Kale with Pan-fried Walnuts

Ingredients:

2-3 tbs olive oil

1/2 cup walnut pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped

Large bunch of kale

Preparation:

Tear kale into pieces and add to heavily-salted, boiling water and boil for 6 minutes.

Drain and set aside.

Fry walnuts in oil until golden brown and then add garlic til fragrant.

Add cooled kale and sautee til heated.

Spicy Garlic Tofu

From Epicurious

Ingredients:

1/4 c Scallions, chopped

Garlic, 2 cloves, roasted

1 tbs sesame oil

3 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

3 tbs soy sauce

pinch salt

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

soft tofu

Preparation:

Rinse tofu carefully and Cut in half (top and bottom) and place in large pan and cover with cold water; set pan to simmer of med heat while you prepare the sauce.

Roast garlic (wrap cloves in tin foil in 350 degree oven til soft and golden).

Toast sesame seeds til golden brown in hot skillet.

Mash roasted garlic with a pinch of salt and then mix with other ingredients.

Crush sesame seeds with a knife or spoon and stir into sauce.

Carefully remove tofu from water and set on paper towels to drain.

Plate and serve with sauce on top.

I served this with brown rice and Kale with Panfried Walnuts.

Easy Banana Muffins

makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

3-4 ripe, mashed bananas (can use as few as two)

1/2 c. sugar (original recipe calls for 1 whole cup but, yikes, that's sweet especially with chocolate chips! might have to play around with that to get perfect ratio)

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 egg beaten

1/4 c. melted butter

1/4 tsp salt

nuts and chocolate chips are optional (if you're the type of person who thinks nuts and chocolate chips are, in fact, optional...I'm not.)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix ingredients, divide in buttered or Pam-med muffin tin, bake until tops are golden brown, about 15 - 20 minutes.

Sirloin Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:
Sirloin, 1/2 inch strips
Cilantro, chopped
Garlic, minced
Tomatoes, chopped
5 Limes, juiced
2 Avocados
1 can White Beans, drained
Chipotle BBQ Sauce (your choice, whatever)
Onions, 1 chopped, 1 sliced into strips
Red Peppers, strips
Romaine Lettuce
Salt, to taste

Preparation:
Marinate your sirloin in the bbq sauce of your choice (Trader Joe's ahs one already marinated) and lime juice. While it marinates you can combine chopped onions, garlic, salt and lime juice in a bowl and let that sit while you puree your avocados and white beans in a food processor. Heat a skillet for your meat on high. Add the meat and cook till done, about 6 minutes. Remove the meat and let rest. Add sliced onions and red peppers to the pan's juices and cook till tender. Meanwhile, combine the avocado mixture with the onion and lime juice; add cilantro and tomatoes.

Wrap the meat and veg in lettuce wraps and serve your guacomle with sliced veggies or chips.

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad 2

Ingredients:
Red and Golden Beets
8 oz Goat Cheese
Dried Tarragon
Walnut pieces
EV Olive Oil
Watercress
Salt

Preparation:

Wrap beets in aluminum foil and roast. Chill overnight. (Maybe spend a Sunday afternoon roasting so they'll be good to go for Monday dinner.) Arrange your chilled, peeled, and chunked beets on a plate (the red ones stain!) and salt. Drizzle with olive oil; top with walnuts and washed watercress leaves. Serve with dollops of goat cheese mixed with dried tarragon.

Carrot Ginger Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:
1 Onion, chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Shallot, Chopped
1/4 cup Ginger, peeled and minced
3 Tbs Butter
2 Tbs Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 lb carrots, peeled and sliced
4 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced
8 cups Veg Stock

Preparation:
Saute onion, garlic, shallot and ginger in butter and oil until soft and aromatic. Deglaze with wine and cook for 5 minutes. Add carrots, stock and sweet potato, boil for 45 minutes. Puree. Serve cold or hot iwth a pinch of curry and a squeeze of lemon if you'd like. Yum!

Happy Anniversary!

Haha, it's been a year! I really like how this blog has worked out for me. It actually has become my own cookbook of tried and true, Andy-proof recipes. I have used the Shrimp Scampi recipe countless times; Andy begs for puttenesca; the balsamic glaze is still a favorite over fish and broccoli with lemon, yum.

Some of the recipes I've made exactly once since they are so time-consuming: Crusted Tuna and those delicious fishcakes.

I hope to add lots more successful (read: easy!) recipes in the months to come!