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Black bean quesadillas

15 oz black beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cups shredded cheese
10 taco-sized tortillas
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp corn starch

  1. In a large bowl, mix beans, corn, onion, garlic, cilantro, cheese, and spices.
  2. Fill tortillas. Freeze quesadillas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for one hour, then wrap and transfer to freezer bags.
  3. Reheat in microwave or skillet at low heat.

Tomato and shrimp pasta

8 oz fettuccine
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
15 oz diced tomatoes

  1. Start cooking fettuccine.
  2. In a large skillet, melt butter and olive oil. Add garlic and shrimp, and sauté 3-5 minutes until shrimp is cooked.
  3. Remove shrimp from skillet.
  4. Add tomatoes, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper to the skillet. Simmer five minutes until slightly thickened.
  5. Toss in cooked fettuccine and mix well. Toss in shrimp. Garnish with parsley.

Three berry pie

2 pie crusts
1 cup strawberries, halved
2 cups raspberries or blackberries
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp corn starch

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place bottom pie crust in pie pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine sugar and corn starch. Add the berries, and toss until coated. Let stand for 15 minutes.
  3. Stir the berries and pour into pie pan. Top with second crust, and seal.
  4. Bake for 50 minutes if the berries are fresh, or 90 minutes if frozen.

Baingan bharta

1 medium eggplant
2 plum tomatoes
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green chili
1/4 inch ginger
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp asafetida
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garam masala
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

  1. Microwave eggplant in a large dish for 8-10 minutes until tender. (Or bake on a cookie sheet for 45 minutes at 400 F, turning every fifteen minutes.)
  2. Let cool, then peel and chop into small pieces.
  3. In a food processor, blend tomatoes, ginger, and green chili.
  4. Heat oil in a saucepan on medium high, and fry bell pepper for about a minute. Take out the bell pepper from pan and keep aside.
  5. Reheat the remaining oil. As soon as a cumin seed cracks in the oil, add asafetida and cumin seed.
  6. After cumin seeds crack, add tomato puree, coriander, turmeric, red chili, and salt and let it cook a few minutes until tomato puree and oil separate.
  7. Add eggplant, and cook at medium heat for 8-10 minutes, while continually stirring and mashing the eggplant.
  8. Mix in bell pepper, cilantro, and garam masala. Serve hot over rice.

 

Pound cake

2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
3 egg yolks, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp water
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups cake flour

  1. With an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Slowly add sugar, and beat 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
  2. Stir together eggs, yolks, vanilla, and water. Pour slowly into mixing bowl while the mixer is on. Add salt.
  3. Sift flour in, 1/2 cup at a time, folding into batter with a spatula each time.
  4. Pour into a well-greased 9 x 5 loaf pan, and smooth.
  5. Bake at 325 degrees for 70-80 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack. Serve and store at room temperature.

Apple pie

2 pie crusts
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
3-4 red apples, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp lemon juice

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Place bottom pie crust in ungreased glass pie pan.
  2. Place sliced apples in a large bowl with lemon juice.
  3. In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Add to apple bowl, and gently mix.
  4. Spoon into pie pan. Dot the filling with 1 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces. Top with second crust, seal, and slit.
  5. Bake 40-45 minutes until golden brown.

Jalapeno poppers

6 medium jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 oz neufchatel cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chipotle pepper powder
1 egg
3/4 cup panko

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place jalapenos on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
  2. Mix cheese and spices until combined. Stuff peppers with the mixture.
  3. Mix egg and panko until combined. Top the peppers with the mixture.
  4. Bake 20 minutes.

Tuna and white bean salad

15 oz white beans, drained
5 oz canned tuna in water
green onions, sliced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil

  1. Combine ingredients in a bowl, adding salt, pepper, and spices to taste. Serve as is, or in a sandwich.

Fried polenta with mushroom ragout

12 oz cremini mushrooms
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp thyme, dried
1/8 tsp rosemary, dried
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp half and half
16 oz polenta

  1. Heat olive oil and 1/2 Tbsp butter in a saucepan at medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, and salt to taste. Cook about 3 minutes, until tender.
  2. Transfer mushroom mixture to a bowl. Cook flour and remaining 1/2 Tbsp butter in saucepan one minute. Add broth and tomato paste, heating 3 minutes.
  3. Add the mushrooms back to the saucepan, and season to taste. Add half and half, and then take off heat.
  4. Cut polenta into cylinders 1/2″ thick, and fry in a skillet in olive oil, browning both sides. Drain on a paper towel, and sprinkle with pepper. Serve covered in mushroom ragout.

Mushroom marsala

1/3 lb fettuccine
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Marsala
1/3 cup vegetable stock
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup heavy cream
several sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped

  1. Melt butter and olive oil in a large pot, and saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes.
  2. Add in the mushrooms and saute 5-8 minutes, until tender. Add flour to thicken slightly.
  3. Add Marsala and let evaporate for a minute, then add the vegetable stock, thyme, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce for a few minutes.
  4. Add in the cream, and bring back to a simmer.
  5. Cook fettuccine, and add to sauce, tossing well. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley.