Sandy!

Over the past few years, I have gotten very into Mixology, the art of mixing cocktails. So, since I have been terrible about posting, I decided to add cocktail recipes to my blog, cause they're short and simple and ta e very little time to post on. Now, Matt and I, like much of the east coast, were confined to our apartment this evening due to hurricane Sandy, so I figured I would share our "Sandy" menu. Hope you enjoy!

Simple Pasta Bake
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 zucchini, cut into half rounds
1 lb pasta (i used Barilla's vegetable pasta, the squash and carrot variety)
1 jar pasta sauce
1/3 cup skim ricotta
Handful of fresh basil, chopped
Enough very thinly sliced fresh mozzarella to cover the pasta

Preheat the oven to 375. Boil water for the pasta. Then add the pasta to the water once it is boiling. Meanwhile, saute the broccoli and zucchini over very high heat until just tender and brown around the edges. Stir in the ricotta , pasta sauce, basil, pasta, and a 1/4 cup of the starchy cooking water. Pour mixture into a baking dish and cover with the mozzarella. Bake for 25 minutes.


"The Sandy" (a cocktail I invented this evening, so I named it for the event that caused us to be stuck at home)
1 tsp apricot preserves
2 oz. gin
1 oz. St. Germain
juice of half a lemon
juice of 1/4 of an orange
2-4 dashes Angostura bitters

Put your cocktail glass in the freezer. Use a vegetable peeler to peel a large part of the lemon peel off. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and stir thoroughly (don't shake, you don't want to bruise the gin). Squeeze the lemon peel into the cocktail glass and drop it into the glass. Pour the contents of the shaker over the lemon peel. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake...IN A MUG!!
I'm all about the 'from scratch' dessert. Not only does it usually taste better (with the exception of my pumpkin souffle cake (for a later post)), but you also know exactly what is in it. Well, with this gem, you know exactly what you are consuming, and it takes under 10 minutes, start to finish. LITERALLY! START TO FINISH!!! Just give it a try. Trust me.

4 Tbls Whole Wheat Flour
3 1/2 Tbls Sugar
2 Tbls Pure Cocoa Powder
1 small or medium egg (or 2 Tbls egg from a container)
3 Tbls milk
2 Tbls canola oil
1 splash vanilla extract
2 Tbls chocolate chips
2 Tbls chopped walnuts or pecans
Cooking spray

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Spray inside of mug with cooking spray, pour in ingredients, and microwave on high for 3 mins 15 secs.

This menu is amazing. May not be the most nutritious, but it is wonderful for a night in. Enjoy!

Garlic Lemon Parmesan Pasta with Asparagus

I was inspired to make this from a Lemon Parm Garlic Pasta recipe I saw on Pinterest, but this is my own version...which is actually not very similar to the original. But it was very tasty!


Garlic Lemon Parmesan Pasta with Asparagus

1/2 lb whole wheat pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Salt, pepper and crushed red chili flakes
1 lb asparagus, trimmed, and cut into bite-size pieces
Juice and zest of half a lemon
1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (optional)
Splash of starchy cooking liquid
2 tbls chopped parsley or basil
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan


Put the pasta on to boil. Heat the olive oil to medium, add the garlic, and saute until the garlic begins to soften, about a minute. Add the asparagus, salt, pepper and red chili flake, and saute until the asparagus is just tender and beginning to brown, about 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir in, then add the bread crumbs (if you want them) and continue to cook until the breadcrumbs are toasted. Add the pasta with some of the cooking liquid, then sprinkle the parsley or basil and the parmesan evenly coating the pasta. Serve, making sure to get all the good asparagus, and enjoy!

Veggie Sausage Pasta

This is one of my favorite pasta dishes. But with my recent health problems, I decided to become vegetarian, and have not been able to find a suitable substitute for the sausage...until now. Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo is absolutely delicious and very reasonably priced. Try it! Even if you aren't vegetarian, you'll LOVE it. And I get to enjoy one of my FAVORITE dishes again :D

Veggie Sausage Pasta 

1/2 lb of spaghetti (again, quinoa is my favorite)
2 hot Italian sausages (or 1/3 package of Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo)
2 small zucchinis, julienned lengthwise (to mimic spaghetti)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup tomato paste

Handful of chopped fresh basil

Put a pot of water on to boil, for the pasta. Cook until al dente, but reserve some of the starchy pasta water. Preheat a skillet to medium, remove from the casings, and brown the sausage. Remove to a towel-lined dish. Get rid of most of the oil in the pan and sautee the onion and bell pepper until just becoming tender. Add the garlic and zucchini and cook until the zucchini is tender. Add the sausage back into the pan. Deglaze with the wine, then add the tomato paste, mix it in, and add some of the reserved starchy cooking water. Cook another 2 minutes, add the basil, and serve with grated parmesan.

Happy Eating!

Spaghetti with Portabellas, Peas, and Prosciutto

I just realized that I never posted this recipe! I made it for my aunt one night when she came over for dinner, and she absolutely LOVED it, so I have dedicated it to her. Its very tasty, and pretty light. 

Spaghetti with Portabellas, Peas, and Prosciutto

1/2 lb of spaghetti (again, quinoa is my favorite)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 small package chopped prosciutto
1/2 lb frozen peas, defrosted
2 portabello mushroom caps, finely chopped
A large handful of parsley or basil, chopped

Put a pot of water on to boil, for the pasta. Cook until al dente, but reserve some of the starchy pasta water. Preheat a skillet to medium, and add the prosciutto. Once it is browned and crispy, add the onion, garlic and portabello mushrooms, and cook until softened and starting to brown. Deglaze the pan with the wine, allow to reduce slightly, then add the peas and mash slightly. Season with salt and pepper, and add the fresh herbs. Serve with some freshly grated parmesan.

Happy Eating!

(Vegan) Enchiladas

I know, I know, where have i BEEN? Well...having two jobs and applying to grad school on top of all that comes with the holiday season has been taking up some of my time. My postings will probably continue to be sparse, but I intend to try to post at least every couple weeks. In any case, I am trying out vegan recipes to prepare for my trip to Denmark in May, where I will probably be cooking at least a few meals for my boyfriend's lovely family. So here is test one--definitely a winner!

(Vegan) Enchiladas

2 heads of broccoli, florets only, cut into bite size pieces

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 poblano pepper, charred, skin removed, and chopped

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can tomatoes with green chiles

1 1/2 tsps cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbls cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of half a lime

Salt and pepper

3/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (I used vegan daiya cheese, pepper jack flavor)

10 corn tortillas

1 cup green chili salsa

In a large skillet over high heat, lightly brown the broccoli florets with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and half of the cumin, a couple minutes. Remove to a mixing bowl. In the large skillet, add the onion, bell pepper, some olive oil, salt and pepper, and the remaining spices. Add the onion mixture to the bowl, along with the poblano pepper, beans, tomatoes with liquid, cilantro, lime juice, and half the cheese and mix well. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Hold a tortilla in one hand and stuff liberally with the filling. Wrap it and place it in a greased baking dish seam-side down. Repeat 9 more times. Coat with the salsa, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for half an hour or until the sauce is bubbling and the tortillas are brown.

Happy eating!