Steph I can’t wait to hang out this weekend (happy-happy-joy-joy). I have so many stories to tell you.

I’ve neglected the blog but I don’t feel guilty because Steph said not to. I cleaned off my camera so here’s a recap of my recent weeknight dishes. Wephanie - please please take pictures of the yummy things you are making. I’m hearing stories of recipes from other people. I know you’ve made some goodie good ones lately because you’ve been the hostess with the mostest. My next post will be about Herndon Festival last weekend and Cat’s Bachelorette coming up this weekend :). Also check out the O’Hora Family Blog for my update on Kelly & Mike’s Wedding in Philly over Memorial Day weekend.

Moroccan Eggplant with Garbanzo Beans (Vegan)
I made this one a couple of weeks ago and Robby and I both liked it (we both love eggplant). Steph was in town for work meetings and she loved it - we ate it one night with pita chips while we frantically tried to update each other (remember that?). This is one of those recipes that tastes even better the next day after the spices have had a chance to blend.

Caribbean Pork and Plantain Hash
This appeared in last month’s Cooking Light. Robby and I both generally like Caribbean flavors and love yucca, so I figured we’d like the taste of the plantains. I was right - this was delicious. I bought an extra plantain by accident so a few days later for dessert, I made Grilled Plantains - so yummy. The plantain was super soft and sweetened with brown sugar. We used spoons to scoop it out of the peel.

Tempeh-Asparagus Stir-Fry (Vegan)
I saw the May/June 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times while I was in line at Whole Foods. I bought it because it had a great looking recipe on the cover. I ended up making 3 recipes from this issue. I went to their Web site and they have some recipes published, but not the ones from this issue. This dish was new for us - I’ve had tempeh before but never cooked it at home and Robby had never tried it. He liked it!

Black Bean Burrito, Indian Style (Vegetarian/Vegan)
I made this last week and loved it. If you know me or read this blog, you know I have a weakness for Indian flavors - curry, garam masala, etc. Plus I love the sweet potato/black bean combo. I didn’t expect much from this recipe because it seemed so simple. I wrapped the burrito mixture in whole wheat tortillas and topped them with spicy Frontera salsa and a few dollops of the lactose-free (gentle on the stomach) goat cheese Kerry told me about (Thanks Kerry!). Very good the next day, and the day after, and the day after. Most of these recipes make 4-6 servings which means we have leftovers to eat on days we don’t cook and to take for lunch.

Spicy Chicken Posole
This is a regular/frequently used recipe in our house. Robby bought me a Cooking Light book from Costco a few years back called “Quick and Easy Meals”. For some reason, I can’t find this recipe on CookingLight.com, it’s only in my book. It is an extremely simple recipe - you cut up the chicken into small pieces, mix it with a few tablespoons of adobo sauce (smoky chipoltle pepper sauce that gives this dish its spice), brown the chicken, add broth, red peppers, hominy, onions and viola! The first picture is of Robby’s dinner topped with some reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese.

Grilled Ratatouille Salad (Vegan)
This is the recipe from the cover of the May/June 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times that I wanted to try. Very good and great for summer when you don’t feel like eating anything too heavy or hot. I added a little more basil than the recipe called for because I love basil, but that ended up causing a slight licorice flavor that Robby didn’t like. Next time, I’ll follow the recipe exactly. We both liked the pine nuts and the thick balsamic glaze.

Spaghetti with Spinach and Mushrooms (Vegan)
This is the 3rd recipe from the May/June 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times. I made this one last night. Robby and I both liked it. I didn’t have harissa so I used 1 tsp. of red pepper flakes and it was a smidgen too spicy. Is smidgen a word? Other than the heat, this was super yummy. It took about 10 minutes longer for the noodles to absorb the broth than the recipe said.