Napa Cabbage and Tofu Salad

I was pretty sure I’d love this salad. It was going to be the perfect portable lunch/dinner this week. I was on a roll after some fantastic pancakes and an awesome curry.

Except the dressing was salty. And there wasn’t enough anyway for the salad. And while steaming the vegetables briefly should have made them more palatable, they just tasted funny. I was supposed to take the undressed veggies out tonight, and attempt to transform them into a new and exciting meal. But I made a grilled cheese instead. Maybe tomorrow!

Caramelized Onions

Grill season is here again, and I wanted to share some recipes for caramelized onions. They make any grilled food special, whether it’s a steak, burger, or Portobello mushroom. The key to these is patience, and that’s something I generally lack. So when I am going to make caramelized onions, I make sure to multitask and do things that require me to leave the kitchen. Then when I come back to check on them I can really see the progress.

Real Simple has a tutorial with great photos, and I liked the way this blogger described the process as well. Others say to add a pinch of sugar, or a dash of balsamic vinegar, or a splash of the wine you are hopefully drinking while you cook. (That’s my favorite tip.) I cooked this batch with just a few teaspoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and the aforementioned patience. They were great over a turkey burger on a bed of couscous. With my little George Foreman grill, it’s always grill season.

Spinach and Red Lentil Curry

After my recent success with Chana Masala, I was anxious to try another Indian dish, and this is the very best curry recipe I’ve ever made. The red lentils, spinach, tomatoes, yogurt, and spices were perfect together. I substituted a 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes for the fresh, and skipped the cilantro and additional beans. Next time I will make it the exact same way, but serve it over basmati rice instead of whole wheat couscous. There’s no heat in this dish though, so if that’s what you like, go ahead and add some pepper.

Ricotta Pancakes

I was almost too lazy to get out my mixer to make these ricotta pancakes, but I am so glad I did. Even with several modifications, including whole wheat flour, fat free ricotta, and skim milk, they were still the best pancakes I’ve had in a long time. Separating the eggs and beating the whites makes the pancakes so light, with a texture similar to a crepe. I topped them with sliced bananas and syrup, although I am sure the pecan syrup in the original recipe would be great. You don’t need to wait for a special occasion to make pancakes for breakfast, or for dinner!

Salmon on a Salad

This isn’t really a recipe, but more of a reminder that some nights, it’s OK to just clean out the produce in your refrigerator (lettuce, cucumber, carrot, and scallion) and top it with flaked salmon from a pouch and sesame ginger dressing. While I do love freshly grilled salmon, it’s good in this simpler form too. You get all the nutritional benefits of fish in just the time it takes to throw together a quick salad.

Wienke’s No Sugar Added Cherry Jam

During my recent trip to Florida, I visited the Sarasota Farmer’s Market. It was so crowded, and very difficult to take pictures! But I did pick up a few things, including this No Sugar Added Cherry Jam from Wienke’s. You might wonder why a Wisconsin based company is selling products at a farmer’s market in Florida. Maybe they were on spring break too, I didn’t think to ask.

The jam has a great texture, and I like that you can see the cherries. But it definitely has a tart flavor, and since I expect jam to be at least somewhat sweet, I haven’t quite gotten used to it. I might try mixing it into some yogurt next!

Orange Scented Green Beans

My original intent was to make these Green Beans with Orange and Hazelnut, but I changed plans and went with an even simpler preparation. It was 70F outside, and about 100F in my kitchen! I boiled about a pound of green beans in salted water for 5 minutes and drained them. Then, I tossed the beans with the juice of one orange and chopped pieces of orange rind, along with a dash of salt and pepper. The orange flavor was subtle, but the green beans were still great. When vegetables are really fresh, you don’t need to do much to enjoy them.

Cannoli Quesadilla with Strawberry Sauce

My sister put together these cannoli quesadillas with strawberries for Easter dessert. The filling was excellent, but the tortillas just didn’t work. Since we’re family and all, it’s not considered impolite to deconstruct your plate and just eat the filling and strawberries. Next time, we’ll use won ton wrappers like these to make them more like cannoli.

But not to worry, there were plenty of sweet things for us to enjoy after dinner. The Easter bunny left chocolates for the big kids, and a stuffed bunny for the little kid. All was well!

Sweet Pea and Ricotta Dip

I spied this Sweet Pea and Ricotta Crostini recipe in my Real Simple magazine, and then transformed it into a cracker and vegetable friendly dip to serve at Easter. The dip was easy to make and really good, although both my sister and I thought it might be even better served warm. It might be put to everyday use as a spread for a warm vegetable wrap or portobello mushroom sandwich. But no time this weekend for that, there were other projects to tackle.

1 c. peas, thawed
1/3 c. fat free ricotta
2 t olive oil
2 T Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1 scallion, cut into small pieces
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Happy Easter!

There are so many Easter food traditions that I’d love to show you: homemade hot cross buns, ricotta pie with the lattice crust, egg bread, and Easter Meat Pie. But we’ll just have to wait until next year!

I do have a couple of new recipes planned that I hope to share with you next week. In the meantime, have a wonderful Easter to those who celebrate!