I'm eating the same food as my dog!

Yes, it's true, my dog and I are on the same diet. Surprised?

Two months ago my vet diagnosed my 10 year-old dog with severe back pain. Pepe, my Bichon Frise-Cockapoo mix started a course of steroids for the pain. Little did I know that the aspirin he had gotten the day before, combined with the steroids, would upset his stomach and result in a bleeding colon for five days.  After going through a series of emergency vet visits to get my dog stable, I decided I was going to try any natural healing methods I could find to help stabilize my dog's digestive system, so I visited my local holistic pet store.  

I explained to the storeowner all the issues going on and she suggested, "You should just feed him natural table food. It's much better than the dog food out there. It's much healthier for him."

Bing. A light went off in my head. Over the last year I have drifted off my very healthy diet. My schedule got busier and my diet slid downhill to a menu supplemented with frequent off-hour visits to fast food restaurants. I've been trying to get myself back on track and maybe this is exactly what I need... to eat what my dog eats. Yes, that's it!

To start, I knew Pepe would be eating a few blueberries a day. I had been told by our vet that blueberries would help get rid of the red discharge collecting under his eyes. So out comes the bag of wild frozen blueberries at dinnertime and it gets mixed in with his food. For me, a half-glass of bubbly seltzer with the frozen blueberries floating on top. Yum. Fizzy, chilly and I know it's good for me.

Since my new commitment to my dog's health, my shopping is now honed in on fresh green beans, carrots, zucchini, sweet potatoes and Idaho potatoes. My dog can eat endless amounts of cooked veggies. He loves everything! He likes more veggies than I do. So in this ironic role reversal, my dog is my Jenny Craig, my weight watchers buddy, my "personal consultant." I just look into his deep, dark eyes and think, "If it's good for you, it's good for me."

Baked Potatoes and Carrots

It's a spring Sunday and I'm feeling the need to have a lot of veggies for dinner. I was looking for a recipe that would help you prepare the perfect baked potato. I found this one on FoodNetwork.com. What I like about the recipe is that you coat the potatoes in oil before baking.

I used convection bake at 325 and I added carrots into the mix. The carrots cooked a little faster then the potatoes, so if you like them slightly al dente, I suggest removing them early. My oil of choice, olive oil. A dash of sea salt when ready. Yum. Healthy too.

Roasted Potato and Onion Soup from Leftovers

It's the day after Christmas and I'm staring at the left over roasted potatoes in my refrigerator. I had sliced them very thin and roasted them with red onions just the day before, but they never reheat and taste the same.

These Yukon Gold slicers are begging for a second life. Here's what I have to work with: 4 unbaked Yukon Golds medium size, 2 pints of half and half, left over chicken stock, 2.5 cups of roasted Yukon Gold potatoes and red onion (tossed with basil, garlic and olive oil when roasted).

Let's make soup.

4 Yukon Gold medium size potatoes
2 1/2 cups roasted Yukon Gold potatoes (roasted with red onion optional)
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 turns of black pepper from mill
1 teaspoon salt
1 small clove garlic minced
Adobo seasoning 1/2 teaspoon
Fresh basil and parsley to taste


Dice the remaining raw potatoes and boil in 4 cups of salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve three cups of liquid.

Using an immersion blender puree the boiled potatoes and 2 cups of cooking liquid.

Add 1 1/2 cups of roasted potato and onion and puree. Add additional cooking liquid as needed. Add puree to soup pot. Put pot on low heat.

Dice remainder of roasted potato and onion in 1/4 inch bite size pieces. Add to soup pot.

Add 1/2 cup of half and half and 1/2 cup of chicken stock or vegetable stock. Add garlic. Add Adobo seasoning, fresh parsley, basil or any herbs you prefer to taste. You can try a touch of cumin for a smokey taste.

*Add additional cooking liquid, stock or milk to get your desired consistency.

Whala! Yummy soup!

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Lately it seems whenever I open a vegetarian cookbook or turn on the Food Network, I'm seeing a recipe for roasted fingerling potatoes. When I spotted them in the market the other day I grabbed a container along with a container of beautiful Cipollini onions.

There's all kinds of recipes for roasting these things. You can roast them whole sprinkled with olive oil and sea salt. You can cut them up and toss them in herbs and spices. The possibilities are endless.

Here's a few ideas to get you started. Purchase a small container of fingerlings-- about 15 potatoes. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix together your favorite spices.

My ingredients:
Cumin
Paprika
Cayenne pepper
Fresh black pepper
Sea salt
Adobe seasoning
Garlic powder

You can choose to add more or less of the spices you like. You can also some fresh chopped parsley or basil.

Add about 1/4 cup of olive oil to the bowl and mix all the spices together. Set aside.

Cut your potatoes. You can roast these whole but I cut them into lengthwise sections, either 2-3 sections per potato. Toss potatoes in olive oil and spices until well coated. Place on baking sheet.

I also cut some Cipollini onions, tossed them in the mixture and added them to the baking sheet. Note: there is a special way to peel these onions. I didn't have the time to do it correctly, so I cut them into quarters and removed the outer skins.

Bake for 45 minutes to one hour at 350 degrees. Turn once after 30 minutes. Place under broiler for a few minutes for extra crispy skins.

Rapunzel's Soup Marathon- Three Soups, One Day

After a hectic week I hadn’t gotten to cook much and I’ve been experiencing a serious withdrawal from stove time. I made up for it yesterday—three soup in 2.5 hours! It really wasn’t as hard as I thought.

I laid out my three recipes and chopped all the veggies at once and divided them up per dish. I started the first soup and when it was ready to simmer, I turned on a new burner and started the second and so on.

The first soup I made was Ina Garten’s Ribollita. This Tuscan vegetable soup is a mixture of earthy vegetables including white beans, kale and Savoy cabbage. Tons of fiber and healthy ingredients. The soup ends with the integration of sour dough bread right into the pot to thicken it. I omitted the bread but sautéed a little pancetta in with my vegetables to add more flavor to the base. I also used half vegetable broth and half chicken brother, rather than entirely chicken broth. Here’s the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/ribollita-recipe/index.html.

The next soup I made is a hearty Beef Barley Stew with Spinach from The New Whole Grains Cookbook, by Robin Asbell (http://www.robinasbell.com/.) I used lean beef and hulled barley purchased at Whole Foods. (Barley is a great source of fiber.) It turned out great except I didn’t pick the right cut of beef. The recipe calls for tenderloin, but I used the tips they sell for stir fry. Still tasty but a bit tough. The only version of the recipe I could find online is from a TIDE site: http://tidefans.com/forums/recipe-forum/68583-filet-mignon-barley-stew-spinach.html


The third soup I made is from 100 Best Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles. The recipe is for Lentil Spinach Soup. Right at the top of the page it said, “If you like escarole, it’s excellent here.” Being a huge fan of the stuff that’s what I went for. I used the Traders Joes precooked lentils in my version. It was just easier for me that way. But the lentils they sell are very small, and may have worked better mixed with rice or other vegetables in a stew. Still the soup is absolutely delish. A base of vegetables and celery leaves gives it a really savory flavor. For this recipe, I started with a bit of pancetta and onion for the base. You can easily omit it but I think it adds some nice flavor. Here’s some information about the soup: http://www.foodsiteoftheday.com/100%20best%20vegetarian.htm

It’s important to let your soups cool to room temperature before storing them. I packed all my soups into reusable containers. They first go into the refrigerator overnight and then to the freezer the next day.

Minestrone Soup

This recipe is my variation of a recipe I found in the Williams-Sonoma Appetizer book.

It's a delicious, hearty minestrone soup. My recipe includes many changes to give this soup more of an earthy, rich flavor. It's winter now and fresh tomatoes are out of season and I hate those flat tasting ones that are in the stores right now. Instead I found fire-roasted diced canned tomatoes at whole foods that are organic too. These tomatoes added a nice smoky flavor to the stock.

This soup does include one cup of diced pancetta and low sodium chicken stock. If you are vegetarian you can skip the meat and use water or vegetable broth for your base. If you leave out the stock all together, you may want to add some extra herbs from this recipe or your own choice to further enhance the flavor. I also recommend you allow the soup to simmer longer. That will give it time to develop it's own rich broth. I also added red pepper flakes, garlic, basil and parsley because I like my soup stock to have a nice, fresh flavor and smell.

Ingredients
1 can of small white beans (northern beans or cannellini beans)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions diced 1/4 inch size (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup of diced pancetta (diced to tiny pieces 1/8 inch)
3 carrots, peeled and diced 1/4 inch
2 celery stalks, diced to 1/4 inch
2 cans (1 lb) fire roasted diced tomatoes (I purchased the organic ones from whole foods)
3 cups chicken broth, low sodium
3 cups filtered water
1 1/2 - 2 cups russet potatoes, diced 1/4 inch
1/2 cup fresh green beans, trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups Swiss chard, chopped
1/4 cup basil sliced
2 gloves garlic minced
fresh chopped parsley
red pepper flakes (optional)
salt to taste
pepper to taste

In a large stock or soup pot heat olive oil. I like to add a fresh dashes of red pepper flakes and let them begin to sizzle, to give the oil a little flavor, but you can omit it if you like. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook until garlic is slightly golden. be careful not to over cook. Add pancetta and stir until warm and integrated. Add celery, carrots and potatoes and stir. Cook until they just begin to soften. Add 1 and 1/2 can of tomatoes and liquid. (You can save the remainder of the tomatoes for a salsa or other dish or use only one can if you prefer.) Add broth and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.

Drain white beans in a colander rinsing off liquid from can. Split bean in half. In a food processor or with a potato masher, mash beans into a puree.

Add the white beans, puree, green beans, parsley and basil to the pot. Let cook for another 5-10 minutes or until potatoes are nicely done. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Servings: 8

Spicy Asian Vegetables

I whipped this up tonight with dinner. Hot and spicy Asian flavors complement the texture and crunch of the veggies.

Ingredients
2 medium carrots, sliced Julienne style
1 red pepper, sliced Julienne
3 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup ginger sliced very tiny and thin, Julienne style
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste
1-2 dashes red pepper flakes.

In a small skillet toast sesame seeds over medium heat. I knew mine were starting to cook when they began popping. This was a bit of a surprise. I did a bit of research and it is recommended you cover your pan with a mess screen. You want the seeds to turn a slight gold brown or caramel color and then you know they are done. Watch carefully because they brown really fast!

In a large skillet or a wok, heat olive oil. Add a few dashes of red pepper flakes depending on how hot you like it. Let the flakes cook at bit -- you will know the time is right when you start to smell the pepper. Add carrots and red peppers. Stir fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes. You want the veggies to change color but to still have their crunch, so lean more towards cooking less. This also helps preserve all the nutrients you can lose when over cooking. Add scallions and ginger. Reduce heat and stir. Let this cook for about two minutes until flavors become integrated. Add sesame oil and stir. Add curry paste and stir. Remove from heat and spoon into serving dish. Sprinkle top with sesame seeds.

Servings: 4

Ina Garten's Roasted Tomatoes

This roasted tomato recipe can be found in Ina Garten's cookbooks and also at FoodNetwork.com. It is so simple to make and completely healthy too!

Note: Roasting the tomatoes does create some smoke in the oven, so be sure to have your kitchen fan on high or have some good ventilation. You could even do these on the grill in the summer.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-tomatoes-recipe/index.html

Spring Risotto

My friend Pam gave me the most beautiful cookbook for the holidays. It’s Lorenza De’Medici’s “Tuscany The Beautiful Cookbook”. This over sized book is filled with vivid photos and authentic recipes from all the provinces of Tuscany. Sunday night, my husband and I made Risotto All’Erbe (Risotto with Spring Greens). For this risotto you can use any spring greens available like swiss chard, spinach, chicory or arugula.

I cut the original recipe in half which made 6 good size servings. I also made a few substitutions based on what I had in my refrig and pantry.

Ingredients
4 cups of organic chicken stock
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ medium yellow onion finely chopped
1 pound of Swiss chard, with large stalk sections removed and chopped
1-1/2 cup of Arborio rice
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

This recipe is fairly easy to make. Heat up your stock in a small sauce pan and keep it at a simmer just below boiling.

In a separate large sauce pot or pan, heat up the oil and cook the onion and Swiss chard until the onion is slightly translucent. Add the rice and stir for a few minutes. You will see the rice turn slightly translucent as it begins to absorb the flavors of the onion and Swiss chard. Add one ladle of stock to the rice and stir. Once liquid is absorbed add another ladle and stir. Continue doing this until you have used all the stock or until the rice is fully cooked. It takes about 15-20 minutes. The last step is to stir in the cheese and add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

When I reheated this the next day, I simply added some stock to the rice and repeated the same process.

Potato and Leek Soup

I have a leek I’ve been courting. Yes, it’s been sitting in my refrigerator for about four days now. When I open the door I admire how perfect it is in color and texture and I’ve been asking myself, “When are you actually going to cook it?” Tonight I decided to step into uncharted waters. Yes, that mysterious world of the leek. I took a whiff of that oniony stalk and decided it must go to into a soup… my very own, first time ever created potato and leek soup! But could I do this picture perfect leek justice?

To start, I researched a bunch of recipes online and chose the ingredients I wanted in my soup. This was a really fun exercise to do. Once I decided on the basics of my recipe, I just went from there.

Here’s my version of potato and leek soup. Mine isn’t the fancy, pureed version you’ll find at a restaurant. It’s more rustic and less creamy in consistency. I did use a cup of heavy cream which you can omit to cut down on fat and this soup will still be super delicious without it. Really.

Ingredients
2 shallots diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or frozen cubes
1 leek sliced into rings
4 large russet potatoes, diced
4 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup of filtered water
½ cup yellow onion diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Fresh ground pepper
Sea salt to taste

Heat olive oil and butter in a stock pot or Dutch oven. Add leeks, onion, shallots, celery and salt and pepper. Cook until very vegetables are soft. Add garlic, and cook for another minute.
Add vegetable broth, water, parsley and potatoes. Bring mixture to a slow boil and then reduce to simmer. Cook until potatoes are very soft. Use a slotted spoon or pasta spoon with teeth to slightly break up potatoes. Do this until potatoes are in small piece and broth becomes creamier. Add one cup of heavy cream and stir. Turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

6 servings

Potato, Leek & Tomato Bake

This is an incredibly delicious, completely low fat dish. I was very surprised at how yummy it turned out. The recipe is from: Complete No Fat Low Fat Cookbook, published by Hermes House.

I also found it online at plaincook.com, and it's the exact recipe published in the cookbook.

http://www.plaincook.com/tomato-leek-and-potato-bake-Recipe-2007-05-07

Notes: I added some basil and garlic to the stock. I also sprinkled my layers with parsley and a little Parmesan cheese.

Rustic Pasta Sauce

This sauce is simple, easy to make and it's good for you too.

Ingredients3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
I teaspoon red pepper flakes
I red pepper
1 medium size yellow onion
¾ cup kalmata olives
2 cans stewed tomatoes (14.5 oz)
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 ½ cup arugula
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste (I used about 1 teaspoon)

Chop ½ of a medium yellow onion into one inch pieces. Slice one red pepper into thin julienne style slices about 1-2 inches in length.

In a large sauce pan heat three tablespoons. Add red pepper flakes and cook for one minute or until you can smell the pepper. Add the onion, tomatoes and red pepper and cook until the onion becomes slightly translucent. Add one can of stewed tomatoes with liquid. Drain the liquid from the second can before adding. Bring to a low boil. Add olives, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook sauce for about five minutes on a low boil to evaporate some liquid. Add grated cheese and stir. Let cook for a few minutes. Cheese will absorb some of the liquid and you want it to melt into the sauce. Add arugula and stir to incorporate—this will wilt.

Remove sauce from heat. You should still have some liquid in this sauce.

Prepare one pound of pasta. I recommend penne for this dish. Just before pasta is done and is still slightly hard, scoop the noodles from the pot with a slotted spoon and add directly to the sauce. Heat up sauce and cook the pasta until al dente. Serve with grated cheese on top.

Serves 4-6

Notes:I used the stewed tomatoes (full of lycopene) with onion, celery and green pepper. Be sure not to over cook the onions and red peppers. They should still have a slight crunch to them when the sauce is completed.

PENNE, TOMATO, RED PEPPER AND OLIVE CASSEROLE

The snow is falling very heavy outside. We are expected to get about 10 inches by the end of the day. My hubby decided to work from home to avoid the hazardous commute. Since it's a special occasion having him here, I decided to make us something comforting for lunch. In the refrig I found grape tomatos, red peppers and olive tapenade. In my house we have an endless supply of pasta and the penne boxes are stacked so high you can barely get in the pantry!

This dish is a casserole, but it can work just as well if you want to skip the whole "baking the in oven" part. You can also substitute pastas or skip the greens if you don't have them on hand.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound penne
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup olive tapenade spread (Trader Joes brand)
1 red pepper
¾ arugula
½ cup fresh chopped basil
½ cup fresh chopped parsley
1 glove garlic (or 1 frozen garlic cube)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup fresh mozzarella cubed (small pieces)

Heat water for pasta with salt.

Slice tomatoes in half and gently squeeze out seeds into a bowl to discard. Slice red pepper length wise. Slice into very thin strips about 2-3 inches long. Finely slice garlic or use the cubed frozen garlic which incorporates nicely into dishes.

Cut fresh mozzarella into small cubes.

Preheat oven to 425.

Cook penne just until it begins to soften. Noodles should still be slightly hard. Drain pasta. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

In large saucepan add olive oil and heat. Add garlic and stir for about one minute until garlic is incorporated into oil. Add tomatoes and red pepper. Saute over high heat until slightly soft.
Turn off heat. Stir in tapenade.

When pasta is done remove directly from the water with a slotted spoon into the pan. Stir as you add pasta. If you need more liquid add a bit of pasta water or a bit move olive oil. Add arugula and stir. It should begin to wilt from the heat of the pasta.

Grease a 9 or 10 inch baking dish or casserole dish with butter or non-stick spray. Cover the bottom of the dish with a layer of the pasta mixture. Sprinkled half of the mozzarella cheese over the pasta. Add another layer of pasta and repeat. Add remaining pasta as a top layer and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 or until cheese browns on top and mozzarella is melted inside casserole. Remove from oven. Allow to cool slightly, then serve.


Servings: 4

Get Stuffed on Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini

Made with red peppers, kalmata olives, tomatoes, bread crumbs and cheese

My husband Rich and I had the most delicious stuffed zucchini at La Cabusa in Fairlawn, New Jersey. It was filled with sausage and bread crumbs and topped with tomato sauce. I've been wanted to try this at home, but a healthier version.

I had two inspirations... the dish at the restaurant and this recipe I found online: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/print?id=32080)

The stuffed zucchini I made is filled with red peppers. kalmata olives, tomatos, home made bread crumbs and cheese. It's so yummy you won't be disappointed and you won't miss the meat!

INGREDIENTS

2 large zucchini
1 cup red pepper, diced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup grape tomatoes
¼ cup chopped roasted red peppers
½ cup bread crumbs (you can add more if you need to absorb more liquid)
salt and pepper
1 medium onion minced
2 cloves garlic
½ cup roasted red pepper, chopped
½ cup chopped kalmata olives
½ cup chopped parsley
½ cup bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh mozzarella cheese- about 6 slices

Wash zucchini, and put in a pot of cold water (do not remove ends).

Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes, maybe a little longer depending on the size of your zucchini.

Heat olive oil in a fairly large skillet. Add red pepper flakes and cook briefly until smell comes out.

Sautee onions and red pepper.

Slice tomatoes in half and gently squeeze out juice. Add to skillet.

Remove pits from Kalmata olives and rough chop. Add to skillet. Heat through. Remove from heat. Add bread crumbs and parsley and stir. Add cheese and stir. Set aside.

When the zucchini are cooked through remove them from water and allow to cool. Slice zucchini lengthwise and scoop out center creating a boat shape. Fill the zucchini boats with the stuffing and top each with small slices of mozzarella cheese.

Bake in a 375º oven for 20-30 minutes, until heated through, and cheese begins to bubble and brown. Serve hot.

Servings: 4-6

Recipe that inspired this one can be found at: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/print?id=32080

Low-Cal Pita Pizza So Good!

I found a pita pizza recipe years ago on the Weight Watchers site. Since then I’ve made these crisp, mini pizzas every way you could image. Here’s what I created tonight.

Sauce:
Ingredients
1 can tomato paste 6 oz.
1 clove garlic finely minced
¼ cup chopped basil or two frozen cubes basil (you could mix in pesto instead if you have it)
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons water
In a small bowl mix together tomato paste, garlic, basil, salt and pepper to taste. Add water and stir.

Pizza:
Ingredients
½ cup of grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon of olive oil
½ cup kalmata or your favorite olives rough chopped
Fresh parsley
1/2 large ball of fresh mozzarella
1-- 4 pack of pitas (bread is your choice, regular, whole wheat, whole grain)

Pre-heat oven to 475.

Slice tomatoes in half and squeeze slightly to remove liquid and loose seeds. Remove pits from olives and roughly chop. Heat olive oil in a small sauce pan on medium high heat. Add tomatoes and sauté. Cook until heated through and skins begin to wrinkle. Add olives and reduce heat. Warm olives and then set mixture aside.

Open each pita along the sides so it becomes two flat, round pitas. Lay pitas out on cookie sheets with the outside on the bottom. Spray each pita with a mist of olive oil. If you don't have a mister you can brush or spoon a little olive oil on each pita. Spread a very thin layer of tomato sauce over each pita.

Slice mozzarella and put a good amount over each pita, covering about 70% of it. Add topping of tomatoes and olives to each pizza. Snip parsley on top.

Bake for 5 minutes or until pitas are golden brown and cheese is melted.

My Notes:
-These pizzas are designed to be low-cal, so I tend to skimp on the cheese and toppings, but you can add as much as you like.

-I like a thick sauce-- almost like a coating that bakes over the bottom of the pita bread. You can add more water to get more of a sauce consistency.

-My sauce is tart. I don't add any sugar to the tomato paste, but you could sweeten it up by adding a little in there.

-The fresh mozzarella gives this pizza a very sweet flavor against the tartness of the olives. Great combo!


Here's the link to the Weight Watchers recipe: http://www.recipezaar.com/Weight-Watchers-Pita-Pizza-230254

PENNE, TOMATO AND OLIVE CASSEROLE

Our friend Vito stopped by today to help us with some projects around the house. I put this together for the boys and they ate the whole thing! (Well, I had my fair share too!)

Ingredients
1 pound penne
1 container grape or cherry tomatoes (about 1-1/2 cups)
½ cup kalmata olives (rough chopped)
½ cup fresh chopped basil
½ cup fresh chopped parsley
1 glove garlic minced (I prefer the frozen garlic cubes)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup slice mozzarella

Heat water for pasta. Slice tomatoes in half and gently squeeze out seeds into a bowl to discard. Remove pits from olives and rough chop. Rough chop basil and parsley. Finely mince garlic or use the cubed frozen garlic which incorporates nicely into dishes.

Preheat oven to 400.

Cook penne just until it begins to soften. Noodles should still be slightly hard. Drain pasta. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water.

In large saucepan add olive oil and heat. Add a sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes and let them heat up. Add tomatoes and garlic and stir. Add olives, stir. Add basil and parsley and incorporate. Add penne into pot and add about ½ to 1 cup of pasta water. Heat up mixture so pasta continues to cook, but only al dente. Add more water as needed.

Grease a 9 inch baking dish or casserole dish with butter or non-stick spray. Add pasta. Sprinkled mozzarella cheese and grated cheese over top.

Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese browns on top. Remove from oven. Allow to cool slightly, then serve.

This recipe is Vito tested and approved!

Servings: Two hungry guys and one hungry girl.

Thanksgiving Day Vegetable Soup

We’re eating with my husband’s family today and being Italian they don’t make a traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner. Usually it’s an endless spread of appetizers, soup and then meat and potatoes. I decided since I was going to indulge in Italian meats, rich appetizers and desserts all day, I should make myself something healthy to eat for the days to follow. I grabbed all the veggies in my refrigerator this morning and put this soup together.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 small russet or yellow potatoes diced
2 large carrots diced
½ medium red onion diced (about ¾ cup)
3 stalks of celery diced (use one inner stalk (s) and leaves and two large exterior stalks)
3 cloves garlic minced
½ flat leaf parsley- rough chopped
2 cups of escarole sliced thin
Fresh ground pepper
1-1/2 teaspoon sea salt (add more for taste as needed)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Low Sodium chicken stock (free range/organic) 32 oz.
Grated Parmesan cheese

In a Dutch oven (Le Cruset 5-1/2 qt. round), add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons of butter. On low heat melt butter, and then add potatoes. Stir so they are well coated and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add carrots, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add diced celery and diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. You want to get all these veggies roasting in the oil and butter. If they stick to the pot, that’s good, just scrape them away with a wooden spoon. All that roasted stuff on the bottom of the pan will add great flavor to the soup.

Add minced garlic and stir. Add ½ cup parsley rough chopped, and stir. Add 5 turns of fresh ground pepper, cumin and sea salt and stir. Add chicken stock and escarole. Stir and loosen and incorporate any of the browned coating from bottom of pan. Bring soup to a low boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

After letting soup simmer, give it a taste. Add more salt as needed. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

*Add additional water or broth if you want more liquid.
*This recipe adds very little salt to start. Adjust salt to taste or dietary requirements.
*Omit butter to reduce fat content.

Servings: 4-6

Tips: Save the ends of your Parmesan cheese. Add a rind to your soup before simmering. The cheese will melt and add a nice nutty flavor to the soup.

Stock- Trader Joes makes a low sodium, organic chicken stock

Comforting Soup (Vegetable)

Hearty, warm and delicious. .. this soup is great for cold weather or a Sunday night when you just want to chill and snuggle-up on the couch with something comforting.


Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion diced- approx. 1 cup
1 ½ cup diced carrots
1 ¼ cup celery diced (add leaves and some stalk from inner plant)
1 ¼ cup diced zucchini
3-4 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
1 can stewed tomatoes (14.5 oz)
1 can white kidney beans or navy beans (15 oz)
4 cups organic free range chicken broth (32 oz)
1 cup chopped escarole
½ cup flat leaf parsley
Fresh ground pepper
Sea salt
Chopped basil- optional

Heat oil in large dutch oven. Over medium heat, cooks carrots, zucchini, celery and onions until slightly brown. Add garlic and stir. Add stewed tomatoes and beans. Let mixture cook together over low heat. Add chicken stock and stir. Rough chop parsley and add. Add 8 turns of fresh ground pepper. Add about a teaspoon of sea salt. (Adjust salt to your personal taste.) I like to add fresh basil or one or two of the little frozen basil cubes you can get at the grocery store. Simmer for one hour.

I like my soup thick, like a stew, but you can add more water or chicken stock if needed.

Couscous and Mediterranean Veggie Medley

My hubby asked about this dish tonight, which means he really liked it. I needed to quickly add a veggie dish to our meal tonight and whipped this up. It turned out yummy.



Ingredients
1 box pre-packed couscous
1/2 cup large grape tomatoes
1/2 cups frozen haricot vert (small think green beans)
1/4 cup large Kalmata olives
2 tablespoons extra virgin oil olive
1 clove garlic
red pepper flakes
sea salt (ground)
Fresh ground pepper

Prepare couscous according to box directions. I chose the kind with garlic and pine nuts. But you could toast your own pine nuts and add it yourself.

Slice grape tomotos in half and set aside. Remove pits from olives and rough chop. Finely chop garlic. In small pot heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. When hot add red pepper flakes and let cook until you begin to smell the pepper. Add tomatoes and green beans. Heat up on high heat, until beans are thawed and crisp. Add garlic and olives. Keep mixture cooking and stir until garlic is distributed thoroughout. Reduce heat and let some of the liquid evaporate. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Stir.

When liquid has thickened a little remove from heat.

Spoon a large serving of couscous onto each plate and then add the veggie mix to the side of it. It's a delicious combo.

Servings: 2

Mount Kilimanjaro and Ginger Tea

This morning as I drank my coffee I watched Ann Curry on the Today show report on how she is adjusting to altitude and preparing to complete her climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. She was at 15,300 feet and sounded much better than the day before when she was fighting altitude sickness.

Back in 1997, I made the same struggle up that mountain. No matter how much training you do (I ran 4-6 miles every other day for 6 months, and it sucked!), no matter how many herbal supplements and aspirin you take, you have no idea how you body will handle the climb until you get there.

At 16,000 feet making our final ascent I was as sick as a dog and suffering from the beginning stages of frost bite. My friend Bridgette climbed along seemingly unaffected. Then at 18,000 I got my burst of energy while she was puking her guts out.

What did keep me going on our 6 day trek, as we climbed higher and higher from camp to camp, was ginger tea. Yes, simple, homemade ginger tea. Every day our guides made it for us. We even packed it into thermoses and carried up the mountain with us, stopping to sip on it and nibble crackers to fight off nausea. There's something about ginger that's warm and comforting. It helps fight nausea and it gives me a little boost of energy too.

Here's how to make it.

Fresh ginger

Lemon

Honey

Hot water

Grate or chop up as much ginger as you want to use. More to make your tea stronger, less for a mild taste. Bring a pot or kettle of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add ginger. Let this steep for at least 10 minutes. Pour into a mug and add a little lemon and honey.

So Ann, my advice to you... get your Sherpas to beg, borrow or steal some ginger and get that tea brewin'.