K. Pinella’s recipes
Image contributed by The Tom
This is a simple and easy meal to fix, especially for summer because many of the vegetables in this recipe are from our garden. Although you can use any kind of pasta you want, I used whole wheat rotini pasta (16 oz.). Boil the pasta according to the instructions on the box. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, you can start chopping the vegetables that you may have purchased or picked from your garden. Continue reading
This is a complete meal with protein, vegetables, and grains. The beans used here may be canned or dry. Dry beans would require an overnight soaking. You can use a 16-oz. bag of black beans or pinto beans. Before rinsing the beans, pick off any particles that don’t belong there, such as small pebbles. Cover the beans with cold water and let soak overnight.
The next day, the beans will need to be cooked first. The fastest way to do so is to use a pressure cooker, which is a specially sealed pot that cooks food quickly due to the physics of steam and pressure. Without getting technical or sidetracked here, I suggest you Google pressure cooker to learn more about it. It is an excellent way to make certain dishes quickly. For example, if you wish to make beef stew and use a cheap cut of meat, you can easily and quickly tenderize the meat by using a pressure cooker. Also, the pressure cooker makes excellent shredded pork or chicken. Continue reading
As an alternative to a wheat base, try cassava bread. I found it in the Produce section of a grocery store (Market Basket). The bread has only one ingredient—cassava pulp, or yuca. A product of Dominican Republic, the brand name is Caridom. It’s flat and triangle shaped, like a big pizza slice, so it’s perfect for this recipe, which is great for snacking. The recipe also makes for a nice breakfast, lunch, or dinner now that summer is here and if you are so inclined to have a smorgasbord of fruits in one sitting.
Image contributed by Hymn
The “or” in the name of this recipe indicates the many dishes you can make with red lentils; two variations of the recipe are presented below. Red lentils are great because they’re split and cook quickly, usually in less than an hour. The base of each recipe described below is a 16-oz. bag of red lentils (2 bags if you want to make more), chopped onions, and crushed garlic–1 or 2 onions and four or more garlic cloves, depending on your preference. If you want to make more, you can use two 16-oz. bags of red lentils. Continue reading
This is a good dish to make if you have any leftover chicken (be sure to shred it off the bone if not boneless). Or, if you want to start from scratch, then stir fry chopped boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, depending on which part of the chicken you prefer. In either case, you will need at least a pound of chicken, and not more than two, depending on how meaty you want your casserole to be. Continue reading
A convenient way to make oatmeal is to use a slow cooker; I find either the 2.5 qts. or 3 qts. as the ideal size. You can use thick rolled oatmeal or steel cut oat groats and mix it with oat bran, if you wish. Refer to the oatmeal packaging’s cooking instructions for the oatmeal-water ratio and add another 1/4 cup of water. Over time, you can adjust the ratio based on the consistency you like.
Depending on how many people you will feed or how many days of the week you want to eat oatmeal, put in your desired amount of oatmeal, oat bran (optional), and the required amount of water into the slow cooker. Stir in a couple of dried, unsulfured apricots if you want to add a sweetener while it is cooking. Remember to turn the slow cooker on to low and go watch TV, read my blog, or go to bed.
Or, you can prepare the topping mix that you will add to the cooked oatmeal the next day. I usually make a batch in a glass Pyrex that comes with a lid and refrigerate the mix, which you can have as a snack by itself during the day. Continue reading
Using Pain de Campagne to hold the falafel instead of pita bread may go against the grain, but you be the judge. How to make a falafel is another recipe. Here we will use pre-made falafel. I buy mine that is made from sprouted garbanzo beans because sprouts provide boosted nutrients. You can find this at Whole Foods. Pre-made falafel may be frozen or fresh, and they look like mini patties. Prepare them according to the package instructions. Continue reading
How can you have pancakes and hold the syrup? You can still be a pancake eater without dousing your stack with maple syrup (50g of sugar) or some liquid labeled pancake syrup (with ingredients you might find in water softeners and detergents).
The best mixing bowl to use is one of those 8-cup (2 quarts) measuring glass bowls (Pyrex or Anchor), so you can simply pour a bit of batter directly into the skillet and use a rubber spatula to swipe off the drip from the lip of the bowl. Before starting, place a bowl of chocolate chips near the plate(s) you will use to serve the pancakes because you will put the chocolate chips on top of the cooked pancakes so they will soften. Continue reading
As a side dish, this green and orange combination makes a pretty addition to the table. Chop a bunch of kale, unless you buy a bag of pre-washed kale, which I use until summer, when we have a garden. Chop however many carrots you want, along with 1 big onion. Crush 3 or more garlic cloves, depending on how many people you will be talking to after eating. You’re ready to saute.
Put about 2 tbsp of oil in the skillet, over medium heat. Put in your crushed garlic. After a minute, put in the chopped onions. Depending on how al dente you want your onions, you can then put in the chopped carrots. After a minute, put in the kale.
Continue to stir and cook, until the kale is tender to your liking, although it is best not to overcook kale, as its nutrients would be more potent. Enjoy the crunch!
Ideal bread to use is Pain de Campagne for the crunchiness after you’ve grilled it. Mouthwatering cheeses to use are blocks of Swiss and Gruyere that you will slice to your desired thickness, but I prefer thin so they melt faster.
Slice however many button mushrooms you want and one regular yellow onion, and then saute them with whipped Cabot butter, or regular unsalted butter, in medium heat. Set aside. Continue reading
Karina Pinella 
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