Parmesan Pasta with Onion and Cauliflower

Back in Buffalo for a few day to see my wonderful girlfriend.  Made her this quick and delicious meal before she had to go to work to keep her going through the day.

Bring water to boil.  Add pasta and set timer.  While pasta is cooking saute onions with a little salt and pepper in extra virgin olive oil till they begin to turn translucent.  Add cauliflower and chopped garlic and continue to saute for another 4-5 minutes adding thyme and oregano to taste.

Drain and return pasta to pot,  then pour cauliflower, onion, garlic mixture over the top and stir together.  Put over low heat and add Parmesan cheese slowly, mixing everything together so it melts evenly over the pasta. And voila!  Quick and tasty lunch or dinner!

Rating : 4.1

Homemade Chick Pea Burgers with Spring Mix Greens, Tomatoes, and Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

In a food processor, toss in a big can of chickpeas, some chopped scallions, an egg, 2tbsp flour, olive oil, cumin, peprika, oregano, a little cayenne pepper, and salt to taste.

Scoop out resulting blend and form into patties with your hands.  Heat a little oil in a skillet and Sautee patties till both sides are golden brown. 

While this is happening, chop up half a small cucumber and add to food proccessor with some fresh chopped dill, plain yogurt, a little lemon juice, and chopped garlic. 

Assemble cooked patties with whatever veggies you like in whole wheat pita and keep Tzatziki sauce handy for dipping, sprinkling on top!

Rating: 4.5

Delectable Eggplant Lasagna!

This recipe is a special treat as it takes 3 hours to make between prep and cooking times. 

First broil red bell peppers on baking sheet for 15 min, peel crispy skins, slice into 1/2 inch strips and set aside for now. 

Then reduce oven temp to 350 and brush a mixture of olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme onto 1/3 inch slices of eggplant and place on baking sheets.  Bake for 20-25 min, until brown and soft all the way through.

While those are baking, chop up some parsley and about 5-6 cloves garlic.  In a medium bowl mix together the parsley, 1/3 of chopped garlic, and some Parmesan cheese with a container of ricotta cheese. (16oz)

After this, heat some oil in a pan and cook onions and remaining garlic then add a jar of store bought sauce. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 min.

When sauce is done, spoon a layer on the bottom of 9x9 in pan, then put down a layer of the baked eggplant, then spoon a layer of the ricotta mixture on top, then the broiled red peppers from earlier, more sauce, and repeat till pan is full.  (3-4 layers depending how thick you make them).  Sprinkle chopped or grated mozzarella cheese over the top and bake for 40-45 minutes.  Amazing!

Rating: 4.8

More Fun Curly Noodles with Broccoli and White Wine-garlic sauce.

Heat up some rich, full flavored extra virgin olive oil in a skillet and toss in a clove and a half of minced garlic till it starts to lightly brown.  Add chopped broccoli and white wine and toss in skillet.  Add crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, rosemary, basil, and just a little thyme to the mix.  Stir in fresh chopped tomatoes and cooked pasta (at this point you may need more white wine) and let simmer for a minute or two till warm throughout.  Serve with more wine if there's any left over at that point!

Optional: Add a tbsp or so butter to sauce when cooking garlic if feeling impulsive.

Rating: 4.2

Home-Made Sauce and Fun Spiral Pasta

Actually made this for dinner yesterday and the leftovers looks so good in the morning light I had to take a picture.  Have recipe for sauce, comment if you want me to share it.

Rating: 4.1

Easter Egg

Here's a picture of some delicious organic tomatoes to make up for not posting yesterday.  If you are reading this you are a true fan as I did not share this post publicly on Google+

Sandwich Time!

Fresh ripe organic tomatoes with organic mozzarella and crushed basil flakes on orgnanic whole wheat bread.  Add a little salt and pepper to taste and it's delicioso!

Rating: 4.3

Blueberries and Waffles

Another fast breakfast.  Natures path organic frozen waffles with a little butter, organic blue agave, and blueberries on top.

Rating: 3.9

Fresh and Fast Breakfast

Quickly threw together this for my girlfriend before she had to go to work this morning.  Red bell peppers, onions, garlic, fresh chopped mint, and seasoned eggs.  Wheat toast with optional butter.

Rating: 3.4

Quinoa with Citrus and Herb Dressing

Cook quinoa and let cool.  While this is happening chop up onions, cucumber, garlic, feta cheese, fresh mint, and parsley.

Add fresh ingredients to quinoa and stir in then add mixture of olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper.

Rating: 4.2

Minty Chocolate Chip Brownie Treat

Two scoops low-fat minty chocolate chip frozen yogurt over a peppermint white and dark choclate encrusted brownie.

Rating 4.5

Orzo Pasta and Veggie Salad.

Orzo pasta tossed with broccoli, asparagus, cucumbers, and feta cheese.  The dressing is just lemon juice, oil, garlic, and salt.  Super healthy and quite tasty too!

Rating: 3.6

Whole Wheat Waffle with Raspberry

My Girlfriend Tanya Added the Heart. :)

Optional: Whipped Cream

Rating: 3.7

Special Edition Pizza Night!

Was recently contacted by fellow food enthusiast and blogger +Archana Doshi to do a special blog post for her site!  Chose one of the recent viewer favorites from the blog and added a little tweak to it for this special edition post.

Spinach, Mushroom, and Onion Pizza with Sun-dried Tomato

Take some sun-dried tomatoes(jarred in oil) and chop finely about half of the jar.  Take a small amount of oil from the jar and pour it onto rolled our crust.  Rub the oil from the tomatoes into the crust with your fingers. (wash if you feel the need)  Then spread finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes over oil infused crust.

Chop onions and mushrooms, spread over surface of the pizza, spread preferred amount of cheese over onions and mushrooms, then lay a layer of spinach over the top of everything.  What you should have will look something but probably not exactly like this:

Bake for 13.6666666(repeating) minutes and prepare for oral awesomeness.

What comes will look something but not exactly like this:

At this point you'll probably be too tempted by the smell to resist any longer, so dig in!

+Kevin Carney's Rating: 4.5

Inexpensive Eats Night

Organic brown basmati rice with Amy's organic chili on top.  Looks like dinner gruel, tastes like heaven.  I like the spicy chili but you can get whatever you'd like.

Optional: butter on the rice.

Rating: 4.0

For My Valentine: Shrimp and Lemon Butter Sauce.

Simple but AMAZINGLY GOOD!  Cook pasta, drain, and set aside.  Put 3/4 stick butter into a large skillet and add 3 cloves garlic, minced.  After 30sec-1minute add uncooked organic shrimpies.  Squeeze two lemons into garlic butter and shrimp mixture while cooking.  Cook shrimp until pink on both sides.

Rating: 4.7

Cheesy Herbed Potatoes

Potatoes and onions cooked with rosemary, peprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Little mozzarella cheese mixed in and the end to pull it all together.

Rating: 4.0

Homemade Pizza Night!

Sun dried tomato and olive oil base on whole wheat dough with mushrooms, onions, green olives, and just a little mozzarella cheese.

Soba Noodles with Vegetables and Spicy Sauce

Boil soba noodles, drain, and set aside.  Sautee onions, adding spinach just until it wilts.  Then add mixture of soy sauce, sambal chili paste, garlic, ginger, and vegetable broth.  Yum!

Rating: 4.2

Taco Bowl on a Plate

Crushed blue corn chips, salsa, and dour cream over Brown rice with sauteed onions and Creole seasoning.

Rating: 4.4

Almond Butter and Strawberries on Wheat Toast

Speaks for itself.

Rating: 3.9

"Fresh Sauce" over Fusilli Pasta

Toasted Garlic and Onions cooked with Fresh chopped and squeezed Tomatoes.  Little basil, rosemary, crushed red pepper, and thyme with salt and pepper to taste.

Optional:  wheat bread and vegan buttery spread.

Rating: 4.3

Simple but Delicious Black Bean and Rice Burrito

Sauteed onions mixed with black beans, Creole seasoning, and California brown basmati rice.  Topped with salsa and baby spinach on a whole wheat tortilla.

Optional: light sour cream

Rating: 4.2

Mozzarella and Cheddar Grilled Cheese with Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup

Rating: 3.8

Maple Almond butter and Strawberry jam.

Optional: berry blast smoothie

Rating: 3.0

Pizza and Beer

After a long day in the mines sometimes one just needs a little bit of indulgance.

Rating: 3.5

Home Fries with Eggs and Salsa

Cook onions and potatoes in a bit of olive oil adding basil, rosemary, garlic powder, peprika, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Fried eggs with grated cheddar cheese and salsa.

Optional: Whole wheat toast.

Rating: 3.9

Butterscotch Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate with a little extra cocoa and butterscotch chips.

Optional: Whipped Cream

Rating: 4.2

Sauteed Veggies with Crispy Baked Brussel Sprouts

Mushrooms, onions, red pepper, asparagus, and tomatoes topped with crispy brussel sprouts baked with olive oil and lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

+Tanya Percy recommends this recipe

Rating: 4.8

Cheese and Potato Scamble

Homemade home fries with rosemary, thyme, basil, crushed red pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika scrambled together with eggs and sharp cheddar cheese.

Optional: whole wheat toast

Rating: 4.0

Pinto Bean and Rice Burritos

Pinto beans, california brown basmati rice, Creole seasoning, tomatoes, lite sour cream, spinach, and lettus on a whole wheat tortilla.

Rating: 3.7

Homemade Spicy Marinara Sauce and Whole Wheat Linguini

Heat olive oil and cook onions.  Add garlic and lightly cook garlic with onions. Add crushed tomatoes and stir together with onions and garlic.  Add small amount(about a fifth of the can) of tomato paste and still into mixture.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add oregano, basil, crushed red pepper,thyme, and rosemary. Still a little more tomato paste into the sauce and reduce to simmer.  Cook for 15-20 minutes  occasionally stirring in small amounts of tomato paste if you like it thicker or don't if you like it more viscous.

Ingedients:
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can crushed tomatoes
2/3 can tomato paste (I use wegmans organic but any brand will do.)
1/2 an onion,
3 cloves of garlic
salt, pepper to taste
2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp basil
3 tsp crushed red pepper
1 1/2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp olive oil

Optional: spinach greens and balsamic vinegarette, pennywise merlot

Rating: 4.5

Tempeh and Spinach salad with Grated Sharp Cheddar

Marinated tempeh nuggets over a fresh bed of greens with a little grated cheddar heese and balsamic vinegarette.

Rating: 4.3

Banana, banana, strawberry and pineapple Smoothie

Organic frozen fruit mix: pineapple, strawberry, and banana.  Added fresh banana, almond milk yogurt, ice, and a little apple juice.

Optional: Whipped cream.

Rating: 4.1

Homemade Roma Sandwich

Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil pesto on ciabatta bread.

Optional: Wegmans mustard potato Salad.

Rating: 3.7

Wine slushies

Frozen strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries, ice, and a good, inexpensive, sweet red wine.

Breakfast sandwich time!

Scrabbled eggs, extra sharp chedder cheese, sauteed onions, and salsa on whole wheat toast.

Rating:  3.6

Cajun Shrimp over Seasoned Rice

Delicious!  Stopped into a bar on Delaware and Allen in Buffalo and found this little gem!  Little spicy but not too much to overwhelm the other spices.

Dogfish 60 Minute IPA

A classic IPA, full flavored but well balanced.  Picked this one up at Colter Bay Grill in Buffalo. 

Rating: 4.6

Orange and Strawberry smoothie

Almost everything tastes better when it's a smoothie.

Rating: 3.5

Italian meets Oriental Rice

California brown basmati rice, basil, rosemary, crushed red pepper, garlic, thyme, and organic soy sauce.

Rating: 3.7

Pennywise Cabernet Savignon

Optional: Pennywise Cabernet Savignon

Rating: 3.6

Wegmans' Large Pasta bowl

Peppers, onions, garlic, tofu, broccoli, peas, carrots, and artichokes over whole wheat penne with a touch of wine white.

Rating: 4.1

Firestone Union Jack IPA

Still one of my favourite IPA's

I mean there's a bear boxing a lion on the label.  That's pretty nuts....

Rating: 4.8

x2 01/23/13