add more/less honey (as mine were pretty sour).
6. To Make the Salad. Cut corn tortilla rounds into small strips and fry.
7. Toss all ingredients of the salad in a large bowl except for the jack cheese, avocado, and fried tortilla strips.
8. Top the salad with shredded jack cheese, avocado, and fried tortilla strips.
9. Toss with the dressing and enjoy!

~ Anjali

Fresh Jalapeno Poppers (gluten-free, contains dairy)

This years theme for our holiday party was Mexican Food! I've had the frozen jalapeno poppers from grocery stores many times, but wanted to try making fresh ones myself. I found this recipe online at Simply Recipes and decided to give it a try. The only change I made was to add some fresh crushed garlic, otherwise the recipe was perfect and very easy to make!

The jalapenos that we bought were really spicy. And even though I read that cream cheese is suppose to cool off the spice, we weren't sure if people would enjoy them. I made about 50 of them and they were gone within 5-10 minutes of taking them out of the oven. They were perfectly cooked, tasted great, and perfectly spiced. This is definitely one of my top 10 when it comes to appetizers or sides!

FRESH JALAPENO POPPERS: (gluten-free, contains dairy)

Ingredients:

(makes 24 poppers)

12 jalapeño peppers
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 cup cream cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt (adjust amount according to taste)
2 ounces jack cheese, cut into 2 1/2-inch long batons

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice the jalapenos in half lengthwise, de-seed, and scrape the inside of each half.  Be sure to try and leave part of the stem intact so that each half creates a "boat" to fill.
3. Mix together all the filling ingredients except for the jack cheese.
4. Stuff each of the pepper halves with the filling.
5. Push a strip of the jack cheese into the filling of each pepper halves.
6. Arrange the peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes.
7. The cheese should be bubbly and lightly browned. And the peppers should be cooked.
8. Serve hot.

(picture of the peppers prior to baking)

~ Anjali

Holiday Chocolate Cupcakes w/Dark Chocolate Ganache Glaze & Frosting (vegan cupcakes)

Out of request from several friends, I made these cupcakes again at our annual holiday party! They were delicious and rich as always. This time around I only made the recipe for the dark chocolate glaze and frosting. I made them festive by getting some holiday cupcake liners and toppings. Just can't seem to let a year go by without making these cupcakes!

Happy Holidays and Happy 2012!

Panini Sandwich w/ Portabello Mushrooms (contains dairy, gluten-free option)

I used to make this Panini Sandwich all the time, but haven't made it in over a year. I dug up the recipe because I made one of my favorite soups, Potato Leek, and wanted to make something else to go with it for lunch. What better than a panini and soup for lunch! It tasted as amazing as I remembered and it was really simple to make.

I'm not sure where I originally got this recipe from, but if you like roasted portabello mushrooms, grape tomatoes, and red onions, this sandwich is perfect.

Gluten-free note: I made this sandwich for my brother who has Celiac and used gluten-free bread instead of the sourdough. I made open faced sandwiches for him because he said they tasted better. Just grill one slice of bread on both sides with some butter, top it with the roasted veggies and cheese. Put it in the toaster oven on low broil or bake until the cheese melts!

PANINI SANDWICH w/PORTABELLO MUSHROOMS: (contains dairy, gluten-free option)

Ingredients:

(~5 sandwiches)

10 slices sourdough bread (for gluten-free: use gluten-free bread)
3 T olive oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes
2-3 T balsamic vinegar
3 large portabello mushrooms
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/4 cup provolone cheese
1 1/4 cup monterey jack cheese
salt/pepper
1 stick butter (optional)
5 thyme springs (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. De-stem, wash and dry the portabello mushrooms. Thinly slice the mushrooms lengthwise. Then slice the mushrooms in quarters in the opposite direction.
3. In a skillet, cook the onions with 2 T olive oil until the begin to soften. Season w/salt and pepper and transfer to a roasting dish.
4. In the same skillet, combine the tomatoes & balsamic vinegar. Cook until they soften. Transfer to the roasting dish with the onions.
5. In a bowl, toss the mushrooms w/ 1 T olive oil. Transfer to the roasting dish as well. 
6. Add salt, pepper, and white wine into the roasting dish and mix with all the other ingredients.
7. Bake 20-30 min. Remove from the oven, and cool.
8. (optional) In a saucepan, combine and cook the butter and thyme. Remove and discard the thyme.
9. Brush 1 side of the bread with the thyme butter (or regular butter). Top the other side with 1/4 cup provolone cheese, 1/4 cup monterey cheese, and mushroom mixture. 
10. Top with the other bread and brush the top with the thyme butter (or regular butter). 
11. Grill on a frying pan on both sides or in a panini press. Enjoy hot!

 ~ Anjali

Shiro (contains dairy)

For Diwali this year (Indian Festival of Lights holiday) I decided to try and make an Indian dessert. I've never been a huge fan of Indian desserts, but I remember enjoying my moms Shiro when I was young. So I gave her a call for the recipe and decided to give it a try.  I knew my husband would be happy since he loves most Indian desserts.

Shiro is basically roasted cream of wheat with sugar, milk, nuts/raisins, and a few spices. It ended up being extremely easy to make and my husband and I enjoyed it during dinner. So here is my first post on Indian desserts.

SHIRO: (contains dairy)

Ingredients:

(~6 servings)

1 cup cream of wheat
3 cups milk (2% or whole)
2 T clarified butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teasp. pinch ground cardomom (brown)
2 T sliced almonds
2 T golden raisins (optional)
pinch ground saffron (optional)

Directions:

1. Add the clarified butter in a large sauce pan on medium heat until melted. Add the raisins and cook for a few minutes. 
2. Add the cream of wheat and roast, stirring frequently with the butter, until it turns into a light brown color. Be careful not to burn the cream of wheat by letting it sit there.
3. Add the milk and sugar. Whisk to blend and make sure there are no lumps in the mixture. Stir continuously. The mixture should start to thicken and reduce. 
4. Keep stirring until the mixture is not liquidy anymore. Stir in the saffron, cardomom, and almonds. At this point, turn off the heat, cover with the lid slightly open, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. 
5. Stir and transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot. 

 ~ Anjali

Thai Rice Noodles (gluten-free, vegan)

Brown sugar, soy sauce, and corn starch...three of the most basic ingredients I use in many of my Thai dishes. Here is a simple yet tasty rice noodle dish with some veggies and basil. The best part of this recipe is that you don't need any special ingredients for the sauce.

I made this dish with my Garlic Pepper Tofu & some quinoa. Enjoy!

THAI RICE NOODLES w/VEGGIES: (gluten-free, vegan)

Ingredients:

(6-8 servings)

8 oz. rice noodles
1 small onion, halved, then thinly sliced at an angle towards the center
1 red bell pepper, medium cubes
1 green bell pepper, medium cubes
1 yellow squash, medium cubes
5-10 white button mushrooms, cut in quarters
5-8 broccoli florets, cut in half
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
vegetable oil
fresh basil, chopped

(sauce)

4 t vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce (gluten-free: San-J gluten-free soy sauce)
4 t corn starch
4-5 T brown sugar
1-2 t chilli sauce (Huy Fong Chili Sauce or Sriracha)
1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Cook rice noodles according to directions. Be sure not to over-cook the noodles.
2. Rinse noodles in cold water, add some vegetable oil to make sure they do not stick together and set aside when done in a strainer.
3. To Prepare Vegetables. Add a few teaspoons vegetable oil to a large deep non-stick skillet or wok. Heat on medium. Add garlic and onions. Fry till fragrant and onions are just translucent. Remove in a bowl and set aside.
4. Heat another few teaspoons on medium-high heat in the same wok and add the rest of the vegetables. Cook, mixing frequently to keep the vegetables from burning or sticking to the pan. Add some more vegetable oil if they start sticking to the wok. Saute the veggies until they are cooked, but not completely soft (in other words, they should still have a "crunch" to them).
5. To Prepare Sauce. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a measuring cup. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Feel free to add more chili sauce if you prefer more spice.
6. To Prepare Dish. Add the onions and rice noodles into the wok with the vegetables. Add the sauce and heat the dish on medium. Mix the noddles frequently. 
7. Cook until the sauce has thickened, reduced, and soaked into the noodles and veggies. Be sure not to cook too long otherwise the rice noodles will be over-cooked.
8. Feel free to add more brown sugar or soy sauce if you prefer depending on your taste. 
9. Top the dish with chopped fresh basil and enjoy! 

 ~ Anjali

Pasta Primavera (vegan option, gluten-free option)

We were craving Italian food for dinner one night, but I didn't have ingredients for the traditional sauces I usually make. I did however have a ton of veggies in the fridge and some Parmesan Cheese so i decided to grill the veggies and toss ingredients together with some olive oil and balsamic hoping I would get out something tasty. 

I realized after we were done with dinner that I basically made a version of Pasta Primavera, which at a restaurant, I would never think to order (mainly because I'm not a fan of how they cook the veggies and so it usually ends up being a bland dish for me). But the dish we ate was delicious...the sweetness of the veggies with the balsamic and olive oil tasted great. The next time I made this dish I wanted to write down the ingredients so I could share it on my blog...so here it is! Hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did!

Note: If you don't have all the veggies I listed below, you can omit some and I'm sure it'll still taste great! I pretty much chose them because that's what I had in my fridge and they all worked well together!

PASTA PRIMAVERA: (vegan option, gluten-free option)

Ingredients:

(4-6 servings)

10 oz. penne pasta (gluten-free: use gluten-free pasta)
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 yellow squash, finely chopped into cubes
7-8 asparagus spears, washed and cut into 4ths
1 small bunch broccoli, washed and cut into small florets
1 red bell pepper, cubed
1 green bell pepper, cubed
1 yellow bell pepper, cubed (optional)
2/3 cup Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (omit for vegan option)
1 T butter
olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
10-15 basil leaves, washed and chopped
1 T lemon juice
pine nuts (optional)
salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta al dente.
2. In a large non-stick skillet or pot, add some olive oil and butter and heat on medium-high heat.
3. Add garlic and fry for a few seconds until fragrant.
4. Add onions, squash, asparagus, broccoli, and red/green/yellow bell peppers. Make sure there is enough oil to coat all the vegetables. If needed, add more olive oil. 
5. Sprinkle some salt and pepper and pan grill the veggies on medium- high heat until they are cooked. Stir frequently to prevent burning or sticking. Also be sure NOT to overcook the veggies so that they are extremely soft. 
6. The resulting veggies should be cooked, yet slightly firm. 
7. After the veggies are cooked, turn the heat down to medium. Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes stirring frequently. 
8. Add the pasta to the veggies. 
9. Add the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and basil. Toss the pasta with Parmesan cheese and a hand-full of pine nuts. 
10. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
11. Serve hot. Enjoy!

~ Anjali

Strawberry, Goat Cheese, & Almond Salad (gluten-free, contains dairy)

 

Here is yet another one of my favorite spinach salad combinations - strawberries, goat cheese, and almonds. Sometimes I cut up a veggie burger pattie and add avocado to this salad to make it more filling. Avocados taste good with the pattie, but without the pattie, the avocado seems to make the salad a bit bland by taking away from the other flavors. Test it out and see what you prefer!

Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY, GOAT CHEESE, & ALMOND SALAD: (gluten-free, contains dairy)

The amount of ingredients will depends on how many people you have and how much salad you tend on serving them. The important thing for me is that this is a good combination of flavors. I only toss all these ingredients into one large salad bowl if I'm serving more than 4-6 people. If I'm serving less, I like to compose each salad bowl individually. 

Ingredients:

spinach leaves (or fresh spring mix), washed
almonds, sliced
goat cheese, crumbled
avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed (optional)

(dressing for about 3 individual salad bowls)

1 1/2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 teasp. white granulated sugar (adjust the amount of sugar according to your taste if needed)

Directions:

1. Divide the spinach leaves into the salad bowls/plates.Toss with strawberries.
2. Sprinkle with sliced almonds and goat cheese (and avocado if using).
3. Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and white sugar in a small bowl (the measurements given are for about 3 bowls of salad, so adjust amounts accordingly). Drizzle each plate with some of the dressing and serve.

~ Anjali