ASPARAGUS TART

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
3 cups water
one pie crust
2/3 cup Swiss cheese divided
4 eggs lightly beaten
3/4 cup half and half
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Stem the cut asparagus for 2-4 minutes drain and pat dry.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the pie crust and press into the bottom
of a pie pan trim excess crust.
Place the asparagus on bottom with half of cheese. In a bowl add spices, eggs
and half and half and pour on top of asparagus.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes
Let cool 10 minutes before cutting

233 calories
15 grams of fat
8 grams protein

Grilled Pizza Dough / Crust

When you're looking for an alternative to veggie burgers
or veggie kebabs, why not try grilling pizza instead.
Cooking pizza on the grill is one of the best ways I
know of giving your pizza crust the crispness and the
vaguely smoky taste that old-fashioned brick-oven
pizzerias manage to achieve. And all without investing
in a pizza stone or other expensive equipment.

Prep Time: 1hr 45min // Cook Time: 10min
Type of Prep: Assemble, Bake, Barbecue, Grill, Mix / Beat
Cuisine: Fusion, Italian
Occasion: July 4th, Labor/Memorial Day, Summer

1 package dried yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 teaspoon sugar or evaporated cane juice
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) lukewarm water
3 1/2 - 4 cups (875 - 1000 ml) all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp olive oil plus additional for greasing
bowl, dough
1 Tbsp salt

Note on pizza toppings: I've provided a few examples
of toppings for you to try or to use as inspiration
for your own pizza adventures: traditional margherita
-- tomato-basil pizza -- pesto, caramelized onion-mushroom,
vegan Tuscan white bean, artichoke and black olive, pear
and blue cheese. I recommend against using particularly
wet or saucy toppings on grilled pizza since the pizza
dough won't get as crispy and it will be harder to
maneuver on and off the grill. Also since the cooking
time for grilled pizza is relatively short, I advise
using toppings that are either pre-cooked or cut into
small pieces for relative quick cooking or toppings
that can be eaten raw or al dente.

Stir the yeast and the sugar into 1/2 cup (125 ml) of
the water to dissolve. Yet the mixture sit for about
five minutes or until bubbly.

Add the remaining water and then stir in 1/2 cup (125 ml)
of the flour, the olive oil and the salt. Mix well.

Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup (125 ml) at a time until
you have a smooth elastic dough. If it's too difficult
to stir in the flour in the bowl, you can dump the dough
and flour onto a clean lightly floured work surface and
use your hands to mix in the flour. Depending on the
type of flour you use and the humidity of the room in
which you're working, you may not use all four cups
of flour. Once the dough is smooth (no longer sticky),
you can stop adding additional flour.

Knead the dough for a minute or two and then place in
lightly greased bowl. Cover with a dish towel let the
dough rise in a warm, draft-free location until doubled
in bulk. Approximately 1 hour.

Preheat your grill to a low even heat.

Remove the dough from the bowl to a lightly floured
work surface. Punch the dough down and divide it into
8 roughly equal pieces.

Roll each piece of dough out into a thin round or oval
about 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) across. (I think
individual-sized pizzas work best with grilling,
since it can be hard to maneuver larger sizes on and
off the grill.) Don't worry if your pizza is not
perfectly round; a more rustic oval shape will work
just as well. Brush both sides of the dough lightly
with olive oil.

Slide or roll the dough onto the grill rack and cook
until just set on the bottom side. Flip over the dough
and cook on the other side. Depending on how hot your
grill is, this takes about a minute per side.

Remove dough from the grill and decorate with your
desired topping(s). Return to the grill and cook
until the underside of the pizza is nicely browned.
Depending on your grill's temperature this will take
three to five minutes per side. If your grill has a
lid, cover the pizza to help the cheese melt and the
toppings warm. Until you get a sense of how long it
takes to brown the crust on your grill, lift the edge
of the lid to take quick peeks every minute or so in
order to avoid burning the crust.

Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 to 8 individual-sized pizzas, 10-12 inches
(25-30 cm) across

Fruit Salad

1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 medium nectarines, sliced
1 large banana, sliced
1 pint blueberries
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 1/2 cups watermelon balls
1 cup green grapes
1 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

In a bowl, combine lime juice, water and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add nectarines and banana, toss to coat.

In a large glass bowl, combine remaining fruits and add the nectarine mixture, stir gently. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Fresh Apple Cake

6 tbsp(3/4 stick or 1/3 cup) butter (or 1/3 cup applesauce for low-fat version)
1 cup sugar (or Splenda for sugar-free versiion)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 cups finely chopped raw apple
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup chopped wanuts (also optional)

Method:

In a large bowl beat butter until smooth and creamy, add sugar and
beat until well mixed. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well
blended. Combine dry ingredients and add to wet. Mix well. Add
apples nuts and raisins and mix well.

Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan(ive used round too and it is
ok). spread batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 35
minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.

Cool comletely and serve with whipped cream or serve warm with
vanilla ice cream.

This also works well with pears instead of apples. This a good one
for the fall, since we are going into apple season. 

Mushroom Tofu Pate

1/3 cup dried boletus or porcini mushrooms, 
 OR 1/2 cup coarsely crumbled stemmed 
 dried shiitake or Chinese mushrooms 
3/4 cup crumbled firm tofu 
2 Tablespoons light miso 
2 3 large fresh basil leaves 
 OR 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 
1 head roasted garlic with pulp squeezed out
 OR 8 to 12 cloves commercial roasted garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1 to 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (opt.)


Soak the mushrooms for 1/2 hour in boiling water
to cover. Drain them in a fine mesh strainer, and
squeeze them dry. (Save the soaking water for
soup or stock). Chop the mushrooms in a food
processor, then add the remaining ingredients
and process until quite smooth. Pack the mixture
into a small, oiled bowl, and chill at least
hours. When ready to serve, loosen the edges of
the pate with a knife, and turn it out onto a plate.

Decorate with a sprig of fresh basil, and serve
with crackers or crostini.

This is so easy and very delicious. It firms up enough to unmold and is always a hit at parties and potlucks. (You can easily double the recipe).

Roasted Edamame

2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
1 / 4 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 / 2 teaspoon chili powder
1 / 4 teaspoon onion salt
1 / 4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 / 8 teaspoon paprika
1 / 8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (10 ounce) package ready-to-eat soybeans (edamame)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In small bowl, stir together oil, basil, chili powder, onion salt, cumin, paprika and black pepper. Drizzle mixture over soybeans and toss to coat well. Arrange beans in a single layer in a shallow baking dish.

Roast, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring once, until soybeans begin to brown. Serve hot as a vegetable side dish or cooled as a snack. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Yields 2 to 3 servings.