Basic Knife Skills

Dani Spies offers awesome starter tips for those new to cutting up veggies
Good Housekeeping also offers several videos breaking down techniques such as mincing, dicing, and quick methods of chopping

Raw Veggies II : Zucchini

1-2 of your favorite kind of zucchini, sliced
1 lemon, juiced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil

Throw it all in a bowl and toss
stays fresh in the fridge, covered, for a week


Zucchini Rolls

1 zucchini
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic (or other aromatic)
fresh basil
fresh arrugula

Slice zucc lengthwise into strips, soak in lemon juice/oil/garlic.... [they say dehydrate, I think it's overrated]... just roll with basil and arugula and serve al fresco

Simple Naan

2.5- 3 cups flour (use gluten free if you like, and I like to add flax seed or flax seed meal)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
tumeric or herbs of choice (optional)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp safflower oil

Sift together dry ingredients. Add yogurt and mix until doughy. Add more flour by Tbsp until dough just stops being sticky-wet, and knead, knead and knead. Form into round ball, place in a bowl, drizzle oil on top, cover with a towel and rest for 1 hour. Remove dough from bowl, separate into 8 sections. Roll each section flat (can stack using parchment or wax paper to separate). Heat 10" non-stick skillet to med, and turn oven to broiler setting, or heat broiler to 500°F. Gently place one piece into skillet - cook until bottom has brown spots, remove from pan, place on foil in broiler and brown for ~2 min (make sure rack is low and away from heat source). Once you see spots (as above) remove from broiler - repeat for each piece.

The thinner the dough is rolled, the crispier it will be (I like it crispy; it's easier to eat like a pizza)

Now that you've got naan... what do you do with it?
- substitute for tortillas or pita
- used for chips
- covered in homemade minced raw veggie mixes and cheese (recipes posted soon)
- Rachael Ray has an awesome Naan-cho recipe

Stuffed Squash

1 acorn squash
spinach
Gorgonzola - or sharp cheese of your choice

- cut squash half on the equator - cut off point at the bottom so the bottom half will sit flat
- roast in oven at 400°F until just tender (20-40 min depending on size)
- fill with spinach and cheese
- return to oven until spinach is tender and cheese is melted
- add bacon ;)

Veggie Pizza

large tortilla
favorite spaghetti sauce (I prefer Classico)
mozzarella
spinach
kalamata olives, halved
1 clove garlic, minced
artichoke (canned and quartered)

- lay tortilla on baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- smear tomato sauce over surface to coat
- add olives, garlic, and artichoke
- roll spinach up like a cigar and chop, scatter over pizza
- evenly coat mozz on top
- bake at 400°F until edge of tortilla is browned

Portabello Sammich

1 large portabello mushroom
olive oil
1/2 fire-roasted red bell pepper - enough to cover slice of bread (see below for roasting instructions, or buy canned fire-roasted red peppers - just as good)
spinach - enough to layer on sammich
2 oz goat cheese
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
tsp lemon juice
2 slices of hardy bread

- slice portabello
- in med non-stick pan - lightly coat with olive oil, bring to med heat - add sliced portabello
- 2 minutes and flip
- 2 min and flip
- remove from pan and dab dry with paper towel
(cooked mushrooms can be refridgerated for sammiches for a few days - taste just as good cold)
- in small bowl combine goat cheese, minced garlic and lemon juice - mix thoroughly
- toast bread if desired
- slather on goat cheese mixture
- lay on spinach
- lay on pepper
- lay on portabellos

broiler roasting peppers
- remove top of pepper by cutting downward at the crown and cutting around the stem (like a pumpkin) - pop the top out and the placenta and seeds should follow (slice long-ways down the side of the pepper if it doesn't come out easily)
- cut pepper in half, place open side down in the broiler set to 500°F or oven broiler setting
- broil for up to 15 min, keep an eye and remove when most of the pepper is blackened
- remove and let cool under a paper towel
- remove skin, pat dry

gas stove-top roasting
- turn on burner to med-low
- place whole pepper on burner's grate
- turn with grilling tongs until most of the pepper's skin is blackened
- remove and let cool under a paper towel
- remove skin, pat dry

Stuffed Eggplant

stuffed eggplant:
1 eggplant
1 lb fresh mozzarella
3 tomatoes
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, diced
fresh basil bunch
salt/pepper

2 methods:
1.    slice eggplant long-ways in strips ~2" wide and the full length (mandolin works, or mad knife fileting skills)
       - warm in oven (300°F) just until soft and flimsy
       - slice mozz and 2 of the tomatoes, tear off several large basil leaves
       - lay warmed eggplant strips in 2s in a cross, lay 1 slice tomato, mozz and large basil leaf in the middle
       -  fold over bottom-most strip, then fold over the other strip to make a square packet
       - flip upside down, put back in oven for 5 min (optional)

2.     slice eggplant in medallions, leave raw
        - slice 2 tomatoes, mozz and tear off several large basil leaves
        - stack slices: eggplant-tomato-mozz-basil-eggplant
        - leave raw or heat in 300°F oven just until cheese starts to warm (fresh mozz gets watery if melted)

top with Relish:
(i don't recommend a food processor, it breakes down the tomatoes too much and waters down the flavor)
- dice 1 tomato, garlic, and mince sun-dried tomatoes and 3 large basil leaves
- put in medium bowl, add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper
- mash with wooden spoon or tenderizer