potato and cauliflower curry

chopped and roasted potato (drizzled with oil) in the oven for about 30 min at 350 degrees F. Then I sauteed some cauliflower, defrosted some frozen peas, and added a premade curry sauce. served everything over whole wheat couscous.

my brain is dead from finals right now, so that's all the writing you're getting from me. this is, however, a fantastic finals meal because you don't have to think too much about it or walk out to your local indian place in the freezing cold, but its super delicious.

-Lola

cinnamon sugar pita chips

yo! how was everyone's weekend?

mine involved lots of homework and studying for midterms, seeing the giants win (we're going to the world series!!!), my first legal drink at a bar (happy 21st to my sister rita too!), and delicious chocolate pudding pie and cookie dough cupcakes baked by my friend (i took pictures but they're on my phone and i didn't properly download the necessary software to get them onto my computer. but the cupcakes were lovely, believe me).

anyhoo, onto the chips...

i love when simple things like this turn out amazing. all you need is some leftover pita, cinnamon, sugar, and oil and you're on your way to a crazy addictive snack.

note the one perfect looking chip off to the side.

cinnamon sugar pita chips
*1 whole wheat pita
*2 teaspoons cinnamon
*about 3/4 of a packet of sugar
*canola oil

preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
separate pita into two flat, round halves. rip or cut into triangular pieces.
spread pita pieces onto a cookie sheet. drizzle with a small amount of oil and toss, so that each chip has some oil on it but is not completely coated. sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar--again, each chip should have some but not be coated.
bake for about 20 minutes, or until crispy, flipping chips over halfway through.

eat plain or with peanut butter. i bet they'd be good with yogurt too.

-Lola

breakfast quinoa

rita and i recently purchased a bag of quinoa, which we had been keeping in a drawer in the kitchen, until i learned that quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain, and should be refrigerated.

unfortunately, our fridge is approximately the size of a small dog (i have no idea where that comparison came from, but now that its in my head i have a mental block and can't think of anything else that's the same size), and we had no room for quinoa. which meant we were forced to eat delicious things like this: cooked quinoa, heated up in a splash of milk, mixed with a big scoop of pumpkin and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice and half a packet of equal (not because i have any preference for equal. i just happened to grab it at the coffee shop). topped with almond butter.

cooked quinoa, heated up in soy milk, mixed with raisins and cinnamon and topped with syrup (trader joe's maple/agave blend) and almond butter.
-Lola

bbq tofu sandwiches

rita and i have both become hermits this weekend. i caught a bad flu, and have now given it to her. we're both treating it with lots of duane reade nyquil knockoff, way too much grey's anatomy and my so-called life, and plenty of sleep.

despite this, we have managed to cook some very tasty dishes, which i promise we'll post about soon. i also went over to a friend's apartment the other night and helped her make butternut squash ravioli with hazelnut butter sauce (by "helped" i mean i rolled out the dough with a budweiser can. classy). so good! i wish i had a picture for you guys.

anyhoo, here's a not so exciting (or photogenic) but still yummy meal:
we just fried some tofu in oil, then served it in a sandwich with bbq sauce and sliced tomato. we also had un-photographed sweet potato fries on the side. with more bbq sauce, of course. you can never have enough.
-Lola

quinoa with roasted vegetables and cashews

sorry to have abandoned you for a week! in my defense, i have been super busy. this week i:

*got a new job

*had about 50 million pages of reading to do for classes

*joined an irish folk group (despite the fact that i have no musical talent what-so-ever)

*ran 3.92 miles in 50 minutes. the farthest i've ever run! i credit all the flo rida on my ipod. (also, i know this is not impressive if you are a serious runner, but i'm not. before this january, the most i'd ever run was the mile run we did in PE class every year. and by "run", i mean jogged for 5 minutes and walked the rest. the only person with a worse time than me was this weird kid who never showered.)
and because i just figured out how to embed videos into posts, here's the aforementioned flo rida:


*had my first food lab, in which we get long lists of tasks, recipes, and experiments to do in groups. basically it is very intense and involves running around the kitchen for 3 hours. we made apple sauce, caramelized onions, roasted vegetables, sauteed mustard greens, steamed vegetables, and cabbage.

so now that you've patiently read through all my excuses, here's some healthy and tasty food for you:

cauliflower and eggplant, tossed with canola oil and roasted at 475 for about half an hour. added to quinoa cooked with curry powder (i believe our curry powder is the sweet kind, but you could use whatever you like) and topped with cashews. and then topped with un-pictured sriracha.

-Lola

israeli couscous with quinoa and roasted carrots

one of our staple meals here at chez twin is what i usually refer to as "couscous and stuff" aka couscous with whatever veggies we have thrown in, and some beans for protein. its easy, healthy, and a great way to use up leftovers. this particular incarnation used trader joe's harvest grains blend, which is mostly israeli couscous, with some quinoa and a little bit of orzo and dried garbanzo beans (the yellow things in the picture).
israeli couscous with quinoa and roasted carrots
i'm writing ingredients without amounts because you can adjust every ingredient depending on what you want. its also a great recipe to make a big batch of and save for the rest of the week.
carrots
olive oil
cinnamon
cumin
curry powder
cayenne pepper
canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
peas, frozen or fresh
trader joe's harvest grains blend, or israeli couscous and quinoa (and orzo if desired)
1. preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. spread carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. toss. there should be enough olive oil to evenly cover the carrots, but not too much excess oil. sprinkle with a medium amount of cinnamon, cumin, and curry powder, and a smaller amount of cayenne. mix so that each carrot has some spices, but is not covered in spices. i think i used about 2 tsp of most of the spices and 1 tsp of cayenne for about 10 carrots. bake for about 45 minutes. carrots should be just starting to blacken on the bottom.
2. when carrots have 10-15 minutes left, cook grains according to package directions. if using different grains, mix them together after cooking. if using frozen peas, cook them with your grains (when your water is boiling, add both grains and peas).
3. stir in carrots and beans (and peas if you haven't yet) with grain mixture. top with sriracha or other hot sauce if desired.
-Lola

spinach salad with mango and candied macadamias

with this hot weather, all i've been craving is salad. more specifically, salad with fruit, nuts, and cheese. its just so refreshing. this is the last part of our "last time cooking at home meal" (which also included the corn soup and the bread pudding). we used a recipe from cooking light, but eliminated the scallops and served it with french bread, goat cheese, and smoked salmon on the side. smoked salmon+goat cheese (or butter, or cream cheese)+baguette=amazing-ness, btw.
spinach salad with mango and candied macadamia nuts
from cooking light. serves 4
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons water, divided
• 1/4 cup macadamia nuts or pecans
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups diced peeled mango (about 1 large), divided
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1 pound sea scallops
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 8 cups packaged spinach
• 1 cup vertically sliced red onion
  

[if, like us, you skip the scallops, you don't need the scallops, obviously, or the salt, pepper, or oil. and for any vegans, without the scallops the salad is vegan.]

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in nuts. Spread nut mixture onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Immediately scrape onto a sheet of foil coated with cooking spray. Spread evenly; cool completely. Lightly chop; set aside.

Combine 2 tablespoons water, 1/2 cup mango, juice, ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Stir in poppy seeds; set dressing aside.

Sprinkle scallops with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in a grill pan or medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops; sauté 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan.

Arrange 2 cups spinach on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 3 ounces scallops, 1/4 cup mango, and 1/4 cup onion. Drizzle each serving with 3 tablespoons dressing; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon nut mixture.

-lola

easy vegetable soup

this is one of our quick lunch staples. just saute whatever veggies you want in olive oil, then move them to a pot and add a can of diced tomatoes with their juices plus a can of beans (whatever kind you like) with their juices. heat, stirring, until hot and add italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. this makes enough for a satisfying, healthy lunch for 2.
-Lola

vegetarian chili

happy august everybody! we celebrated the end of july with some homemade chili (not that july was a bad month or anything. but i am excited to be only a month away from heading back to new york.)who doesn't love chili? its warm, comforting, and hearty. its also simple to make, the kind of thing that you could make a big pot of on sunday and save portions in the fridge for easy lunches the rest of the week (i wish i was the kind of organized, put together person who actually did things like that. instead of the kind of person who regularly makes a peanut butter sandwich in 4 seconds and eats it on the way to class while dripping jelly all over myself. but i did heat up the leftover chili for lunch today.)

recipe from bon appetit, via epicurious, with some changes by the twins
vegetarian chili

makes 4-5 main course servings

* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 cups chopped onions
* 2 medium coarsely chopped bell peppers (we used yellow)
* 6 garlic cloves, chopped
* 2 tablespoons chili powder + more to taste
* 2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin + more to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 2 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans plus 1 15-16 oz can kidney beans, drained, 1/2 cup liquid reserved
* 1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juices
* small pinch chipotle chili powder (optional)
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + more to taste

possible toppings (we used green onions and shredded mexican cheese):
* Chopped fresh cilantro
* Sour cream
* Grated Monterey Jack cheese
* Chopped green onions

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté until onions soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne; stir 2 minutes. Mix in beans, 1/2 cup reserved bean liquid, and tomato sauce. Bring chili to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend and chili thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and extra chili powder, cumin, anc cinnamon if desired.

Ladle chili into bowls. Pass chopped cilantro, sour cream, grated cheese, and green onions separately.

stay tuned for the exciting conclusion (aka the cornbread recipe) in our next post!
-Lola

black bean burgers

Even though me and Lola don't like burgers much, we both love veggie burgers. Actually, I prefer the ones that don't even try to taste like meat burgers and instead just taste like a delicious thing that just happens to be shaped like a burger. This black bean burger recipe falls into the second category, although the beans do give it a nice meatiness that also helps hold it together. Me and Lola both consistently fail with hamburgers, pancakes, crab cakes, and other things that need to be formed into circles, but even we managed to turn out fairly succesful patties with this recipe, although they did crumble a little bit at the edges.

Here's the recipe from The San Francisco Chronicle:

Black Bean Burgers
Serves 4

You can also make these as sliders. Decrease cooking time slightly, and use smaller buns or dinner rolls. These can also be baked at 350° for 15-20 minutes.

•3 tablespoons vegetable oil
•1 small onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
•2 teaspoons minced garlic
•1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
•-- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
•1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
•-- Juice and grated zest of 1 lime
•1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
•1 teaspoon dried oregano
•1/3 cup chopped cilantro
•2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
•3 tablespoons mayonnaise + more for buns
•1 egg, lightly beaten
•3 to 4 hamburger buns
•-- Avocado, thinly sliced
•-- Salsa and creme fraiche, for serving
Instructions: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium-size skillet; add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat to cool.

In a large bowl, mix breadcrumbs, lime zest, cumin, oregano and cilantro. Pulse 3/4 of the beans in a food processor with lime juice, mayonnaise and egg until combined. Stir into breadcrumb mixture, and add onion mixture and remaining whole beans. Shape bean mixture into patties about the size of the rolls, and 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook burgers until outsides are crisp and lightly browned, turning once, about 5 to 8 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Split buns, and thinly spread cut sides with mayonnaise. In a large saute pan over medium heat, cook buns, cut side down, until crisp and golden brown. Place one patty on each bun, top with avocado, salsa and creme fraiche. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 443 calories, 14 g protein, 47 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat (3 g saturated), 61 mg cholesterol, 810 mg sodium, 10 g fiber.

-Rita

apple cinnamon oatmeal

this is my favorite oatmeal breakfast. i use 1/2 cup oats cooked in 3/4 cup or 1 cup water (less water if you're microwaving, more if stovetop. also, i use either mccann's quick irish oats or quaker. i like mccann's better. It also absorbs the water a lot better, so i use less water with quaker) and topped with a large sprinkle of cinnamon. stir in a chopped apple before cooking, or midway through if you want it a little crunchy. top with a spoonful of peanut butter. for an extra treat (my go-to finals week breakfast) add 1 packet or 1-2 tablespoons of hot chocolate powder (stir in before cooking)

-Lola

vegan chocolate pudding

look at me, posting 2 days in a row! now lets see if i can keep it up.
i LOVE chocolate pudding. it's probably my favorite food ever (although i do say that about many foods). i remember when i was younger and went camping with some friends, we created a whole mythology around the dining hall's chocolate pudding. I don't recall the entire story, only that my friend N. was crowned the pudding queen and the rest of us had to say "I am mere whipped topping in your pudding presence".last week i decided it was time to say goodbye, at least for now, to jello instant pudding mix, and make my own pudding. my first attempt was a spectacular disaster. it started out promisingly enough. just look at this recipe. while i'm sure deb's caramel pudding was amazing, i burnt my caramel and my pudding was filled with unappetizing lumps, rendering it completely inedible.
so i threw it out, took a trip to whole foods, and tried again, this time with a recipe that requires no slaving over the stove and patiently stirring in cornstarch.
yum! this pudding is rich, thick and chocolately. if you're serving it to tofu-phobes, don't tell them its vegan and they'll never know. and remember...

vegan chocolate pudding from veg news, with a few small changes from me
serves 4
*1 cup vegan chocolate chips
*1/2 cup powdered sugar
*8 ounces silken tofu (half a standard 1 lb/16 ounce box)
*1 teaspoon vanilla
1. place tofu in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
2. add sugar and vanilla to blender/processor. stir once or twice.
3. melt chocolate chips in microwave or a double boiler (it took 2 minutes in my microwave.) stir to make sure all chips are melted. add to blender/processor.
3. blend until smooth and combined. you may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times.
4. portion into 4 individual serving bowls and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. add toppings such as whipped cream, crumbled cookies, fruit, or chocolate chips if desired.
-Lola

p.s. how amazing was the US vs. Algeria match this morning? go USA!!!

quick indian lunch

you guys, i feel bad. i left you for a week, and now all i have to offer is this boring, but tasty lunch. at least there's a pretty picture. look:
i don't even remember everything that was in here, but the basic idea is this--saute veggies (i apparently used carrots. i think there were some onions in there too) in olive oil. add a sprinkle of curry powder (i used both sweet and hot. but be careful! i added way too much and this was too spicy. i ate in anyway, but i was tearing up by the time i finished), half a can of chopped tomatoes with juices, a handful of baby spinach, half a can of chickpeas (drained), and a sprinkle of cinnamon, plus a tiny sprinkle of chili powder if you want it spicier. stir, and enjoy topped with chutney (mine was cilantro chutney. yummy! but also kind of spicy, not the cool, refreshing antidote to the spicy curry, which is what i was expecting. lesson learned: taste things before throwing them onto your lunch) and cashews.
-Lola

peanut butter granola

a few weeks ago, rita and i may have made our internet video ad debut. we were walking down the street when we were randomly asked if we'd like to participate in the filming of a "viral marketing campaign" for galaxy granola's new fruit not fat granola. anticipating free granola samples, we agreed. unfortunately for galaxy, neither me nor rita (especially not rita) are natural performers (we are shy twins). i did my best, offering "that's a lot of fat!" to describe galaxy's rival granola and "that sounds good!" in reference to replacing oil with applesauce. rita was not so helpful, mumbling, "i don't know...how much fat does granola usually have?" in response to the rival granola's fat content. luckily, the galaxy granola spokesman was a pro and we ended our film debut with an enthusiastic "fruit, not fat!!!" for the camera.
unbeknown to galaxy, however, rita and i have been making our own "fruit not fat" granola for years. and, having tasted my well earned galaxy sample, i have to say that ours is better.
this particular recipe obviously adds (good, healthy) fat back in with the peanut butter. if you want plain granola, replace the peanut butter with 1/4 cup liquid sweetener (honey, brown rice syrup, or agave) and add a few generous sprinkles of cinnamon and ground cloves to the wet ingredients mixture.
peanut butter granola
*1 cup applesauce
*1/4 cup liquid sweetener (honey, brown rice syrup, or agave)
*1/2 cup peanut butter
*5 cups oats (old fashioned or quick cooking)
*1 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. put peanut butter in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.
3. stir peanut butter and mix with applesauce and sweetener in a small bowl.
4. mix together oats and peanuts, if using, in a large bowl.
5. add applesauce mixture to oats. stir until oats are evenly coated.
6. spread granola on baking sheet. bake for 30-45 minutes (check every 15 minutes) until granola is golden brown. you can also stir every 10 or 15 minutes if you'd like even baking, but i prefer to have a mix of crunchy and soft granola.
-lola

tapas feast!

Dudes. I know I often say our twin-cooked meals are delicious (and, if i may toot my own horn, they often are. there are also, of course, some fails which we mostly spare you from on this blog. just last week, for instance, there was a rather unfortunate risotto and roasted vegetables incident), but this one really was amazing.
starting with the potatoes we have, going clockwise, roasted potatoes, sauteed mushrooms with garlic and parsley, tomato sauce for the potatoes (as you can see in the first photo. the complete dish is called patatas bravas), seared shrimp with pimenton and sherry, and finally, roasted grape tomatoes.
the secret to spanish cooking, i have discovered, is olive oil. lots and lots of olive oil.
the tomatoes are from a fabulous book called the new spanish table.
the rest of the recipes are from fine cooking magazine, and i will copy and paste from their website here...
Crispy Potatoes with Tangy Tomato Sauce (Patatas Bravas)
by Sarah Jay
Serves 8

For the sauce:
1-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup chopped onion (1/2 small)
1/3 cup chopped carrot (1 small)
2 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 Tbs. dry white wine
1/4 tsp. sweet pimentón (or paprika)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/2 cups canned tomatoes with juice, chopped coarsely
3 large sprigs thyme
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. Tabasco, more to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. sherry vinegar

For the potatoes:
2-1/2 lb. (about 8 medium) Yukon Gold, white, or red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces (no need to peel)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary (optional)

---

Make the sauce: In a small (1- or 2-quart) saucepan, heat the 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and let it reduce until almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the pimentón and cumin and stir for about 15 seconds. Add the tomatoes and juice, thyme sprigs, sugar, Tabasco, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds of pepper.

Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, to reduce the sauce somewhat and intensify its flavor. This should take about 1 hour; depending on how much juice you started with, you may need to add up to 12 cup water during simmering to keep the consistency saucy rather than dry.

Fish out the spent thyme sprigs. Purée the sauce with an immersion blender or a regular blender until it’s smooth and creamy; you can thin with a little water if needed. Stir in the sherry vinegar. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. The sauce should be slightly spicy, and you should have about 1-1/2 cups.

Roast the potatoes: Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and the rosemary (if using) on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, turning the potatoes with a metal spatula every 15 minutes, until they’re browned and crisp outside and tender inside, about 45 minutes.

Put the potatoes in a serving dish and put the sauce in a small dish next to the potatoes, along with a spoon.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size: based on eight servings; Calories (kcal): 260; Fat (kcal): 16; Fat Calories (g): 140; Saturated Fat (g): 2.5; Protein (g): 3; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 12; Carbohydrates (g): 27; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 2; Sodium (mg): 310; Cholesterol (mg): 0; Fiber (g): 3;

Sauteed Mushrooms with Garlic and Parsley
by Sarah Jay
Serves 8

5 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. white or cremini mushrooms, washed well, trimmed, and cut into quarters (or sixths, if large)
Kosher salt
5 to 6 medium cloves garlic, minced (1-1/2 Tbs.)
1 Tbs. sherry vinegar
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

---

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until it’s hot and shimmering. Add the mushrooms, season with 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, stir to coat in the oil, then let the mushrooms cook undisturbed until the liquid released by the mushrooms evaporates and they’re deep golden brown, 5 to 7 min. Stir and continue sautéing, stirring occasionally, until most sides are nicely browned, 3 to 5 min. more.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, and cook just to soften it, 15 to 30 seconds. Add the vinegar and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the vinegar evaporates, about 15 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and toss in the parsley. Season to taste with more salt, if you like. Transfer to a dish and serve with toothpicks for spearing the mushrooms or a serving spoon for putting on individual plates.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size: based on eight servings; Calories (kcal): 90; Fat (kcal): 9; Fat Calories (g): 80; Saturated Fat (g): 1; Protein (g): 2; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 6; Carbohydrates (g): 3; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1; Sodium (mg): 110; Cholesterol (mg): 0; Fiber (g): 1;

Seared Shrimp with Pimenton and Sherry
by Sarah Jay
Serves 8

1-1/2 lb. large (31 to 40 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined, patted dry with paper towels
Kosher salt
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
6 medium cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
Heaping 1/4 tsp. sweet pimentón (or paprika)
Heaping 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 Tbs. fino sherry
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1-1/2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
Fresh lemon juice to taste

---

Sprinkle the shrimp with 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, toss, and let sit for 10 minutes (or refrigerate for up to 1 hour).

In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil on high heat. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and add them to the skillet. Sprinkle with 3/4 tsp. kosher salt and sear until they’re pink and a little golden on one side, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the garlic, pimentón, and red pepper flakes over the shrimp, and sauté, stirring, until the shrimp are almost completely pink, about 1 minute. Add the sherry and cook, stirring to deglaze the bottom of the pan, until the shrimp are pink all over (the sherry will evaporate quickly but you should still have some juices in the pan)

Remove from the heat. Toss with the lemon zest and chives. Pour the shrimp and juices into a serving dish, squeeze on lemon juice to taste, and serve.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size: based on eight servings; Calories (kcal): 140; Fat (kcal): 6; Fat Calories (g): 50; Saturated Fat (g): 1; Protein (g): 18; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 4; Carbohydrates (g): 1; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1; Sodium (mg): 400; Cholesterol (mg): 165; Fiber (g): 0;
_Lola

Falafel sandwiches with Tabbouleh salad

Both me and Lola love falafel and have made it our goal to try it at as many places as possible, both in San Francisco and in New York. Our favorite in San Francisco is Truly Mediterrean, although we still have many more places to try, including King of Falafel, which, as its awning proudly proclaims, is the winner of the mysterious "Billy Award". Perhaps we will never know what the Billy Award is, but nonetheless I hope our falafel will one day win it.


Both recipes from "Festival of Lite" (ha!) by Gail Ashkenazi-Hankin.
We served our falafel in whole wheat pita with hummus and tabbouleh.
Falafel
Serves 8
*3 cups canned chickpeas (or 1 and 1/4 cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight)
*2 teaspoons chopped garlic
*1/2 cup bulgar, soaked 10 minutes and drained
*1 small onion, chopped
*1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon ground coriander
*2 tablespoons snipped parsely
*1/4 teasppon cayenne pepper
*3/4 teaspoon salt
*cooking spray
In a food processor, blend all the ingredients except the cooking spray until smooth. Refrigerate 1 hour, until firm. Form into balls, put on a baking pan, spray with cooking spray, and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Tabbouleh
Serves 6
*3/4 cup cracked bulgar wheat
*2 cups boiling water
*2 cups diced tomatoes
*1 small cucumber, peeled and diced
*1/2 cup chopped carrots
*1/2 cup chopped green pepper (we omitted this because Lola doesn't like green peppers)
* 1 cup minced parseley
*1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
* 2 tablespoons chopped mint
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1/2 cup minced scallions
Place the bulgar in a large bowl and pour boiling water over it. Let stand for 30 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Squeeze out any excess water and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the cumcumber, tomatoes, carrots, green pepper, parseley, cumin seeds and mint. Combine the lemon juice, oil, and scallions. Toss with the salad. Chill before serving.

-Rita

pasta with parsley, edamame, and roasted onions

growing up, i was always very perplexed by the concept of seasons. i remember seeing a commercial for macy's new spring collection or something once, and suddenly having this revelation that somewhere in far away lands, people had completely different wardrobes depending on the time of year. san francisco tends to be foggy most of the time, with the occasional beautiful summer day, or random rainstorm. so moving to new york, with its somewhat extreme weather, has been filled with new discoveries for me. air conditioning! heaters! and, perhaps most exciting, that sunny spring day when you realize that winter is over. it always takes me a few weeks to realize that its not going to snow again for another year. weather doesn't just pop up randomly whenever it feels like it! there's actually a pattern! anyway, the past few weeks have been filled with glorious spring days, appreciated all the more after our long winter. so when my mom emailed me this pasta recipe, rita and i knew it was the perfect spring/summer pasta dish, perhaps something we could bring to a picnic in park (except that i actually ate it in class. oh well).

i forgot to buy garlic, so we left that out, and we added 1/2 an onion, roasted in the oven with olive oil for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees. it was delightfully fresh and springy!
-Lola
p.s. go check out katie's giveaway. because she is awesome and you could win a $50 shopping spree!

quinoa with roasted vegetables and edamame

i made a good lunch for us today. unfortunately, i forgot to take a picture, so you'll just have to imagine what it looked like. oh well, c'est la vie.
last week, i suddenly had an intense craving for both quinoa and edamame. which is weird, because delicious as they are, who craves quinoa and edamame? my own cravings typically involve more chocolate than that. anyway, they were both wise purchases that i turned into this delicious dish.
quinoa with roasted vegetables and edamame
*quinoa (1/4 cup dry per person)
*baby carrots
*brussel sprouts
*chopped onion
*olive oil
*salt and pepper
*shelled edamame (1/4 cup per person)

cook quinoa according to package directions (this takes about 20 min usually).
meanwhile, toss baby carrots, chopped onion in olive oil in a glass baking dish. use how ever many veggies you want--we used 1/2 onion, 6 brussel sprouts, and 14 carrots for 2 people. use 1-2 Tablespoons oil, depending on how many veggies you have. oil should be evenly distributed into a light coating on the veggies.
sprinkle veggies with salt and pepper--we used about 1/2 teaspoon of each.
roast in oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees, or until veggies are nicely roasted--brown and just starting to get really dark, but not burnt.
mix cooked veggies with quinoa and edamame.
-Lola

black bean and zucchini soup

left to right:spoon, soup, tortillas.

after a week of eating ridiculously good food, laying in the sun with my family, and watching baseball in arizona (me) and taking a road trip to atlanta to volunteer (rita), and another week of massive amounts of homework, we're finally back to the blogging world!
today, i decided to experiment once again with my spiffy immersion blender.
i chopped up 1 smallish zucchini and sauteed it in olive oil with medium sprinkle each of cumin powder and cayenne, and a smaller sprinkle of chipotle powder. once the zucchini was reasonably cooked, i added 1/2 can of drained blackbeans, a tiny bit of fresh cilantro, and about 1/2 cup water and heated it all up in pot. finally, i blended it all together and ate my soup with a corn tortilla.
this turned out pretty good, but it would have been great with some lime juice, and maybe some sour cream on top(which i don't like, actually, but some creaminess would have been nice. maybe yogurt?). oh well, something to try next time.
-Lola

avocado strawberry smoothie

one of my favorite things about growing up in san francisco was getting to try an amazing array of ethnic foods. i have an obsession with asian desserts (actually, i've barely scratched the surface in terms of trying those. but i still love them madly and frequently try to convince my friends from the mid-west and the south that shaved ice with red beans, grass jelly, and condensed milk is a perfectly acceptable, and delicious, thing to eat. if you've never experienced the magic of asian desserts, here are a few more for you to look into: sago pudding, eggettes, and anything with red bean paste). one dessert that i have always been intrigued by but never tried is the avocado milkshake. unfortunately, we had no ice cream on hand, so i decided to try an avocado smoothie instead. with strawberries, which may sound weird but is delicious, trust me.
avocado strawberry smoothie makes 1 large smoothie
*1 1/2 cups soy milk (i used plain, but i think vanilla or even chocolate would be good)

*1/2 a ripe avocado

*frozen strawberries (start with a medium handful and add more to taste)
blend all ingredients until smooth and combined.
1/2 of the smoothie, partially frozen (i was impatient) and topped with cereal, dark chocolate chips, and a dollop of peanut butter. yum!!!
-Lola