Recipes

I come from a big family - my parents are both one of eight and I have a zillion cousins (60+) Picture the Irish Catholic/Italian version of the my big fat greek wedding family and you're close to an image of our typical holiday. But, this Thanksgiving marks a first. As we recently moved and aren't a bus trip away from my family anymore my husband and I decided to tackle Thanksgiving on our own. Essentially this means me. He has a lot of good qualities and talents but cooking isn't among them ;) I'm feeling totally liberated and excited at the prospect of being 100% in control of my Thanksgiving feast for the first time in my life. My husband isn't a vegetarian by any means but he'll literally eat anything I put in front of him (alas one of those good qualities I referred to above.) Essentially I have full reign to go crazy with the vegetarian and meatless sides that I consider the best part of the holiday. As a non meat-eater I like the idea of a centerpiece dish - like a tofurky for example - but to be honest I don't go ga ga over faux meats. I find them very hit or miss. And, why does the bird or "bird" get all the attention. anyway? Load me up with side dishes and I'm a happy girl! That said click through for a run down of some of the vegetarian Thanksgiving side recipes that will be making an appearance at our Thanksgiving this year.

Between scary Sandy, dropping temps and more time in sweaters, boots and yoga pants I don't know about you but I'm craving warm and zesty eats. Warm foods with a little kick are so ideal for this time of year I've been playing around in the kitchen with some slightly spicy dishes. This vegan buffalo dip is a keeper. I used to be a big sissy when it came to spicy foods but over the past few years I've started to add a bit in at a time to develop a tolerance. Little things like making the switch from wimpy mild salsa to medium helped. Sure enough I can now tolerate a bit of hot sauce and spicy bloody mary's (winning!) You can control the heat to suit your taste buds. The vegan buffalo dip is easy to make, plus it doesn't scream "quirky vegan" - making it very carnivore friendly. I plan to whip this up quite a few times this football and holiday season.

It's back! My approximate (no chef training) half-assed recipes are back with a vengeance! I've been cooking up a storm with my CSA shares and had a little Asian inspiration last week when I started feeling under the weather. This week's recipe brings you back in time but in a much improved fashion: Ramen Soup. Forget those .49 cent box wonders we relied on for nutritional value in College. After trying authentic Ramen in Fukuoka, Japan, I could never go back to the instant water variety. And for years, I couldn't find a satisfaction in the city of brotherly love. Yet always being a trend-setter,  Ramen is infiltrating Philly in a  huge way. But what if you want to try Ramen from your own kitchen? This recipe uses some of your finest (fall) CSA veggies for a hearty (and filling!) soup. Plus, I'm 5% Asian (accurate by blood test!) so it's at least 5% authentic. Julie's Half-Assed Ramen (or Udon) Japanese-ish Soup: (Check out the recipe, after the jump!)

Wondering what to do with that abundance of CSA or farmers market vegetables? This ratatouille recipe kills two birds with one stone - ensuring you don't waste any errant vegetables and meeting your daily veggie quota. I used the local vegetables I had on hand but this recipe would also work well with mushrooms, eggplant or anything else that appeals to you. Ratatouille is a traditional French dish, but I have Italian in my blood so I used plenty of seasonings you might find in an Italian dish. I was really pleased with the results. Click through for the recipe!

These days it seems everyone from Gwyneth to your Dad is pushing the benefits of fresh juice. Perhaps you've tried a juice cleanse yourself or maybe you are on the other end of the spectrum and the sight of the "green stuff" makes you ill. I'm certainly not a health care professional nor a dietitian but what I've found when it comes to juicing is... moderation is key. (Duh?!) Here are 5 reasons to get your juice on, plus why too much of a good thing ain't always a good thang.

Just in time for the 4th of July holiday I have some tasty cocktails in store. Who doesn't love a fresh summer cocktail while firing up the grill and watching the fireworks? I tested these babies out last weekend and trust me they were tasty! My mission was to keep the ingredients fresh and organic, and use local ingredients where possible. Click through for the recipes!

One of the beautiful things about a CSA is getting a crapload of veggies which you have no idea what to do with. I may have overdosed after having goat cheese, almond & cranberry salad 7 days straight for lunch. My next dilemma? I had various vegetables and wanted something asian-influenced to go along with my 5% Asian self. Luckily I found a package of spring roll wrappers from the grocery story recently and decided to be creative with them. Note: you can swap out the veggies I suggest with your own fillings. But mine were pretty damn delicious... Here's my vegan recipe: Julie's Half-Assed Veggie Spring Rolls

Memorial Day weekend calls for shaking off stress, enjoying friends and family, and perhaps a delicious cocktail (or two.) This recipe for a refreshing, seasonal blueberry mojito will start your long weekend off on the right foot. Bonus: it's fairly low calorie, and simple to make! Click through for the recipe.

I don't know about you but sometimes I go through major breakfast ruts. Cereal and english muffins with almond butter start to bore my taste buds after devouring for weeks on end. When I need to shake up my morning meal treats like these delicious muffins come in to play. You can bake a batch (or two ) to eat all week long or share with friends and co-workers. I opted to share these this past weekend at Green Philly's Spring CleanUp. I had a couple requests for the recipe, so here you are!