Greek Chop Salad

3 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 c. Leeks, sliced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
4 c. shredded Brussel Sprouts (you can use a food processor for this)

1 15oz. can Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. Green Beans, **blanched and chopped
1/4 c. Sun Dried Tomatoes (if in oil, reduce amount used with leeks)
1/3 c. Broccoli Sprouts
2 tbsp. Dried Cranberries
2 tbsp. chopped or sliced Almonds (I used raw, unsalted almonds)
1/4 c. Parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Saute'  leeks for 5 minutes until soft.  Add in garlic and cook another 30 seconds.  Toss in shredded brussel sprouts along with balsamic vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let cool.

While brussel sprouts are cooling, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss with brussel sprout mixture.

**To blanch green beans,  add them to a pot filled with boiling water and cook until tender, 4-5 minutes.  Remove from boiling water and immediately transfer to a separate bowl filled with ice water to cool (this stops the cooking process and allows the beans to retain their vibrant green color).  Drain and chop.

Cocktail Thief

Las Perlas, I love you so much, I couldn't help but stalk you and try to recreate a cocktail that I was apprehensive about trying at first, but later fell in love with after it was offered to me for free (how could I turn down a free drink?). It's the perfect balance of tangy, sweet, spicy and smokey. Sounds like a lot to taste all at once, but trust me... It's alllll there.

2 oz. Mezcal Tequila
1 oz. Lime Juice
1/4 oz. Agave
1 tsp. Balsamic Syrup
3 dashes Rhubarb Bitters
1 Strawberry
1 Dried Chile

Break open the chile and pour the seeds into a cocktail shaker along with the remainder of the chile, strawberry and agave. Muddle. Add remaining ingredients and shake. Strain and pour over a lowball glass filled with ice. Have an orgasm.

Tahini Yogurt Sauce/Dressing

1/2 c. Plain Soy Yogurt

4 tbsp. Tahini

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Cumin

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well mixed.

Mexicado Salad

2 Avocados, cubed
1/3 c. Cactus, diced
1/3 c. Roasted Corn (I used Trader Joe's frozen brand, defrosted)
1/2 c. Heirloom Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 Green Onions, chopped
1 Jalapeño, diced (if you want it spicier, add some of the jalapeño seeds)
1 clove Garlic, pressed
1/4 c. Cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1/2 Lime
Zest of 1 Lime
1 tsp. Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Eat as is or toss with some fresh, crunchy romaine leaves for a more "salady" salad.

Lemon Rosemary Tempeh

8 oz. Tempeh
1/4 c. Soy Sauce
1/4 c. Vegetable Broth
1/4 c. Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp. Dried Rosemary
1 tsp. Dried Basil
1/2 tsp. Dried Thyme
2 cloves Garlic, pressed or minced
zest of 1 Lemon
juice of 1/2 Lemon

Cut tempeh into triangles (or desired shape) and steam for 5 minutes (this softens it's grainy texture and allows it to absorb the marinade more easily). While it steams, combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Add steamed tempeh to the marinade and let sit at least 2 and up to 8 hours, flipping half way between marinating time. The longer you let it sit, the more flavorful it will be.

Broil for 7-10 minutes on each side.

Serve atop a slice of toasted baguette and some dijon mustard as a large tartine.

Balsamic Mushrooms

1 tbsp.  Olive Oil
1 Leek, sliced
8  oz. whole Cremini Mushrooms
1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 cloves Garlic
3 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Salt

Heat olive oil in a skillet.  Add in leek and saute for 3 minutes.  Add in garlic and red pepper flakes, cook another minute.  Add mushrooms and balsamic vinegar.  Cook another 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.  Season with salt and pepper.

Panda Express Style Eggplant and Tofu

All the goodness of Panda Express without all the processed, MSG laden, sugar injected "vegetarian"  food.  Yes, even their vegetables are cooked in a chicken broth...  Try this instead!

I apologize for the lack of pictures.  It looked amazing!  Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good one before if was devoured...  

Tastes better than this looks

2 lbs. mixed Eggplant (Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian)
1 lb. Ex. Firm Tofu
1 Serrano Pepper
3 Green Onions
1 tbsp. Canola Oil
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ginger, minced
2 tsp. Chinese 5 Spice Powder

First, prepare tofu by pressing out the excess moisture between two plates lined with paper towels and weighed down.  After tofu has been pressed, cut into triangles.  Heat a skillet over high heat.  Add tofu  to dry skillet and let brown on each side (it helps if you weigh it down with a lid or something.  This process also helps to extract any remaining moisture and give a nice crust on the tofu).  After the tofu has browned on both sides, place in the marinade for at least 2 hours.

Now time to grill!  Cut the eggplant into 1" thick slices (skewer anything that may fall through the grill grates).  Skewer the tofu.  Coat the vegetables with an oil cooking spray.  Grill the eggplant, tofu, serrano pepper and green onions over high, direct heat until browned (all have different cooking times, so keep an eye on them).  Remove from grill.  Cube eggplant, slice green onions, peel and dice serrano pepper.

Heat oil in a wok over medium heat.  Add in garlic, ginger and chinese 5 spice and cook 30 seconds.  Lower heat and add in sauce, cook for another 30 seconds.  Add in grilled vegetables and tofu and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until sauce has thickened, about two  minutes.  Serve over brown rice.

MARINADE
1/3 c. Soy Sauce
1/4 c. Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp. Sesame Oil
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. Chinese 5 Spice Powder


Combine all ingredients in a small bowl

SAUCE
Remaining Marinade
1 tbsp. Mirin
2 tsp. Cornstarch

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, making sure that the cornstarch has been fully whisked in and no clumps remain.

French Lentils & Barley

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 Shallots, sliced

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried Rosemary

1 tsp. dried Thyme

1/4 tsp. Cloves

2 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1 small Fennel Bulb, sliced

3 oz. Arugula

2 tbsp. Vegetable Broth or Water

1 c. pre-cooked Barley

2 c. pre-cooked Lentils

2 tbsp. Parsley, chopped

3 tbsp. Basil, chiffonade

1/4 c. Red Grapes, halved

1 stalk Celery, thinly sliced

10 French Radishes, grated

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add in shallots and saute' 2-3 minutes.  Add in spices and cook another minute.  Deglaze with balsamic vinegar.   Add in fennel and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes (cooking the fennel will calm down its bitterness).  Toss in arugula and vegetable broth.  Cook another minute or two until arugula has wilted slightly.  Let cool.

Chop up remaining ingredients and combine in a large bowl.  After fennel mixture has cooled for a few minutes, add into bowl and serve.

French radishes add a subtle bitter taste to this dish.  Ten may seem like a lot, but because they are less spicy/pungent than your standard radish, it's okay.  They're my new favorite addition to salads.  I have a hard time finding them at my local grocery stores, but they are very abundant at farmer's markets right now.

Coconut Spinach

A sweet Indian twist on creamed spinach...

2 tsp. Oil
1 large Onion, chopped
6 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Ginger, grated
2 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Coriander
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 lb. Spinach
1/3 c. Coconut Milk
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 tsp. Salt
Pepper to taste

Heat oil over med/high heat in a large skillet.  Saute onion until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  lower heat to medium and add in spices.  Cook, stirring constantly for 45 seconds.  Add in spinach and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for a few minutes until it begins to wilt.  Add in coconut milk and continue to cook another 2-3 minutes until spinach has fully wilted.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Roasted Parsnips & Carrots

I had something similar to this at whole foods and ate half of it in my car on the way home because it was so good.  I was craving parsnips like nothing else, and this hit the spot perfectly.  Their sweet, nutty taste combined with the freshness of the lemon and basil were delicious.  So, like I do, here's my attempt to recreate it.  You can probably use a little more olive oil if you'd like a little browning on them,  but I try not to use too much because of its high calorie content.  I like my veggies to still taste like veggies when I'm done with them and not drown out their nutritional benefits.

1 Meyer Lemon, thinly sliced

5 large Parsnips, 1/2" slice on the bias

3 Carrots, 1/2" slice on the bias

4 cloves Garlic, minced

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper 

1/4 c. Baslic, chopped

Simply chop up all of the ingredients and toss in a large bowl with oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Bake in a 375 oven for about 30 minutes until the carrots and parsnips are tender, tossing halfway through.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh basil.