Kale Pasta Carbonara

This is one of the best pasta dishes we have ever made.  It's rich, it's creamy, it's hearty, and it's simple - everything you can ask for in a dinner.  When we stumbled upon this recipe, we had memories of making pasta carbonara (which traditionally has bacon in it) prior to becoming vegetarian and our mouths started watering immediately.  We liked that this version didn't try to add fake bacon but instead derived its rich and umami packed flavor from real food.

The secret to this recipe is using soy sauce and smoked paprika to bring a deep a smoky flavor to the dish.  Meanwhile, the kale adds a great crunch and helps make the dish more filling and complete.  After making this dish multiple times, we also decided that this is the time to use the best fresh pasta you can find.  Dried pasta just doesn't have the richness and smoothness that helps make this dish so amazing.  We are able to find fresh cut pasta at our local Whole Foods and at a local pizza and pasta shop, and hopefully you are able to find some too (in a pinch prepackaged fresh pasta at a grocery store would work).

While this dish is elegant and perfect for a date-night dinner, it couldn't be easier to throw together.  After sautéing the kale onion and spices, they are tossed together with the cooked pasta, fresh eggs, and parmesan cheese.  Give this recipe a try this weekend and it will soon be a staple dinner in your house!

Shakshuka

When we are in the mood to experiment with a new dish we often try combinations of recipes from our cookbooks.  For this dish we wanted to do a spin on the Middle Eastern dish shakshuka (meaning "a mixture") - eggs poached in a tomato-onion sauce.  For our take on it, we were looking to add more veggies to make it a heartier main dish and after seeing a recipe in Cooks Illustrated for eggs florentine decided to add spinach.

While any tomato sauce would work in this dish, we used some sauce that we made over the summer with fresh cherry tomatoes and basil.  These bright flavors paired perfectly with smoky cumin and smoked paprika, caramelized onions and garlic, and plenty of spinach.  After simmering the tomato sauce for a while to let all the flavors meld, we carefully cracked eggs into the sauce and gently simmered for a few minutes until the eggs were just soft boiled (set whites and just set yokes).

This dish is especially simple because you probably have all of the ingredients on hand and can put it together in no time (you can even start with tomato sauce made for a pasta night and just add the spices).  Served with crusty bread to sop up all of the sauce this is an easy and delicious meal for any night of the week!

Shakshuka

1tbs olive oil
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin, or to taste
2 tsp smoked paprika, or to taste
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed
4 cups of tomato sauce or canned tomatoes (any kind thats good)
4 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in heavy, wide pot over medium heat and add onions.  Saute until golden brown, then add garlic and spices.  Continue cooking, stirring often, until very fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add thawed spinach and cook for 10 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Add tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes (or longer) to allow flavors to combine.

Just before serving, create 4 wells in the sauce and carefully crack 1 egg into each well.  Put a lid on the pot and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how well done you want the eggs.

Ladle whole eggs and plenty of sauce into bowls and serve immediately with crusty bread.

Serves 2.

Carrot Gnocchi with Sage and Brown Butter

It's pretty amazing how simple ingredients, when treated right, can turn into something so delicious.  In this case, just five ingredients - carrots, flour, sage, oil, and butter - are combined into a truly wonderful meal - carrot gnocchi.  We've always been a little intimidated to make classic potato gnocchi because great gnocchi must hold together well yet be light and airy.  When we first came across this recipe as Joanne's choice for the food matters project though, it seemed accessible and straightforward so we gave it a try.

By substituting carrots for potatoes or cheese, these gnocchi become quite sweet and very tender.  They were easy to put together and as long as you don't over mix them (which would build up too much gluten), they seem pretty foolproof.

Meanwhile, the simple brown butter and sage sauce is a perfect savory compliment.  Brown butter is nothing but butter and olive oil cooked until slightly browned and richly flavored.  Adding some sage leaves to this combination makes it all the better.  While cooking the gnocchi in batches (to avoid crowding and cooling the water), toss the finished gnocchi with the sauce to let them get a little crispy on the outside - a great contrast of texture to the soft and chewy center.

Pick up some carrots and sage and warm up your next cold evening with this delicious dish.

Carrot Gnocchi with Sage and Brown Butter
From The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman

1 lb carrots, cut into large pieces
Salt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
5-7 leaves of fresh sage, roughly chopped

Place carrots in cold water with a pinch of salt and bring to boil.  Boil until very soft, about 45 minutes, then drain.  Return carrots to pot and let them dry over low heat for 10 minutes.  Puree carrots in food processor or by hand and add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.

Combine flours in mixing bowl and remove 1/4 of it.  Add carrots to mixing bowl and stir until just combined.  Pinch off a piece of the dough and boil it to make sure it holds its shape.  If it falls apart add more flour to mixture until gnocchi just holds together.

Turn dough onto floured surface and roll into 1/2-inch ropes.  Cut rope into 1-inch pieces and score with a fork to provide grooves which will hold sauce.  Arrange gnocchi, without them touching, on a baking sheet covered with a towel.  (At this point the gnocchi can be frozen on the sheet pan, then transferred to a plastic bag for 3 months.  Do not thaw before boiling.)  Refrigerate for 20 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and heat oil, butter, and over medium low heat in a large skillet.  Cook a few gnocchi at a time in boiling water until 1 minute after they rise to the surface.  Transfer cooked gnocchi to skillet with sauce and repeat with remaining gnocchi.

Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Tempura

This past weekend we had friends over for a great sushi-making dinner party.  Vegetable sushi rolls have recently become one of our favorite entertaining dishes, as it's fun to make in a large group and much of the prep work can be done ahead of time - cooking the rice, prepping the vegetables, making the sauces.  And of course, making one of the best side dishes for sushi - tempura!

As it turns out, this weeks food matters project recipe was sweet potato and corn fritters, thus sweet potato tempura was a perfect recipe twist.

Tempura batter is incredibly versatile and can be used to add a perfect crunch to anything you fry.  We chose sweet potatoes because of their sweet flavor and contrast between soft interiors and crunchy shells created by the tempura batter.  It would be equally good with any number of other vegetables, including broccoli, onions, asparagus, carrots, green beens, and cauliflower.

We wanted to make the tempura ahead of time so we weren't making a mess while guests were over and in doing so stumbled upon a great trick to ensuring perfectly cooked vegetables.  After frying the sweet potatoes we put them on a cooling rack in a hot oven to keep them warm.  This also helped finish cooking the insides (which were slightly hard after frying) which resulted in super creamy interiors yet perfectly crisp exteriors.

Grab some local vegetables at your market and give this fun side dish a try!  Also check out Bittman's Sweet Potato and Corn Fritters on Dinner with Aura.

Butternut Squash Bisque

For the vegetarian cook, butternut squash is a staple winter ingredient, and a good butternut squash soup recipe is a must.  As the days have been getting shorter and the evenings getting cooler, here in Charlottesville we've been craving a comforting warm soup.  This is a great recipe to make on a Sunday afternoon and let simmer to develop the flavors and warm up your house (it also makes plenty to have for leftovers during the week).

In our minds the perfect butternut soup is rich and creamy but not heavy with cream and butter.  The sweetness of the squash is balanced by acid, in this case from apples and wine.  Once served the smoothness of the soup is contrasted by crunchy croutons.

We put a twist on the classic recipe by substituting almond milk for heavy cream, which added richness, but still keep it light.  We used granny smith apples and a dry white wine to provide a nice crispness while our garlic and balsamic croutons added the perfect crunch.

We will certainly be enjoying variations of this soup all winter long and hope you can enjoy it as well in one of the cold nights to come!

Spinach Tofu Burgers

This week was our turn to host the recipe for the food matters project.  We wanted to pick a recipe that was both accessible and versatile (not hard to find in Bittman's book).  But we also wanted a recipe that the other food matters project participants could customize in ways that reflect their favorite flavors and ingredients.  We thought that a veggie burger would be the perfect slate for us all to start with and embrace the food matters project ideals.

Typically, the veggie burgers we make are bean based (and delicious), so not including them in this recipe was a new concept to us.  We were also interested in the Asian flavors that went into this dish, as opposed to the usual earthy flavors in veggie burgers (chipotle, cumin, paprika, garlic, onion, etc.).  As the hosts this week, we followed Bittman's recipe exactly and loved the results.

These burgers were light, yet filling, with a crispy exterior (thanks to grilling them on a George Forman grill) and moist interior.  The Asian flavors are definitely unique, but proved to be refreshing and well balanced (particularly the crunch from the sesame seeds).

We topped our burgers with sliced tomato and our dill tofu mayo (from last weeks food matters project recipe) and placed it between two soft and grilled buns.

We hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as we did and look forward to seeing everyones take on it!

Spinach Tofu Burgers
From The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman
Makes: 4 servings       Time: 40 minutes

1 pound spinach (frozen is fine)
2 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves
1 block firm tofu (about 1 pound), patted dry
1/2 cup bread crumbs, preferably whole grain and homemade, or panko
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
Salt and black pepper
2 tbs vegetable oil, or more as needed

Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it; fill a large bowl with ice water.  Add the spinach to the pot, stir, and let cook for no more than a minute, then drain and plunge it into the ice water.  (If you're using frozen spinach, just let it thaw before proceeding.).  When the spinach is cold, drain it again, use your hands to squeeze out as much water as you can, and chop it finely by hand or in a food processor.  Transfer the spinach to a large bowl.

Put the scallions and garlic in a food processor and pulse a few times until minced.  Transfer them to the bowl, then crumble half the tofu into the bowl with your hands.  Put the remaining tofu into the food processor and let it run until the tofu is smooth.  Add it to the bowl along with the bread crumbs, sesame seeds, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a sprinkling of salt and lots of pepper.

Combine the mixture until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed, then form into 4 patties.  (You can prepare the patties up to a day ahead.  Cover them tightly and refrigerate; bring them to room temperature before proceeding.)

Put the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, slide the patties into the skillet with the spatula.  Alternatively, place burgers on preheated indoor grill or panini press that has been sprayed with oil.  Cook, undisturbed, until they are nicely browned and easy to move, about 5 minutes.  Carefully flip the patties and cook on second side for 3 to 4 minutes more.  Serve on buns or over rice.

Dill (Tofu) Mayo

Mayo is a pretty amazing ingredient.  We don't use it often, but when we do there is really no substitutions - sriracha mayo, "house" dressing (Charlottesvillians know what we are talking about), aioli, and burger dressings.  We love the creaminess and tang that mayo provides, but not necessarily the saturated fat and cholesterol that comes with it.  Thus, tofu mayo.

We were excited when we first saw this recipe on the food matters project schedule, but were slightly skeptical that tofu could replace eggs to provide the creaminess we were looking for.  But, as with most of Bittman's recipes, we trusted him, gave it a try, and were very happy with the results.

The recipe is simple and includes many of the ingredients you would add to a traditional aioli - lemon, Dijon mustard, and oil.  We also added a handful of dill which gave the final product a wonderfully fresh taste.  All of these ingredients, plus silken tofu and honey, were processed in a food processor until creamy and airy.  After a few minutes, voila - dill tofu mayo.

We served this mayo a top our veggie burgers (recipe coming next week) and with roasted sweet potatoes.  Don't stop there though, this mayo could also be tweaked to compliment anything from falafel to roasted and grilled vegetables.

We hope you find all sorts of uses for this mayo and let us know if you find any great ones!

Check out the original recipe at Biographie de ma Faim and see our version below.

Pesto Cheese-Nut Logs

Our CSA continues to provide us with abundant bunches of basil and we are always looking for new uses for it (we already have about a gallon of frozen pesto in the freezer).  This weeks food matters project recipe, cheese and nut balls, came at the perfect time to incorporate basil into another dish.

For these logs we used some mild Parmesan-like cheese and almonds.  We also tossed in some basil and garlic - essentially making pesto but with different ratios.  After adding a dash of salt and pepper we pulsed everything together in the food processor until it was broken down but not yet a paste.  Rather than making little balls, as per the original recipe, we placed our mixture in plastic wrap and then tightly rolled it into a log.  After a few hour rest in the fridge these logs were ready to be cut into rounds and served with a big salad and some crusty bread - the perfect weeknight meal!

Check out Cheese Please for Bittman's Cheddar Cheese and Almond Nut Balls and our "recipe" below.

Hot Sauce

We think that spice tends to make most food taste better.  Not burn-your-mouth-off-can't-taste-anything spice, but just enough heat to make things interesting.  Our go to hot sauce has been Sriracha, it's balance of peppers, spices, and flavors provides just the right amount of heat and complexity to all sorts of dishes.  As is our philosophy, though, we figured that with the right ingredients we too could make a flavorful hot sauce just as good as a store-bought version.

Thanks to our CSA's bounty of hot peppers, we were able to recently experiment.  We had been collecting hot peppers each week, but can only eat so many hot peppers as they are.  Hot sauce, we decided, was the perfect way to preserve the peppers flavors for the rest of the year.

This hot sauce turned out truly delicious.  It's definitely spicy, but not so spicy that you can't taste the complex flavors the variety of peppers yielded.  It's thin enough that you can stir it into mayo to make a spicy dipping sauce (for baked okra perhaps) and chunky enough to provide texture (to asian noodles for example).

We are really enjoying using our hot sauce - from adding a kick to falafel to adding spice to a soy sauce dip for sushi - and look forward to many more applications in the months to come.  Preserve a little bit of your summer and grab the last peppers of the season to spice up any of your favorite dishes.

Apple Polenta Cake

This weekend we've been busy making lots of fall-inspired recipes - pumpkin spiced granola, butternut squash, and this delicious apple polenta cake.  We don't bake often, but when this recipe came along for the food matters project it sounded too good (and healthy) not to make.  Bittman's recipe called for dried apricots, which we decided to sub out for fresh apples (this time of year they are just perfect for baking).  It turns out that this was a wonderful idea.

We really enjoyed the lightness and moisture that the polenta provided in this dessert while using olive oil instead of butter added a unique flavor which paired well with the other light flavors (not to mention making it healthier).  We think that using apples was a great addition and because we microwaved them for 3 minutes before mixing into the cake, they were perfectly soft and sweet.  And almost as important as how it tasted, it was easy and quick to make.

This cake satisfies your sweet tooth without being heavy or too rich.  That said, next time we are thinking of turning this into an upside-down cake by coating the bottom of the dish with an apple and caramel sauce (stay tuned!).

You can find the complete recipe at Prariesummers and later on this fall we'll post our experiments with an apple caramel sauce.

Edamame Cakes

Before cooking this food matters project recipe we had only eaten edamame in Japanese restaurants or as a quick snack.  Although we know that they are often added to stir-frys, we never thought of grinding them into a light and healthy cake.  Edamame are packed with protein and incredibly creamy - in a way similar to chickpeas.  The end result were crisp cakes with soft centers - a perfect texture combination - filled with flavor.

Making this recipe is reminiscent of making falafel, just with an Asian twist.  To continue the Asian theme, we had these cakes with one of our favorite summer side dishes, summer rolls, and an amazing dipping sauce.

For our dipping sauce, we combined our homemade chili sauce with soy sauce, grated ginger, and minced garlic.  This sauce was better than anything we've had in restaurants and tasted great on both the edamame cakes and summer rolls.

For Bittman's recipe (we followed it closely, just without the sesame oil and onions and garlic instead of scallions) visit Life with the Lushers.

Roasted Corn and Tomato Soup

Sometimes you come across a recipe that looks so good (both picture and ingredients) that you just have to try it.  That happened to us while flipping through the William Sonoma catalog (who knew they had such good recipes).  The timing couldn't have been better as we are still in, though not for much longer, fresh corn and tomato season.  We gave it a try one evening and loved the results.

There are a number of steps to this recipe so we made a big batch to make the effort well worth it.  Although roasting and peeling the tomatoes; charring, steaming, and peeling the peppers; and roasting the corn may seem unnecessary, this is one recipe where each step adds another layer of flavor.  The same goes for the chipotle seasoning at the end.  Nothing else would quite suffice because of chipotle's smoky heat, though in a pinch smoked paprika could work.

The end result was a creamy, rich, yet fresh soup that was perfect for a summer night.  Our frozen stash will also be perfect when we are craving the flavors of summer this winter.

Roasted Corn and Tomato Soup
Adapted from This is a Cookbook by Max and Eli Sussman

4 tomatoes
Kernels from 6 ears of fresh corn (about 3 cups)
2 bell peppers
2 onions, red or yellow, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 cup half and half
Paprika for garnish

Preheat oven to 450*F.

Put tomatoes in oiled dish and roast until caramelized, about 30 minutes.  Cool and then remove the skins.

Spread corn on a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes, until they are tender and slightly browned.

Place peppers underneath broiler to char each side, about 3-5 minutes per side.  Once charged, place in glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  After 15 minutes, remove charred skins, stems, and seeds from peppers.

In soup pot, combine tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, and corn.  Add just enough broth to cover vegetable and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes.  Add chili powder, salt, and pepper.  Using an immersion blender, blend soup until very smooth.  While, blending, slowly pour in half and half.  

Serve warm and garnish with paprika and a few drops of olive oil.

Freekah and Pesto Tabouleh

Yes, you read that correctly.  We cooked with freekah, cracked freekah, to be exact.  We discovered this unique grain at a Whole Foods demo a few weeks back and loved the flavor and texture of it.  It's somewhere in between bulgur and barley - with a firmer texture than bulgur and an earthier flavor than both.  When we saw this weeks the food matters project recipe, Quinoa Tabouleh, we liked the idea of swapping out the traditional tabouleh grain, bulgur, for something else.  We figured this would be the perfect opportunity to try cracked freekah.

To change things up even more, rather than making traditional raw tabouleh, we decided to roast all of the vegetables and turn the herbs, basil in our case, into a fresh pesto.  The combination of firm freekah, creamy pesto, and roasted vegetables was delicious and a great twist on traditional tabouleh.

We will definitely cook with this healthy and filling grain again (plus it's inexpensive in bulk bins) and see our recipe below to learn how to cook it yourself.  Also, visit Simply Whole Kitchen to see Bittman's original recipe for Quinoa Tabouleh.

Crispy Rice Cakes

This recipe is one of the reasons we love participating in the food matters project; we cook rice often but would never have thought to turn it into little fried patties.  It's so nice to put a twist on a staple food and be encouraged to try new things in the kitchen.

Bittman's recipe for Crispy Rice Cakes is straightforward - form rice into patties and pan fry.  Doing so gives a new and unique texture to the rice and allows you to add in any number of other flavors.  We happened to have leftover Chinese food from the weekend to pair with these (yum), but otherwise would have thrown together a simple stir-fry.

These cakes are adaptable to many different cuisines, we added Asian flavors, but you could also add Indian, Mexican, or Italian flavors to pair with other main dishes.  Our version of Bittman's recipe is below and you can find his original recipe at Small Kitchen College.

Crispy Rice Cakes
Adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook

2 cups dry brown rice, rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp soy sauce, or to taste
1 tsp Sriracha, or to taste
2 tbs sesame seeds
Rice wine vinegar, if desired to taste
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil

Place rinsed rice and garlic in a medium saucepan and cover with water by 1 1/2 inches.  Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer, and cook uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  If the water has been absorbed during this time but the rice is not mushy, add 1/2 to 1 cup more water.  (Slightly overcooked and over hydrated rice is best in this application so the patties stick together.)

Once rice has cooled enough to handle, coat bottom of a large skillet with 1/4 inch oil and heat over medium-high heat.  Form rice into small, 1/2 inch thick patties and place in hot oil.  Cook on each side for 5 minutes, until rice turns golden brown.

Serve immediately or keep warm in 250* oven.  Makes 12 2-inch patties.

A Twist on Greek Salad

This week's the food matters project recipe was another minimal-cook dish that was great for summer - you could make this salad completely raw if you wanted to avoid any cooking.  The original recipe, chosen by Megan is Bittman's Greek "Nachos" with Feta Drizzle - a fun combination of Mexican nachos and Greek salad.

We decided to turn this recipe into a full salad by taking out the pita to avoid turning on the oven and adding bulgur (which can be soaked in cold water).  To the bulgur we added a mix of vegetables, some traditional in Greek salad (tomatoes, olives, peppers), and some not (eggplant, zucchini).  We topped this all with Bittman's feta drizzle with some fresh oregano.

This recipe is a quick and fun evening meal that uses all the best summer vegetables in a new way.  To check out the original recipe visit Art by Megan and keep reading below to see our version.

Summer Rolls

We cannot get enough make-ahead-and-serve-cold meals during the summer.  Alyssa from Everyday Maven must have known that when she picked this weeks the food matters project recipe - summer rolls.  These Thai-inspired rolls are easy and fun to put together as long as you have two specialty ingredients on hand (both of which can be found at any supermarket): cellophane noodles and rice paper.

With these two staples you can substitute in any variation of vegetables and herbs you like and have on hand.  This time we used carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, mint, and basil.  An easy to make peanut sauce serves as the perfect compliment to this refreshing and healthy side dish, snack, appetizer, or side dish (we had ours with a simple stir fry).

For one of our versions of this recipe check out our post from last summer, Thai Summer Rolls, and for another, click over to Everyday Maven.

Popcorn!

The Food Matters Project this week was "Wild Card Week", which meant we should make a recipe that we missed the first time around.  One of our favorite snacks in the afternoon is homemade popcorn - it's fast, easy, and healthy.  Before seeing Bittman's recipe we had been experimenting with different techniques but never got it perfect.  Thanks to his suggestions (see below) we now can make perfect popcorn every time.

This time we seasoned our snack with Old Bay Seasoning and nutritional yeast.  For those who haven't tried nutritional yeast, it gives a rich and slightly buttery/cheesy flavor without the fat which is perfect in a recipe like this.

Follow our/Bittman's recipe and try your had at making your own popcorn for your next snack or to bring as a perfect appetizer to an informal dinner party.

Roasted Potatoes with Ancho Chile Vinaigrette

Spicy foods and hot summer nights might not seem like an intuitive combination, but cultures around the world have figured out that spicy foods help your body cool down naturally.  That's why this week's the food matters project recipe was a perfect sunday night side dish.  Mireya chose Bittman's Roasted Potatoes with Chicken and Romesco Sauce recipe, which pairs oven roasted summer potatoes with a spicy pepper and tomato sauce.

We are currently in the process of moving apartments and were not able to gather all the ingredients for the romesco sauce, but our friend, Ellen, has a delicious recipe for an ancho chile vinaigrette.  The vinaigrette has a great balance of sweet and spicy and pairs perfectly with roasted potatoes or any other vegetables you would want to add it to.  This is also a great summer or entertaining side dish because it can be served at room temperature.

Our basic method of roasted potatoes is to combine 1/4 slices of potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper and 450*F or sauté in a skillet until tender on the outside and crisp on the outside.

For Ellen's chile vinaigrette recipe check out Ellen in the Kitchen and for this week's the food matters project recipe visit My Healthy Eating Habits.

Summer Salsa Salad

This week was a summery pick for the food matters project.  Jenn chose Bittman's Corn-Avacado Salad (with a little something seared on top).  It's been so hot that we've tried to avoid cooking as much as possible and decided to make an (almost) cook-free seasonal salsa/salad.  While corn isn't quite in season here in Virginia, and avocados are never in season, we incorporated some delicious vegetables from our CSA and local farmer's market.

We had some dried black beans on hand, soaked them overnight and then boiled until soft.  But to make salad completely cook free you could easily used canned beans.  To the beans we added a peach, tomato, scallions, and okra.  We grilled the okra to try to get rid of a little of the sliminess, but it still created a pretty gooey salsa we will probably leave the okra out next time, or find a better way to cook it.  We dressed the salad with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  A simple summer salsa salad that can be enjoyed with your grain of choice!

For Bittman's original recipe visit Vanilla Lemon and enjoy your own seasonal salsa!

Repost: Stuffed Vegetable Rolls

We have been away on vacation the past week and a half and didn't have the chance to cook this weeks  food matters recipe - beet "sandwiches".  However, we realized that about this time last year we posted about another unique take on sandwiches.  We used a similar method in our recipe as Bittman's recipe - layering roasted vegetables with a goats cheese filling - and the result was delicious.

We'll definitely be making these rolls again throughout this summer and hope that you can enjoy them too!  Check out our post from August 26, 2011 for our complete vegetable roll recipe.

Also, find Bittman's beet "sandwich" recipe on My Wholefood Romance.