Vegetable Sushi

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds sushi rice (2 3/4 cups)
3 cups water
1/4 cup mirin, plus additional for moistening nori
5 sheets nori (1 package)
4 teaspoons wasabi powder, mixed with 2 teaspoons water
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
1 carrot, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
1 scallion, julienned (green part only)
1 hothouse cucumber, seeded and julienned
1 (10-ounce) jar pickled ginger

Directions

Place the rice in a strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water is fairly clear, about 5 minutes. Shake the water out and allow the rice to dry in the strainer for 15 minutes.

Put the rice in a pot with exactly 3 cups of water and cook covered over high heat until it starts to foam, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with 1/4 cup mirin. Replace the lid and allow the rice to steam for 15 minutes. Place in a bowl and cool to room temperature.

To prepare the sushi, place a bamboo sushi roller flat on a table with the bamboo reeds horizontal to you. Sprinkle lightly with water. Place 1 nori sheet on top, smooth side down, and moisten lightly with mirin. With damp hands, press 1 1/4 cups rice flat on top of the nori, leaving 1 1/2-inch edges on the top and bottom, but pressing all the way to the sides. Make sure the rice is pressed even and smooth.

Spread 1/4 teaspoon of wasabi paste in a horizontal stripe near the lower edge of the rice. Over the wasabi, lightly sprinkle the red onions in a horizontal stripe. Place strips of carrots in a horizontal stripe, on top of the wasabi and onions, and follow by piling the red and yellow peppers, scallions, and cucumbers on top, making a tight, straight bundle of vegetables. Place 1 layer of pickled ginger slices on top.

To roll the sushi, pick up the near edge of the bamboo roller and hold it with the nori, then pull them up and over the vegetable bundle until the nori reaches the rice on the other side. Press the roller to make a round bundle, then roll the bundle to the far edge of the nori and press again to make a round bundle. (The nori should totally enclose the rice and vegetables in a round tube, but the ends will have rice and vegetables sticking out.) Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. Keep the rolls under a damp towel and refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, slice off the ends with a very sharp knife and slice each roll into 8 equal pieces.

Serve with Sushi Dipping Sauce

Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing

¾ cup uncooked quinoa
1-2 cups shredded red cabbage, depending on how much crunch you like
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
1 cup shredded carrots
½ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup diced green onions
½ cup cashew halves or peanuts (honey-roasted is good)
Optional: 1 cup edamame or chickpeas
Fresh lime, for a bit of tang


For the dressing:
¼ cup all natural peanut butter
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoon soy sauce, gluten-free if desired
1 tablespoon honey (use agave if vegan)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
Water to thin, if necessary


Instructions
1. To cook quinoa: Rinse quinoa with cold water in mesh strainer. In a medium saucepan,
bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil. Add in quinoa and bring mixture to a boil. Cover,
reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all of the
water. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with fork; place in large bowl and set aside to
cool for about 10 minutes. You should have a little over 2 cups of quinoa.

2. To make dressing: Add peanut butter and honey or agave to a medium microwave safe
bowl; heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Add in ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and both
sesame and olive oil and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. If you want a thinner
dressing, simply stir in a teaspoon or two of water or olive oil.

3. Add as much or as little dressing as you’d like to the quinoa. I always start out with a
little bit of dressing and usually add more to suit my taste preferences. Alternatively you
can save the dressing for later and add when you are ready to eat; however the flavors of
the dressing usually soak into the salad so I love adding it to the quinoa first.

4. Next fold in red pepper, onion, cabbage, carrots, and cilantro into the quinoa. Garnish
with cashews and green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature with lime wedges if
desired.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

13.25 ounce box Barilla Whole Grain Pasta (shells, penne or rotini)
1 pound cooked chicken,  cut into bite-sized pieces
2 small bell peppers, red and yellow, seeded and diced
1 bunch chopped green onions, divided
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup GOOD blue cheese dressing
1/2 - 3/4 cup Buffalo Hot Wing Sauce
3 cups shredded cheese, divided (cheddar, mozzarella or a blend)
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350° F
Boil the pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Drain and transfer to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Add the cooked chicken, chopped bell peppers, 3/4 of the green onions, and 2-1/4 cups of shredded cheese to the baking dish. Mix well.
Place the garlic, cream cheese, blue cheese dressing and 1/2 cup hot wing sauce in a food processor. Puree until smooth. taste and add another 1/3 cup hot wing sauce if needed. Pour over the pasta and toss.
Mix the remaining 3/4 cup cheese and the Panko together. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle with the remaining green onions.
Bake until golden, approximately 30-40 minutes.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
8 servings

Asian Noodle Salad

Salad Ingredients:

1 package Linguine Noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled

1/2 head sliced Napa Cabbage, or more to taste

1/2 head sliced Purple Cabbage, or more to taste

1/2 bag Baby Spinach, or more to taste

1 whole Red Bell Pepper, sliced thin

1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced thin

1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, sliced thin

1 bag Bean Sprouts (also called Mung Bean Sprouts)

Cilantro, up to 1 bunch, to taste

3 whole Scallions, sliced

3 whole Cucumber peeled and sliced

1 can (about 10 oz. ) whole Cashews, lightly toasted in skillet

Dressing Ingredients:

1 whole Lime, juiced

8 Tablespoons Olive Oil

8 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 Tablespoons (up to 3 Tablespoons) Sesame Oil

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

3 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, chopped

2 whole Hot Peppers or Jalapenos, chopped

chopped Cilantro

Mix salad ingredients together. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on a platter.

Note: dressing keeps for up to three days before serving, without cilantro

Servings: 6

Black Bean & Roasted Red Pepper Dip

1 package (1 oz) taco spices and seasonings

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 jar (7 oz) roasted red peppers, drained

12 ounces light cream cheese

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 to 2 teaspoons lime juice

Garnishes: chopped tomato and fresh cilantro

in food processor combine all ingredients except garnishes; mix thoroughly. serve with tortilla chips and/or raw vegetables

Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

also known as Chinese Tacos

1 large head iceberg lettuce - cored

2 cups mushrooms, cleaned and chopped small

1-1/2 pounds ground chicken

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

salt and pepper

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2- 1 inch ginger root finely chopped or grated

1 orange, zested

1 red bell pepper - diced or chopped small

1 6-8 ounce tin water chestnuts, drained and chopped small

3 scallions or 6 green onions, sliced or chopped small

3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce (Chinese BBQ sauce in Asian section)

Put lettuce in a bowl and cover with ice water. Place in fridge to crisp and cool. Add oil to pan and heat until HOT. (you want to cook fast and sear in flavor) You can use a wok or a big or skillet.

Add chicken to pan and sear by frying a couple minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add ginger and garlic and cook an additional minute. Grate zest into pan then add red pepper, water chestnuts and scallions or onions and continue cooking and another minute. Add Hoisin sauce and stir to coat evenly. Transfer to a serving dish.

Drain lettuce and place on a plate.

To eat, pile spoonfuls into lettuce leaves (large leaves will need to be ripped into 2 or 3 smaller pieces) and add more Hoisin sauce if you wish. Wrap (as best you can) and eat. You will need napkins, it is messy!

Summer Corn Fettuccine

Salt

1 pound fettuccine

extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

6 slices smoky bacon, chopped

6 ears corn on the cob, shucked

3 shallots, finely chopped

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup half-and-half or cream

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

hot sauce or 1 or 2 pinches cayenne pepper

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano

1/2 cup torn sweet basil leaves

Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium heat. Salt the water, add the pasta and cook to al dente. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook a few minutes until rendered and crisp. Put a small bowl inverted into a large bowl, steady the corn cobs on the smaller bowl and scrape the ears. Add 3/4 of the scraped corn and any corn liquid into the pan with the bacon. Add the shallots and red pepper and liberally season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the remaining corn and half-and-half to a food processor and puree until smooth.

Pour the stock into the corn and vegetables, and simmer over low heat for a minute. Stir in the thyme and corn-cream mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, to thicken. Add the hot sauce or cayenne and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Drain the pasta and add it to a large serving bowl. Pour in the sauce, add a couple handfuls of cheese, about 1/2 cup and toss. Top with torn basil or chopped tarragon and pass the remaining cheese at the table.

Serves 4 to 6

Eggs Benedict Squares

4 whole English muffins, split in half

2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided

3 cups cooked and chopped broccoli or asparagus

1 cup chopped ham

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

8 eggs

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon dry mustard

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 recipe Hollandaise Sauce click here

Place muffin halves in a greased 9x13 -inch baking dish. Sprinkle halves with 1 cup cheddar cheese, the cooked broccoli or asparagus, chopped ham, and red pepper. Beat eggs in a medium bowl; stir in milk, dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven. Top with remaining cheese. Bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with Hollandaise Sauce.

Makes 8 servings

Festive Chicken Crescent Wreath

2 tubes (10 oz each) ready-to-bake crescent rolls

2 cups grated pepper jack cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup diced fresh broccoli

1 diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup diced green onions

1 can (10 oz) white chicken, drained

preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Unroll crescent rolls and arrange on a 15-inch-round pizza pan, with wide edges of dough triangles about 2 inches in from outside edge of pan and pointed edges hanging off the pan. Wide edges of dough triangles should overlap about 2 inches. Mix remaining ingredients and spoon onto top of wide edges of dough circle, all the way around the circle. Bring pointed edges of dough up and fold over the chicken mixture and tuck into inside of the circle. Some filling will be showing between each section of dough. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 6 - 8 servings