For the past several years, I seem to have forgotten that couscous existed. My grain options were either pasta or bread, all the time. Then I came across an old recipe of my mom’s that called for couscous. YUM! Definitely worth picking up a box.

The thick, Mediterranean-style sauce in this chicken recipe is full of flavor, and the couscous is great for soaking it up. It would taste a little weird with rice, and the consistency wouldn’t be right with pasta. But with couscous? Delectable.

It serves one, and here’s what you need:

• Olive oil

• 1 chicken breast

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 serving of couscous, either flavored or plain (about 1/3 cup dry)

• 1/3 of an onion, chopped in thin rings or strips

• 1 garlic clove, sliced into very thin circles

• 4-5 baby bella mushrooms, sliced (white mushrooms work, too) Read More »

After the grilled cheese post, I decided it’s only fair to advertise a favorite among my vegan buddies. A cheeseless pizza, topped with salad, is a perfect combination of appetizer and entree.

You’ll need:

½ cup mushrooms (if you don’t want to use fresh, use one can, drained)

¼ small eggplant, sliced

¼ small zucchini, sliced

¼ cup Black olives

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small can tomato sauce

¼ small onion, diced

½ red or green pepper, chopped

*season with oregano, basil, and garlic to taste

1 cup chopped romaine lettuce

1 cup chopped arugula

Balsamic vinaigrette

Wheat pitas (one per pizza)

For your own marinara: In a saucepan, heat approximately 1 tablespoon of olive oil and brown diced onion, chopped red peppers, and add tomato sauce. Season with oregano, basil, and garlic to taste, and set aside. **If you don’t feel like making your own marinara, feel free to purchase a jar of pizza sauce and use that instead to save time. Read More »

I think I did a dance around the kitchen when I finally figured out how to replicate this Chinese dish so that it actually tasted authentic. SCORE! It’s a tad on the salty and oily side, but it’s sooooo good.

Ingredients for two portions: 1 tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil, about ¼ lb ground beef or ground pork, dried chili pepper flakes to taste (or red chili paste), 1 tablespoon of black bean garlic sauce, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, one fresh package of extra-firm tofu, a little bit of broccoli (optional), and 4-5 green onions (scallions).

In a medium-sized pan, heat the oil and cook the ground meat over low-medium heat. Mix it with the chili pepper flakes or paste, the black bean garlic sauce, and the soy sauce. Read More »