Garlic-Herbed Personal Flatbread Pizzas

Yeah, you heard me. Personal pizzas - and more? They're vegan and gluten free, though you wouldn't know it to taste them. Enjoy these delicious pizzas with your friend or loved one (just don't tell them how easy they are to make)!

Herbed Flatbread (vegan and gluten-free)
(makes 4)


1 cup almond flour
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1 tbsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp herba salle
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp white pepper
2 tsp powdered garlic
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp poppyseeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil


Add dry ingredients (except sesame seeds and poppy seeds) into a food processor and pulse until all elements ground. Empty ground ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add seeds. Add wet ingredients and stir well with a fork. Keep stirring until the dough forms one thick ball. Split the dough into four equal balls. Place one ball of dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll out, between the parchment paper, until the flattened round is about 1/4 inches thick. Feel free to cut to shape once it's flattened and press the cut bits in around the edges. It's not going to change shape once it bakes, so what you start with will be what you get. 


Bake at 300 F for about 25 minutes or until browned. 


Tomato and Basil Flatbread Pizza
(makes 4)

8 tbsp homemade pesto (recipe below*)

4 herbed flatbreads (recipe above)

2 tomatos, sliced thin

4 tbsp fresh basil

8 cloves garlic minced
1/2 onion, diced and caramelized

1/2 cup shredded white daiya cheese

*Simple home-made pesto
3.5 packed cups fresh basil leaves
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
1/4 cup ground raw cashew

Combine basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, salt, cashews in a blender and blend until smooth. When the mixture is completely smooth, add the pecorino and pulse the blender until it has been incorporated into the mix.*


Heat oven to 400 F. 


Place two flatbread rounds on one parchment paper-covered cookie sheet. 
Spread 1 tbsp pesto on each round. 
In a small bowl, stir 1 tbsp pesto, 1 tbsp shredded basil, and 2 cloves garlic minced. 
Add a layer of the basil/garlic/pesto mix, then slices of tomatoes (I used three thin slices per flatbread). Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top, then sprinkle caramelized onions over top of the cheese (or vice versa as you like). 
Bake on the top rack of your oven for about 8 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Portobello Wraps

In honor of the Halloween holiday season, I've begun combining my three favorite things: horror movies, good food, and friends in something I like to call "Home-cooked Horror Nights". This past Sunday, a few friends descended on my home to enjoy some blood-thirsty films and vegetarian fare. Now, you'd usually think that veggies wouldn't really lend themselves to that level of virtual violence, which is why I leaned a towards a more "meaty" taste. Portobello mushrooms have a rich, earthy flavor and a nice, thick texture.

Portobello Wraps
(makes 5 servings)

3 portobello mushrooms, chopped in half, then sliced
1 bag baby spinach, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 tsp mirin, soy sauce, olive oil
crumbled goat cheese
whole wheat tortilla wraps

marinade:
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce

Marinate your mushrooms in a large bowl, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes.
Chop spinach.
Chop tomato into little pieces.
Season a large pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat until warm. Transfer to the heated pan.
Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms have shrunk and softened (about 10 minutes). Transfer cooked mushrooms to a colander, drain, then pour into a serving bowl. Add 1 bag's worth chopped baby spinach to the pan and add 2 tsp mirin, soy, and olive oil. Heat until the spinach has cooked to a shrivel. Deposit in colander, drain, and deposit in a serving bowl.

Season a dry pan with olive oil and add a tortilla, warming on both sides.

Take the warm tortilla, add a little spinach, chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, and goat cheese. Wrap and enjoy. :)

Go on! Have a peace!

Baked Falafels Pita Pockets with Mint Tzatziki

I had some friends coming over last night and thought it might be fun to have a DIY dinner, rather than a serve-it-up like I usually do. I've had a yen for falafel since I got back from Israel, so this was my attempt and bringing the tastiness of Jerusalem vendors to my best pals at home. This meal is ridiculously easy to make, and fun - the only thing I would say is that it isn't the best meal to make when you're trying to have a conversation. The food processor is so loud! :)

Baked Falafel Pita Pockets with Mint Tzatziki
(makes ~8 servings)

Falafel:
(makes about 36)
1 can low sodium garbanzo beans, drained
1 red onion, finely chopped
A little less than 1/4 cup sorghum flour
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp salt
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Drain a can of garbanzo beans over the sink, rinsing them well. Drop them, along with all the other ingredients except the baking powder, into your food processor. [If you don't have a food processor, a blender could work. Otherwise, you can use an immersion blender or a potato masher. The processor is just faster.] Puree, until ingredients are a thick paste. When all elements are well combined, add the baking powder and stir in thoroughly.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Now, here, I used my awesome little melon scooper, but you could use a normal, small spoon - your falafels will just be a little bigger. Scoop healthy dollops onto the baking sheet, about 6 scoops on each row.

Put baking sheets into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the falafel patties. Bake for another 15 minutes if you want them soft, 20 minutes if you want them lightly browned, 25 if you want them crispier.

Mint Tzatziki:
1 regular sized cucumber, chopped into small bits
2 cups plain, nonfat yogurt
~1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped into tiny bits
salt, to taste

I actually made this weird tzatziki sauce before as a sauce for grilled chicken. It's based on the recipe my friend Alex uses (she's Greek), but I had some mint leftover (from a fun squash stew I made) that I wanted to put to use. Wow, check out the parentheses use there. It's super easy to make. You just chop the mint really fine (use a big chef's knife - it's easier). You cut the cucumber lengthwise, then lengthwise again, then in slices. Toss these into a bowl, then scoop the yogurt in. Stir, mixing well, and you're done.

Pita Pocket and fillers:

3 whole wheat pita, cut in half

2 handfuls baby spinach, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 roma tomato, diced

Take your half pita, open it up on a small plate. Dollop a couple spoonfuls of the tzatziki into the pita, accompanied by a sprinkling of the spinach and tomatoes. Place 3-4 falafels into the pita. Enjoy!

It was a simple meal, cool and warm, and delicious! Lots of protein from the chickpeas. Vitamin A and K and manganese from the spinach (not to mention Popeye muscles). Vitamin C in the tomatoes. Nom nom nom. Plus, my friends really seemed to enjoy getting to make their own little sandwiches and we all found them very tasty.

[You will have extras. The leftovers are easily stored and will keep in the fridge to make a tasty snack/meal for the next day or two.]

Kitchen Sink Soup

Here's a healthy, hearty, and delicious soup that's easy to make and really hits the spot.

Kitchen Sink Soup
(makes about 5 servings)
1/4 cup diced red onions
1/2 cup green peas
1 carrot, diced
2 small red potatoes, halved, sliced, and cut into bite-sized pieces
14.5 oz diced tomatoes in juice (1 can)
2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise, then sliced
1.5 cup low sodium vegetable stock
1/2 tbsp marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

Pour vegetable stock and tomatoes into the pot. Add marjoram, salt, and pepper. Set stove to medium heat. Add celery and carrots and onions. Stir over heat for 5 minutes. Add potatoes. Stir over heat for 8 minutes. Add peas. Stir over heat for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

See? I told you it was easy. :) The soup is very filling on its own. It keeps really well in the fridge (fed me for a week).

Enjoy!!

Easter Snacks

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you're having a beautiful holiday. This Sunday is a day about rebirth, no matter how you slice it. New life, the balance of day and night and the balance in our lives.

And yet, Easter is also a day full of processed stuff that leaves your body completely UNbalanced. Why?

My parents sent me an Easter basket this year as they do every year - my parents are ridiculously awesome.
This year, they sent me an incredibly soft, snuggly bunny and some delicious sugar free snacks. One of the things they sent that was not sugar free was a yummy, yummy chocolate from 3400 Phinney Chocolate Factory.

Here's my rule about candy - you have to recognize and be able to picture all the ingredients and you have to eat it in moderation, as a treat. This bar is dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and vegan. The ingredients include and are limited to cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, almonds, figs, fennel, and ground vanilla bean.

Now. If you're like me, you've probably hardboiled and dyed a boatload of eggs. But what do you do with all those hardboiled eggs once you're done admiring them? Personally, I love just munching on hardboiled eggs as a snack. But if you want to do something else with them, here's a few ideas:

Deviled Eggs

Avocado Eggs
1 avocado
8 hardboiled eggs, peeled
~1/8th of a small red onion
1/8 cup lemon juice, to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the hardboiled eggs in half. Scoop the yolks out into either a bowl or a food processor. Lay out the remaining egg whites on a plate.

Cut your avocado in half, throw away the pit. Again, if you have the food processor, add the avocado to the yolks there. If not, add it to the yolks in the bowl. Mash it all together.

Take 1/8th of a small onion and chop it into tiny, tiny bits. You might not want to use all of the onion, it's up to your personal taste. Add as much as you like to the mashed up avocado and yolk. Now add a tiny bit of fresh ground sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Sprinkle in the lemon juice - again to taste. Mix it all together.

Scoop the mash up into each of the hardboiled egg whites and serve immediately. :) That's it! It's creamy, delicious, and tastes like guacamole!

Yum yum yum!

Tea Eggs - I made these with Good Earth green tea bags, 2 cups of boiling water, and a 1/2 tbsp of low sodium soy sauce and they were delicious!

Irenic Salad
This is my go-to lunch when I'm short on time. It's filling, delicious, and healthy.
8 leaves romaine lettuce, broken into bite-sized pieces
1 hardboiled egg, sliced in half and then diced into little bits
4 grape tomatoes
2 stalks of celery, sliced in half lengthwise and then into bite sized slices across
1/8 cup edamame or fresh green peas (optional)

For dressings, you'll want to use something that isn't cream based. You won't need it. You can make a simple dressing by drizzling a tiny bit of olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar over the salad. Or you can make my personal favorite dressing.

Irenic Dressing
This dressing is easy to make and very tasty.  
1/4 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried basil
4 leaves fresh basil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
black pepper to taste

Take the olive oil and put it into a small skillet, heat it over medium high and throw the garlic into it until it browns and smells delicious, about 1-2 minutes. Pour the olive oil and garlic into a blender or food processor, then add all the other ingredients. Blend it all together. You can triple or quadruple this recipe and save the remainder in your fridge to use for the next couple days. :)

I hope you all enjoy this beautiful day! Happy Easter; have a peace.

A Satisfying April Fool's Day Meal

You know what to expect here, right? I mean... really. So here's a couple little tricks that you can play on your friends if you want. :)

Jello Juice 
Okay. This is the easiest "prank" ever.

1 package strawberry or lemon flavored Jello
miniscule amount of either strawberry or cranberry juice (for the strawberry) or lemonade (for the lemon)

Follow the package directions and then, instead of pouring the Jello into a mold or tin, pour it into a clear juice glass with just a tiny bit of juice poured in on top of it. Insert a drinking straw and put in the refrigerator to set. Then, when someone asks for something to drink, pull out the glass and watch them try to get that juice out. :) [If you're concerned about top texture, you can add a little more juice on top the jello before you serve it.]


Protein Cupcakes
This one could be really mean, so don't pull this on your veggie or vegan friends... Remember, April Fool's is about playful pranks and is not an excuse to be recklessly cruel to people.

"Cupcake":
2 lbs lean ground chuck
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

"Icing":
Either Velveeta or blue cheese, melted, and mixed with a cheerful food coloring. Spread liberally on top.

Set your oven to 350F. Place opaque muffin papers into a muffin tin.

Mix the "cupcake" ingredients together in a large bowl - if you have a food processor, blend them first. Then divide the "batter" into the muffin papers. Bake for about an hour, or until the meat reaches an internal temp of 160 degrees. Take out and allow to cool to room temp, then place in the fridge.

Next, make your icing. If you use the blue cheese, you'll want to blend it so that it's a smooth texture. I'd use something innocuous like pink or blue for the coloring so it's more innocent looking. Once it's nice and gooey, spread it liberally on top of the "cupcakes" and return to the fridge to cool again.

Serve with pride. :)

Chunky Chicken Chili

So, in the vein of delicious, easy meals in a bowl, I thought I'd offer up one of the easiest chilis I have ever made and thoroughly enjoyed. This is a high protein, low fat, energy boosting, quick-fix meal. Enjoy!

Chunky Chicken Chili
(makes ~6 servings)

2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1-2 lbs of chicken meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes (I use the Muir Glen brand, with green chiles for a little kick)
1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained
lime juice, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
milled sea salt, to taste

Heat the oil in the bottom of a stock pot and cook the onion and garlic until the onions are soft and the garlic is browned (about 3 minutes).

Add the chicken broth and the fire-roasted tomatoes; stir. Add the chicken and cook on medium high for 8-10 minutes, until chicken is cooked all the way through.

Next, add the beans and corn. Add lime juice (I used about 1 tbsp, but I'd recommend adding 1 tsp at a time until you're happy with the taste). Simmer for 5 minutes. Salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer for another five minutes and serve hot.

You'll want to use a slotted spoon to serve, so you can avoid the excess broth. I eat this plain in a bowl, but if you're looking for a more filling bowl, you can serve this over brown rice. Maybe with a little mexican cheese or sour cream. Nom nom nom. :)

To store, pour the chili through a colander to drain it and then put it in a sealed tupperware container. It will keep for about a week. Deliciously!

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Soup

I've been in a soupy mood for the past few days. I've also been in 'I don't want to go to the grocery' mode. These two feelings, in conjunction, culminated in me searching my fridge and pantry for anything that might make a suitable soup. I love the way that sounds... 'suitable soup'.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Soup
(5-8 servings)

1 box (~4 cups) Trader Joe's Garden Vegetable Patch Soup (could use plain tomato soup, or probably even V8)
~3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
~5 stems fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
5-10 button mushrooms, sliced in thirds
3 stalks celery, sliced small
1 can great northern beans, rinsed
1/4 cup diced red onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
freshly milled sea salt, to taste (*I used about 10 turns of my sea salt mill)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste (*I used about 7 turns of my black pepper grinder)

In a medium stock pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic to the bottom and saute for 4-6 minutes, until onions are soft and garlic is browned.

Add 4 cups of the soup base you've chosen and set the stove to medium heat. Allow the soup to come to a simmer.

Add the spinach and basil to the pot and stir well. Next take the celery and stir that in, followed by the cherry tomatoes and the mushrooms. Salt and pepper the soup and stir, scooping from the bottom, to make sure everything's well combined.

Finally stir in the great northern beans and then allow to simmer, unmolested, for 5-8 minutes. Stir a couple times and taste test to make sure you're happy with the seasoning of the soup. If you used more or less of any of the ingredients I did, you'll want to alter your salt and pepper usage accordingly. Also depending on what brand of soup base you use, it may already be salted or seasoned on its own. Check the label and make sure you're not oversalting.

When you're happy, remove from heat and ladle out. It comes out warm, filling, and delicious. Yum, yum! Enjoy!

Garlic-Sunflower Chicken, with a side of Garlic Roasted Veggies

Let it be said: poultry is awesome.

I was afraid of chicken for a long time, mostly because of my terrible fear of e-coli and death. The key to healthy poultry (which is, by the way, one of the best meats - ever - if cooked properly) is taking the time and care to be safe and clean. These rules apply to messing with any raw meat:

1) Clean your counters and your hands before unpacking the meat.

2) Make sure that your cutting board is clean.

3) If you can, use one specific cutting board for meat, or for each type of meat. There are some nice, inexpensive sets you can get from Williams-Sonoma and Bed, Bath, and Beyond that have little pictures on each cutting board, denoting whether it's for fish, chicken, beef, or vegetables.

Now. All that out of the way, here's another yummy chicken dish for your savoring pleasure.

Garlic-Sunflower Chicken
(3 servings)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp olive oil
Garlic-sunflower mix (Remember this? I made it for the bass dish. I still had a bunch leftover, in a sealed container in my fridge, so I used about a quarter of it here)
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
5-8 button mushrooms, sliced in threes
1 handful spinach, shredded with knife

[Garlic-Sunflower Mix: Now take 1 cup of sunflower seeds, 3 tsp salt, and 3 tsp garlic powder and blend together in a food processor until all powdery and delicious smelling.]

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Preheat a skillet over medium heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil.

Rub sunflower-garlic mix all over the chicken. When the skillet is hot, add the chicken and sear. Then turn it over and sear the other side.

Meanwhile, chop your veggies and mix them in a small bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil. Now, if you're using a baking dish, spread these olive oil mixed veggies over the bottom of your baking dish. I used my brand new La Creuset - happy sigh - but you can also use a baking sheet with lips if you're really stretched for tools.

When both sides of your chicken breasts are nice and scorched, remove the chicken to the rectangular baking dish and rest them on top of the veggies; next place the baking dish into the preheated oven (on a low rack) to cook through; this should take about 15 minutes.

When finished, plate your chicken and strew a little of the spinach/tomato/mushroom mix over top prettily. You can serve this with a side of veggies or brown rice.

Speaking of veggie sides... This is what I did and it was quite tasty. :)

Garlic Roasted Zucchini and Cauliflower
(3 main dish servings, 6 side dish servings)

1 zucchini, sliced into 1 inch slices, then halved
1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves roughly chopped garlic
1.5 tbsp jarred, pitted kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1 tbsp
~15 cherry tomatoes

Preset oven to 400 F.

Slice cauliflower into one inch slices and mix in a bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and pour the cauliflower out onto the baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, on the top rack.

Meanwhile, chop the zucchini into 1 inch pieces, then halved. Set aside.

Chop garlic, olives, and tomatoes.

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet you just used to sear the chicken, add the garlic and olives and olive juice. Saute for about 2 minutes.

Next, add the slices of zucchini. Stir.

Remove, the now roasted cauliflower from the oven and add it to the skillet. Stir until the cauliflower has a chance to soak up all the other flavors in the skillet - about 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and presto: veggies as a side.

You can also serve over pasta or brown rice as a main dish in it's own right.

Falstaffe Sauce

After three long, wonderful weeks up in Washington with my family, my long absent heartmate, and his family, I have finally returned back to Los Angeles. My first thought upon disembarking from the plane was 'wow, I don't need my coat down here'; the second, 'thank God - I'm only twenty minutes from my kitchen!'

In case you haven't seen it, my kitchen is, frankly, a wonderland. At least it is to me. Every tool and gadget is exactly where I expect it to be - because I put it there - and I know for a fact that everything I own is well within it's expiration date (don't ask). Now, having only recently arrived, I made do last night with a bowl of Trader Joe's Miso Soup and some popcorn that my friend Megan brought over. But today, I hit the store and let my stifled creativity loose on an old favorite. I used what I remembered of an old Emeril pasta sauce recipe and then added two of my favorite things. Broccoli and cauliflower. Broccli is good for you and delicious in any capacity, but especially when roasted. Cauliflower has this amazing capacity for creaminess when cooked just right - you can even use it as a replacement for mashed potatoes! But here, I use it to turn my homemade marinara into a decadent fake alfredo.

I call it Falstaffe sauce for two reasons. 1) Because Falstaffe (Sir John, from ol' Shake's Henry IV 1-2 and Merry Wives of Windsor) was aware that life is a charade and would probably appreciate the sneaky nature of this misleading recipe. And 2) because poor, portly Sir John wouldn't have been nearly so portly if he'd been eating this instead of butter and cream sauce. :)

Falstaffe Sauce

Broccoli and cauliflower, lovingly mixed in olive oil and balsamic, roasted and then blended with tomatoes and garlic to make a delicious, creamy pasta sauce.

1 head broccoli
1 head cauliflower
3 heads roasted garlic (or more if you like)
1 large red onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
.25 cup tomato paste
1.5 tsp salt
.25 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
.25 tsp italian seasoning
.25 tsp dried basil
2 cans whole italian tomatoes with juice (28 oz each)
Salt and pepper to taste.
1/2 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Prep- Wash and cut broccoli into 1 inch thick pieces. Wash and cut cauliflower into 1 inch thick pieces. Chop large red onion into 1x1 inch pieces (or smaller if you prefer). Open both cans of tomatoes and pour into a mixing bowl, juices and all, and crush (either with your hands or with a potato masher).

Roasted garlic: Peel the outer layers of garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the cloves intact. Cut off about 1/4 inch of the tops of the cloves, exposing the individual cloves. Place the garlic bulb in a baking pan. [If you're making a lot of these, then use a muffin pan. If not, then just toss them in a small bread pan or something similar.] Drizzle olive oil over each bulb and make sure it's well coated, then cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the bulbs feel soft when pressed. Take the pan out, and set it to the side. If you're serving folks, you might want to make a few extra bulbs and let people munch on the delicious roasted garlic as an appetizer. Just remember to save three of them for the recipe.

Broc and Caul: Mix cut broccoli in a bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Repeat for cauliflower. Use olive oil to coat a couple baking pans and use one pan for the broccoli and one for the cauliflower, trying to keep from making any puddles of olive oil on the pan. Put both pans in the 400 F oven for 20-30 minutes. [I like my veggies a little crispier so I tend to leave them in 10-15 minutes longer, but its up to you.]

Sauce base: While that's cooking, take out a large saucepan and saute the chopped red onion in olive oil over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes. Add 1 tbsp minced garlic and cook with the onion for another minute. Then add tomato paste, salt, balsamic vinegar (I love this stuff), crushed red pepper flakes, italian seasoning, and basil, and cook for a minute. Smell that. Awesome, right? Now add the tomatoes you prepped earlier, juice and all, and stir with all the other ingredients so they're all well combined. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Take out the broccoli and cauliflower when they're done and empty the entire cauliflower pan into a bowl along with the non-leafy broccoli parts. For this portion of the program, you're going to need a nifty thing called an immersion blender [if you don't have one, buy one - it's one of the most handy tools I own]. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can throw the aforementioned things into a food processor or blender, but you'll have more clean up than me. Blend all the cauliflower and the broccoli stems together. Serve the leafy parts of the roasted broccoli on top of the pasta, or mixed with the sauce, as a side dish, or stick them in a tupperware box and eat them later as a snack. Heck, eat them while you're cooking. They're delicious.

Back to the sauce. Add the roasted garlic cloves you made first to the simmering sauce and stir to combine. Simmer for another 30-40 minutes, or until you taste test and find all the flavors alert and marching on your tongue.

Now. Add the cauliflower/broccoli blended mixture and stir. See how that marinara just turned into a soft pink creamy looking sauce?

Serve over pasta (I use whole wheat spaghetti or vegetable rotini), and enjoy. :)

Note: This recipe makes about 1.5 quarts of sauce. You can also use it as a creamy pizza sauce or a topping for steamed or roasted vegetables.

African Spinach and Peanut Butter Stew - Kwanzaa dish

There is no specific menu for a Kwanzaa meal, but according to my research Kwanzaa means "first fruit", and an important symbol of the festival is Mazao (crops), so it seems one should strive to include a healthy selection of vegetables and fruits in their meal plan. The following recipe is one I've actually made a couple times because it's easy and delicious, and it's very similar to several that came up in my research.

African Spinach and Peanut Butter Stew

Ingredients:
2 medium onions (I prefer red, but I've used white ones before too)
410g canned tomato
2 lb spinach
4 tbsp peanut butter
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying (I use olive oil, but you can use whatever you prefer)

Directions:
Slice the onions and fry them in oil until soft. (You're going to want to do this either in a pot or a pan with high sides, because you're adding everything else into this.)
Slice the canned tomatoes and add them to the onions.
Wash, trim, and chop the spinach coarsely. (Don't skimp on the spinach. First, it shrinks when it's cooked; and second, it's your main veggie in this dish. If you're not a huge fan of spinach, you don't need to worry. You can hardly taste it in this dish.)
Add the spinach to the stew and cook, covered, over medium heat for five minutes, stirring to keep it from burning or sticking.
Thin the peanut butter with hot water (1 Tbsp at a time) until you've made a smooth paste; add that to the stew.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for another 5-10 minutes, stirring and adding water as necessary to prevent it getting too sticky or glutinous.

You can serve this stew over steamed rice, vegetables, mashed potatoes, polenta, quinoa, er.... anything you want to, really. If you want to add more vegetables to the stew itself, you're welcome to. Just make sure to keep your ratio of peanut butter and water right to keep that "stew" feeling.

Enjoy!