Long time, no blog!!

Wow, it seems like forever since I've posted anything here. I've been busy and otherwise consumed with my new technological obsession, Twitter. It's actually been so long that I have some photos of meals that I no longer even remember what they are!! I admittedly haven't been very creative in the kitchen lately, and have been making repeat meals or meals directly out of cookbooks. I've also been using the grill a lot, for veggies, tofu and my new favorite, Italian Style Field Roast. I've been meaning to do a pizza on the grill, but just haven't gotten around to that yet. Maybe next week.

These are just a few things we've been eating lately:

Grilled Barbeque Tofu

I froze this in the sauce, and then thawed before grilling. It gave it a nice, dense texture, and really infused the tofu with the sauce.

Grilled Potato Packet

This has been one of my favorite ways to make potatoes for as long as I can remember. I know a lot of people have issues with cooking in foil, but it doesn't bother me so much. This is so simple, and makes THE BEST potatoes. Slice potatoes thin (skins on), add sliced onion, salt, pepper, olive oil. Toss with hands, and seal up the foil packet. Poke some holes in the top of the packet and throw on a hot grill. It doesn't take long to cook these, just test them after about 10 minutes by poking a sharp knife through the packet, it the potatoes give no resistance, they are finished.

Grilled Zucchini with Corn and Radish salsa

This is a recipe from the current issue of Vegetarian Times. My youngest daughter LOVES zucchini, and I'm always looking for new things to do with it. The salsa is really what sold me on this one, after all, who hasn't grilled zucchini before? Anyway, this salsa is made with grilled corn that you coat with garlic oil, radishes, onions, jalapeno pepper, a little lime juice and cilantro. I made it a few hours before serving, and couldn't wait to eat it. Man, this stuff is out of this world. I don't think anyone else really thought so, but I loved it.

That's it for what's been cookin' around here lately. Maybe creativity will strike soon......until then, I have a few recipes that I have my eye on. Back with more later.

Tomato, Basil Panini

This is one of our quick and easy go to meals when we don't have a lot of time or energy for cooking. Last night was one of those nights. We've been up and down every few hours at night with Stella, and none of us are getting much sleep. I was exhausted last night and didn't feel like doing much of anything. Plus, it was cold and rainy, and that really didn't give me much of a boost. All I really wanted to do was take a shower and put on some cozy pj's. As I've mentioned before, I do all of my meal planning on Saturday's and each week I plan in 1 or 2 quick and easy meals (usually spaghetti, quesadillas, pizza and the like), that I can use on days like yesterday.

So, our two quick and easy's this week were panini and quesadilla. Last night seemed like a panini night. The panini is made on ciabata that I bought from WFM. I slice it open, spread on some basil pesto (and last night I even used pre-made pesto from a tube.....I always keep some on hand for those nights that I don't feel like getting the food processor dirty), layer it with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and some fresh basil leaf and salt & pepper. Put the top on and stick it in the panini press until the bread is nicely browned and the cheese is begining to melt.

When we have these in the summer we usually have a nice green salad or pasta salad with the meal, but last night seemed to need something warm. So, I sauteed up some zucchini that I'd bought at the farmer's market, onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil, seasoned it with salt and pepper, and voila, a delicious (and simple) side. We paired it with a gigantic organic apple for some sweetness.