Recipes For Everyone

Spaghetti Lasagna

2011-12-27T19:03:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 package (16 oz) spaghetti
1/2 lb pork sausage
1 small onion chopped
1 jar (24 oz) spaghetti sauce*
1 cup peas, canned or frozen
1 cup corn, canned or frozen
1 cup chopped broccoli
3 roasted red peppers chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic minced
2 eggs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 TB butter softened
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Cook spaghetti to al dente. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook pork sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is brown; drain. Add the vegetables and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in spaghetti sauce and garlic, and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Drain spaghetti; add to egg mixture and toss to coat.
Place half of the spaghetti mixture in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with half of the cottage cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Makes 10 servings.

*Araksya's Tip: I made my own spaghetti sauce by blending fresh tomatoes and other vegetables (celery, beets, carrots, onion, garlic).

Quote of the week

2011-11-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

Cookery is not chemistry. It is an art.
It requires instinct and taste rather than exact measurements.

Marcel Boulestin

Cracked Wheat with veggies

2011-11-11T17:04:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 cups cracked wheat*
4 cups water
1 cup chopped green peppers
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 onion halved and sliced
1 cup shredded butternut squash or hubbard squash
1 can shredded chicken or turkey
1 cup tomato sauce
1-2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 TB olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Put cracked wheat into a big pot with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and cover to cook until the water is mostly absorbed and the wheat is soft. Add some salt to taste. Turn off the heat but keep the pot covered with the steam inside to continue softening the wheat.

While the wheat is cooking heat oil in a skillet and saute onions until they turn golden brown. Take the onions out and add mushrooms and peppers and squash to the hot skillet. You can add more oil if needed. Once the veggies are soft bring the onions back to the skillet and add chicken or turkey, tomato sauce, garlic, salt and pepper and parsley. Bring it to a boil and pour the veggie sauce over the cooked wheat and let it cook for 5 minutes or so.

Makes 6 servings

*Araksya's Tip: I crack my own wheat with a blender by pulsing small batches at a time for 4-5 seconds!

Hubbard Squash Salad

2011-10-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

4 cups raw shredded hubbard squash
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup orange juice
1 TB orange zest
1 TB honey

Directions:

Combine cranberries, orange juice, orange zest and honey in a small saucepan and cook for 5 minutes. Pour it warm over the squash and mix well.

Makes 6-8 servings

Healthy Pasta Salad

2011-10-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 lb pasta
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup fire-roasted red peppers* chopped
1 cup chopped Swiss chard or spinach
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (optional)
1 cup homemade Italian dressing (recipe below)

Italian dressing recipe
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dry basil
1 tsp dry Italian parsley
1 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup oil (any kind)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Directions

Cook pasta according to the instructions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Mix all the vegetables and herbs in a big bowl and add pasta to the bowl. Add the dressing and mix well and chill everything in a fridge for an hour or so.

Makes 10 servings

* Araksya's Tip: If you don't have fire-roasted red peppers you can use fresh red or green bell peppers.
Cucumbers and/or radishes are also good additions to this salad.

Minestrone Soup

2011-10-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup minced white onions (about 1 small onion)
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup frozen cut Italian green beans or canned
1/2 cup minced celery (about 1/2 stalk)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 TB olive oil

2 cups dry red beans
1 cups dry broad beans*
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup carrots shredded
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 TB fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 TB minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 cups hot water
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup small shell pasta or any kind you have

Directions

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.

Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.

Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, herbs and spices.Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency.

Makes 8 servings

Araksya's Tip: You can add cooked shredded chicken to the soup. I like it with ground turkey sausage with no spices in it.
* You can use any kinds of beans you have or like. You can also use canned beans.

Borscht (Cabbage and Beet soup)

2011-10-09T18:17:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

1 medium cabbage shredded
1 small beet peeled and diced
2 carrots diced
1 bell pepper coarsely chopped
3-4 potatoes diced
1 onion chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
2 TB tomato paste
1/4 cup Italian parsley chopped
2 TB olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dry basil or 2 TB fresh
1 quart broth (beef or chicken)
salt and pepper

Directions

Heat oil in a big pan, add onions and cook until transparent. Add tomato paste and sauce, basil, paprika and stir well. Then add the rest of the vegetables to the pan, the broth, salt and pepper and let it cook for 30-40 minutes or longer until the vegetables are cooked well but still a little crunchy. Add parsley and turn the heat off.

Makes 8 servings

Araksya's Tip: You can add beef (ground or chunks) to this dish. If adding ground beef then cook the meat with onions. Or you can cook any beef pieces in water with bay leaf and use that broth for the soup with the meat.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Veggie Soup

2011-08-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1-2 pounds butternut squash peeled, seeded and chopped
2 carrots cut into big chunks
1 celery stalk cut into big chunks
1 big bell pepper cut into chunks
2-3 cups chicken or beef stock
2 TB olive oil
1/4 cup Italian parsley
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 425F. Prepare a big cookie sheet with a foil and put all of the veggies on the sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Roast them in the oven for 30 minutes or until the veggies get browned slightly.
Take them out and let them cool for a few minutes, and then blend them in the blender with parsley and the chicken or beef stock.

Pour the mix into a pot and warm it up on the stove.

Makes 4 servings

Savory Muffins

2011-08-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups buttermilk*
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped onions or scallions
3/4 cup diced bacon
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped mushroom
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pepper and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk eggs, buttermilk, oil and butter in a medium bowl. Fold in scallions, bacon, cheese and bell pepper. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until just moistened. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan (the cups will be very full).
Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn the muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Makes 12-13 muffins

*Araksya's tip: You can substituted the buttermilk with milk.

Armenian Bughlama (Eggplant-pepper-tomato stew)

2010-08-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

This is an Armenian dish that my Mom makes to can. I made this dish yesterday for dinner and canned 10 jars, as well!

Ingredients

2 eggplants, peeled and cut in big chunks
4 bell peppers seeded and quartered
4 tomatoes sliced
3 onions sliced
1/2 a stick butter
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper

Directions

In a big pot layer all the veggies starting with the tomatoes, then onions, eggplant and then peppers. Continue layering until all the veggies are finished. Then add the water, salt and pepper, and the butter. Cover the pot and let it cook over a medium low heat until everything is cooked completely.

Araksya's tip: This is perfect to can like that but if you are making a dinner out of it you can add any kind of meat, potatoes and parsley.

Cabbage and Kielbasa stew

2010-07-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 small head cabbage thinly sliced
2 cups diced potatoes
2 cups chopped turnip tops or spinach
1/2 big eggplant, peeled and diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 onion, quartered and sliced
1 link kielbasa, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup chopped tomatoes or canned tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 2 TB dry)
2 TB tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 TB oil
1 tsp dry basil
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Use an electric skillet or heat a big pot over medium high heat with oil. Add all of the veggies and kielbasa to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until they start turning brown. Add the spices and herbs, tomato paste and water. Stir, cover and turn the heat down, then cook until the veggies are all cooked but a little crunchy.

Araksya's tip: It's better if you cook this dish in a large skillet without crowding the veggies too much, otherwise they won't be able to brown but they'll only steam.

Quote of the Week!

2010-07-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

"Life may be as dull as a cold dinner,
but a little laughter makes a tasty sauce."

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted vegetables

2010-07-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

I made up this recipe when my husband harvested some red potatoes from our garden.

4 potatoes
2 boneless chicken breasts quartered
1 yellow squash diced
1 zucchini diced
1 eggplant peeled and diced
1 big bell pepper, diced (I used red pepper)
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup milk
2 cloves garlic with skins
1 tsp paprika
2 TB parsley chopped
1 tsp dry basil
oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Boil potatoes in a pot with water until cooked through. Drain and mash them in the same pot adding milk, salt and pepper to taste, half of the paprika and parsley. Cover and set aside to stay warm.

Meanwhile arrange the veggies and chicken on a big cookie sheet, drizzle with some olive oil, add dry basil, the rest of paprika, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until the veggies are browned and the chicken is cooked.
Remove the skin from the roasted garlic and mash it with a fork.
Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the potatoes along with the veggies and garlic.

Makes 4-6 servings

Araksya's tip: I used the red potatoes with skins.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

2010-07-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

BELIEVE while others are doubting.
PLAN while others are playing.
STUDY while others are sleeping.
DECIDE while others are delaying.
PREPARE while others are daydreaming.
BEGIN while others are procrastinating.
WORK while others are wishing.
SAVE while others are wasting.
LISTEN while others are talking.
SMILE while others are frowning.
COMMEND while others are criticizing.
PERSIST while others are quitting.

William Arthur Ward

Double baked vegetable delight

2010-07-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

I had most of these veggies freshly picked from our garden and so I came up with this recipe today ("Obviously gorgeous - and SO tasty" - Jim)

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes sliced
1 big eggplant quartered and sliced
3 peppers cored and sliced
2 zucchini sliced
2 yellow squash sliced
4 big tomatoes sliced
8 oz package of sliced mushrooms
1 big onion cut in half and sliced
2 cups cooked chicken shredded*
1/2 cup tomato juice or sauce
1 cup shredded Italian cheese mix**
3 TB fresh flat leaf parsley
1 TB fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
2 TB balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced
olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Turn the broiler on low.

Arrange the veggies in one layer on the sprayed cookie sheets. Drizzle them with olive oil and salt and pepper. Drizzle balsamic vinegar on the sweet potatoes in addition to the oil. Bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables start getting brown. Take them out and turn the oven on to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9x13" casserole dish with oil and then sprinkle with 1/4 cup tomato juice or sauce. Then start layering the vegetables, starting with sweet potatoes, then the squashes. Sprinkle half of the cheese on top of squash and then continue layering with the tomatoes, then minced garlic, onions, herbs, and chicken with one layer each. Then add a layer of peppers, then mushrooms, and finish off with eggplant. Sprinkle the rest of the tomato juice and the cheese on top, cover the dish with foil and put it back into the oven to bake 25 more minutes.

Araksya's Tip: * You can use any kind of cooked meat. The leftovers are great. I used some grilled chicken leftovers.

**Any kind of cheese will work. I had a mix of Provolone, Parmesan, Asiago and Mozzarella cheeses.

Quote of the week

"If you want to do something, you'll find the way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse."

"World’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies"

2009-11-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

Revised & adapted from numerous “Doubletree Hotel” recipes

by Jim Kennard

5 cups Rolled Oats – Measure first and then grind until fine
4 cups whole wheat flour – fresh milled preferred
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon salt
½ Tablespoon cinnamon
2 ½ cups butter, softened
1 ½ Tablespoons vanilla
2 ½ cups brown sugar, packed
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
8 ounces Hershey’s Cocoa – and ½ cup honey - OR
18 oz Hershey chocolate bar-melted
½ Tablespoon lemon juice
6 eggs
4 cups semi-sweet choc chips
5 cups chopped walnuts
2 cups coconut
2 cups raisins

Grind oats in a food processor or blender until fine. Combine the ground oats with the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

Cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla, Hershey’s cocoa & honey OR melted chocolate bar, and lemon juice in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix until smooth. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture and blend well. Add the chocolate chips, coconut, raisins, and nuts to the dough and mix by hand until ingredients are well blended.

For the best results, chill the dough overnight in the refrigerator before baking the cookies.

With an ice cream scoop, scoop rounded 2 ounce portions onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Place the scoops about 2 inches apart. Bake in a 350°F oven for 20+ minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. When cool store in a sealed container to keep soft.

Why such a large recipe? You’ll know after you make them!

2009-11-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

"Fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more,
Whine less, breathe more, talk less, say more,
Hate less, love more, and all good things will be yours."

Spaghetti with Italian sausage

2009-11-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

2 red bell peppers - thinly slices
1 big yellow onion - sliced
2 cups chopped white mushrooms
1 lb spaghetti
4 links Italian sausage - chopped
3 cups tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic - minced
2 TB fresh parsley - chopped
2 TB fresh basil - chopped
2 TB olive oil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a big skillet and cook the sausage until browned. Take them out and keep them warm in a bowl. Meanwhile saute onions in the skillet until translucent and add mushrooms, peppers and herbs and spices. Cook until the veggies start browning. Put the sausage back with the veggie mix and add the tomato sauce and cook for 5-10 more minutes.

While the sauce is cooking heat water in a big pan and bring to a boil. Then cook the spaghetti until done. Drain and add the pasta to the sauce. Serve with Parmesan cheese on top.

Serves 6 - 8 people

2009-10-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

"Look on the world as a big fruitcake, it wouldn't be complete without a few nuts in it!"

Lentil and Bean Soup

2009-10-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

2 cups lentils uncooked
1 can beans, any kind, drained and rinsed
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes
2 quarts chicken or beef broth
2 cups cooked chicken - cubed or shredded
2 cups broccoli - bite-size pieces
1 yellow squash - cubed into 1/2" pieces
1 zucchini - 1/2" cubes
1 red or green bell pepper - 1/2" cubes
1 small onion - chopped
2 stalks celery - chopped
2 big carrots - sliced
2 cloves garlic - minced
2 TB chopped fresh basil (or 2 teaspoon dry basil)
2 TB fresh Italian parsley (or 2 teaspoon dry parsley)
2 TB tomato paste
2 TB oil
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a big pot and put lentils in for a minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it cook until lentils are tender, 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile in a skillet heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and saute onions until translucent, then add garlic, herbs and spices and cook another minute. Add the onion mixture to the lentils along with all of the veggies, chicken and tomato paste. Continue cooking 20 more minutes.

Serves 10-12 people

Araksya's tip: I prefer to use green french lentils. I have used hot smoked sausage instead of chicken, too. Any kind of meat will do the job.
Also, you can sprinkle some Parmesan cheese before serving.

2009-07-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

"The ambition of every good cook must be to make something very good with the fewest possible ingredients."

Urbain Dubois

A Gardening Article in Meridian Magazine By Jim Kennard

2009-06-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in growing your own vegetables, check out the article that my husband Jim prepared for Meridian Magazine.

http://www.ldsmag.com/gardening/090626laws.html

Jim's Pancake or Waffle Mix

2009-06-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

This is a very healthy recipe and very tasty

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour*
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1/4 cup pecans crushed
1 banana mashed

Mix all the ingredients together. Pour into a prepared hot skillet or griddle and cook until done, about 2 - 3 minutes each side.

Makes 6 pancakes.

*Jim's tip: I like to mix 2/3 whole wheat with 1/3 freshly ground blue corn that I grind in my blender just before making the pancakes.

Quote of the week

2009-06-25T13:32:00.000-07:00

"ABILITY is what you are capable of doing.
MOTIVATION determines what you do.
ATTITUDE determines how well you do it."

LOU HOLTZ

Green Tomato Salad (Armenian)

2009-06-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite salads. This recipe is great for bottling for winter or as a Christmas gift.

Ingredients

5 green tomatoes halved and sliced thinly

1 red bell pepper *

½ bunch Italian parsley

½ cup oil

¼ cup cider vinegar

3 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon salt

Directions

Core and clean seeds from the pepper and put it in a blender with the rest of the ingredients on the list except for the tomatoes. Blend well. Put the sliced tomatoes in a glass bowl and pour the blended mix over the tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate for 3 days, stirring once a day. It’s ready to eat on the third day.

* You can use green bell peppers if you don’t have red peppers.

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread recipe

2009-06-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

Makes 5 loaves

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup warm water
3 (0.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 cups oats (any kind you have)
4 1/2 cups warm water (110-115F)
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
12 cups plus 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

DIRECTIONS:

1. In the mixing bowl stir together 1/2 cup warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 cup wheat flour, and yeast. Let grow for about 5 minutes.

2. Measure oats, 4 1/2 cups warm water, whole wheat flour, salt, 2/3 cup honey, and 2/3 cup oil into the mixing bowl. Mix them for 1 to 2 minutes. Then begin adding the rest of the whole wheat flour, 1/2 to 1 cup at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Humidity determines how much flour you need before the bread pulls away from the edge of the bowl. It is normal for the dough to be sticky.
3. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
4. Divide dough into 5 pieces. Shape loaves, and place in greased pans. Let rise until dough is 1 inch above rim of pans, usually 1 hour.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C) for 35 minutes, or until tops are browned. Turn them out onto wire racks to cool.

Araksya's Tip: I grind my own wheat to make the flour for this bread. You can also add sesame seeds and other nuts to this recipe.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Casserole

2009-06-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

1-1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 pounds summer squash (about 6 medium), sliced into thin rounds
2 pounds zucchini (about 6 medium), sliced into thin rounds
1 pound eggplant, quartered and thinly sliced
8 oz mushrooms sliced
3 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup crushed butter crackers
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 1/2 tablespoon butter.

Heat the olive oil and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the vegetables and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the prepared baking dish.

Whisk the eggs and cream in a medium bowl. Pour the mixture over the vegetables in the baking dish. Using a spoon, gently shift the vegetables around so the egg mixture is evenly distributed. Bake until the mixture sets, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle first with the crackers and then with the Parmesan and return to the oven. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Yield: 10 servings

Back to United States!

2009-06-11T07:20:00.001-07:00

I apologize for the long silence as we were in Europe for 6 weeks. Now we are back and I hope I can update my recipe blog more often. Thanks to those who follow my blog and I appreciate your comments!

Araksya

Penne with Roasted Vegetables

2009-04-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

The recipe is from Food Network, and I have made a few changes to it.

Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 6 servings

2 red or green peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 mushrooms, halved
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
1 pound penne pasta
3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
1 cup grated cheese (or any kind you have, I use cheddar)
1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella (regular mozzarella will do fine)
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.
In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.
Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Araksya's Tip: Try to use eggplant in addition to these veggies. I also add some pork sausage to this dish.

Eggplant Spread (Caviar)

2009-04-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

1 eggplant
2 bell peppers
1 onion
½ cup crushed tomato
a handful of parsley
a handful of cilantro (optional)
2 TB oil
salt & pepper to taste

Grill or broil the first 3 vegetables until they are soft and the skins are mostly black. Let them cool to handle and peel them*. Grind them up in the food processor keeping the onion in a separate bowl.
Heat oil and sauté ground up onion for 2-3 minutes and add crushed tomatoes. Bring it to a boil and add the prepared vegetables, herbs and spices. Let them cook for half an hour.

Chill before serving.

Araksya's Tip: You can prepare a bowl of cold water with a teaspoon of salt in it and peel the grilled veggies in the water. The salty water makes it easier to peel and cools them down faster.

Lentil and Rice Salad

2009-04-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 cups dried green lentils
2 1/2 cups chicken broth, plus 2 cups
1 bay leaf
1 cup long-grain white rice
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan. Add the carrot, onion, and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lentils. Add 2 1/2 cups of broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer gently until the lentils are just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. Transfer the lentils to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, bring the remaining 2 cups broth and bay leaf to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the rice and return the broth to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently over low heat until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes (do not stir the rice as it cooks). Remove the saucepan from the heat. Fluff the rice with a large fork. Transfer to the bowl with the lentils. Add the olives, parsley, thyme, and lemon peel. Toss the rice mixture with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil to coat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Araksya's Tip: I prefer to use black olives instead of kalamata olives. Also, I use brown rice, wild rice or mahogany rice instead of white rice.

Shepherd's Pie

2009-04-29T17:02:00.001-07:00

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound pork sausage of your choice
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pound button mushrooms, quartered
4-5 yellow squash or zucchini, coarsely chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups beef stock or chicken broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 pound cheese, shredded (any kind, I like cheddar)
1/4 cup chopped up cooked bacon
3 to 4 tablespoons chives
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped
Salt
Black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika

Place potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water and bring up to a boil. Season water with salt and boil potatoes until tender, 12 to15 minutes. Save a cup of starchy cooking water just before draining.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and the sausage to the pan and caramelize the meat, 4 to 5 minutes. Add in the vegetables and onions and cook until tender, 6 to 7 minutes more then season with salt and pepper.
While meat cooks heat a small sauce pot over medium heat and melt butter, whisk the flour into butter, cook 2 minutes then whisk beef stock into flour, add Worcestershire and season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Thicken 6 to 7 minutes.
Put the meat and vegetable mixture into a baking dish, and pour gravy over meat and turn on broiler.
Beat the egg yolk with the starchy potato cooking water. Place drained potatoes back into the pot. Mash potatoes with egg yolk and sour cream then fold in cheese, parsley and chives. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and spread across the top of the meat in an even layer. Garnish the potatoes with paprika and place under broiler to crisp and brown the potatoes, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle bacon over top.

Serves 6 people

Araksya's Tip: If I have, I like to add eggplant to this dish and cook with the other vegetables.

Mushroom and Chicken Chili

2009-04-20T11:54:00.001-07:00

This is not my own recipe but it's one of our favorite ones. The photo is mine.

2 TB vegetable oil
1 lbs boned and skinned chicken breast cut in 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp minced garlic
2 lbs fresh white mushrooms, quartered (about 10 cups)
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 cans (15 oz each) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp salt

In a dutch oven or large saucepan heat oil until hot. Add chicken, cook stirring frequently, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add onions and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin and garlic; cook stirring frequently until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, beans and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered, about 10 minutes. Uncover, simmer until flavors are blended and sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Serve with grated Monterey Jack cheese, shredded lettuce and sour-cream.

Yield: 6 portions

Araksya's tip: You can cut down the amount of chicken and mushrooms. To keep the portion, just add more beans. In the picture I have added broad beans with kidney beans. You can also use any kind of cheese you have.

Chakhobili - Armenian Chicken Onion Soup

2009-04-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

You've got to give this a try. I guarantee that you'll like it!

3-4 pieces of chicken (any part)
3 onions quartered and then sliced
1 8oz can tomato sauce or puree
1 TB tomato paste
2 TB flour for thickening
2-3 TB oil (olive or canola or whatever you have)
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp dry basil
1 TB fresh or 1 tsp. dry parsley (I prefer the fresh one)
1-2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

In a pot cover the chicken with water, add some salt and bay leaves and cook on the stove until chicken is cooked. Take the chicken out and save the broth. Shred the chicken and set aside.
Meanwhile in a medium saucepan heat oil over medium heat and add sliced onions by layering them and putting a pinch of salt on each layer. Don't stir the onions for about 10 minutes or until the bottom onions get browned, and then stir them until all of the onions are golden brown.
Add flour to the onions, stir to mix and then add paprika, basil, parsley and black pepper, tomato sauce and paste. Then add the shredded chicken and the broth to the onion mix. Bring to a boil and cook another 5 minutes or until thickened the way you prefer.

Yield: 6 servings

Vegetable 'Cake'

2009-04-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

8 potatoes
10 carrots
5 beets
2 TB bell pepper chopped
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
oil
1 TB parsley or cilantro finely chopped
salt & pepper to taste
1/8 tsp paprika
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

Combine potatoes, carrots and beets in a big pot with water. Boil them until well cooked, then drain the water and let the veggies cool to manage to peel. Put the peeled vegetables in different bowls and mash them separately with a potato masher or a fork.
Heat oil in a skillet and cook onions until they are transparent, then add peppers and cook another minute or 2. To this add potatoes with paprika, parsley, salt & pepper. Mix them well and turn off the heat.
To the mashed carrots add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper and set aside.
Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, salt & pepper, parsley and garlic to the mashed beets.

Take a cake platter or a big plate and put the mashed potato mix on it and shape it into a round cake. Put 1/3 of the sour cream on top of potatoes and spread it like a frosting. Then put carrots on top and shape it into a smaller cake, then cover it with half of the remaining sour cream. Finally add the beets and form a smaller cake shape than the second layer and spread the rest of the sour cream on the sides and if you want you can also decorate the top with it. Finish it off with a sprinkle of parsley or cilantro.
You can serve this warm right away or chilled.

Serves 8-10 people.

Armenian Eggplant salad

2009-04-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

1 eggplant – sliced into round rings
1 big tomato
1 red pepper
2 cloves garlic
2 Tb parsley
¼ tsp cumin
salt to taste
oil

Grind all the veggies and parsley together except eggplant rings. Cook the mixture. In a separate skillet fry eggplant in oil until golden brown. Add the eggplant into the tomato mixture and let it boil 2-3 minutes.

Serves as a side dish on rice, pasta or potatoes.

Serves 15 people.

Carrot and red pepper salad

6 carrots chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
½ cup oil
½ cup tomato sauce
1 TB parsley finely chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Boil chopped carrots in ¼ cup water until they are tender but not completely cooked (if you need you can add more water).
Sautee onions in hot oil until transparent, then add the rest of the ingredients to the skillet and cook until carrots are done to your liking.

Tip: This dish tastes the best after it's been chilled.

Serves 8