Eat Like a Rabbit

This post refers to the product in the very front of the photograph. The plate was a sampler platter at a buffet. I created the dishes. Hopefully, recipes for the other dishes will be available soon.

This post focuses on delicious, quick meals and the estimated prices for making them. My goal is to help families prepare healthy menus in spite of the depressed economy.

In a floundering market consumers are looking for good food that is as cheap and nutritious as possible. I hope this post will be the first in a continuous series that focuses on time-saving dishes that don't break the bank while they impact your menu.

I have previously mentioned that applesauce is a annual tradition at our house. The following is my process.

Fried okra is special. Many people don't know what to do with it. And most people have had such bad experiences with it, they are afraid to try it again. We purchased some fresh okra from the Maitland Farmer's Market and it stayed in the refrigerator until I I decided I couldn't run away from it any more. I was going to have to find a way to cook it. I did a bit of research and created my own recipe for fried okra. Paul said he had never had such minimal batter on his okra and that he liked it that way. I was proud because I actually thought the vegetable was edible. Fried foods can find their way into the heart so easily.

I made this appetizer twice last weekend. I have decided that spaghetti squash is best in October, because by November I was struggling to find good fall squash to purchase. The dish was a big hit at both events and the goods were all gone. There's no complement like the complement of disappearing food (as long as it isn't fed to the dog).

When I first acquired my "Moosewood Restaurant New Classics" cookbook, I feared it would be a waste because I felt the recipes took too long to prepare, but my patient mother-in-law pointed out that there was an excellent fajita recipe in the book. It did call for tofu, which we omitted because we didn't have any. I'm sure we could have substituted another veggie meat, but I didn't think of that at the time because it was getting late to eat anything resembling a dinner. Other vegetables and flavors included onions, garlic, bell peppers, and tomatoes. I did have grated sharp cheddar available and served the fajitas with salsa and multi-grain chips.

I had volunteered to feed a large group (25ish) of people at church while my in-laws were in town and they graciously agreed to help in the preparation of the meal. For me, it was filled with new ideas for old recipes.

Kathleen's mom used to put black and white beans in her baked beans for a tri-color look and a change in flavor and tradition. I thought it was an ingenious way of adding to the pot if necessary because those beans often come in smaller cans than baked beans do. Also, the juice from the cans isn't needed and doesn't thin down the dish in the process.

Paul said this was the best risotto he ever had. He actually isn't much of a fan of risotto, but quite enjoyed this. I think this is my second favorite risotto ever; my favorite being in a quaint spot in Italy many years ago. You just can't beat the surroundings! But for home products, this is the best and most successful. And I have experimented a few times, which goes to prove not everyone becomes a cook overnight.

The recipes I checked out had many different seasonings to add. I passed on those. Aside from the long cook time, this is very easy.

This could very likely be my favorite restaurant in all of Orlando. It sits on Central right next to Lake Eola and has a very special place in my heart because it is where we had dinner with my parents and Garrett Nudd after Paul tricked me into a photo shoot/wedding proposal. The food is consistently fabulous, and the staff is always kind, smiling, and fun.

One of my EMTs said this was his favorite squash. So, I purhased some on Friday. By Saturday, we were eating lunch at some friend's house and were served Spaghetti Squash. He answered all of my questions about preparation. And I excitedly created this fabulous dish on Sunday. With a salad, French bread, and pan-fried scallops, I was in heaven.

This was a fabulously colored vegan dinner focused on vegetables easily accessible in our local stores. I really enjoyed it, but Paul said that the frozen lime juice I had defrosted to mix with the sugar snap peas. I do caution cooks to follow the recipe closely because the peas did not hold their bright green color.

The recipe for the peas came from foodnetwork.tv called Mint Sugar Snap Peas. I did use frozen peas and would be happier trying the recipe with fresh peas in the future. I used the roasted sweet potato recipe with olive oil, seasoned salt, and fresh rosemary for the red potatoes; and I sliced some very ripe tomatoes.

After a long plane ride home from Texas, we called my father to meet us at this restaurant. This visit was far superior to the previous one (not that the last one was horrible).

This post's guest photographer is Garrett Nudd, an excellent and talented photographer, but an even better friend.

I came across some mini-kabob sticks while in Sarasota for our anniversary. Ever since, I was very excited to make some and did a good bit of research before I finally put the meal together. I served the kabob with steamed brown rice and the Pad Thai sauce from "Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home."

This meal was much easier than I expected, and except for the delay of threading the sticks with my designer-husband, a fast creation as well. I did find a note somewhere in my research to soak the sticks in water before use to prevent splitting. This was my first step of the meal.

This has got to be one of our favorite restaurants in Orlando. The format is "family-style." Dishes are served from the middle of the table. It's a good thing we visit with other vegetarians. The restaurant is very good about special-request orders, including vegan and gluten-free.

It seems so long ago now, but in 2005 when I finished my Master's degree, Paul took me along on a trip to Italy and Germany. I believe everyone should visit Italy given the chance, although I think I love Germany more. This trip was peak-season, but we are very happy to travel in February/March/April when it's cooler and when the rates aren't so high. We have done that the last two years. But this was my first trip to Europe, and I will always remember it very fondly.

This was such a fun activity last winter. The local Christian elementary school was selling cases of Washington Apples as a fund raiser. Now you don't have to support Christian education, but everybody wants fresh, tree-ripened fruits instead of the painted green objects from the grocery stores. I believe the variety we ordered was called Jon-a-Golds, but I have no record of that. They were a cross between sweet and sour.

There is a girl in my office whose husband had a major surgery that would likely remove him from a work environment for a couple years. It was devastating to our office. Because the economy is so bad, some of the staff got together and created a plan. They would serve "Leftovers with Love" meaning any leftovers could be put on a plate and wrapped in aluminum foil; then frozen and delivered to the couple and their teenage daughter. That way they could pull something out of the freezer, microwave it, and have a quick, healthy meal.

This was such an interesting restaurant. I suspect I won't begin to do it justice in writing without the photos to back up my descriptions. It is worth the experience and the food is good, too.

I've enjoyed Subway sandwiches for a long time.

Chicken Noodle Soup has always been a favorite to me. My mom has had this recipe forever and when my grandmother had a day care center, she cooked it for the kids. And the moms could never understand why their kids refused to eat the soup they warmed from a jar. Those were good memories.

Being big fans of Italy, we have been interested in trying this dessert "shack," Jeremiah's Italian Ice, a stand-alone walk-up-to-the-counter building in front of a strip mall. I could not believe the number of patrons. There were three teenage girls working in the stand, and they were all kept busy. They were polite and worked hard. We had heard from friends that it was good. We just were rarely on that side of town. We just happened to be there around dinner time that day. Perfect dessert stop.

This was a wedding present, and I have come to use it increasingly. My mother liked it so much, she went out and got one for herself. It measures in ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons. I do also own one slightly smaller, but this one is more versatile.

This was the first time we took Paul's parents, sister and brother-in-law to Ethos. I decided to try the pesto pasta with vegetables and pumpkin seeds. Paul chose the Pecan Encrusted Eggplant served with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy and asparagus. The eggplant was drizzled with a berry sauce. Both meals were served hot and appealing to the eyes.

These tweezers are totally fascinating. They were a gift from my mother-in-law and my aunt-in-law. Apparently, they shopped all over Vienna, Austria, to get as many as they could. (Marsha gives them away as wedding presents. No, I won't give out her address so you can send her an invitation.) They come from a German store, WMF. I have no idea what it means and don't know that I had ever seen one until we were there. No matter where it came from, this little tool is quite interesting. I'm still learning its variety of uses.

Don't let anyone ever tell you sandwiches are only for lunch and are not elegant. Sprouts and avocados can be quite elegant because they are "adult tastes". Sprouts are stringy and often odd to kids. Kids may eat guacamole, but without all the additional flavors, avocados can taste rough. When at peak season, with red tomatoes and fancy bread, such a meal can be very good. And let's face it, counselors on weight loss and proper digestion would recommend lighter compared to heavier dinners because people often get home late and generally have larger entree meals for lunch.

I was feeling guilty about not having cooked a good, solid meal in a week as we had eaten out a lot with friends and had been on vacation. So when I came across a new variety of frozen vegetables in the grocery store, I took a chance.

I prefer Bird's Eye vegetables to other frozen vegetables because most of them come with some form of seasoning already added. You are actually allowed to experiment with flavor. In this case, we had sugar snap peas, asparagus, carrots and red bell peppers in a lime cilantro sauce. The dish could be microwaved or steamed on the stove. I chose the stove--however, you must watch the meal more closely in that case.

Not much surprise, here. The food was awesome. I have to say I liked my wrap better than Paul's black bean burger, but I'm sure it's just cause black beans aren't my favorite. I do love sprouts and although the menu said sprouts came on the sandwich, I was unlucky to visit on a day when they were out of sprouts. But don't complain yet. These people pride themselves on freshness. So, who am I to complain about not getting sprouts when it's better than getting nasty sprouts?

This is one of our favorite recipes from "The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet". It allows for much creativity and lets Paul and I make differing concoctions according to our tastes.

Do these look fantastic or what? This recipe came from foodnetwork.tv. I don't plan to make mashed potatoes any other way ever again. Even better are the leftovers as potato pancakes or hash browns.

I love bruschetta. There are many varieties for creations from my "Moosewood Cooks at Home" cookbook. We had an excess of tomatoes this day, so I created my own. I wrapped the entire loaf in aluminum foil and placed it in the oven at 350 degrees to warm. If it were just the two of us, I would place a few slices in a regular toaster. Toasting to dark makes the bread crumble-y and not toasting enough makes the bread a bit tough so when you bite into it the toppings fall off. We regularly test slices of bread while heating to ensure it's the right texture.