Pizza Friday Night

Can't believe I waited this long to make my first apple pizza. Main
course was a sort of sloppy joe, enchilada sauce, sautéed mushroom,
shallot and chive pizza that while successful wanted for a little
jalapeño. For dessert it was mango butter (no butter), Granny Smith,
sucanat, and cinnamon topped with the cream from the top of the
coconut milk.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas

Based this on Immer's Spicy Roasted Cauliflower and Okra. For spice seeds upped cumin by one half and used anise and caraway mix in place of fenugreek. Used baby bell peppers and rinsed chickpeas in place of okra. Dried ingredients and tossed with most of spices and drizzled on 1 tbsp olive oil. On stovetop sautéed remaining spices and garlic in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Added most of the salt but left out the sugar. Tossed with sautéed garlic and lemon juice when done roasting.

Roasted Vegetable

From the freezer section an Italian pizza crust topped with
caramelized onions, roasted eggplant and peppers, black olives, and
basil. Kept the oil low by just using in the onions which I
caramelized stovetop. Eggplant and peppers roasted dry under the
broiler then chopped and added to onions at the end of cooking. Used
some fresh thyme, shallot, and garlic in the onions. Peeled eggplant
before roasting in slabs and peeled peppers afterward. Worked great
with an Italian white wine. Two onions, one eggplant, three small
peppers, and a handful of olives was enough for two crusts. Maybe
some balsamic text time.

My First Try at a (milk)Shake

Two large ripe bananas sliced and frozen for 3 hours
Two spoonfuls of crunchy peanut butter, refrigerated
5 oz can of coconut milk, refrigerated
Chocolate Sauce (1/2 cup sucanat, 2 rounded Tbsp cocoa, and 1/2 cup
soy milk mixed and boiled for one minute, dash of vanilla stirred in
and refrigerated)
In food processor purée bananas Add other ingredients and mix in food
processor. Serve with a strong straw.

Little bit of Spring

Carrot Greens and Basil Pesto on asparagus, sugar snap peas, and three
colors of baby potatoes

1 bunch Leaves of carrot greens
1 package basil leaves
1 large Garlic clove minced with salt
1/2 cup Pine nuts toasted
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
Fresh ground pepper
Salt
1.5 lb Potatoes boiled in skin (20 minutes from cold)
1 lb Asparagus in 1 to 2 inch pieces steamed 2 minutes
10 oz Sugar snap peas trimmed ends steamed 2 minutes
Purée first eight ingredients and toss with last three ingredients
when drained, dried, and slightly cooled.

Tempeh and Brussels

Followed Berley's recipe in Fresh Food Fast with two adjustments and three substitutions based on ingredients on hand. Used grapeseed oil in place of butter in quinoa. Used 1/4 cup of olive oil in place of 1/3 cup in the tempeh. Used carrots in place of bell pepper. Used pine nuts in place of almonds. For the 2 cups of onions used about 1 cup of shallot and at 2 minutes to go tossed in 4 green onions (white and greens) sliced.

Matt eventually moved from sticks to a fork due to success rate with the quinoa. I have always liked this dish. This time Matt said we should have it again.  We did not use all the quinoa. I think reducing from 1.5 cups to 1 would be fine next time.

Garlicky Chard over Pan Fried Potatoes

This is Bishops Garlicky Chard recipe from Vegetables Every Day with the chard to onion ratio reduced a bit. I served it over potatoes and drizzled with a simple balsamic reduction. We both really liked it.