Parmesan Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Here is an easy preparation for brussel sprouts that go well with roast meats, turkey, pork, or chicken.

2 pounds brussel sprouts
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
olive oil

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Halve the brussel sprouts and place them on the lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of olive oil, the thyme leaves, cheese, salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.  Place in hot oven for 20-25 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking.  Serve with more parmesan cheese, if desired.

Vegetable Minestrone

This minestrone soup is hearty and delicious.  It is chuck full of vegetables and keeps well for a quick meal anytime.  I have found that by storing the pasta separately it will keep it from absorbing extra liquid, making your soup taste fresher for longer.

Vegetable Minestrone Soup

2 T olive oil
1 T bacon fat (optional)
1 large onion, diced
2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
26 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 large zucchini, cubed
8 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
1 can cannellini beans
2 cups elbow pasta, cooked
grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil (and bacon fat, if using) in a large pot or dutch oven and add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme.  Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften.  Using your hands, crush the tomatoes as you add them to the pot.  Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, a tablespoon of salt, a teaspoon of pepper and simmer for 30-40 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf and add the beans and zucchini.  Simmer an additional 10 minutes or until zucchini is cooked to your liking.  Taste and re-season, if necessary and remove bay leaf.  Add a large spoonful of pasta to the bottom of each bowl and ladle soup over as you serve it.  Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese (not pictured).

Sometimes I add a chunk of parmesan cheese rind with the broth and allow it to simmer with the vegetables.   I remove it at the same time as the bay leaf.  I find that it gives the soup an added layer of flavor.

Country Apple and Vegetable Stuffing

This is a great everyday stuffing that goes well with pork, turkey, or roast chicken.  It gets a big hit of flavor from the sautéed veggies and Granny Smith apple mixed in with the bread cubes.  It also makes the perfect amount for a weeknight meal and can be prepped the day before and baked off with the main entree.

Country Apple and Vegetable Stuffing
7 slices white bread, cubed
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1 egg
1 cup chicken broth
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread cubed bread on a sheet pan and bake until lightly brown.  Remove from oven and let cool.  In a saute pan heat butter and olive oil and then add onion, celery, carrot, and apple.  Season with salt and pepper.   Saute for 8-10 minutes over medium heat or until vegetables soften and apple breaks down.  Add thyme and poultry seasoning.  Mix thoroughly and remove from heat.  In a bowl combine bread cubes and vegetable mixture.  In another small bowl whisk together the egg and chicken broth and then pour oven bread cubes.  Mix to combine.  Pour into prepared baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Vegetable Quiche with a Rosemary Crust

I've been on a mission the past few months to come up with some new items to enjoy for breakfast. The kids really enjoy muffins, pancakes, waffles, and other bready breakfast items, but I need food that has more fuel and staying power than that.  So, I've been trying to make a few things that I can have in the fridge to grab for my own breakfast while still giving them the options that they enjoy.  I recently made this quiche for dinner and then I had the leftovers for breakfast the next two days in a row.  It was yummy and satisfying and I wasn't required to do any additional work to feed myself a healthy breakfast during those busy weekday mornings.

Vegetable Quiche
for the rosemary crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 cus plus 2 T vegetable shortening
1 T fresh chopped rosemary
1 egg
3-5 T ice cold water
1/2 T white vinegar

Stir the flour and salt together and then cut the vegetable shortening in with a pastry cutter until mixture looks like coarse meal.  Add rosemary.  In a separate bowl beat the egg with 3 T water and vinegar until it comes together.  Add half of the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork adding more water as necessary until it comes together and just starts to form a ball.
Lightly dust your work surface with water and turn dough out onto surface and form it into a ball and lightly knead until it just looks incorporated.  Form into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.

for the filling:
1 T butter
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
4 oz spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 parmesan cheese, plus 1 T for top
1/2 cup jack or cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Melt butter in a medium saute pan and add the onion and cook until it begins to soften.  Add garlic, red pepper, and seasonings and cook an additional 5 minutes.  Add spinach and cook until spinach wilts...remove from heat and allow to cool.  In a medium bowl beat the eggs, milk, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper.  Add cooled vegetable mixture and cherry tomatoes.

To assemble:
Roll out dough and line a 9-inch pie pan, prick crust with a fork.  Bake at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes or until slightly brown.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees.  Add egg mixture to crust and bake for 45 minutes or until center is set and knife comes out clean when inserted.  Remove from oven, sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Crustless Quiche

On nights where we are gone for soccer practices or games I need to have something prepped and ready to eat the moment we come home so that we can avoid stopping somewhere on the way or snacking on things because we are too famished to wait for dinner.  Many nights I will have soups, stews, crock pot meals, quesadillas, or grilled sandwiches ready to go at a moments notice.  The other day I looked in the fridge and saw that I was running low on everything...so I threw this quiche together and was delighted that it turned out so great.  You really can't go wrong with additions to the egg base...bacon, ham, peppers, cooked onions or leeks, mushrooms, and more would be great flavors to add in.  It is a great way to use up lots of bits that are leftover from meals you made throughout the week.

Crustless Quiche

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup spinach

1/2 cup cooked protein - I had leftover cooked turkey meatballs

10 cheery tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup broccoli florets

1/2 cup cauliflower florets

2 T chives

1/2-1 cup shredded cheese

salt and pepper

Mix everything in a bowl and pour into a prepared glass pie pan.   Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until egg mixture is set and most of the moisture is gone from the bottom on the pan.  Serve with a salad and a toasted bagel, pita, or hearty bread.

Healthy Vegetable Hash

This hash is perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. It is so hearty and full of vegetables that you will be left feeling full and satisfied all day. You could add some ham, chicken or corned beef to it and this would make for a good dinner too.

Vegetable Hash with a Poached Egg
serves 3-4

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
4-6 small yukon gold potatoes, washed and quartered
1 red bell pepper, large dice
1 small onion, large dice
1/2 pound brussel sprouts, halved or quartered-depends on their size
4 eggs, poached
1-2 T butter
salt and pepper
Steam the sweet potato and yukon gold potatoes until fork tender, 8-10 mins. Heat a sauté pan and add 1/4 cup water, red pepper, onion, and brussel sprouts. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender but still have a bit of a bite. Uncover and add potato mixture to sauté pan, season and add butter. Thoroughly mix.

Serve with a poached egg on top. A piece of toast and a sprinkle of chives or green onion would also make tasty additions.

Beef Lo Mein

The other day I had a few minutes to kill and decided to swing through the asian grocery store that was nearby. I thought I might pick up a few supplies for my son's bento box and thought it would be fun to browse as well. I did in fact find a few cute things for his lunch and I also picked up a pair of beginner chopsticks. On my way out I also grabbed up a couple boxes of lo mein noodles to take home.
Even though I didn't have a plan, I ended up having everything I needed for a quick and tasty beef lo mein. This dish is great because you can use whatever combination of veggies you have and it will taste great.
The kids loved having a chance to use the chopsticks we had picked up and they gobbled up their entire dinner. My son had three helpings...he was a fan of this dish. I will be adding it to the rotation! Beef Lo Mein
8 oz chuck roast, sliced thinly
1 small onion sliced, julienned
1 small zucchini, julienned
1 small summer squash, julienned
2 carrots, sliced
2 cups cabbage, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
sesame oil
1 T sugar
2 t cornstarch

Cook lo mein noodles according to directions. While noodles are cooking, heat large frying pan on med high and add a tablespoon of vegetable or peanut oil. Season beef with salt and pepper and add to hot oil. Fry until just cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. Add all remaining vegetables to hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until desired doneness. Add beef and cooked noodles to hot pan. Stir soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch together. Pour over noodles. Stir and cook until everything is coated in sauce. Add about a teaspoon of sesame oil to finish dish, add more soy sauce and/or sesame oil to taste.

Roasted Veggie Flatbread with Ricotta and Pine Nuts

This flatbread is really delicious and many of the elements can be made ahead of time making assembly a snap later on. I made fresh pesto earlier in the day, freezing some for easy pasta dinners later on, and I used the leftover pesto for this fresh flatbread. I also roasted the veggies ahead of time which left very little to clean up once dinner was over. You could do the veggies a few days ahead and, if you're like me, you'd do extra and use some for an omelet or inside a sandwich on another day. I always like to make things that can be used in multiple ways.

Roasted Veggie Flatbread with Ricotta and Pine Nuts

Use this recipe for the pesto.

Use your favorite pizza dough recipe or this recipe which is really good.

Roast your favorite vegetables with olive oil, salt, and pepper at 400 degrees until tender (This takes about 30 minutes.) I used 1 red onion, 1 red pepper, and a yellow squash today. Zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, green peppers, and mushrooms are also really good on this pizza.

pizza dough

2 T pesto

1 cup roasted veggies

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Shape your dough into rectangles about 6 inches wide by 15-18 inches long. I usually dust the counter with a little cornmeal mixed with a little flour. This gives the dough a nice texture on the bottom. Spread a tablespoon or two on the dough. Spread veggie mixture on top of the pesto. Toast 1/4 cup of pine nuts and sprinkle on top of the veggies. Add a few dollops of ricotta cheese on the pizza and finish with a handful of mozzarella cheese. Place in a 500 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.

Orzo with Roasted Veggies and Feta

This recipe is loosely based on one I found in a health guide that came with some workout videos. I actually really like it and would enjoy it regardless of the calorie count. It is pretty simple and there is no sauce for the pasta, a splash of balsamic vinegar and the feta work to bring the dish together. We enjoyed it with some whole grain orzo from Whole Foods, which I highly recommend.

Orzo with Roasted Veggies and Feta

1/2 pound whole grain orzo

1 zucchini

1 red onion

1 medium red pepper

1 medium green pepper

(mushrooms, fresh diced tomato, and cauliflower work well too)

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 cup feta cheese

olive oil

1 T balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. All of the vegetables work best if they are chopped and left rather large since they will shrink as they cook. Place on a foil-lined tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat and roast vegetables for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Add roasted vegetables and balsamic vinegar. Toss to coat. Crumble feta on top of warm pasta and serve.

Appetizing Dinner

The other night I felt like grazing...no heavy meal needed. We had gone out to lunch, so I wanted something light and easy for dinner. I made shrimp scampi for my some, a variety plate for my daughter with all her favorites, and crostini and a ratatouille-type dish for my husband and myself. It was different and fun. Everyone was happy and it wasn't much work.

Ratatouille with a Baked Egg
I only made two small portions, but this could easily be doubled or tripled.

Large dice:
1/2 zucchini
1/2 red onion
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
1 large tomato
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
salt
pepper
1 tsp chopped rosemary
2 eggs
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread all vegetables out on tray. Drizzle with olive oil and seaaon with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Roast for 25 minutes. Place half of the vegetables in each greased ramekin. Make a depression in the middle of each ramekin. Crack one egg in each dish. Bake for an additional 12 minutes or until egg is set. Serve with toasted baguette.

Valentine's Dinner - Vegetable Crostini

We had a wonderful Valentine's Dinner tonight. I ended up making this tasty grilled vegetable crostini for our appetizer and then we had a wonderful Sea Bass for our main course. Tonight I wanted to tell you about this appetizer and I'll post the Sea Bass recipe another time. The crostini was scrumptious...it took a few steps, but it was worth it. The grilled bread was so crunchy and delicious and a great backdrop for the tender, slightly sweet, grilled veggies. I really like the idea of this also, since you do all the work ahead of time and then let it marinate at the end. That means you can work on something else and not worry about your appetizer until just before serving. It worked out great. We'll be having this again.

Grilled Veggie Crostini

adapted from "Simple Pleasures" by Alfred Portale

1 red pepper

1 Japanese eggplant (you could substitute zucchini or regular eggplant if necessary)

1 large red onion

1/4 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic

salt and pepper

2 t red wine vinegar

1 t dried oregano

2 basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade

8 ounces fresh bufala mozzarella (much creamier than normal mozzarella)

ciabatta bread (sliced 1/2 inch thick)

Drizzle red pepper with olive oil and place under broiler until blackened all around. Take out of oven and place in a paper bag for 5 minutes. Take pepper out of bag, peel outer skin off, take seeds out, and slice into 5-6 long sections. While that is happening, slice onion into 5-6 thick slices and cut eggplant on the diagonal into 1/4 inch pieces. Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, grill until tender, 4-5 minutes. Remove.

In a bowl combine garlic, oregano, 1/4 cup oil, salt, and pepper. Pour marinade over vegetables and let them sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Just before serving, brush bread with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until toasted and crisp. Place warm bread on a platter. Layer with cheese (sliced about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick) vegetables, and basil. Drizzle with extra marinade if desired.

Fried Green Tomatoes

We've had fried green tomatoes twice in the past two days and each time I tried a different recipe. My favorite was one from Fresh Everyday More Great Recipes From Foster's Market by Sara Foster. I just picked this book up a week or two ago and I've already made a handful of recipes and they've all been really good. Tomorrow I'll share the peach shortcake that I made using this book...it was killer.

Plus, here is a little peak at the basket of goodies I brought home from the garden last night...this was all in one day. That garden is an amazing thing!

Fried Green Tomatoes
adapted form Fresh Everyday by Sara Foster

4 large green beefsteak tomatoes, cored and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 T sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
oil for frying

Season tomato slices with salt and pepper.  Stir the flour, cornmeal, sugar, 1 t salt, and pepper in a shallow pie pan or plate.  Whisk the egg and buttermilk together in a separate pie pan or shallow wide bowl.  Fill a large sauté pan 1/4 inch deep with oil.  Heat to 375 over medium high heat.  Dip slices of tomato into milk mixture and then place in cornmeal mixture.  Coat both sides and place in heated skillet. Fry until both sides have turned golden brown, about 2 minutes per side, trying to flip only once.  Remove from skillet and place on paper towel lined baking sheet and sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper.  

Refrigerator Pickles

I'll have updates of the garden in the next couple of days. I'm amazed everyday by how well things are growing...sometimes I swear I can hear it while I'm there. My mom and I planted a couple of pickling cucumber plants and as you can see I'm getting myself prepared with recipes to use when all of the produce starts coming in.

These are fabulous...we ate one whole jar yesterday so I had to run and get more to replenish our stash. Here I used english or "hot house" cucumbers but I'll be eager to try the cute little ones when they're ready. They have a great tangy flavor. They come out slightly sweet and still crisp.

Refrigerator Pickles

adapted from Fresh Everyday more Great Recipes from Foster's Market

1 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup sugar
1 T kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 T pickling spices
1 large english cucumber
1/2 small white onion, sliced thinly
4-5 sprigs of fresh dill

Place everything except cucumbers in a quart jar with a tight lid. Shake to combine. Add cucumbers, shake again, and place in the refrigerator. Shake every hour or so for 4 hours to make sure all of the pickles are separated.

My Favorite Pasta

This pasta dish is based on one I had years ago and fell in love with immediately. It is great because I can substitute in any vegetables available and it is always delicious. Some of my favorite veggies for this are asparagus, zucchini, red/green peppers, red onion, and peas. I normally use bowtie pasta but this time I tried out campanella and loved it because it catches little bits of cheese and peas in the nooks and crannies.

Katie's Favorite Pasta

1/2 lb pasta
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed (thighs would be wonderful as well)
1/2 red bell pepper sliced thinly
1 large zucchini sliced into sticks
1/2 red onion sliced thinly
1 cup peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 t dried bouquet garni or herbs de provence - optional

Sauce
1/2 - 1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup half and half or cream
2 T butter
1/2 lemon

Cook pasta according to box directions. While pasta is cooking, season chicken with herb mixture, salt, pepper, and thyme. Brown chicken in medium pot and add garlic towards the end to prevent burning. Remove chicken and add onions and red pepper. Cook on low for 3-4 minutes or until slightly tender then add zucchini and peas for another 3 minutes. Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir together. Add sauce mixture to vegetables and cook until all vegetables are as tender as you like. Fold in chicken and pasta. Serve with parmesan cheese.

Destination Dinner - Stir Fry

There is something about having a secret that I love. I spend all day thinking and scheming about something all the time knowing that my husband is non the wiser. I enjoy running about from store to store gathering ingredients for a special meal that only I know about. There's no rhyme or reason to when or why I make a special meal...the idea just sneaks into my mind and doesn't leave until I act on it. Sometimes I will supress the urge for a day-two at the most before I give in.
Pre-parenthood this used to include a table for two with candlelight in the bedroom, indoor picnics next to the fireplace, or outdoor bonfires. Now it is more of a rush job when most of the prep work is done during naptime and even still I rarely finish in time so I have to block Joseph's view of the kitchen as he enters and usher him and the little one out of the room to allow me a little extra time to put the finishing touches on dinner.
Last night's asian destination dinner was the most hectic surprise dinner I've made to date. I think I had to do a full body block to prevent Joseph from getting a sneak peak as I tried to hand over Gabe's dinner. Not quite the quiet, romantic atmosphere I was going for...but it was still worth it. His expression was priceless as I pulled out the platter of california rolls I had hiding in the fridge. He could not believe I had made sushi, his favorite, for dinner.
Although it was a long process for one roll of sushi, I had a great time trying my hand at this artform. I even think it turned out okay for my first attempt and I might even have to buy a bamboo mat to make the rolling go a little easier. (I actually used a couple layers of tinfoil with a towl underneath.) As you can see from the picture, I do need to work on my slicing skills. Getting the blade of the knife to go through without any drag was challenging and my slices certainly were not consistent in size - but the taste was there!

Beef Stir-fry

1 lb beef sliced thin
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic
fresh cracked pepper
1/2 onion, sliced in rings
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 cups broccoli

Marinate the beef in the soy sauce, garlic, and pepper for at least 30 minutes. Saute the beef in 2 tablespoons oil for 1 minute on each side. Remove from pan. Add in remaining ingredients and any remaining marinade and saute for 3-4 minutes or until desired doneness. Add in beef and serve over rice.



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Koosa - Stuffed Squash

Koosa is the middle eastern name for this dish which we know as stuffed squash. This is a very traditional meal and one that we eat often at family get togethers.  It is often served alongside stuffed grape leaves because the same stuffing can be used for both dishes.  I had cut the beef in the traditional way, but you could substitute ground beef or lamb just as easily.

Koosa

1 cup raw rice
2 t salt
1/2 t allspice
3/4 t cinnamon
1/8 t pepper
1 1/4 lb ground or minced chuck roast (or lamb)
12-14 small to medium squash or zucchini
1 lb can of tomatoes or tomato sauce (I used canned diced tomatoes.)

In a bowl wash rice in cold water and drain. Add salt, spices and stir well. Add meat and mix with hands, adding some cold water to help mix (if needed). Set aside and prepare squash.
(This filling also works well to stuff cabbage or grape leaves.)
Wash, stem, and scoop out each squash. Leave sides about 1/8 inch thick. Stuff the squash with the filling leaving a little space for the rice to expand.
Place a layer of pulp, onions, or meat at the bottom of the pot to prevent the squash from scorching and then layer in the squash. Add the tomatoes and enough water to barely cover. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook on low heat for 50-60 minutes or until rice and squash are tender.

Zucchini Bread

These make for a very quick, easy, and yummy breakfast. The nutmeg adds a spiciness and warmth to the muffins that I really like. I baked these in mini-loaf pans however it works in 2 regular loaf pans or muffin tins as well. (This recipe also lends itself to being halved very easily.)

Zucchini Bread
adapted from Paula Dean

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t salt
1 t ground nutmeg
2 t baking soda
1 t ground cinnamon
2 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 c vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 c water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon, and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, and zucchini. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini-loaf pans for 45 minutes.

Ribeye and Asparagus

Tonight we had a very impressive, yet very easy dinner to start off our holidays. We had a ribeye roast with asparagus and new potatoes. I coated the roast in Chicago Steak Seasoning that I get from Penzey's - it really is the best steak seasoning we've tasted. The roast, potatoes, and onions were all tossed in an oven-proof dish and roasted for an hour at 350 degrees - or until the internal temp of the meat read about 130 degrees for medium-rare.
The asparagus was set under the broiler for about ten minutes once it was peel and tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Once out from under the heat I grated a little parmesan cheese on top.

Japanese Steak House Dinner

Yesterday I moved a tuna steak from the freezer to the fridge...not exactly sure what I was going to do with it. While out today I passed by a Chinese take-out place which made me think of fried rice. I thought that sounded good and I remembered I had a couple of zucchini I needed to use up. All of this came together to form tonight's dinner. It is closely related to the dinner we had at a local Binihana's a few months ago. (This one's for you Dad.)

Fried Rice
2 cups cooked rice - cooled
2 eggs
2 T soy sauce
1/2 c frozen peas

Heat a little vegetable oil in a large pan (or wok) and add the rice. Fry rice for a minute or two while moving it about in the pan. Make a well in the center and add the two eggs. Let cook for a minute or so before stirring. Add soy sauce while stirring constantly. Add peas and remove from heat.

Onions and Zucchini
1 large sweet onion slice (1/2" x 1 1/2 ")
2 zucchini (same size as onion)
Soy sauce
Pepper

Heat a little vegetable oil in a pan. Add onions and cook until slightly softened. Add zucchini. Move about in pan. Add soy sauce and pepper to taste. Cook until desired texture. (We like this rather firm, so we only cook the entire dish about 5-7 minutes.)

Shrimp and Tuna
1 - 8 oz piece of fresh tuna
1/2 lb fresh shrimp
butter
salt and pepper

Melt 1-2 T butter in a pan. Add tuna, season, and cook for about 1 minute. Turn cook 30 more seconds. Remove from pan, add shrimp. Cook until pink. (I added a little garlic to ours.)

Everything was very yummy. We really like the vegetables. Too bad I forgot to make the onion into an erupting volcano...it would have added some pizzaz. Maybe next time!!

Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Couscous

When Joseph and I started our little health kick I noticed many recipes that called for couscous. I wasn't entirely thrilled with any of them, but I was interested in couscous as a substitute for pastas and rice. Here I've used couscous with roasted vegetables and chicken. I've made this a few times now and I keep changing it a little each time. This rendition was the best yet.

Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Couscous
1 large red bell pepper
1 zuchinni
1 large onion
2 tomatoes
3 carrots
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic - minced
2 chicken breasts - cubed
2 sprigs rosemary
olive oil
salt and pepper

Chop all vegetable into 1 inch pieces. Lay on a large cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and 1 sprig of rosemary. Toss and bake at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes or until slightly tender. Cook chicken and remaining rosemary in a skillet or saucepan on medium heat until cooked through. Remove chicken and cook couscous per package directions. Toss everything together in a large bowl. (In my case, I used the same pan for everything to minimize clean-up.)

I really liked the flavor of the rosemary in this dish. Another spin on this dish is to omit the rosemary and add in a couple of minced serrano peppers...this was good but left my mouth burning!