Raw Food Lessons

This week I gave a couple of raw food lessons, timed perfectly to coincide with the hazy, hot & humid summer weather we've finally been having. It was great preparing entire meals without the use of the stove or oven.

The first menu was Italian themed: Mediterranean Wilted Kale Salad with Kalamata Olives and Pine Nuts; Spiralized Zucchini "Spaghetti" with Cashew "Cheese" Sauce and Red Pepper Marinara; and a lovely Fresh Fruit Tart with Date Nut Crust (my favorite summer treat!).

The second menu was Mexican themed: Shaved Jicama and Fennel Salad with Avocado Lime Vinaigrette; Sunflower Seed "Tacos" with Mexican Cacao Mole Sauce; Strawberry Salsa and Cilantro.
Delish!

Oh, Miya

On a sticky summer evening, I felt in the mood for something light, something crunchy, something like... veggie sushi. Where else but Miya's Sushi would satisfy my craving? So we headed out to the corner of Chapel and Howe for the most creative and delicious interpretations of rolls around.

The place was packed, despite the fact that it's summer and most of Yale is a ghost town. But we were able to squeeze in and enjoy complementary bowls of miso soup while we waited for a table to be set. This isn't any ordinary miso soup - rich with onion and other vegetables, it's more of a miso stew with a thick broth. Delicious.

I ordered the Japafrican Queen Roll (sushi made with eggplant, apricots, avocado, pickled radish, scallions & ethiopian berbere spice mix, wrapped in freshly made teff grain crepe - I asked for it without the goat cheese), the Mount Fuji Roll (and inside-out roll of seasoned eggplant, spicy miso avocado & scallions), and my favorite, the Rikki Tikki Roll (mushroom & cauliflower with roasted garlic, chinese black beans, scallions, hot pepper & pine nuts). And of course we shared a bottle of homemade ginger and lemongrass Dragon Lady sake.

Cheers!

This week's menu

My garden is overflowing with yellow squash, and I keep trying to come up with new ways to serve it. Last night I made ratatouille for a class I'm teaching in West Hartford. It was delicious (as were the leftovers which I inhaled for lunch today).

For this week's menu, I sauteed the yellow squash with red onion, then tossed it with a lovely tapenade made with black & green olives, walnuts, garlic, capers, fresh basil, olive oil and sundried tomatoes. I think this will become a regular dinner item for me this summer.

I served it alongside red and white quinoa and baked tofu that had been marinated in tamari, tahini and toasted sesame oil, which gave it the perfect lightly crisp coating. The shades of tan were very soothing, and the flavors and textures complemented each other well.

This Week's Meals:

#1 Baked Tofu with Sauteed Yellow Squash and Olive Tapenade on Red and White Quinoa
#2 Chana Masala with Green Beans and Quinoa
#3 Shiitake and Portobello Stroghanoff with Zucchini and Fusilli Pasta

Edgewood Park Farmer's Market

I had fun this morning meeting my neighbors in Westville at the Edgewood Park Farmers Market. This is one of 6 markets organized by CitySeed around the city of New Haven. It's one of the many things I love about living here!

Because my garden is overflowing with yellow squash, I decided to make a modified version of Ratatouille. The Yellow Squash, Zucchini and Basil were from my garden; the onion, garlic and diced tomatoes were from the grocery store.

I did a little pre-cooking of the squash at home since my cannister of butane was running low and I didn't want to run out midway through the recipe. So, at the market, I sauteed the onion and garlic in olive oil, which drew plenty of patrons with a good sense of smell over to the table.

Then I added the fresh basil, diced tomatoes and a little sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Once that thickened, I added the squash and cooked it for a couple minutes more. The consensus was: delish!!

Beautiful weather + nice people + an abundance of organic veggies = Perfect Summer Day

This week's menu

It's been a crazy week. I've been teaching 2 adult education classes in West Hartford, testing recipes, and planning for a farmers market cooking demonstration in New Haven (more on all that later). In between, I've been cooking for my regular clients.

This week's menu featured some tastes of summer and flavors of the great outdoors. I was inspired by my BBQ Tofu entree at the Shoreline Diner and created a meal around that with mashed potatoes and chili lime corn on the cob. And since sweet corn is now in season, I decided to do a twist on Succotash, one of those love-hate recipes. I happen to love it.

My version took on an Asian-inspired theme and was made with edamame instead of lima beans. It was accompanied by Asian style rice noodles tossed with fresh lime juice, tamari and sesame oil and garnished with sesame seeds. It was as delicious as it was beautiful.

On the Menu this Week:

• Barbeque Tofu with Mashed Potatoes and Chili Lime Corn on the Cob
• Edamame Succotash with Rice Noodles in Sesame Vinagrette
• French Lentil Basmati Rice Pilaf with Green Beans Amandine

Shoreline Diner - July Menu

It's always fun cooking at the Shoreline Diner. The staff is friendly, the kitchen crew is talented (and also very friendly), and the owners are some of the nicest people in the restaurant business. Oh, yeah, and the food is pretty awesome, too.

This month there are three new items added to the Specials Menu - 2 vegan and one gluten-free (and vegan). Plus, three of my favorite recipes (the chickpea croquettes, tempeh "mock chicken" salad and Mediterannean Pasta) have been added to the regular menu. Yay! It's so exciting to see. And if you haven't stopped by to enjoy a meal on their new patio, you really must make the drive. It's so pretty. And after a day at the beach, you will find it a refreshing oasis. Come and enjoy!

This month's Specials are:

Jerk Tempeh with Red and Green Peppers and Caribbean Rice

BBQ Tofu with Herbed Vegan Cole Slaw and Chili Lime Corn on the Cob

Gluten-free Penne with Roasted Summer Squash,
Sundried Tomato and Basil Pistou