Feeding my cold with plenty of fluids

I’ve been under the weather for the past couple days. I try to consume as many fluids as possible in order to to stay hydrated, and I’ve got a few standard go-to comforts when I’ve come down with a cold -- brothy soups, Emergen-C and lots of hot tea (caffeine-free peppermint’s my favorite). Smoothies like this one are also pretty great, and I’m drinking this particular blend in hopes that it does keep the doctor away and that I’m back to good in no time.

An Apple a Day
1 Pink Lady apple, cored and sliced
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup coconut water

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Miso makes everything taste better

Y’know that broiled salmon I made a while back? Turns out the miso marinade from that recipe also tastes pretty flippin’ good with tofu and asparagus! Baking tofu is a relatively new thing in our house, but lemme tell you, it is wonderful because it comes out of the oven toasty on the outside and soft on the inside. Give it a try!

Miso Asparagus and Tofu with Black Rice 
½ cup white miso paste
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1 tablespoon sesame oil
14-ounce package firm tofu, cubed and patted dry with paper towels
1 bunch asparagus, tough ends peeled and/or removed
3 cups cooked black rice
Non-stick cooking spray
Sliced green onion, for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and mist two cooking sheets with non-stick cooking spray. Whisk first six ingredients together in large bowl. Working in batches, add a few tofu cubes to bowl at a time, stirring gently with slotted spoon. Use spoon to remove tofu from bowl, allowing excess sauce to drain back into the bowl, and arrange cubes, in a single layer and so that they’re not touching, on one of the coated baking sheets. Put tofu in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove sheet from oven, flip tofu cubes, and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes.

Use slotted spoon to mix asparagus with remaining miso sauce until lightly coated. Distribute asparagus on second baking sheet. Put asparagus in the oven 10 minutes before the tofu’s done, and everything is ready to serve at the same time. Divide rice evenly among four plates or bowls, then top with asparagus and tofu, and garnish with green onion.

Salad fit for a picnic basket

This salad has got a lot going on -- it’s crunchy, chewy, sweet and tangy. It’s also got a great make-ahead quality to it (just keep the balsamic vinaigrette in a separate container), so it's perfectly portable for the next time you feel like dining al fresco.

Picnic Salad 
Shredded green leaf lettuce
½ cup cooked chicken breast, cubed
½ cup cooked Israeli couscous
½ cup diced apple
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup blanched, slivered almonds
Balsamic vinaigrette

Combine ingredients in a bowl, drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette, and enjoy.

Maximizing mushrooms in this decadent burger

If you’ve seen “Anchorman,” I’m sure you can recall Ron Burgundy singing “I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch.” Well, my version of this song would be all about mushrooms, and while it might not be as catchy, and definitely has more syllables, the idea’s still the same because I love putting mushrooms in and on everything!

I had planned to grill these mushroomy burgers for dinner last night. However, I did this without checking the forecast. It’s been raining quite a bit today, so instead of monitoring my burgers while wearing a raincoat and headlamp, I brought out Nana Dollie’s trusty cast-iron skillet instead. I think cooking everything in one skillet made the flavors even better.

Million Mushroom Skillet Burgers 
1 pound 93% lean ground sirloin
3 teaspoons Trader Joe’s Black Truffle Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
8 ounces sliced brown mushrooms
3 slices of Trader Joe’s Triple Cream Brie with Wild Mushrooms
3 pretzel buns, toasted
Salt and pepper

Form ground beef into three patties. Place patties on a plate, season each side with a little bit of salt and pepper, and set plate aside. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, for five minutes or so. Put mushrooms in a bowl and tent bowl with aluminum foil. Increase heat to high and add remaining oil to skillet so surface has a light overall coating. Place patties in skillet and cook for three minutes before flipping. Cook patties for additional 5-7 minutes or until they’re cooked to your preference. Top each patty with a slice of Brie about two minutes before burgers are done. Sandwich the patty, topped with sautéed mushrooms, between buns.

A breakfast beverage to brighten your day

We finally got some much-needed rain out here in California. Never thought I’d be so happy to see gray skies and wet roads! While we’ve been waiting for rain to come, I know plenty of friends and family elsewhere in the country who have had their fill of wintry conditions. No matter the forecast for your neck of the woods, brighten your day with this smoothie. This recipe makes enough to fill two pint glasses, plus a little extra.

Sunshine in a Glass 
2 cups carrot-orange juice
2 bananas
3 cups frozen peaches

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

You just can’t say no to baked ravioli

Baked ravioli is simply irresistible. How do I know?

The first time I made baked ravioli, I was fresh out of college and was just starting to experiment in the kitchen. One night, I got the bright idea to take a package of fresh ravioli, mix it in a baking dish with some marinara sauce, top it with plenty of grated cheese, and bake until melted and bubbly. Not too shabby for a first attempt, I thought, and put a mostly full casserole dish in the fridge after enjoying my dinner.

Imagine my shock when I opened the fridge a couple days later, ready to enjoy my leftovers, and instead discovered an empty, dirty baking dish. My roommate at the time apparently spotted the ravioli, decided to help himself to what would have been three or four meals for me. Instead of cleaning up after himself and apologizing, he thought it would be funny to put the dirty dish back in the fridge and wait for me to find it. Ridiculous.

Let this serve as a warning -- if you make the following recipe, be prepared to fight for your fair share!

Baked Ravioli 
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces brown mushrooms, sliced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
25-ounce bag frozen ravioli (I used Safeway Select Portobello Ravioli)
2 cups grated mozzarella or other shredded cheese (I used cheddar because it was already in the fridge) 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for about a minute before adding mushrooms. Cook mushrooms for a couple minutes, until slightly soft. Add diced tomatoes, oregano, Worcestershire sauce and red pepper flakes to pan. Let sauce simmer for 10 minutes. Spoon one cup of the sauce mix into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Layer half the ravioli in the dish, cover with a half the sauce, top with one cup of cheese, then repeat. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes to brown the cheese. Remove from heat and serve.

Fresh cocktail fit for Fridays

Every day has the potential to be great, but you’ve got to admit -- Fridays are their own kind of wonderful.

The TGIF 
2 mint leaves, plus extra for garnish
2 ounces grapefruit juice
2 ounces vodka
2 teaspoons agave syrup
Soda water

Muddle mint leaves in cocktail mixer. Add grapefruit juice, vodka and agave syrup to mixer. Cover and shake the mixer. Pour contents into glass filled with ice. Top off with some soda water, stir, garnish with mint leaf, and enjoy!