Sweet Potato Fries with Raspberry Dipping Sauce

10 Jan 2010 3 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Go JETS!

Game Day at my house is always an event! I don’t always make fun and fabulous foods but I try to. This one was so perfect and yummy! On these kind of days I can appreciate the short prep time so we can just sit down and enjoy ourselves. I always love making a sauce like this because not only is it amazing but it is so bright and gorgeous too!

The inspiration for this dish was from one of the great NYC vegetarian restaurants, Gobo. When I was younger I would order their Yam & Yucca fries that always came with a yummy raspberry dipping sauce. I haven’t ordered french fries anywhere in years, so this was such a pleasure to indulge in! I love taking something classic like that and updating it with a healthy twist! Deelish!

Sweet Potato Fries with Raspberry Dipping Sauce

3 to 4 sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 bag of frozen raspberries
1/4-1/3 cup agave

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray or lightly grease a large baking sheet. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them in 4 slices lengthwise. Then cut east piece into 1/4-inch wide strips. Place them into a large bowl and add the oil, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to coat the potato slices well and spread them on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until the potatoes are lightly browned and crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, 25 – 35 minutes. Make sure to rotate them once halfway through. While potatoes are baking; combine the frozen raspberries with agave until smooth in a food processor or blender and pour into a serving dish. When the potatoes are done serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Raw Sweet Potatoes

Channukah Pot-luck Part 3

23 Dec 2009 3 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , ,

Ahhh Dessert!

Thank you Shalon and Prema!

Shalon made such a deelish Red Velvet Cake and Prema brought over these adorable and scrumptious Crumbs Channukah Cupcakes. My favorite dessert ever is Icing, and both desserts brought over were covered in it! YUM!

Thanks everyone for coming over! You all made the night so special for us 🙂

We did quite a number on this one 🙂

These cupcakes are so cute!!

So special! Michael and I bought this together in Israel! Happy Channukah!

Here is the recipe Shalon used the the Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake
Recipe from Bon Appétit

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (she used lowfat milk instead)
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
Frosting
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Sift sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.
Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 27 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.

For frosting:
Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over top of cake, pressing lightly to adhere. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

Channukah Pot-luck part 2

22 Dec 2009 4 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , ,

And the fun continues….

Pot-pie is so comforting and deelish. I figured everyone else must love it as much as me, so I made this for the pot-luck. It was vegetarian but I used faux-chicken and I think everyone really liked it.  But I know we were happy to have some as leftovers 🙂

I used a 13×9 glass baking dish, but in the past I have also used 2 8×8 glass dishes so I could bake one and have the other one in the freezer for an easy cooking night. But of course if you are feeding a crowd, go with the larger dish.

It was easier to make both the crust and the filling the night before and kept them separate and covered. So all I had to do the night of the party was roll out the dough and cover the filling before baking. Simple 🙂

Sorry I didn’t get to take pics of the pot-pie sliced up, but trust me, it was gorgeous and scrumptious!

For the 2nd dish I also made my version of Dina’s Chili-lime Ginger Tofu in Coconut Basil Broth with Rice Noodles. I almost never repeat dishes, and I have made this one 3 times in the last month. This is a real winner!

Shannon brought over some gorgeous sides to go with the entrees. Yum! Grilled Aspargus, Citrus & Cranberry Quinoa Salad (love quinoa!!) and roasted veggies. Thanks!!

Channukah Pot-Pie: I sense a tradition starting!

Pasta and Tofu

Asparagus

LOVE quinoa!

Vegetarian Pot Pie
8-10 servings

  • 16 ounces faux-chicken, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik’n Strips)
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2/3 cup frozen corn
  • 2/3 cup frozen peas
  • 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter (use Earth Balance)
  • 3-4 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), Cleaned well and sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream (soy cream)

Herb Crust
Recipe from Bon Appétit
Makes 1 crust

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (earth balance)
  • 1/2 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 6 1/2 tablespoons (about) ice water

Make the crust first:
Blend first 5 ingredients in processor until herbs are very finely chopped. Add butter and shortening. Blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Using fork, mix enough ice water into flour mixture to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into rectangle. Cover and chill 30 minutes. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly before rolling out.)

Then begin on the pot-pie:

  1. Butter or spray your baking dish. I used a 13×9 dish (as mentioned above you could use 2 8×8 dishes as well).
  2. Bring the broth to boil in a large pot; reduce heat to low. and add faux chicken for 3 minutes. Skim them out using a slotted spoon and cool before cutting and then add to baking dish. Add carrots and potatoes to the broth in pot. Simmer uncovered until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. Skim them out and transfer to baking dish. Add corn and peas and cook for about 3 minutes. Transfer to baking dish. Strain and reserve broth.
  3. Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add leeks, onions and thyme. Sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and white wine. Increase heat to high and bring to boil, whisking constantly. Add cream and boil until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, whisking frequently, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour gravy over mixture in dish. Stir to blend. Cool 45 minutes. (Filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
  4. Preheat oven to 400F. Roll out crust dough on parchment paper to a rectangle that will fit on top of dish. Using paper as aid, turn dough over onto filling. Trim the dough that is hanging off the sides and tuck dough edge inside dish. Roll out dough scraps to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into fun shapes. I used Magen David’s (Star of David’s since it was a Channukah party) Brush bottom of cutouts with water and place on crust; cut slits in crust to allow steam to escape.
  5. Bake until crust is golden and gravy is bubbling, about 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Pre-cooked pot-pie

Cooking the pasta

Check out the haze of steam on the pasta!

Channukah Pot-luck Part 1

21 Dec 2009 5 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , ,

We hosted a Channukah Potluck on the last night of Channukah. It was so nice to be with everyone and share great food! I love having my friends over the house and cooking for them. I have been really into the pot-luck idea lately as you aren’t exhausted when your friends come over after spending the week cooking in the kitchen.  We were really excited to celebrate and so happy that we managed to fit 9 people into out apartment! The joys of city living 🙂

Judith is an amazing cook and makes such great and gorgeous food! This time she made an Insalata Caprese for our first course. I always love that kind of salad, but she made it even more special with the addition of roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and deelish balsamic drizzle. Yum!! Check out her Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta from our last pot-luck.

Uploading these pics now is making my mouth water!! Seriously how gorgeous is this dish?!?!?!
Insalata Caprese

  • Assorted Heirloom or Garden Tomatoes (about one large tomato per person)
  • Large bunch fresh basil
  • Fresh Mozzarella. It will be packed in water. About ~3 oz per person
  • Balsamic Glaze (or Balsamic Vinegar)
  • Jar of roasted peppers
  • Bag of sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
  1. Slice tomatoes (tip: put them in the fridge for an hour to make slicing easier) and mozzarella into pieces of equal thickness. Place in a plastic container or cover and let come up to room temperature before eating.
  2. Drizzle balsamic on the bottom of a plate.
  3. Arrange slices of tomatoes, basil leaves, peppers, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella.
  4. OPTIONAL – For a more filling salad, toss mesclun mixed greens with a small amount of vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.
  5. OPTIONAL TIP #2 – In a blender, combine 2-4 tbsp olive oil with the remaining basil leaves to make an herb oil. Use this to drizzle over the TMB.

Stay tuned for the entrée course tomorrow 🙂

Amazing Roasted Cauliflower

17 Dec 2009 2 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , ,

I love cauliflower. Most of the time I end of making it the mashed way but this is going to be a wonderful alternative. Between Michael and me we ate the entire recipe in one sitting! YUM! This would make a great snack, side dish, or even a meal if you like it as much as I did 🙂

Amazing Roasted Cauliflower

1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 head of cauliflower, trimmed into small florets
extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
sprinkle of crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cauliflower with a few tablespoons of olive oil and salt, until well coated. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and put in the oven for 15 minutes. While the cauliflower is in the oven, use the same bowl you mixed the cauliflower and oil and add a little more oil, the breadcrumbs, garlic and crushed red pepper and mix. Take the cauliflower out of the over after 15 minutes and rotate the pieces and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top. Return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes. Serve and devour  immediately.

Dina’s Chili-lime Ginger Tofu in Coconut Basil Broth with Rice Noodles

02 Dec 2009 5 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

My fabulous girlfriend Dina sent me the most deelish and simple recipe recently. I made it and was beyond delighted. I am already thinking about making it again soon. It was really quick and I had almost all the ingredients in my house already. This was just so tasty! I used wide noodles which took about 10 minutes to cook. It came out with the most delicious, thick, coconuty sauce! If you use thin noodles, it might need less cooking time and turn out more brothy. I had sliced the yam with a mandolin so it was super thin and broke up during cooking which just added to the thickness of the sauce.  We do not normally eat that much tofu in our house, but Michael and I agreed that this was the best we ever had it prepared, it was so good!

Dina’s Chili-lime Ginger Tofu in Coconut Basil Broth with Rice Noodle

2 cups veggie broth
1 can light coconut milk
1 cup coconut water (or more veggie broth/coconut milk)
Fresh basil, chopped
1 yam, peeled and slice thin
rice noodles
2 tsp safflower, grapeseed or another neutral oil
1 block tofu, cubed
Soy sauce or tamari, to taste
fresh ginger, grated
juice and zest from 1 lime
red pepper flakes
sriracha sauce.

Combine the veggie broth, coconut milk and coconut water in a saucepan over medium heat. Next add basil and the yam and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer until the potatoes were tender. Add the rice noodles and cook till soft, 3-7 minutes.

Pour the oil in saute pan over medium heat and add the tofu. Hit it with some soy sauce, ginger, lime zest, lime juice, red pepper flakes and sriracha sauce. Saute until  nice crust forms on tofu.

Combine broth, noodles and tofu in a bowl. As Dina says, “Holy guacamole!!!!!!!! Try it! You’ll never do Thai takeout again!!”

Fabulous Pot-Luck part 3

29 Nov 2009 2 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , ,

After enjoying our deelish apps and my entrée course we were all really full. But after we saw and then tasted Liz’s super amazing Grape and Fig pie we all made room! haha! I love her homage to raw food for me, even though this is a baked pie. The flavors were so bright and luscious. The mascarpone cheese added such a nice finish. Really great flavors!! Thanks Liz and Edo 🙂

Another funny note is both Judith and Liz made food with figs in it. I doubt they knew it was one of my favorite foods, but of course it worked out perfectly! Such a great evening!

Liz’s Grape and Fig Pie
Recipe from Pie;  editor: Haedrich

1 recipe piecrust
Filling:
1 ½ cups stemmed and diced dried Black Mission figs (other figs will work)
4 cups halved seedless black grapes
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 ½ teaspoons Frangelico or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.
Garnish: sweet mascarpone cheese

1. Prepare the pastry and refrigerate until firm enough to roll (about an hour)
2. On a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the larger portion of the pastry into a 12 inched circle with a floured rolling pan, Invert the pastry over a nine inched standard pie pan, center and peel off the paper, Gently tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, and let the overhang drape over the edge.  Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
3. Place the figs in a steamer basket set in a saucepan (or directly in the saucepan) and as about ½ inch of water to the pan.  Cover tightly and bring the water to a boil.  Reduce the heat slightly and simmer-steam the figs for five minutes.  Drain in a colander or sleeve.
4. In a large bowl, combine the grapes, figs and all but about 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the lemon juice, lemon zest, and Frangelico (if using).  Mix well, and then set aside for 15 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. Mix the cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar together in a small bowl.  Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit and stir to combine. Turn the filling into the chilled pie shell and smooth the top.  Dot the filling with the butter.
6. Roll the other half of the pastry into a 10-inch circle on a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, Moisten the outer edge of the pie shell with a pastry brush.  Invert the top pastry over the filling, center and peel off the paper.  Press the top and bottom pastries together along the dampened edge.  Using the back of a buttered knife, trim the pastry flush with the edge of the pan.  With the back of a fork, press the tines all alone the edge to seal.  Using a fork, poke several seam vents in the top of the pie, including a couple alone the edge so you can check the juices there later.
7. Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and rotate the pie 180 degrees, so that the part of the pie that faced the back of the oven now faces the forwards. Just in case, slide a large aluminum, foiled lined p baking sheet on the rack below to catch any spills.  Continue to bake until the pie is golden brown, about 25 minutes. When done, you may notice thin juices bubbling out of the steam vents alone the edge.
8. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least two hours before serving.  Garnish with sweetened mascarpone.

the Mascarpone Cream 🙂

Fabulous Pot-Luck part 2

24 Nov 2009 10 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

After enjoying plenty of wine and Judith’s Amazing Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschettait was time to sit and enjoy the main course. I made 3 dishes for our pot-luck; a Chestnut and Mushroom Pâté en Croûte, an updated version of my Fresh Summer Bruschetta Pasta, and my go-to brussel sprout recipe. I must say, that everything turned out deelish 🙂

To see the recipe for my Fresh Summer Bruschetta Pasta click on the link. The only differences were that I used red onion instead of shallots and fresh ricotta instead of goat cheese. I also doubled this recipe which could have fed 10+ people! The fresh ricotta was an amazing addition. Mixing it with the hot, fresh pasta made the cheese melt right into it and it was soo good! Because I had doubled the recipe we had tons of leftovers! Good thing Michael really enjoys this dish 🙂

For the side dish I made my go-to brussel sprout recipe. It was inspired around my Aunt Carole and Aunt Joanne’s brussel sprouts. I am so lucky to come from an amazing family full of fabulously talented women! This dish would make a person who thought they hated brussel sprouts a true believer! They are super tasty and so good for you!

I have never written down this recipe so all my measurements are approximates.

For the other entree I made a Chestnut and Mushroom Pâté en Croûte! mmmm! I first made this a few years back when Michael and I were just dating. It is still a main concern of mine to make the most scrumptious food out there, but of course when you are dating you want to really impress! This is an exceptional entree or side dish that is so deeeeelish! Yummy filling and puff pastry, how can you really go wrong? You can play with the filling, for instance if you aren’t into mushrooms just leave them out or substitue some cauliflower or cooked potatoes. This is a luscious and playful dish, have fun with it 🙂 If you want to keep it 100% vegan use soy milk to brush on top of the pastry to get that gorgeous shine instead of an egg wash. (1 egg mixed with a tablespoon of water)

I had a little trouble cutting it, but it was still amazing!

Brussel Sprouts with toasted Pine Nuts

2 pints of brussel sprouts, cleaned and trimmed, quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
onions (optional)
salt to taste

In a large pot saute the brussel sprouts with the olive oil and garlic for 5-10 minutes. They will turn bright green and gorgeous! Add in the pine nuts and salt to taste. Enjoy!

*the cooking time depends on if you like your brussel sprouts crispy or cooked through, taste as you cook to tell.

*sometimes I saute some onions beforehand and put them in with the brussel sprouts, always delicious!

*to toast the pine nuts; pour onto a baking sheet and toast in 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, being careful that they do not burn.

Chestnut and Mushroom Pâté en Croûte
serves 4-6

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup button mushrooms, chopped
1 cup red wine
2 cups canned chestnuts, pureed
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb frozen puff pastry, defrosted
soy milk or egg wash

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat the oil in a large pot, add onions and cook for 10 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add wine and cook for 2-5 minutes until most of the liquid has reduced. Remove the pan from heat and add in the chestnuts, breadcrumbs and salt and pepper to taste. Let cool.

Roll out the pastry dough into 2 strips. The first should be around 6x12in and the other 9x12in. Place the first strip onto a baking sheet which has been sprayed with cooking spray or water. Spread the chestnut mixture over the pastry, leaving a 1cm gap around the edge. Form the mixture into a neat loaf. Brush the edges with water and lay the 2nd piece of pastry on top. Press the edges down to seal and trim. Make a few steam holes with a fork and brush with soy milk or egg wash.

Bake for 8 minutes and reduce heat to 400degrees and bake for a further 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Serve immediately and enjoy!!

Fabulous Pot-Luck part 1

23 Nov 2009 7 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Last Saturday night we had the best time at our house with some great friends and deelish food! It was really such a wonderful evening that writing this post is making me so happy! Maybe it was the way I was raised, maybe it is just me, or maybe I am just human haha but good friends and good food is the ultimate for me! Cheers to that!

My fabulous girlfriend Judith and her husband Ken brought over this mouth-watering app for us all to enjoy. Take a look at these pics and let me know if you could resist these!! They were even better than they look!

This is a great recipe that you can make for entertaining. Judith actually put this together at my house in under 20 minutes, with several of those just having the bread toasting in the oven. Super simple and super delicious! If you have more people to serve just double or triple the recipe, this one will go quickly 🙂

Judith’s Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta
Recipe Inspired by Cooking Light
6-10 servings

1 French bread baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch slices, toasted
I jar of fig jam (you only need about half)
1 1/4  cups  (10 ounces) crumbled goat cheese (we used low-fat and it was amazing and light!)
5  teaspoons  finely chopped walnuts

Toast the bread slices right before ready to serve. Top each toasted bread slice with 1 1/2 teaspoons fig jam and 1 1/2 teaspoons goat cheese. Then drizzle with honey and sprinkle evenly with walnuts. Arrange bruschetta on a serving tray. Serve warm. ENJOY 🙂

Edamame Guacamole

03 Nov 2009 4 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I served this with pita chips and it was deelish! This was a great way to enjoy heaping chips full of guacamole with more than half the fat! Check out the nutrition stats below!!! Love it!! Just be careful how much lime juice you use. I used a whole lime and it came out a little too limey. If you want traditional guacamole add cilantro. I don’t enjoy cilantro so I didn’t add it.

IMG_2720

Edamame Guacamole
Serves 6

1/2 cup shelled edamame
1/2 cup broccoli stalks, peeled
1 avocado
1 scallion, minced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tomato, diced
salt to taste

cilantro – optional

Bring 4 cups of water to boil. Add edamame and broccoli to boiling water for 4 minutes till softened. Drain and puree in a food processor. With a fork or a whisk mash the puree with the avocado. Add in the avocado, scallion, red onion, garlic, jalapeno, lime, tomato and the optional cilantro. Salt to taste and enjoy 🙂

Per serving: 66 calories, 4 g fat, .5 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 10 sodium, 2.5 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g sugar, 3 g fiber

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