Israeli Couscous with Roasted Eggplant & Cinnamon-Cumin Dressing

Two Breakfast (or lunch, or dinner...) Options

Spinach & Mushroom Omelette

"Italian" Tofu Scramble

Lately, I have been so busy with student teaching and a full load of graduate classes that it has been difficult to keep up with this blog.  Fortunately, even with a packed schedule, it's easy to make time for whipping up these two dishes, which are both nutritious and very satisfying. Recipes after the jump!

Not Julia Child's Ratatouille

I had been meaning to make Smitten Kitchen's Ratatouille's Ratatouille for a while and I finally did this past weekend. Of course, mine looks nothing like SK's in terms of both actual appearance and photography, but it was pretty and tasty and lasted about 24 hours before being completely gobbled up. The thing is, this dish has the appearance of being multi-layered when in fact it is only a single layer of thinly sliced zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, and red pepper on top of a modest portion of tomato sauce. So unless you double the portion in making this recipe, it will be finished rather quickly (provided that you like it!) Good news is that it's healthy and vegan if you don't top it with goat cheese; otherwise, it is vegetarian. As is, this ratatouille makes for a great side dish, but it can be a complete meal if served with a whole grain, such as quinoa or brown rice, and a dollop of goat cheese. I paired it with Chavrie's Basil and Roasted Garlic Goat's Milk Cheese, and it was divine.

this spread has no preservatives!

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Greens

This recipe was printed in the January 2012 edition of Martha Stewart Living. It is the creation of NYC vegetarian chef Amy Chaplin. Not only is the recipe vegetarian, but it's vegan; it contains no animal products, period. I was initially attracted to the recipe because the accompanying photograph in the magazine depicted a smooth, green soup, but I can assure you that the soup is not only aesthetically pleasing but also tasty and healthy. Cauliflower makes the bulk of the ingredients, as well as other vegetables, garlic, some olive oil for sauteing, and a bunch of delicious dill. The prep and cooking are pretty easy.  Just make sure you have a blender or food processor so you can puree the soup to its final state of creaminess.

Speaking of creaminess, the soup is thick and looks like it was mixed with cream, but it's completely dairy free; its full-bodied texture gives you the contentedness that comes from enjoying a hearty bisque on a cold winter evening sans the guilt.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Greens

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

sea salt

1 medium head of cauliflower (about 3 lbs), florets and stems cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 to 9 cups)

4 1/2 cups of water

1/4 cup of chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish

5 large kale or collard leaves, or a combo, tough ends removed and leaves roughly chopped

freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

1.  Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook onion, covered, until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and a pinch of salt, and cook for 3 more minutes. Add cauliflower, and pour in water until it reaches just below the top of the cauliflower.

2.  Bring to a boil over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of dill. Reduce heat to low and simmer until cauliflower is just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in greens and simmer for 3 minutes.

3.  Let the soup sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of dill. Puree soup in batches in blender or food processor until very smooth, adding more water (about 1/2) if it's too thick. Return to pot and reheat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the bowled soup garnished with dill, black pepper, a drizzle of oil, and a pinch of salt.