Vegan Lasagna

My friends in the area are mostly meateaters... but everybody was more than happy with this vegan lasagna! It served two purposes - it fit well with my partner's current nutritional plan, which requires LOTS of veggies, a fair amount of protein, but minimal dairy; and it satisfies my meateating friend with a dairy allergy. I sent leftovers home with everybody for the next day - and they were consumed by a few folks as a midnight snack instead, only a few hours after the first round. Now that's a rave review as far as I'm concerned! 

I've learned a few tricks over the years when experimenting with vegan food that make their way into this recipe. Not that I think that cooking vegan food requires "substitutes" - but lasagna is such a fabulous comfort food!!! First of all, cashew butter and silken tofu make a pretty amazing dairy substitute (in frostings too!!! I'll include a recipe soon). But you have to be careful with the cashew butter, which has a significant amount of saturated fat. Secondly, toasted sesame seeds and sliced almonds make a pretty decent substitute for parmesan toppings. I'm indebted to Chandra Moskowitz for the topping: as a Parmesan substitute, she recommends processing toasted sesame seeds and almonds in a food processor with salt and lemon zest - I'm inclined to use the milder flavor of lime juice instead.

Sauce 2 Tbs olive oil 4 garlic clove, minced 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped 2 can (28 oz) unsalted crushed tomatoes 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste 1 Tbs dried oregano 1/4 tsp thyme 2 Tbs pesto 1/2 tsp salt pepper to taste Tofu Filling 2 12-oz pkgs light silken tofu, firm 1/4 cup unsalted cashew butter (or 1/3 cup cashews ground in the food processor, with 1 t olive oil added) 1 Tbs lime juice

1/2 cup pesto 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes 1/2 tsp salt Vegetable Layer 2 Tbs olive oil 2 garlic clove, chopped 1 1/2 lbs baby braising greens, or a spinach / arugula blend 1/4 tsp salt pepper to taste Topping 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds 2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp lime juice 1 pkg no cook lasagna noodles (the flat kind)

1	Prepare the topping by processing all ingredients in a food processor. Toasting the sesame seeds and almonds isn't absolutely necessary, but it adds to the flavor.
2	Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with olive spray or canola spray.  Preheat oven to 350.
3	Prepare the red sauce (use a bottle of your favorite marinara or a roasted red pepper sauce if you need to save time). Heat the olive oil. Add onions and saute for ten minutes. Add the garlic and peppers, and saute for five minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for ten minutes.
4	Prepare the tofu mixture while the sauce is simmering. Combine all of the tofu mixture ingredients. Mix with a fork until well blended.
5	Prepare the greens. (Don't forget to turn off the marinara!) Saute the garlic for 1 minute in a wok or large saucepan. Add all greens and toss in the pan until wilted.
6	Spread 1/2 cup red sauce in the bottom of the pan.
7	Layer noodles on top of the red sauce. Follow with 1/2 of the tofu mixture, 1/2 of the greens, and 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Repeat. Top with a layer of noodles and remaining sauce, then sprinkle the topping over the top.
8	Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Store in the fridge for up to a day, or cook immediately. Bake for 45 minutes, or until noodles are soft when pricked with a fork or toothpick. Allow to rest ten minutes before serving.

Servings: 12

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/12 of a recipe (7.9 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.

Amount Per Serving Calories 365.41 Calories From Fat (43%) 156.75 % Daily Value Total Fat 18.12g 28% Saturated Fat 3.16g 16% Cholesterol 3.6mg 1% Sodium 527.97mg 22% Potassium 695.72mg 20% Total Carbohydrates 40.72g 14% Fiber 4.66g 19% Sugar 4.93g Protein 13.23g 26% Vitamin A 1992.07IU 40% Vitamin B12 0.06mcg 1% Vitamin B6 0.29mg 15% Vitamin C 37.63mg 63% Vitamin E 3.46mg 35% Vitamin K 78.01mcg 98%

Lighter, Quicker Vegetable Lasagna

Since we don't have a grill (someday we'll manage that!), we enjoy our outdoor summer meals on the back deck by preparing them in advance to reduce the time in the kitchen right before guests arrive.  The layering of lasagna means that for us, at least, it's always time consuming enough to make it a special treat.  But even as a special treat, I find most lasagna recipes ridiculously heavy!  This recipe satisfies even my pickiest acquaintance, a regular crusader against low fat products of any kind.  

To speed it up, the recipe calls for frozen veggies and no-cook noodles; you can speed it up even further by replacing the first five ingredients in the vegetable sauce with a jar of your favorite marinara.  

To lighten it even further, you can use non-fat ricotta and mozzarella, then spray each layer with olive oil.  However, you'll find that the nutritional profile here is quite balanced as-is, even for folks on special diets.

Ingredients

Cheese filling 1 12 oz pkg silken tofu 1 1/2 cup low fat ricotta 3 Tbsp pesto 1 clove garlic 1/2 tsp salt pepper 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese (or Italian 4 cheese blend) 1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan Vegetable sauce 3 Tbs olive oil 2 med onions, chopped 2-5 garlic cloves, minced (depending on taste!)

1 can (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste 1 zucchini, cut in 1/2" slices 3/4 cups diced celery (frozen is fine) 1 1/2 cups diced carrots (frozen is fine) 1/4 cup cooking wine or dry wine 1 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts 4 bay leaves 3 Tbsp pesto 2 tsp dried oregano 1 pinch thyme 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste) pepper to taste 1 package no cook lasagna noodles

Procedure 1	Spray bottom of 9x13 pan with spray canola oil or olive oil.
2	Preheat oven to 350.
3	Heat oil in saucepan (use a nonreactive saucepan). Saute onions for five minutes. Add garlic and zucchini; saute for another ten minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, celery, bay leaves, and wine. Simmer for 10 minutes, until carrots are softened. Remove bay leaves. Stir in pesto, oregano, and thyme. If using a jar marinara instead, mix all the ingredients at once and saute for about 10-15 minutes until carrots are softened; keep an eye on it and add some water if it gets to thick for your taste.
4	(To save time, do this while sauce is simmering!) Add tofu, ricotta cheese, pesto, and garlic to a bowl. Combine with a fork until well blended. Add half of the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and stir until spices are evenly distributed.
5	Spread 1 cup of tomato vegetable sauce on bottom of 9x13 pan. Spread a single layer of raw lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread on half of cheese mixture and sprinkle with 1/4 each of remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat layers of tomato sauce, noodles, cheese mix, and grated cheeses. Spread the artichoke hearts over this layer. Add a final layer of noodles, remaining tomato sauce, and cheese.
6	Cover tightly with aluminum foil. At this point you can store the lasagna in the fridge overnight if you prefer. If stored for over four hours, bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and brown for ten. If stored for less time, bake for 45 minutes or until noodles are soft when poked with a toothpick, then remove foil and brown for ten. Lasagna should always rest 10 minutes before serving.

Servings: 12

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/12 of a recipe (10.5 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.

Amount Per Serving Calories 355 Calories From Fat (31%) 107 % Daily Value Total Fat 12g 19% Saturated Fat 4g 20% Cholesterol 18mg 6% Sodium 620mg 26% Potassium 755mg 22% Total Carbohydrates 47g 16% Fiber 6g 24% Sugar 4g Protein 16g 32% Vitamin A 3733IU 75% Vitamin B12 0.23mcg 4% Vitamin B6 0.34mg 17% Vitamin C 19.44mg 32% Vitamin E 1.33mg 13% Vitamin K 10.99mcg 14%

Black Mole Chili

During those dark January days, a spicy, smoky chili containing cocoa makes a great mood booster. Don't be fooled by the long list of ingredients- this is the fast and easy version, making use of frozen veggies and canned beans. You can also complete steps one and two in the morning or the night before, then put the pot in the fridge to let the flavors blend before heating it up for dinner.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic
2 22 oz cans diced tomatoes, low sodium, including juice
1/2 cup water
1 cube veggie bouillon
3 bay leaves
2 16 oz cans black beans, rinsed
1 10 oz pkg frozen butternut squash
3 ancho (chipotle) chilis in adobo sauce (canned), diced or pureed
2 tbsp cinnamom
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tbsp coriander
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tbsp epazote
3 tbsp chocolate chips
2 tbsp peanut butter
Salt and pepper

Procedure

1. Saute onion in olive oi in large pot until translucent. Add garlic and cumin seeds, saute 2 additional minutes.

2. Add all remaining ingredients except chocolate chips and peanut butter.

3. Bring to gentle simmer and allow to simmer for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally and adding additional water if necessary. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Stir in chocolate chips and peanut butter.

5. Serve with whole wheat or corn tortillas, or with cornbread.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Easy Ethiopian Lentil Stew

An easy, fragrant stew; allow yourself 1 1/2 hours to prepare, but most of this will be waiting time.  You can cut the cooking time by replacing the water and dried lentils with a can of cooked lentils in a pinch; just delete step 3 and add after the carrots and potatoes are finished.

In the absence of berbere, and if you don't have time to mix up your own, try substituting your favorite curry - the taste will be different, but also delicious!

Ingredients

1 Tbsp  canola oil
2  red onions, chopped
3  garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp  berbere spice mix 
1 cup water
2 veggie bouillon cubes, low salt
1  cup  dried small red lentils, rinsed
1 20 oz can diced tomatoes
2 medium carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1 potato, cubed into 1/2 inch cubes
salt to taste
1/4  cup  finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional) for garnish

Preparation

1.  In a medium pot, heat oil. Reduce to medium low heat, then add diced onion. Saute for about six minutes, until beginning to get transluscent (not brown), then add garlic.  Continue to saute for four more minutes.  Add berbere. Mix and allow spice to heat through until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes.

2.  Add water, bouillon, tomatoes, and lentils. Simmer for 30 minutes.

3.  Add carrots, potatoes, and salt.  Cook until all are soft, about another 20 minutes.  Taste and add more berbere, salt, or cayenne pepper if desired.

4.  Serve with flatbread or basmati rice, and garnish with the fresh cilantro if desired.

Tagine of Chickpeas, Autumn Vegetables and Apricots in Slow Cooker

It's a beautiful fall day, and at 6 this morning I found myself cleaning out the fridge of a number of lovely root vegetables I'd purchased at the farmer's market and trying to figure out what to do with them.  

Really, you could make this with any root vegetables, so long as you end up with approximately 6 cups or so.  You can also replace the spices with 2 - 3 Tbsp of your favorite Ras el Hanout blend.  And, of course, you can also make this in a regular pot to speed up the cooking time.

Slow Cooker tip for my high altitude readers:  For high altitude cooking, add an additional 30 minutes for each hour of time specified in the recipe. Legumes take about twice as long at 10,000 feet as they would at sea level.

4 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil 2 large onion, coarsely chopped 3 garlic cloves, pressed 4 tsp cumin seed 3 tsp turmeric 1 pinch saffron 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes 6 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth 1/2 tsp salt 1 (20-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 20 dried apricots ; 2 tsp cinnamon

1	Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add onion; sauté until it begins to be translucent, 3-6 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 3 minutes.
2	Transfer onion mixture to a slow cooker,
3	Add cumin seeds to same saute pan. Shake to evenly distribute. Roast on low until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup water and add to slow cooker.
4	Add tomatoes, vegetable broth, remaining spices, and salt. Cover and cook on low for 1/2 hour.
5	In the meantime, chop the butternut squash and turnip. Add to slow cooker. Cook on low for approximately 4 hours.
6	Add the apricots, cinnamon, and garbanzo beans; cook on low for an additional hour.
7	Serve over couscous.

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/8 of a recipe (10.3 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving Calories 207.4 Calories From Fat (40%) 83.61 % Daily Value Total Fat 9.43g 15% Saturated Fat 2.21g 11% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 579.33mg 24% Potassium 563.52mg 16% Total Carbohydrates 27.12g 9% Fiber 5.71g 23% Sugar 6.51g Protein 5.95g 12% Vitamin A 2966.42IU 59% Vitamin B12 0mcg 0% Vitamin B6 0.52mg 26% Vitamin C 29.4mg 49% Vitamin E 2.14mg 21% Vitamin K 8.47mcg 11%

Chard Lasagna

This dish made for a perfect meal for a semester-end gathering with my graduate students - you can prepare the day before and refrigerate; serve with a simple salad.  Preparing this dish, I thought of two inspirations in my life.  Sara, an energetic teacher, researcher, and activist regularly opens her home to her students for evenings of wine, food, and stimulating conversation, feeding the body and mind.  Julie integrated hope, good food, and a sort of radical acceptance into her classroom, and always reminded me of the importance of care for self and others in any intellectual life.  Both teach me much about imagining a different future.


As I was preparing this for my own students, I was not yet aware that Julie died last week. There is much to celebrate about the life of this remarkable woman...


serves 10-12

1 1/2 pkgs flat lasagna noodles (the kind you don't have to cook - I did this with whole wheat noodles and it worked splendidly)

1/2 onion

3 cloves garlic

olive oil for sauteing 

1 28 oz + 1 12 oz can diced tomatoes (fire roasted if you can get them)

30 oz container low fat or fat free ricotta cheese
2 bunches chard
2 eggs
1 small bunch fresh basil
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup shredded cheese (Parmesan/Provolone/Mozzarella blend is perfect)
salt and pepper

Begin by dicing the onion and mashing or pressing the garlic.  Start to work on sauteing the onion in a large saute pan.  Allow to saute until translucent.

In the meantime, chop your chard and set aside in a large bowl.

Chop your basil and set aside.

By now your onions are probably translucent; reduce heat and add the garlic, allow to saute for another 3-4 minutes, until garlic just begins to brown.  

Add 1/2 of the onion/garlic mixture to the chard.  Add the tomatoes to the onions and garlic in the pan, with juice, and allow to simmer until somewhat thick.

Mix the ricotta cheese, half of the basil, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste into the chard.  Form a well in the middle and add the eggs; beat them lightly with a fork before mixing well into the whole mixture.

Check on your sauce.  When it is somewhat thickened, remove from heat and add the remainder of the basil.

In a 9 1/2 x 13 pan, spray the bottom and sides with olive oil.  Spread a few tablespoons of sauce on the bottom, followed by a layer of noodles (should take about 5 to cover).  Follow with 1/3 of the cheese/chard mixture, a 1/4 cup sauce, and another layer of noodles.  Repeat two more times. Pour the remaining sauce over the top, and top with the shredded cheese and foil.  Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, remove the foil, and bake another fifteen minutes, until the top is brown.

Yum!

Spaghettini with Greens, Lemon and Olive Oil

6 oz whole wheat spaghettini
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups chopped greens (I used kale)
3 cloves minced or crushed garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup chopped parsley or 3 tsp. dried herbs (I suggest basil and sage or thyme)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to directions.  In the meantime heat two tablespoons of olive oil.  Saute the greens for five minutes, then push to the side and add the garlic.  Saute garlic until golden, mix thoroughly with the kale.

Add pasta and remaining ingredients, and toss well.

Gourmet Cowboy Cooking III : Cowboy Mac & Cheese

Mmm, I was saving my favorite camp food for an evening after a nice long hike - this time, ten miles on the Chinle Trail at Zion National Park.  We arrive back to the campground exhausted and starving, but full of memories of amazing views of canyons and rock formations.

Serves 4

1 package of your favorite mac n cheese
1 small can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can tuna, drained
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 10 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
Optional: 3/4 cup shredded cheese

Make the mac n cheese according to the directions.  Mix in all of the remaining ingredients, and 1/2 of the cheese, if using.  Garnish with remaining cheese and serve!

Gourmet Cowboy Cooking: Rice and Beans

We're off to the canyons of Utah for a much needed vacation!  Our first few days will involve tent camping in Zion National Park where the only amenity is running water (for us a great luxury, as we often are camping in much more primitive spots in national forests, though we rarely do true backcountry camping).  Since we are often camping and hiking in desert areas with fire restrictions, I always plan to I cook with a two burner propane stove, good ole' Coleman.  It turns out there are actually cafes/restaurants/shops nearby, but we've gotten in the habit of bringing everything and enjoying our evenings outdoors.  We continue the tradition!

This recipe is so easy that I find myself with plenty of time to snap photos while the rice is cooking.

serves four

1 cup brown rice or jasmine brown rice
water
veggie bouillon cube
__
small onion
Cuban pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil
__
medium can diced tomatoes - hint, try adobo seasoned fire roasted tomatoes (don't drain)
can black beans , drained
1-2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 2 cups baby spinach (I always bring along a bag and use it up in the first two days with whatever I cook)
Optional: shredded cheese


Cook rice according to package directions, adding the bouillon cube. Optional step: In the meantime, chop and saute pepper and onion; if you aren't in the mood to saute, just set aside and add them raw - this is cowboy cooking! When rice is almost finished, stir in can tomatoes (don't drain). Cook for last five minutes. Stir in spinach if using. Stir in peppers, onions, beans, curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste.

If your cooler is so equipped and you are a dairy eater, garnish with a tablespoon or two of shredded cheese.

Voila! If you are cooking for two, and car camping where it will be cool at night, park the pan in the car and use the leftovers for a fabulous breakfast burrito filling!

Coconut Couscous with Greens

A quick and easy Monday night dinner... It seriously took me no more than 15 minutes!

Serves 2 

1 bunch greens (I used collard greens tonight)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sesame oil
1 cup couscous or couscous/lentil mix (Israeli coucous works especially well; I use a mix that I buy at Trader Joes)
1/4 cup light coconut milk
1 tsp. curry powder
salt to taste

Cook the couscous according to package directions, adding the curry powder after turning off the heat.  Remove the stems from the greens, chop and saute in the oil until wilted. Add couscous and coconut milk to greens and stir.  Add salt to taste.

I served with a veggie burger - but take it easy on the salt in the couscous mixture if you do, as veggie burgers tend to be fairly salt laden. Alternatively, toss in a package of diced seasoned baked tofu to make a one pot meal.

Healthy Baked Penne with Eggplant and Tomato

Wow, a rough week.  Oops, and I forgot about you, poor little eggplant, left lonely from last week.  So I slice and salt while waiting for inspiration... what to make?  You roma tomatoes lying on the counter from Monday's Door to Door Organics delivery look deliciously ripe, and the remaining parsley standing in the glass by the kitchen sink also needs to be eaten.  Ok, how about this.

Serves four.

1 medium eggplant
2 large Roma tomatoes (or 4 small)
olive oil spray
1 1/2 cups milk
6 oz. whole wheat penne
4 T canola oil
3 T flour
dash of nutmeg, or two
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup parmesan
4 T chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 375.  Slice and salt the eggplant, then set aside to allow the bitter juices to soak out of the eggplant.  In the meantime, slice the tomatoes.  Pour the milk and set on the stove to warm.  Begin heating the water for the pasta. Coat a large cookie sheet with olive oil spray. Rinse the eggplant slices, pat dry with a towel, and place on the cookie sheet. Spray the top with olive oil spray, and salt and pepper lightly.  Bake in the oven for about ten minutes, until just beginning to brown.

Cook the pasta according to directions.

Heat the canola oil for a few minutes on medium high.  Add the flour and whisk together.  Allow to brown for a minute, then begin slowly adding the milk, whisking all the while.  When sauce begins to thicken, remove from the burner.  Add nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste.

Spread 1/2 of the pasta in a baking dish.  Layer eggplant and tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle with 1/2 the parsley.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese.  Repeat.  Pour the sauce over everything. Pop in the oven or toaster oven to bake for about 1/2 hour, until lightly browned on top.

Chilean Empanadas - Empanadas de Pino

My partner, J's stories of childhood dishes have become a fun inspiration for many new kitchen experiments.  However, they weren't the beginning of my empanada journey.


My Porteña friend L. had introduced me to empanadas many years ago, when I reaped the benefits of her homesickness by enjoying an amazing (decadently carb heavy) meal of freshly made flaky pastries filled with cheese, followed by the lightest, most delicious, homemade gnocchi I've ever tasted. On a trip to Argentina in 2005 empanadas of the fast food variety, sold by every pizzeria, provided deliciously naughty vegetarian food - but nothing like the homemade delicacies to which I'd first been introduced.  My Puerto Rican friend E., to my delight, also took care to introduce me to vegetarian versions of Puerto Rican empanadillas.


For his birthday, though, J. wanted Chilean empanadas, specifically, empanadas de pino, which use a classic Chilean combination of minced meat, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and raisins.  At the same time, he was quite convinced I couldn't make them, and really didn't want me to try. He had thus set an irresistible challenge! I secretly wished I could have met his mother, with whom I am sure I would have enjoyed many hours of learning in the kitchen, but sadly this was not to be.


So, combing recipes online, I constructed these empanadas, adapted slightly to lower fat and sodium content.  They proved a success - even by J.'s high standards!

Vegetarians: I have made vegetarian versions using a mixture of fresh baby spinach and soy crumbles  - just saute together until greens are wilted, then drain.

DOUGH

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp coarse salt

8 Tbs non hydrogenated margarine or butter

2 egg yolks

2 Tbs apple vinegar

9 Tbs cold water

FILLING

1 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp spanish paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne

2 Tbs non-hydrogenated margarine or butter

2 medium onions -- chopped fine

1/2 lb extra lean ground beef

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp coarse salt

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup vegetable bouillon

3 Tbs golden raisins

8 kalamata olives -- chopped

1 hard-boiled egg -- chopped

BRUSH ON TOP

2 Tbs cold water

3 egg whites

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the butter, egg yolks, and vinegar and mix quickly and thoroughly with fork. Add 5 tablespoons of the water and continue mixing, adding just enough of the remaining water, a little at a time, to make a firm dough. Refrigerate until ready to use.

2. For the filling, heat the margarine or butter in a saute pan. Saute onion slowly until carmelized, about 10 minutes. Add the beef, oregano, salt, and bay leaf and stock and continue cooking until the stock has almost -- but not quite -- evaporated. Mix in the raisins and olives. Remove from the heat and let cool. Stir in the chopped hard-boiled egg.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces.  Roll each into a circle about 5-inches in diameter. Place a heaping tablespoon of the meat filling about 1/2-inch from the edge of each circle. Brush the border of the circle with juices from the filling or with water. Form a trapezoid by folding the bottom up, then the sides in, then the top down. Prick the top of each empanada once or twice with the tines of the fork. Repeat until all empanadas are assembled.

4. Beat the egg white with the water. Spread parchment paper on a baking sheet. Arrange the empanadas on top and brush with egg white mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden. Serve hot.

Servings: 8

Salmon Cakes

A slow Saturday morning on the day of the earthquake in Chile. My partner is waiting to hear word from his family, and sits glued to the tv with remote, cell, land phone, and computer arranged before him, hoping that somehow word from his brother and their family can get through soon. It has been nearly 15 hours, and soon the first waves will hit Hawaii... Seeing that he needs to be alone in his restlessness, I withdraw to the kitchen. This has a long tradition in my family, cooking for comfort, cooking to show our love.

2 egg whites
1 can salmon
1 tsp dill
3 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
3/4 cup crushed crackers
2 T canola oil

Beat the whites lightly with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and flake together with the fork. Heat nonstick pan with oil until sizzlng. Form five patties and fry for about 6 minutes on each side.

I served over baby spinach, garnished with sliced almonds and drizzled with Annie's Naturals Gingerly Vinaigrette.

Red Green Pizza

Monday we get our Door to Door Organics delivery. While unpacking the fresh box with great anticipation, I find myself also needing to use up the last veggies from the week before. Particularly challenging, given my long Mondays and fuzzy brain.


Once upon a time I'd made a habit of making "garbage pizza" out of whatever leftovers were floating around the fridge. Last night I revived my lost tradition. This latest incarnation, emerging from a particularly challenging set of ingredients, proved delicious! Really, can there be any better start to the week than the particular set of smells accompanying a fresh pizza: baking dough, crisping cheese, sauteeing greens...

Ingredients:
Prepared pizza dough (1 lb)
1 T oregano
Pepper to taste
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped small
1 cup chopped red chard or other greens
3 T pesto
1/3 cup pizza sauce
1 3/4 cup shredded cheese (I use an asiago/mozzarella/fontina mix)


Spray cookie sheet with olive oil. Spread prepared pizza dough and sprinkle with oregano and freshly ground pepper. Allow to rest for 15 minutes while preheating the oven to 425.

While dough is resting, steam or saute 1 cup broccoli for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of chopped greens (I used red chard) and saute another few minutes, until wilted.

Pierce crust evenly with fork and prebake for 10-15 minutes - until baked, but not brown.

Mix 3 T pesto with 1/4 cup pizza sauce.

Sprinkle pizza crust with a few Tbs of a mixture of shredded cheese. Then spread the pesto/sauce mixture thinly over the top. Spread chard and broccoli mixture over the top of that, then sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese mixture. Bake until bubbly and cheese just begins to brown, about 15 minutes.