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Romantic Mains to Impress

Even though I am not currently dating someone special… I still like to cook something nice, even if it’s just for myself.

After all, Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate LOVE and there are many ways to express and celebrate love – love towards your parents, love towards your kids, love towards your siblings, love towards your pets, love towards your partner, love towards your neighbors, your family in general, your co-workers, your friends and most of all, LOVE TOWARDS YOURSELF. Because, if you don’t love yourself, how do you expect others to love you too???

Here are a few ideas I have cooked in the past to impress a few loved ones… hope you choose to make one to impress YOURSELF!!!

Cheese, Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti

Roasted Stuffed Tomatoes over Pasta

Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms

Eggplant and Goat Cheese Bake

Asparagus Tart

Korean Seasoned Tofu

Chame’s Spinach Salad with Figs and Blue Cheese

Poached Pears with Blue Cheese and Almond Praline

Tags: asparagus, balsamic, blue cheese, cheese, delicious, easy, fig, food, love, mushroom, parmesan, pasta, pear, puff pastry, romantic, savory, scallion, sesame seeds, soy sauce, spinach, tofu, tomato, Valentine's, vegetarian

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Categories desserts, main courses, MY EDITORIAL, Salad

Recap of our 2nd KarmaFree Cooking Class – Love Yourself First

7 Feb

Last week we had our 2nd KarmaFree Cooking class and our theme was Loving ourselves first thru our Food. Sometimes, we only cook nice things when we’re cooking for others. But why not cook something nice even if it’s just us in the house??

The recipes we shared are old and new KarmaFree Cooking recipes that work well made just for one person, for two or for a crowd. These are simple, quick and delicious recipes that work well to make just for you on a solo movie night at home and just the same are not much more effort making for a large dinner party.

Here was our class menu:

Pasta with Marinated Tomatoes over Brown Rice Pasta

Qu inoa Pasta with Fresh Baby Spinach and Lemon Vinaigrette

Spinach Salad with Macerated Strawberries

Baked Sweet Plantains with Cinnamon and Vanilla

Poached Pears with Blue Cheese and Almond Praline

Even though these were all recipes we had shared in the blog before, it’s never the same reading and making them on your own as seeing how I make them, after I have made them over and over and over again. Your words… not mine.

The class is not only about sharing recipes and techniques. We also talked about alternative pastas… we talked about my favorite olive oils and vinegars. We also talked about microplanes and rasps to grate lemon zest and how I do not like to rinse pasta after I drain it. We also shared how the same ingredients for the Marinated Tomates can be used in a bruschetta as an appetizer or skewered to make for a fancier passed hors d’oeuvre.

I am so grateful for all of those who attended… we had a larger class this time around. Some repeats and some new students. I want to give a great shout out to Adriana from Great Food 360 who attended once again and contributed with the wonderful pictures. She rocks!!!

Again to my lovely assistants Angie and Mom… who help me with the little things that keep the class rolling smoothly.

Hope you can join us for the next installment… Late April. Mark your calendars – Recipes to celebrate Mom. I am already planning the menu.

Tags: baby spinach, balsamic vinegar, blue cheese, cheese, class, cooking class, delicious, easy, food, KarmaFree Cooking, love, mozzarella, pasta, plantain, self-love, spinach, strawberry, sweet plantain, tomato, Valentine's, vegetarian

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Categories appetizers, desserts, main courses, MY EDITORIAL, Salad, side dishes, treats

Some Romantic Menu Ideas for Valentine’s

6 Feb

I am in love with the idea of being in love… I admit it. I find so appealing those giddy feelings when you’re getting to know someone, that initial attraction, those butterflies in the stomach when someone we’re getting to know calls or texts us.

I may not be married yet (YET being the operative word here), and even if Valentine’s Day is mostly celebrated by couples, it does not mean you have to I have certainly stay on the sidelines watching couples celebrate their love for each other. I have certainly used it to celebrate the lovely people who share my life day in, day out. Love is love… and it is all important and necessary part of our life and well-being. Sharing our love and being appreciative of the love in our lives will only bring more love into it. Isn’t that what Valentine’s Day is all about.

If you wish to celebrate all the loves in your life, I bring you some ideas for easy menus that will express your love and impress even the most adamant of non-vegetarians. I divided this into 4 sections – Appetizers, Main Courses, Desserts and Drinks. From these ideas you can mix and match whatever you prefer, feel it’s easiest or what will impress who you’re cooking for.

Besides… who wants to fight over a reservation in a restaurant on the busiest restaurant day of the year???

Love, Madelyn.