Eat Like a Rabbit

Paul declared this creation great. He especially liked the crust. I really enjoy the flatbread as well. I just happened upon some Naan hand-stretched flatbread at Costco. I love making sandwiches out of it or serving it instead of French bread alongside pasta. I think it looks and tastes fabulous.

On occasion, we find opportunity to eat at IKEA. Generally, a sale draws us in, and we arrange to have friends go with us. The activity is so much more fun with another couple. When IKEA Orlando opened, we were still newlyweds, and we took along fellow newlyweds, Tim and Magally Putt. We enjoyed a variety of vegetarian dishes. Magally, also enjoyed the Swedish meatballs, which are not vegetarian.

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).

The first time I had a pomegranate salad dressing was in an underground restaurant in Budapest. I was disappointed, but still thought it was a good idea. Last week, we had a few pomegranates leftover from breakfast, and I decided to find a recipe to make a dressing for our parents as we had both sets over for lunch after church. The closest thing I found was a strawberry salad dressing in "Moosewood Restaurant New Classics." I substituted Pomegranates for the Strawberries but kept the rest of the recipe consistent. It was fabulous.

Previously, I have blogged about the wisdom of using food as a gift. We have taken our own advice and found ways to give food as gifts. We give lovely jars (RECYCLED) filled with dehydrated or fresh herbs depending on who will receive the gift and what we think they may like. We put a homemade label on the jar that connects back to EatLikeARabbit.net for recipes and other suggestions. Generally, herbs are useful to an individual. And even they may not be useful to the original recipient, they know someone who will be thrilled to get it. Therefore, we are sharing our love of the land with others and giving something that won't sit in a closet and collect dust until an appropriate time comes to regift it or take it Goodwill.

This meal was absolutely fun to make. I assure you, a solid vegetable meal like this can be cheap and fabulous. The asparagus and sweet potatoes came from Aldi, a rather unusual but wise grocery store, which is known for very reasonable prices on off-brand foods. A good number have recently opened up in Orlando. My experiences there in America and out of the country have been pleasant.

The following post is in reference to that little bowl filled with green at the top left hand corner.

A few situations happening in just a week's time started me thinking about this post. It started when I read one of the many magazines in our office (unfortunately I do not remember which one) that said basil was hard to acquire for a pesto sauce and recommended some alternatives.

I was so proud of this recipe. I thought I had found one in a cook book, but once I bought the spinach couldn't find it. So, I just took what we liked and put it all together to create the pictured item. Notice, I cubed the mozzarella like we had at Cafe Epicure in Sarasota. I also purchased mozzarella because that experience taught me that a soft cheese on top of pasta adds a whole new world to a meal.

Notice this sauce is a bit chunky. There are some creamy spots and some chunky spots. My mother says a bit of flour would help with that.

For an all-girls mini party, I needed a simple mid-afternoon snack to be more of the main dish for a small group. I already had some crackers made of a variety of seeds--flax, poppy, sesame,etc. The crackers have a great and unique flavor. I simply wanted something to add to them. I then selected a plain, but well seasoned hummus and a medium salsa as dips.

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.