Welcome!

Welcome to Romeo's Food Lady! This blog contains recipes for delicious vegetarian food. Most of these are not recipes authored by me. Rather, this is just a compilation of great veggie food I've found from all over the place, usually tweaked just a little. It's intended to be a reference FOR ME so I don't lose great food I've found nor the changes I've made to suit my tastes, but I'm happy for you to use it, too. After more than 25 years of being a vegetarian, I know what tastes good.
Romeo's Food Lady is named after my friend and cat, Romeo. Romeo is not a vegetarian, but his Food Lady is!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Chocolate Sorbet


The following recipe is really too good to be true. Delicious vegan ice cream! And no “weird” ingredients! I got the original recipe from Southern Living magazine.

5 c. water
2 ¼ c. sugar
1 c. cocoa
1 bag vegan chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips with great results. The bag says it “may contain trace amounts of milk,” but milk is not a listed ingredient. I assume the disclaimer is just due to processing on machinery used for other, non-vegan products. If that doesn’t work for you, just pick a chocolate chip that does.)
about 15 lbs. ice for the ice cream freezer
rock salt

1. Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan. Boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved (about 1 minute). Whisk in cocoa until blended (no lumps). Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Gradually add the chocolate chips, whisking until smooth after each addition. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
2. Pour the chocolate mixture into the freezer container of a 4-quart ice cream freezer. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions, about 45 minutes.
3. Move the ice cream to your kitchen freezer, and let it “cure” in the freezer overnight.

This makes about 5 cups of unbelievably delicious ice-cream-like sorbet.

Fruit Smoothie

Here's a light, easy breakfast for people on the run. I made this one up. It's easy to modify - substitute whatever fruit and juice you like best!



1 medium banana, peeled and frozen (Do this ahead of time so it's ready when you're ready. Peel the banana, wrap in plastic wrap, and put it in the freezer.)
1/2 pint strawberries, washed and hulled
orange juice
handful of raw sunflower seeds, shelled

Cut the banana into 1-inch pieces. Put the strawberries in the blender, then the bananas, then pour in a little orange juice to give it some liquid to keep things moving. Be sure to put the non-frozen fruit in before you put the frozen fruit in. If you put the frozen pieces in first, the blender sometimes just cuts a path through them, and nothing moves around in the blender jar. Once everything is getting liquidy, toss in the sunflower seeds while it's still moving. Add enough orange juice to make the consistency you like. Pour it in an insulated to-go cup, and you're ready to hit the road, breakfast in hand!

Roasted Cauliflower Pizza

I know this is a little unconventional, and I admit that I was skeptical when I first saw it. But it was so vegan and coming from a magazine and article that were not catering to vegetarians, much less vegans, so I figured it must be good. I mean, they expected regular omnivores to try it and like it. And it IS good! It’s good right out of the oven, but I thought it was even better after being in the fridge overnight. Your call.
The original recipe is from
Country Living magazine.



4 cups finely chopped cauliflower florets (This is about one head, and the finely chopping of the head into florets is the most tedious part of the recipe.)
¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ t. salt
½ t. freshly ground black pepper
¼ c. bread crumbs
1 recipe vegan pizza dough, enough for one 14-inch or 15-inch round pizza (If you don’t have a recipe you like, I highly recommend the pizza crust alternative recipe in Fields of Greens by Annie Somerville. I omit the rye flour from her recipe.)

Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Roast the cauliflower mixture in a baking pan in a 400-degree oven until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the cauliflower from the oven, and increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to a 14- or 15-inch circle. Transfer the rolled dough to a pizza pan. Top the dough with the roasted cauliflower, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cauliflower. Bake the pizza until the dough is golden and crispy, about 12 – 15 minutes. The tips of the cauliflower will brown.

Mushroom Risotto

This is my adapted version of a recipe from Martha Stewart's Living magazine. It's an elegant, impressive dish that would be perfect for a romantic dinner (I'm talking to you, lover!) or an intimate dinner party. It would do well served with a romaine salad, crusty European bread, and a bottle of wine.

1/2 c. pine nuts
1/2 c. fresh basil - Dried herbs will not work for this recipe.
1/2 c. fresh parsley - Dried herbs will not work for this recipe. You can omit the parsley and use 1 full c. of fresh basil instead.
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/4 t. salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 c. and 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups arborio rice - This is an expensive rice, but it cooks to a creamy risotto. It is the traditional risotto rice.
1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 c. dry white wine, like Chardonnay
5 1/2 c. vegetable broth (I used vegetable boullion.)

1. Toast the nuts by placing them in a small, nonstick skillet over medium heat. They should be in a single layer. Shake the pan around while toasting to move the nuts across the surface and prevent burning. When you begin to smell the nuts (just a few minutes), they are ready. Remove them from the heat.
2. Make the pesto by first pulsing the nuts in a food processor until they are coarsely ground, then adding the herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper. Process until everything is ground. Pour the oil in while the machine is running until everything is puréed. Set aside.
3. Bring the rice, mushrooms, wine, and 2 c. of broth to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until liquid has been absorbed. This takes about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Continue this cycle with 1/2 c. of broth at a time: add broth, cook and stir until the liquid is absorbed, add broth, cook and stir, etc. It will take 20 - 25 minutes to get all liquid absorbed. Once all liquid has been cooked in, remove the risotto from the heat. Stir about 1/2 of the pesto (more if you like) into the risotto, then serve the risotto immediately, topped with the remaining pesto.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Tuscan Beans with Tomatoes and Sage


 This is a recipe I adapted from Ursula Ferrigno's Truly Italian cookbook - an excellent Italian vegetarian cookbook. It is highly recommended not only for the recipes, but for the beautiful photographs of Italy.
This particular recipe is deceptively simple. Eat as a side dish, over gnocchi or polenta, or atop crusty European bread as a snack. YUM! 



2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance.)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 t. dried/rubbed sage
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Heat the oil and butter together in a medium saucepan. Add the sage and garlic and fry in the oil/butter mixture for 1 minute.
2. Add the tomatoes and tomato juice, the beans, the salt, and the pepper, and simmer together for 5 minutes until heated through.

Pasta e Fagioli (Italian pasta stew with beans)

This is a recipe I modified a little from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant by The Moosewood Collective. It's a really cool cookbook with recipes from various ethnic regions (including the Southeast US!) and countries.  The original recipe that I modified is in the Italy section.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pasta (short, chunky variety, like penne)
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons

2 stalks celery, sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 bunch kale, washed, de-stemmed, and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 28-oz. can CRUSHED tomatoes (and with basil, if available), with liquid
1 can cannellini or Great Northern beans, with liquids

2 T. chopped fresh basil or 1 T. dried basil
oregano, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Start cooking the pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot, and sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic for a few minutes until the celery is tender. Add kale. Stir until the kale is wilted down but not drying out. Add tomatoes with liquids, beans with liquids, and herbs. You can add water to make it thinner if you like.  Simmer until the pasta is ready.


When the pasta is done cooking, drain and mix with the bean and tomato sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn out into a serving bowl, and serve hot.

Tempeh Fajitas

Here is a vegan version of fajitas that even omnivores will love.

Ingredients:
juice of 2 limes
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
1/4 t. salt
8-oz. package tempeh, sliced into fajita-sized slices
flour tortillas
3 t. canola oil plus 1 t. canola oil, divided
1/2 onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, deseeded and deveined, sliced
fixin's (chopped tomato, salsa, pickled or fresh jalapenos, chopped green chiles, guacamole or avocados, chopped lettuce, pico de gallo etc.)

Method:
Mix the lime juice with the chili powder, cumin, and salt. You can also substitute the fajita-seasoning packet of your choice for the spices and salt. Marinate the tempeh slices in the lime juice mixture overnight.
Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and warm them in the oven on low heat while the fajitas are cooking.
In a non-stick pan, heat the 3 t. oil over medium-high heat. Put the tempeh slices in the oil, and let them fry in it until they have soaked up the oil. Add enough water to coat the bottom of the skillet, and let the tempeh soak that up, too. (It will also evaporate some.) Once the water is gone, add the remaining 1 t. oil, the onion, the bell pepper, and any leftover lime marinade. Sort of stir-fry everything together until the onion and bell pepper are cooked but still slightly crunchy. (I have even been known to add one julienned carrot to the veggie mix here.)
Once the veggies are cooked, load tempeh, veggies, and fixings onto the warmed tortillas, and enjoy!

Aloo Gobi with Chana Dal (Indian potatoes and cauliflower with chickpeas)

This is my version of the recipe in Madhu Gadia's New Indian Home Cooking. When I moved to Hot Springs, AR, there were NO Indian restaurants in town, and I was devastated. I decided it was time to learn to cook some Indian dishes to keep from going mad! Here is one I rely on.



2 T. expeller-pressed canola oil
1/2 t. cumin seeds (not ground)

1 onion, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 can petite-diced tomatoes
1/4 t. turmeric
1 t. salt
1/2 t. cayenne pepper (optional)

10-oz bag of frozen cauliflower
1 t. fresh ginger (not dried!), peeled and chopped
2 t. ground coriander seed
1/2 t. garam masala (Indian spice mix - McCormick makes a version)
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds, and fry until they are golden brown (just a few seconds). Add the onion, and sauté until transparent (3-5 minutes). Add the potatoes, tomatoes (including juice), turmeric, salt, and cayenne (if using), and stir to combine. Cover with a lid, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes to give the potatoes a head start on the cauliflower.

Add the cauliflower and ginger to the pan, stir to coat everything again. Re-cover, and cook an additional 8 - 10 minutes, until the potatoes and cauliflower are both easy to pierce with a fork. Add the coriander and garam masala. Stir to combine.  Stir in the chickpeas.

Serve hot, garnished with cilantro.


I like to serve this over basmati rice.

Lemon-Drop Sipper


I know making adult beverages doesn't really count as "cooking", but this is a recipe I modified and love. The original was from The Ultimate A-To-Z Bar Guide by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst. This cocktail recipe book is so fun! It has zillions of recipes, advice on all the proper barware and glasses to use for each drink, toasts, and witty drinking quotes. I modified this recipe to be weaker, because I'm kind of lame with drinking hard liquor. Make it stronger if it suits you.

juice of one large lemon
1 T. sugar
1/4 c. vodka
2 ice cubes

Put the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake like mad to try to dissolve the sugar. Strain it out into a cocktail glass (think martini glass), leaving the ice behind. Yum!

Vegan Lasagna



I tried a LOT of vegan lasagnas to find a good one. Believe me - there are a lot out there, but they really don't take the place of a good lasagna. This is good. This one works. I got the original recipe online, and it was called, "Destiny's Vegan-licious Lasagna." This is my version of Destiny's lasagna.

Lasagna is nice, because you can make it ahead of time, put it in the fridge, then entertain effortlessly when the time is right.



Ingredients:
1 lb. tofu, roughly chopped (not the silken kind - Non-silken tofu has a better texture if it's frozen for 24 hours, then thawed.  Plan ahead.)
1/2 c. vegan margarine
1/2 c. plant-based milk
1 T. dried parsley
1 T. dried basil
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
2 c. chopped fresh vegetables, your choice (Be creative here. Think of thinly sliced carrots, chopped onion, chopped garlic, chopped jalapenos, corn kernels, green or black olives, capers, green or colored bell peppers, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, asparagus, pimentos, and on and on and on.)
2 T. olive oil
1 box lasagna noodles (Some boxes have more than others. You need more than a skimpy box.)
2 jars of your favorite prepared marinara sauce
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 or 2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced (optional for the top of the lasagna)

Method:
1. Combine tofu, margarine (I usually melt it in the microwave first.), plant milk, parsley, basil, salt, oregano, and black pepper in a food processor until smooth. (You can do this in a blender, but you may need to do it in 2 batches.) Set aside.
2. Sauté the chopped fresh vegetables in the olive oil until they are soft with only a slight crunch to them. Set aside.
3. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. (Slightly - SLIGHTLY! - undercooked is okay.)
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. While it is heating, get a huge baking dish (I use a 9.5 x 13.5, and it is a tight fit with sauce bubbling over during cooking!), and layer like this: tomato sauce, 1/3 of the noodles, 1/2 of the tofu mixture, all the sautéed veggies, tomato sauce, 1/3 of the noodles, 1/2 of the tofu mixture, all of the spinach, tomato sauce, 1/3 of the noodles, tomato sauce. If you are using the sliced tomatoes, cover the top with them now.
5. Bake lasagna 1 hour. Let stand 20 minutes after removing from the oven to set up, then cut and serve hot. Don't worry - it won't get too cool to eat during that 20 minutes! Enjoy!

Vegan Chili

This is a recipe from The NEW Farm Vegetarian Cookbook that I modified. It is my standard vegetarian chili recipe now. I had a dedicated meat-eater tell me this is the best chili she had tasted in her life...So there you go!



Ingredients:

1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. expeller pressed canola oil
1 c. TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein)
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. plus 2 T. chili powder, divided
2 t. salt, divided
7/8 c. boiling water

2 cans of beans, rinsed and drained (e.g. 1 can of pintos and 1 can of red kidney beans)
3 1/2 c. tomatoes and tomato sauce and even water (You pick the combination, depending on how thick you like the chili. I use 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 can of petite-diced tomatoes, and a little water to wash the tomato residue out of the cans.)
1 t. cumin
pinch black or red pepper

Method:
1. In a stockpot, s
auté onion and garlic in oil until soft.
2. Soak TVP, garlic powder, 1/2 t. chili powder, and 1 t. salt in boiling water for 10 minutes, then add to the stockpot.
3. Add beans to the pot.
4. Add the tomato mix, 2 T. chili powder, cumin, 1 t. salt, and black or red pepper to the stockpot. Begin to simmer.
5. Simmer for 5 - 10 minutes before serving, to allow the flavors to "marry."


Serves 4.

Pasta al Salsa


I got this recipe from a Wild Oats cayenne pepper bottle - modified for my tastes.
It's easy, it's pretty, it's tasty!

Ingredients:

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 celery rib, minced (I have been known to just throw in celery seed when sauté-ing the veggies if I'm out of celery.)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced (I have been known to substitute 1/2 medium onion if I'm out of bell pepper.)
1 1-lb 12-oz. can chopped or crushed tomatoes (chopped tomatoes makes a lighter, hot-weather-style sauce...crushed tomatoes makes a heavier, saucier sauce suited to cooler weather)
16 pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced
1 t. capers
1 t. dried basil
1/4 - 1/2 t. cayenne pepper (depends on your tastes and those of your guests...more = spicier)
1 lb. spaghetti or other long-noodle pasta

Method:

Sauté celery, garlic, and bell pepper in olive oil over medium-high heat until soft. Add tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Add remaining ingredients, and simmer while cooking pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is done, drain it, toss with the sauce, turn into a serving bowl, and serve immediately.

Pico de Gallo


I got this recipe from "Granny" - my dad's mom.  Of course, I modified it a little. I have no idea where she got it, but this is perfect for picnics or alfresco dining during the summer, because there is no heating up the kitchen to make it!

1 medium onion, diced small
1 jalepeno pepper, deseeded and deveined, diced small
1/2 bell pepper, diced small
2 large tomatoes, chopped - squeeze out the seeds before dicing (Or you can just open a can of diced tomatoes if that is more your style! Granny was no-nonsense!)
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1.5 T. lime juice

Mix everything together in a bowl, and allow it to sit in the fridge for a couple of hours to let the flavors "marry." Serve as a condiment or dip.

Tofu Chocolate Pie or Pudding


This is a recipe I modified from Mori-Nu, the only company I know that makes silken tofu. You need to use silken tofu for this recipe - not the crumbly Chinese kind.

2 packages silken tofu, (extra-firm for pie, firm for pudding)
3/4 c. raw honey
1 T. almond extract
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 prebaked pie crust or graham cracker crust (if making pie instead of pudding)
2 T. chopped nuts (optional topping for pie)

In a blender, purée each package of silken tofu individually until really smooth. Do one package, then move the smooth, puréed tofu to a large mixing bowl, then do the next package, and move that to the mixing bowl, too. Add the honey, almond extract, and cocoa. First, mix with a spoon to get the cocoa wet to prevent it from flying everywhere when you start the mixer. Then use a hand mixer to thoroughly combine all ingredients into a smooth, chocolatey batter.


For pies, pour the mixture into a prebaked pie shell. For pudding, pour into individual serving dishes or a serving bowl. Sprinkle chopped nuts, if using, over surface of pie. For either pudding or pie, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold.

Serving Suggestion: I have put a thin layer of raspberry or other fruit preserves in the pie shell before pouring in the tofu batter. You could also top with chocolate shavings or confectioner's sugar. For pudding, you can use it to make parfaits or top with berries or other fruit.


One more note: You could probably adapt this to be vegan by substituting agave nectar or rice syrup for the honey. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Cuban Black Beans

This is adapted from a recipe my friend Elaine gave me. I am not sure what cookbook she may have gotten it from. She has advised me that my topping of fresh tomatoes is not properly Cuban. If you want to be authentic, Elaine says to top with chopped fresh white onion. Thank you, Elaine!

1 lb. dried black beans
1 T. salt
2 T. plus 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, deseeded and deveined, chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 bay leaves
1 T. dried oregano
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 c. prepared white rice (Ok to use brown if you're taking better care of yourself!)
chopped fresh tomatoes to garnish

1. Wash the beans well after picking through them to remove any stones. Put the beans in acovered pot with the salt and 2 T. olive oil and water to cover. Soak 8 hours or overnight.
2. Simmer beans in the same water. Add bay leaves, oregano, and ground pepper. Cook until tendter, 1.5 - 2 hours. Stir very little to avoid breaking the skins on the beans. Add additional water as they are cooking, if necessary. Cook the rice during this time so that it's ready to go when the beans are.
3. Sauté onion, peppers, and garlic in the remaining 2 T. olive oil until soft. Stir these into the finished beans. Remove the bay leaves.
4. Serve the beans over the cooked rice. Garnish with chopped tomatoes.

Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I know what you are thinking. Brussels sprouts. EEeew! But if you like cabbage or broccoli, it's fair to try this out. They're healthy. They're good!
You may have noticed that I like to give credit where it's due, so for the record, the recipe that this comes from was from Wild Oats (before they got bought out by Whole Foods). It is, as always, modified to suit my tastes.





1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put Brussels sprouts in a roasting pan. I actually put mine in a cast iron skillet. I have read that it is beneficial to vegans and vegetarians (disclaimer: I am not a doctor!) to cook in cast iron, because the food picks up iron from the cookware. Either way, put the sprouts in there, and toss with the olive oil. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, turning once with a spatula, until tender and browning. Toss the sprouts (I do it right in the pan, but if you are doing it properly, it'd probably be in the serving bowl.) with the lemon juice and salt/pepper to taste.

Carrot Mashed Potatoes

Here is one of my own making. I'm so proud, b/c it is not only yummy, but it looks beautiful on the table, and it's healthy to boot. Pale orange mashed potatoes! Now...I'm really relying on you to be experimental and adventurous and have a sort of sense of what mashed potatoes are supposed to be like. Here goes...



* potatoes - You pick the variety and quantity. Peel them, and chop them into equal-ish sized pieces.
* carrots - about 1 carrot to every 1 medium-large potato, carrots peeled and chopped smaller than potato pieces, but not so small that your mixer's beaters will miss them
*garlic cloves - (optional) peeled - about 1 per every 2 potatoes used
*rice milk or reserved potato cooking water - Yes, you can use cow's milk or goat's milk or whatever you like. I use rice milk or reserved potato cooking water.
*vegan margarine  - Yes, you can use real butter, if you prefer.
*salt and freshly ground black pepper


Put the carrots and garlic (if using) in a pot that will hold them plus the potatoes plus water to cover them plus another couple of inches to handle boiling over possibilities. [COOK'S TIP: If you are using butter, open a stick and, with the paper still on the half you're holding, run it around the rim of the pot. This will prevent it from boiling over onto your stove if you are not paying attention. I have not tried this with margarine, but I bet it would work.] Bring the water to a boil and boil the carrots about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, then boil everything until they are soft enough to be easily pierced with a fork (check a potato and a carrot). Once they are "done," take them off the heat, and drain out either (1) all of the water if you want to just use rice milk or another type of milk to obtain mashed potato consistency or (2) most of the water, leaving just enough [or slightly under enough, and you can use rice milk to add later, if necessary] to obtain the propr mashed potato consistency. Either way, it takes practice to know how much liquid you need in there to get the consistency right (for you). Leaving too little is better, b/c you can add later, but you can't take it back once you're mashing.

Using a hand mixer, add enough rice milk to get things going (if you did not leave potato water in there) along with margarine to taste. Use the mixer to get out all lumps. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep mixing. Taste it. Add more margarine if necessary. Add more rice milk if the potatoes are too thick. Add rice milk and mix and keep repeating until you have the right consistency.

Serve your beautiful (and don't forget HEALTHY) pale orange potatoes while still hot. Enjoy!

Roasted Asparagus

Seems obvious and simple, right? I agree! But sometimes we need someone to remind us how lovely the simple things in life can be. ... This recipe is from "The Commercial Appeal" (daily newspaper in Memphis). As you can see, it is so simple, there is nothing to modify!

1 lb. fresh asparagus
1 1/2 T. olive oil (I prefer extra-virgin olive oil. The really fruity kind.)
1/2 t. sea salt (Yes, any old salt will do.)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash asparagus and break off the tough (non-bud) ends. (The trick here is that the asparagus spear will do the work for you. Bend it, and it will pretty much break in the right spot for you.)

Put the oil in a 7 x 10-inch pain (or one close to that size). Put the asparagus in a single layer in the pan and sprinkle with salt. Shake the pan around to coat the asparagus.

Put the pan in the preheated oven, and cook for 15 - 20 minutes. Check asparagus every 5-ish minutes and shake the pan to recoat everything. When the spears are done, you should be able to bite through without it being stringy. Start checking at 15 minutes.

The Poor Man's Doctor

Did you know that cabbage has been called "the poor man's doctor?" It is THAT healthy! Here is a recipe that, in its original form, came from the very cool cookbook Down Home Wholesome by Danella Carter. If you don't think you like cabbage, at least give this one a chance. You might change your mind!



1 head cabbage, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots, peeled, bisected lengthwise, and sliced into half-moons
1 bell pepper, deseeded and deveined, thinly sliced
1 t. crushed red pepper (more if you like!)

In a large pot (enough to hold all that stuff!), sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until transparent (several minutes). Add carrots, bell pepper, and crushed red pepper, and sauté a couple of more minutes to let the crushed red pepper flavor the oil. Add cabbage, and cover. Cook until the cabbage is soft but slightly crunchy still (not wilted), 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally

Guacamole

This is a delicious recipe from Peta that I have modified to my own taste. Feel free to do the same!



Ingredients:
2 or 3 ripe avocados
juice from 1 lime

1/4 t. chili powder
1/4 t. salt (or increase chili powder by 1/4 t. if omitting salt)
1 ripe tomato, chopped
1/4 c. onion, minced
1/2 t. garlic, minced


Method:

Peel and the avocados

Combine the peeled avocado, lime juice, chili powder, and salt (if using) in a bowl, and use a fork to mash the avocado to desired texture.  (I like mine with a few chunks remaining.)

Mix remaining ingredients into the mashed avocado mixture, and enjoy! Easy!