As an avid vegetarian, I often find myself
in the kitchen cooking up some of my favorite dishes as well
as searching wonderful cook books for new, exciting, and tasty
veggie recipes. My husband and I like to cook together as well,
and throw fancy all-vegetarian dinner parties for our families
and musician friends. My favorite thing to do is cook just for
my husband who is my biggest challenge because he is NOT a vegetarian,
but loves all the inventive flavors, colors, textures, and tastes
that vegetarian cooking has to offer….and is always asking
for seconds!
Recipes
My Greek Salad
This version stems from the original. If you were in
Greece and you ordered a “horiatiki” or “country”
salad you would simply get fresh juicy tomatoes, cucumber, olives,
feta, and slices of red onion, all soaking in extra virgin olive
oil. That salad doesn’t exist in the States.
Here the tomatoes are different, the olives aren’t kissed
by that Mediterranean sun, and we’re just not on a Greek
island! But, this version tastes amazing! I make
it for just about every meal.
Enjoy!
1 Bunch chopped leafy green: spinach, arugula, radicchio, mesculin
mix or a combination of all.
1/2 cucumber, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, or a handful cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 chunk of greek feta
1 handful pitted kalamata olives
1/2 a cup chopped red onions
1 handful walnuts chopped, or sprinkled pine nuts
1 handful dried cranberries
A few leaves of Basil, coursly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, drizzled on
Balsamic Vinegar, drizzled on
Mix thoroughly so all the salad is coated with the dressing.
Chick-Pea and Spinach Soup
This a perfect soup as Autumn approaches. Make it on a cool
evening, maybe rainy, or when you're feeling the onset of a
little cold. It'll cure you by daybreak.
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic
1 leek, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
3 medium celery stalks, chopped
64 oz. total of vegetable stock
Juice from 1 lemon
1 13oz can garbanzo beans, washed and drained with water
1 bunch fresh organic spinach
Grab a huge stock pot, turn on the heat to medium, add the oil, and sauté the chopped onions. If you want, chop the garlic and add it now, but for more of an immunity-defense punch, keep the garlic whole and add later. Add the chopped leeks, carrots, and celery. Saute on medium heat and add the chick peas and all the vegetable stock. Add the garlic cloves and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 min. Right before serving, add the spinach leaves and watch them wilt to a beautiful bright green. Serve piping hot with some crushed pepper and one more squeeze of lemon. Enjoy and feel better!
Top Restaurant Picks
Best Veggie Burger
By far, the veggie burger at Metro Diner at 2641 Broadway at
100th is the best in the city. It's homemade, huge, veggie-filled,
and has hints of cumin and other Indian spices. Get the deluxe
and enjoy!
Best Raw Food
Now, I'm not a member of the raw food movement, but I was curious
about the concept of not really cooking food, but still having
a high quality of taste. Well, "Pure Food and Wine"
at 54 Irving Place amazed me. My husband and I were shocked
that the Zuchinni and Tomato Lasagna stood up to his Italian
mother's famous recipe. No pasta, no dairy, and sublime!