recipes Archives - Not Strictly Spiritual

Aug 29

Foodie Friday: A great way to use summer veggies

When a friend gave me a week of her CSA share, I knew I had to act fast. I had bags of beautiful summer abundance sitting on my counter and only a few days to use them before we headed out on our own vacation. Thank goodness for Google. I did a search of a few key ingredients and found the most amazing pasta dish using almost all of the veggies. It was a huge hit with all three kids, and that’s saying something for a dish featuring eggplant. Here’s the recipe for pasta with roasted vegetables, tomatoes, and basil from Epicurious. Tweak as needed. If you don’t have eggplant but have tons of zucchini, use that. Don’t be afraid to mix things up. The beauty of this kind of pasta dishes is that it allows you to get creative. There are no set rules. Other than making sure the pasta is al dente. Read more

Jun 27

Foodie Friday: Slow cooker Thai chicken

We’re dusting of the old Foodie Friday file today to bring you a super easy, super delicious slow cooker recipe. Pop it in the crockpot before you head off to work or the pool and return to dinner ready and waiting. And your house will smell amazing.

We serve this over Basmati rice with a side of steamed snow peas. It’s a favorite with everyone except the vegetarian, but even she has to admit that it smells delicious. Thanks to Dennis for discovering this one. He’s made it quite a few times, but I hadn’t had a chance to sample it until last week because for so long I wasn’t eating meat. Glad I finally got a chance to try it. Read more

Nov 15

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Foodie Friday: Sweet potato black bean chili

I actually Googled “sweet potato black bean chili, Not Strictly Spiritual” this morning to find this recipe I had posted here months ago. It was easier than searching for it in the piles of cookbooks in my kitchen. This is what’s on the menu tonight at the Poust House. It’s de-lish! Give it a try, if you didn’t do it the first time around. Read more

Oct 18

Foodie Friday: Ladling out lentil to start soup season

Foodie Friday is back after a long hiatus, thanks to a favorite recipe that inspired me to kickstart the old weekly recipe post. The beginning of soup season always makes me a little giddy, in a foodie sort of way, and this week we dove into the cool weather cooking with a hearty and satisfying lentil soup that also happens to be vegan. I didn’t do that on purpose but it’s a nice coincidence. Try this on a cool autumn or winter night, and you won’t be disappointed. Read more

Aug 9

Foodie Friday: Tuna with avocado-tomatillo sauce

This is one of Dennis’ specialities. I’ve never made it. But it is so good, I have to share it here. If you don’t like tuna steaks, the sauce is so amazing you need to make that and put it on something else — grilled veggies, a baked potato, tortilla chips, the back of your hand. Yeah, it’s that good. Make extra.

This recipe is from Bobby Flay’s Boy Gets Grill cookbook. Serve it with fresh corn-on-the-cob for a perfect summer dinner. Read more

Jul 19

Foodie Friday: Zucchini blossoms, stuffed, battered and fried. Yum.

I’m rerunning this Foodie Friday post because I spotted some zucchini blossoms on a Facebook friend’s page yesterday (Hi, Rita!), and now I can’t stop thinking about this delicious and easy treat. I may have to get to the farmer’s market tomorrow morning to see if I can grab some up for an appetizer. Here’s the original post and why you need to go get zucchini blossoms, too:

When I went to Rome almost three years, I wandered from restaurant to restaurant, desperately asking (in my pathetic version of Italian): “Fiori di zucca fritta?” Fried zucchini blossoms? And the answer was a resounding: “No, not in season.” Argh. Read more

Jun 14

Foodie Friday: Warm farro salad is a hit at our house

It’s always a banner day when I make a new dish and five out of five family members give it a double thumbs up. This is one of those dishes. Who’d have thought farro would make the cut? But it did. The first time I made it, everyone whined because I didn’t make enough, so the next time I doubled the recipe and we still finished it. Here you go. This is the doubled version of the recipe from Bob Greene’s Best Life Diet. Super easy and super delicious. Read more

May 17

Foodie Friday: Primavera season has arrived

Although nothing beats pesto season in our house, primavera season is definitely a close second. And it’s so easy. You don’t really even need a recipe. This is where you get to fling things in a pan and create something amazing. Really. It’s that simple. So look in your fridge, and start building a delicious pasta dinner that’s healthy and sure to please just about everyone. This is your blank cooking canvas, start filling it with color. Read more

Apr 5

Foodie Friday: Last Chance Vegetable Soup

It’s been pretty chilly around here these days, and so I hunkered down and made what I hope is the last big batch of wintry veggie soup before we set our sights on grilling and other spring and summer fare. This is sort of a kitchen-sink soup. Use what you’ve got. It will be slightly different every time, but that’s what keeps this soup interesting. Read more